Beware the Wellness Industrial Complex!

From CBD leggings to Soulcycle, wellness is reshaping our relationships to our bodies and souls. But what even is “wellness?”

Well, for one, it’s a global industry worth 6 trillion dollars. And it encompasses all kinds of things – including spirituality: from the spirituality of wellness practices like yoga and reiki, to treating wellness itself like a religion. As spirituality, self-care, and capitalism swirl together, what is missing from the story?

Brittany is joined by Alyssa Bereznak, GQ’s Wellness Director, and Rina Raphael, author of the book The Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop, and the False Promise of Self-Care, to get into what people get out of a wellness-based spiritualism and consumerism.

This episode originally aired on March 17, 2025.

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