In recognition of National Book Month, we're thrilled to bring another installment of the Flowly Book Review Series. This week let's join Flowly team member, Christine, and embark on an exploration of The Gospel of Wellness by Rina Raphael.
What’s it about?
In The Gospel of Wellness, journalist Rina Raphael delves into the booming wellness industry, exploring its origins in genuine concerns, its alluring marketing strategies, and the unprecedented spending by women. This industry, now valued at $4.4 trillion, offers a wide array of health and vitality solutions, from juicing to biohacking. However, amidst the glossy marketing lies a deeper, more seductive promise – control.
The book unravels how women's pursuit of wellness is rooted in feeling dismissed and overwhelmed, as they are encouraged to follow a prescribed regimen of diet, exercise, and various products. Raphael critically examines the exploitative nature of this industry, shedding light on its questionable offerings and the pressure it places on women.
With humor and empathy, she draws from her own experiences as a wellness enthusiast to offer a balanced perspective. The Gospel of Wellness dismantles the myths and expectations surrounding wellness, striving for a more authentic and beneficial future for both the movement and individual well-being.
Why did you choose to read The Gospel of Wellness?
I saw the book cover at my local bookstore and was immediately drawn to the cover. The book description is what sold it to me as I knew that wellness was a huge industry with predominantly female consumers, and this book focused on wellness and women.
What are the main takeaways?
1. While the promise of "wellness" and "self-care" is rooted in good intentions, it became the industry it is now because the main brands and figures pushing for "wellness" are essentially exploiting women's need to reclaim some form of control.
2. For as long as there was domestication, women in charge of households practiced "precautionary consumption." Therefore, the responsibility of protecting the family and household from dangers falls on the wives/women.
3. [Interesting fact rather than takeaway] “Americans turn to fitness during stressful times. They took up exercising in greater numbers during the Great Depression, throughout the tumultuous seventies, after 9/11, and during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
How did The Gospel of Wellness affect you?
This book has made me re-evaluate some of the "wellness rituals" that I had adopted and determine whether it's something that I implemented because it was essential for my physical/mental/spiritual well-being or rather if I was sold into the marketing and the fear(s) they tapped into. While many of the wellness habits I've started implementing have legitimate reasons for continuing to stay a part of my life, I simplified some of my skincare routines. I was able to curb some of my desires for the more excessive wellness trends.
Who should read The Gospel of Wellness?
Anyone who has felt as though they're constantly overwhelmed by their lives or often feeling stressed, no matter how much time they take for themselves, should read this book. If you're prone to thinking, "This is going to change my life" or "This is what I need to truly feel relaxed," whenever you come across a new social media trend, it might be worth reading this book. Then, you can examine where this desire for a specific wellness trend/routine/product comes from. "Everyone just wants to feel good, and that's becoming harder and harder as modern life becomes more chaotic. Too much feels out of control: a poorly constructed medical system, tech overload, a tumultuous news cycle, lack of community, YOU NAME IT. We live lives that demand too much of us."
Do you have a book you would like to review and share with the Flowly community? Send us an email at contact@flowly.world.