In Singapore, as our progressive spiritual industry evolves, we’ve sussed out trends where spirituality is the secret sauce for success.
People are searching for meaning, inner peace, personal growth and a connection with a higher power. Rising to meet them is a massive industry of spiritual and wellness practitioners and products. As with all high-growth industries, there are risks, challenges and ethical considerations, but also meaningful potential and possibility.
The spiritual industry is a sector that encompasses various practices, beliefs and products related to spirituality, religion and personal growth. That spans a wide range of activities such as meditation, yoga, energy healing, astrology and other forms of spiritual practices. It also includes the production and distribution of spiritual products such as books, music and other media. It has long been regarded as a subset of the fast-growing “wellness industry”. But in the last few years, it’s become a sector in its own right, with growing interest in alternative healing practices. Here are the trends we’ve spotted…
1. Wellness products with a spiritual twist
We’re seeing more people open their minds to explore ways that bring balance and positivity to their daily lives in convenient ways. Kimberly Olsen, founder of Misty Rock, launched a new line of crystal energy-infused water bottles which are proving to be popular. It’s a complementary addition that brings harmony to the daily routine of drinking water – but without the fuss – with celebs like Victoria Beckham, Gwyneth Paltrow and Miranda Kerr vouching for its benefits.
At Haji Lane’s spiritual store, Athma Solutions, founder and director Omsira Barry is seeing a jump in sales for tools and products used to cleanse, maintain and elevate states and spaces. These include incense, sage and vibrational tools such as singing bowls and crystals.
“You can definitely see a lot of people being aware of how they want to upkeep their own sacred spaces, whether it’s at home, mental housekeeping or emotional well-being,” Omsira says.
2. Spirited luxury travel and tours
Here’s an exciting and fast-growing area of the industry: spiritual travel. Krystal Tan, co-founder of Blue Sky Escapes with her husband Chervin, saw the appetite for spiritual and wellness-based travel blossom post-pandemic.
“The pandemic stirred an awakening in people. With our Emergence of Self retreat series in Singapore, these types of requests grew as we became known for designing wellness experiences here and abroad,” she says.
Blue Sky Escapes now has a rich and beautiful menu of tours to Bhutan, Japan, Nepal, Laos, India and Cambodia that, depending on the experience, includes best-in-class practitioners in the programming.
Closer to home, Jane’s Singapore Tours specialises in public and bespoke tours exploring Singapore’s history, heritage and culture. The team has also added some “spirit” into their offerings. During the pandemic, founder Jane Iyer recognised an increasing demand for a compelling, ghostly experience.
Her Spooky Tours, launched two years ago, are still incredibly popular with private groups and visitors to Singapore. They feature history and the paranormal, with opportunities for adventurers to feel the energy and make spirit contact at haunted sites like Adam Park, Dempsey Hill and Bukit Brown Cemetery, to name a few.
3. The emergence of creative formats and spiritual communities
Life is so much more than work and play – lots of people are searching for a deeper purpose to feel fulfilment. Look at Well Commune, for example. Its April pop-up in the CBD, Well Commune Shenton, brought together a thriving and growing community of practitioners and consumers. It offered experiences in practices and therapies, as well as workshops and panel discussions to help people integrate their spirituality into everyday life and live consciously. Discussions included climate conversations, purpose and meaning workshops, advocates for women’s healthcare and more.
Founder Anastasia Ling says, “It encourages fearless experimentation for all parties involved. Whether you attend a workshop or simply hang out in the communal space, you’ll feel a sense of warmth and connection. You’ll have a safe space to explore healing modalities with no judgement – something that’s hard to find in other wellness spaces.”
Since then, it’s sparked industry-wide conversations and inspired others to grow their spiritual offerings, too.
4. Spirituality as a pillar of well-being
Medical research is now identifying spirituality and psychosocial connectedness as central players in our health and well-being. Dr Miina Öhman, who’s certified in lifestyle medicine and has researched lifestyle-related diseases, says more recent evidence shows that some form of spirituality and greater purpose – along with strong social connections that support it – are key factors in healthy longevity and well-being.
“[You] can have a perfect diet, a perfect exercise regime, plenty of money to spend on treatments, and all the gadgets to track heart rate and sleep. Yes, they’ll help, but you need “softer” factors to be in place as well to reach wholesome health. And those come out of love, nurturing and connection,” she explains.
5. The spirit in business
Finally, we’re seeing new collaborations struck between traditional business offerings and spiritual practitioners. Here’s an exciting alliance: personal branding photographer Rebecca Downie and feminine empowerment guide Camilla Knight are partnering on an experience for entrepreneurs. It’ll help them connect with themselves so they can show up authentically in their business with confidence. The Visibility Retreat will launch in September this year.
At entrepreneurial community Launchpad, more spiritual practitioners are joining its ranks, seeking new collabs and asking for a spotlight on issues. Expect more plans to create greater networks across the well-being and spirituality business spectrum. Just check out its upcoming event on 16 May in collaboration with SSEW for networking well-being experts to discuss the wellness challenges of entrepreneurship and the tools and practices to stay well, balanced and focused.
As the search for meaning continues, spirituality has become the secret sauce in many offerings, collaborations and products in Singapore and beyond. Which trend are you most excited about?