Quite often when I mention that I’m a meditation and mindfulness teacher it’s met with a certain amount of scepticism.
Not in a nasty way, more just a raised eyebrow, or a look of surprise.
A sort of unspoken “well that’s different”.
But the truth is meditation, and especially the use of related apps, is growing rapidly around the world.
According to Cognitive Market Research: the global mindfulness meditation application market will expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 31.20% from 2024 to 2031.
The Asia-Pacific region is forecast to grow the fastest at 33.2%, and in Australia, it’s 32.9% during the forecast period.
The report explains people are becoming more conscious of meditation since daily activities are demanding and stressful.
It also attributes some of the growth to the pandemic, when many people experienced increased stress and anxiety through restrictions and lockdowns.
Increasingly I’m hearing of medical professionals encouraging people to meditate.
This is a big step forward, because western medicine in particular, has also often viewed meditation with scepticism.
But just today a friend posted that her dentist has advised her to start meditating for 20 minutes before she goes to sleep.
Last year I worked with a man who had tinnitus, after his specialist had recommended he try relaxation techniques.
Closer to home, my husband was recently talking with one of his cardiologists about his anxiety attacks.
He immediately fears the worst – something’s wrong with his heart.
They can happen at any time, without warning.
A sudden feeling of tension, anxiety, panic and his heart racing.
Somewhere in the conversation he mentioned that I’m a meditation teacher.
The doctor said he should tap into this, saying there’s a lot of evidence showing the benefits of meditation, mindfulness and yoga.
Now that’s my kind of prescription!
Oh and talking about meditation apps, you can now find me on Insight Timer.
Ann 🙏