/ world today news/ In the conditions of Covid-19 and self-isolation, people are looking within themselves for ways to reduce anxiety and relieve depression.
On a recent Sunday afternoon, 15 youths lie on colorful carpets and cushions arranged in a circle. Their eyes are closed, some with their legs outstretched and others curled up as if asleep. Kun Yi stands cross-legged in front of them and uses a special mallet to lightly tap metal bowls in front of him, making a sound that echoes for a long time in the quiet room in the center of Shenzhen, one of China’s busiest cities.
Following Kuhn’s instructions, the group engaged in a two-hour sound meditation session. Listening to the slowly fading sounds of ancient musical instruments such as singing bowls and gongs, the participants try to find peace from the hectic everyday life. Then, he instructor has them imagine that they are talking to a sage dressed in white, asking him questions and seeking answers. In the last part of the session, the young people are encouraged to share their thoughts with the other participants.
“During the session, many people asked about the ultimate meaning of life, but each gave different answers from the sage – actually himself,” says Kuhn, who runs a studio offering spiritual healing courses combined with art forms such as painting, music and dancing.
Such spiritual, meditative experiences, which can reduce stress and anxiety and alleviate depression, have become the latest opportunity for China’s stressed-out young generation seeking peace and trying to find themselves.
Kuhn’s client groups include people interested in art and psychology—educated young people in need of relaxation and full-time mothers who want to learn and share with someone.
“The sleep phase, even though it only lasts half an hour, is very decompressing and relaxing, and many people wake up feeling like they’ve slept for a long time,” says Kun Yi.
The 37-year-old former university employee has turned to studying art healing in recent years after being inspired by her first experience in 2016. She notices that young Chinese people, who are open-minded, are now willing to try treatment with an art that until a few years ago had little popularity.
Kun Yi attributes part of the reason to the frequent quarantines and social distancing practiced over the past three years alongside the COVID-19 epidemic, which have changed the ways people deal with stress.
Art therapy remains a niche in China, but Kun Yi believes the market is expanding. In the post-pandemic era, people have increasing needs for stress relief and spiritual life. Younger generations are increasingly concerned about their mental health, according to a report by Bilibili, a video-sharing platform popular with young Chinese. The number of views of videos related to such topics in the past year saw a huge increase of 83% year-on-year.
Among users who seek answers or offer ideas on psychological issues through the platform, those under the age of 24 are 76 percent. Emotional words with high search frequency on the platform include “anxiety,” “depression” and “stress,” the report shows.
The need for young people to find entertainment outside of work has led to the emergence of a variety of new experiences aimed at relaxation. Their willingness to pay for these trendy hobbies has led to the creation of stress relief companies.
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