Are 30s truly the era of strange hobbies?

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, there’s no way you’d deny knowing someone who has learnt Reiki on the side or ordered up Tarot Cards and signed up for a course “just to know”. While it may seem natural to roll your eyes at what appears to be colloquially called ‘woo-woo’ sh*t on the surface, you’d be surprised to learn that we’re currently living in an economy where Indian millennials reportedly account for about an impressive 52 percentage of wellness spending.

Yes, it’s safe to say that young adults have taken the first step toward healing through grounding practices and modalities, typically what boomers would label as ‘strange hobbies’.

We asked a volley of millennial folks to share the inside track with us, and here's how it went.
 
“I believe, by your 30s, you’ve experienced enough of life—the unhinged swings of personal and professional ambition, love, loss, power, disappointment—only to realise that success and stability don’t automatically create peace. You can have the role, the relationship, the recognition and still feel misaligned. That’s often when the inner work or search begins,” says Swati S Sahoo, a marketing and communications professional who’s signed up for modalities like Lama Fera, art therapy, TRE, Reiki, tarot, the foundations of Human Design, and family constellation, among others. “The core here is, for me, it is self-examination and expression. It helps me understand my emotional patterns, my nervous system responses, and inherited conditioning. It supports building regulation and clarity,” she adds.
 
The most important thing to understand is that healing modalities are not magic but gentle, supportive practices. “When people come to them with openness, they often experience a sense of calm, clarity, or emotional release,” shares Sneha Chandrashekar, an entrepreneur and author, for whom a random spurt of intrigue led her onto the path of Reiki roughly about a decade ago.She further adds, “At the time, it started as pure curiosity, but it slowly became an important part of my spiritual journey. Over the years, working with energy healing and meditating with crystals has helped me become far more aware of my inner landscape.”

While there’s no right age to pursue your calling, Pranjall, an astro-tarot reader, vastu expert, numerologist and healer, asserts that these practices should never be seen as a quick fix. “If you are a young person curious about Reiki or energy healing, approach it with an open mind and a genuine willingness to learn. Like any meaningful path, it requires patience, sincerity, and consistent practice. When approached with respect and the right guidance, Reiki can become a powerful tool for personal healing and helping others.” Personally, it was an eye-opener that helped her understand energy better. “As I practised and understood the energy more, it felt almost magical. Over time, I realised that Reiki was not just something I learned, it had quietly become my path.”

If you’re someone who’s mildly curious about the (healing) path less taken, Sheelaa Bajaj, a hypnotherapist and transformational coach, reveals how there’s been a steady uptick among young folks signing up for courses that allow them to guide their inner circle.

“The Tarot Masterclass is a huge favourite among millennials. Another program I see millennials doing a lot is the hypnotherapy group sessions that I facilitate. Reiki, almost every millennial wants to learn some form of healing and meditation. In fact, the maximum clientele or students I have for Reiki, the Tarot Masterclass, and hypnotherapy are millennials. Some of them are also very curious about Akashic journeys, but that tends to be something they try in the beginning, maybe once, and then they fall off the bandwagon. Another hot favourite workshop that I see a lot of young people sign up for is manifestation, especially advanced manifestation, where I teach quantum manifestation.”

All images: Pexels 

Also read: Sun-moon synastry is the green flag for astrological compatibility you didn't know you needed

Also read: The 13 different types of witches you should know about