By Christy Abate and Lindsey Benoit O’Connell

Not too long ago, wellness lived on the sidelines of your life, if at all. It was something you got to if you had time. A yoga class squeezed in after work. A meditation app you downloaded but forgot to open. A vague promise to take better care of yourself once things slowed down.

But things didn’t slow down. They never do, do they?

Instead, work became more demanding. The lines between personal and professional blurred. And for many, especially working parents, caregivers and those holding it all together for everyone else, the cost of pushing through became impossible to ignore. Chronic stress takes a toll on our minds and bodies. Ironically, many of the tools that can help are simple, but they’re often the first things we put on the back burner.

At The Angel Cooperative and The Angel Wing, Christy Abate works every day with individuals who are not just curious about wellness but actively seeking relief. They arrive overwhelmed, stretched thin and often unsure of where to begin. The question is immediate: What can I do to feel better right now?

In Lindsey Benoit O’Connell’s work through The LAB Wellness, that same question shows up inside boardrooms and corporate offices as well as private meditation sessions. Companies like Capital One and Meta are hiring Benoit O’Connell to bring meditation, breathwork and sound healing directly to their teams. Not as a luxury, but as a response to what their employees are experiencing every day. People want to feel better, and they are looking for more tools alongside traditional medicine. Increasingly, the mainstream is recognizing the benefits of meditation, breathwork and complementary wellness practices.

Across both of our work, and often collaboratively through workshops, retreats and corporate sessions, the throughline is clear. People are no longer waiting until burnout forces a reset…

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