Luxury meets mindfulness: China’s spiritual renaissance

Yiqi Sha, a 31-year-old psychotherapist from Yunnan, found himself at a crossroads in 2020. After leaving a stable career in data modeling and watching his startup collapse, he turned to spiritual practices for solace. What began with simple meditation soon expanded into yoga and drama therapy, ultimately leading him to train as a “sacred geometry” healer. Sha is part of a growing wave of young urbanites in China embracing the “body-mind-spirit movement” (身心灵), which focuses on achieving holistic well-being. Once a cultural practice rooted in Taoist and Buddhist traditions, spiritual exploration is now reshaping China’s urban youth. Post-pandemic, this niche movement has evolved into a billion-dollar industry. Meditation apps, singing bowl therapy, temple retreats, and esoteric studies now cater to the needs of affluent urbanites seeking inner peace amid growing external uncertainties. From meditation to sound healing: The rise of holistic wellness China’s rapid economic development has come with a psychological toll. A 2024 report from Zhimeng Consulting revealed that 72% of the 3,000 participants surveyed experienced anxiety linked to work-related stress, family responsibilities, and economic uncertainty. For many, spiritual practices have become a refuge for emotional healing and self-care. Sha says that his therapy and yoga classmates are primarily women in their 30s and early 40s. “Most of them began their meditation journeys following a significant life change or painful event,” he adds. “Like myself, my self-exploration started when my start-up business hit a dead end in 2020.” China’s meditation app market is on the rise This surging interest has fueled the proliferation of digital wellness platforms. Since 2021, apps offering digital mindfulness solutions like Heartly Lab, Tide, Now Meditation, and Flow have gained traction. According to Wu Zan, founder of Flow, meditation in China is at a turning point, akin to where yoga was five years ago. “In mature markets like the U.S., meditation is a corporate benefit — almost as common as gym memberships. In China, the potential remains largely untapped,” Wu says. Data backs up Wu’s optimism. A 2023 report from Keep, China’s leading fitness app, revealed visitors had made over 300,000 searches for “meditation” each month since 2022. Meituan, a popular online shopping and delivery platform, recorded a 256% spike in searches for “healing” last year, while interest in Tibetan singing bowl therapy surged 423% year-on-year. Sound healing, particularly involving Tibetan singing bowls, is emerging as a popular wellness practice. In Shanghai, group sessions cost from 250 RMB to 400 RMB ($35 to $55), while personalized ones can cost up to 500 RMB ($70) per hour. Despite the premium pricing, demand continues to rise. Luxury brands integrate mindfulness into their experience offerings Savvy retailers have started to incorporate the mindfulness concept in their experience offerings. In 2023, wellness brand Creative Shelter launched an “Urban Spiritual Temple” pop-up at Shanghai’s prestigious K11 Art Mall, featuring sound-healing installations designed to engage affluent city dwellers. Lululemon has also embraced this trend, hosting in-store sound bath concerts, yoga sessions, and personalized workshops across its China locations. Mindfulness-related merchandise has surged as well. On platforms like Taobao, brands such as MyFlowTime offer meditation cushions, incense, crystals, and journals. Meanwhile, ZMind, a meditation lifestyle brand specializing in premium meditation sofas and sandboxes priced between 1,000 RMB and 3,500 RMB ($138 to $482), reported monthly sales of around 100 units for its top-selling categories on Tmall. Temple retreats and wellness travel reshape Chinese tourism As Chinese consumers seek fulfillment beyond traditional markers of status, travel habits are shifting. According to Flow’s Wu, the way people travel post-pandemic has profoundly changed. “Now people are asking: Will this trip help me relax? Or will it help me grow?” he says. This shift has given rise to a “wellness travel” (旅修) trend. Platforms like Xiaohongshu (also known as RedNote) are seeing interest in retreats, offering experiences ranging from sound-healing getaways in Hangzhou’s hills to yoga retreats in Yangshuo, expand. International destinations such as Bali, Thailand, and Greece are also attracting affluent Chinese travelers, with wellness packages often costing over 20,000 RMB ($2,800) for a weeklong stay. One of the most fascinating trends is the resurgence of temple stays, where urbanites immerse themselves in ancient rituals at historic sites like Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou and Shaolin Temple in Henan. On Xiaohongshu, the hashtag “temple stay” has amassed over 19,000 posts from users sharing their experiences. Marketed as mindfulness retreats, these programs combine Taoist principles, martial arts training, and meditation. A weekend retreat detailed on Shaolin Temple’s website lists activities from qigong exercises, Sutra transcription, meditation, and plant-based meal preparation. Premium wellness products: The new status symbols At its core, China’s spirituality boom reflects a society in transition. As traditional ambitions and hard work no longer yield expected returns, young Chinese are shifting their focus toward emotional well-being, meaning, and personal growth. For brands, the opportunities are vast. As consumers seek emotional depth and healing, spiritual-themed collections, collaborations with wellness experts, and curated luxury retreats can all serve as entry points for meaningful engagement. The growing wellness tourism industry also presents fresh ways of collaboration — from bespoke experiences and spa treatments to curated gift packages tailored for VIP clients. The key for brands is to recognize consumers’ evolving values. As meditation retreats and spiritual journeys gain cultural significance, consumers are gravitating toward experiences that nurture emotional well-being and personal transformation. The ironic truth is, to chase growth in today’s China, the real opportunities lie in helping consumers to slow down. How China’s post-pandemic mindset is transforming luxury experiences China’s “body-mind-spirit movement” has evolved from niche cultural practices into a billion-dollar industry, as urban elites increasingly turn to meditation, sound healing, and spiritual retreats to find solace amid external uncertainties. Digital wellness platforms have experienced explosive growth, with meditation app searches exceeding 300,000 monthly, “healing” searches increasing 256%, and interest in Tibetan singing bowl therapy surging 423% year-on-year, according to major platforms like Keep and Meituan. Luxury brands are successfully tapping into the mindfulness trend through experiential offerings, with companies like Lululemon hosting sound bath concerts and Creative Shelter launching “Urban Spiritual Temple” pop-ups catering to affluent urbanites seeking emotional depth. As Chinese consumers shift from traditional status markers toward emotional well-being and personal growth, brands have significant opportunities in spiritual-themed collections, wellness expert collaborations, and curated luxury retreats designed for meaningful engagement. Post-pandemic “wellness travel” is reshaping Chinese tourism, with affluent travelers spending upwards of 20,000 RMB ($2,800) on weeklong retreat packages and increasingly seeking authentic experiences like temple stays that combine ancient traditions with modern mindfulness practices.

Sectors

Insights

Company

Luxury meets mindfulness: China’s spiritual renaissance