Being famous can be a stressful experience. To stay relevant and maintain their lavish lifestyles, celebrities need to keep up with mainstream trends, take on high-stakes projects, and constantly fine-tune their public image. As we mentioned in ‘5 Things That Aren’t So Great About Being Famous’, celebrities also face massive public scrutiny, receiving nonstop judgment on their appearances, words, and actions. It’s no wonder that many celebrities turn to activities that help to relieve stress like meditation.
Meditation is a relaxation technique that aims to reduce stress by training the mind’s awareness. Because meditation sessions help people become more aware of their thoughts, feelings, and surroundings, it has become a popular tool for regulating stress and negative emotions. The following celebrities are known to practice meditation.
Katy Perry
The popular songwriter and singer Katy Perry has not only won multiple awards and released numerous successful albums. She’s also widely considered to be one of the singers who helped define the very style of pop music in the 2010s. Yet when she faced sleep deprivation as a new parent, this world-beating musician found herself struggling –– and turned to meditation. Specifically, Perry believes that practicing transcendental meditation helped her to relax and recover, even during her busiest days.
Martin Scorsese
If you are familiar with films like Goodfellas, The Last Temptation of Christ, or The Wolf of Wall Street, you probably have no problem recognizing Martin Scorsese’s talent for storytelling. What few people know, however, is that he too is a devotee of transcendental meditation. It’s a technique that the director has credited with changing his life –– and given his output as one of the most accomplished and successful modern filmmakers, who are we to argue with the results?
Steve Jobs
Known by many as one of the most innovative minds in modern history, Steve Jobs certainly left a mark in popular culture. He revolutionized the way people see personal computers, and is largely credited with the advent of the smartphone as we know it. His list of contributions can fill books (and has done so). But perhaps this shouldn’t be surprising considering that one of the best-known effects of meditation –– which Jobs practiced frequently –– is a more creative mind.
Daniel Negreanu
Though he’s become something of an influencer personality on TV, YouTube, and social media, Daniel Negreanu is best recognized as one of the biggest stars in professional poker. His strategies at the tables have helped him earn an astonishing $42 million at poker tournaments over the years, and likely quite a bit more in online games. But Negreanu is also one of a growing number of poker professionals who practice meditation. He also likes to remind people that there’s no wrong way to meditate and that even a few deep breaths can do wonders for anxiety –– something important to remember for newcomers who struggle to commit to full meditation routines.
LeBron James
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LeBron James has managed to take otherworldly expectations and exceed them to become one of the most successful basketball players in history. He’s also developed what more or less amounts to a business empire away from basketball, and is believed to be on his way to a billion dollars’ net worth (if he’s not there already). James has attributed part of his ability to manage all of this success to meditation. As a result, he has even become the face of a mental fitness app.
Derek Jeter
Pro baseball player Derek Jeter is known for his two-decade long career as a shortstop for the New York Yankees. He’s also one of the many athletes who have turned to meditation to improve their games. Jeter began meditating in 2012 and relied on the practice to improve his mental strength during the last two years of his career. According to Jeter, meditation’s benefits on composure also helped him become a better person.
The benefits of meditation are well known around the world. But it’s not always easy to get started, and for some it helps to have evidence in the form of recognizable figures. To that end, the list above includes visionaries, business leaders, legendary competitors, a one-of-a-kind director, and a generational pop star –– all of whom have spoken to how meditation has helped them succeed.
