Meditation is indeed moving mainstream. Not long ago, many thought meditation was something only for monks living in huts, crystal-adorned yoga lovers or people deep into spirituality or religion. But meditation is becoming increasingly acceptable in the modern world. Meditation apps are hugely popular, articles about the benefits of meditation, mindfulness, and mental health are published and shared, and subjects like ‘Wellbeing in the Workplace’ are frequently discussed in the corporate world.

People speak often about the benefits of meditation, and many have incorporated it into their daily routines. But not everyone is convinced. So in case this is helpful, we wanted to highlight some celebrities who embrace meditation — and speak openly about enjoying it. Perhaps after reading this you will give meditation a chance!

1. Oprah Winfrey

As a media mogul, entrepreneur, and all-around celebrity, Oprah Winfrey is by any measure one of the most impressive success stories of modern times. So it’s hard to imagine a much better advocate for meditation! It also helps that in her case, meditation isn’t some vague wellness trick that’s the result of having attained the wealth and time to prioritize such things. Rather, it’s propped up as a means to achieve success in the first place. As one person who tried Oprah’s specific techniques wrote for Entrepreneur.com, meditation can produce a “solitude and stillness” in which we often “find creative energy and direction.” That’s the message Oprah generally conveys, and it’s an inspiring and persuasive one for all kinds of people.

2. Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga has promoted meditation for a more specific purpose — specifically as a way for her to cope with some of her own mental health challenges. This alone is an incredibly valuable thing for a celebrity to do, however. While we’d stress that mental health difficulties can also require real medical attention, Lady Gaga has helped to make others feel comfortable turning to meditation for help.

3. Russell Brand

Many people know Russell Brand as an eccentric caricature of celebrity. His occasional alter-ego Aldous Snow — a sort of Keith Richards/David Bowie/Gallagher brothers hybrid (as Brand has described it himself) — is in some respects an exaggerated version of Brand himself. He’s the over-the-top, dress-like-a-pirate pop persona who preaches world peace in the daylight and struggles with addiction at night. This in fact seems quite close to who Brand was at one point, and yet he’s now known as something of a toned-down, Zen intellectual. Brand has chalked the transformation (as well as handling his addiction issues) to meditation, which is another fantastic example to people out there who might be seeking wellness solutions.

4. Bianca Andreescu

Bianca Andreescu might not be a household name just yet, but tennis fans are well aware of her and in time she’ll likely be one of the more famous athletes on the planet for young women to look up to. Andreescu was propped up by the New York Post as the “next big thing” in tennis when she won the Indian Wells tournament in March of 2019; six months later she defeated Serena Williams in the U.S. Open final. Still only 20 years old, she has a massive career ahead of her, and she’s already chalking some of her success up to meditation. Andreescu has let it be known that she’s meditated since age 12, and that she specifically practices visualization of her goals. Given her track record, it’s a practice well worth trying!

5. Daniel Negreanu

Like Andreescu, Daniel Negreanu is best known to a certain community of fans. In this case, it is the global poker community. He first rose to fame via televised the World Series of Poker events, and is now listed by Poker.org as one of the wealthiest players in the game, having amassed tens of millions at the tables. Negreanu has also transcended poker to become a sort of entrepreneur as well though, sponsoring video games and even conducting a course on the Masterclass platform. And along the way he, too, has espoused the benefits of meditation and why it’s become popular in his own profession. Like Andreescu, he’s an example of how meditation can help people work toward specific goals or career success.

6. Keanu Reeves

As the story goes, Keanu Reeves actually learned to meditate from Nepalese Buddhists while researching for the 1993 film Little Buddha (in which he plays the role of Siddhartha). Nearly 30 years later, Reeves has solidified himself as one of the most universally beloved and admired Hollywood celebrities — and it’s largely because he seems to have such a calm persona and reasonable outlook. Rather than preaching a given technique or benefit, Reeves is simply an example of the effect meditation can have on one’s energy.

7. Katy Perry

Last but not least is Katy Perry, who along with Lady Gaga is one of the most renowned pop stars in the world. She’s been open about some of the struggles that come with that success though, and like a growing number of celebrities ultimately turned to transcendental meditation. Perry has said that meditating for 20 minutes in the morning, and using the same practice to clear her head before playing a performance or writing a song, has completely changed her life.

Many more celebrities could be mentioned. But these seven show a number of different ways in which famous figures are proving to be excellent examples. Collectively, they’re playing a key role in the mainstreaming of meditation and mindfulness.