Are In-Store Meditation Spaces the Next Big Thing?

Lululemon’s no longer just somewhere to buy a state-of-the-art sports bra. The activewear giant recently launched its first healthy home line—and now it’s moving even deeper into wellness territory, opening its first-ever Mindfulosophy space. Sure, the name sounds a little Suessical, but it’s no fantasy. The destination’s designed to offer visitors a chill place for a mind-body reboot. Its main attraction? Zen pods—AKA super-comfy cushions where you can plop down, put on a pair of headphones, and listen to one of 12 different self-guided meditations recorded by Danielle Nagel, Lululemon’s director of mindful performance, and Tom Waller, the head of its Whitespace Innovation Lab. According to Celeste Burgoyne, Lululemon’s executive vice president of retail in the Americas, it’s a natural evolution of the fusion-retail model that began when the brand started programming in-store workouts.