The field of energy medicine is growing. According to Grand View Research, the global complementary and alternative medicine market size is expected to grow at a compound rate of 22 percent from 2021 to 2028. And millennials, or those born between 1980 and 2000, now account for more than one and three adults. Coincidence?

Most likely not. While there is no research (yet!) clearly pinpointing that millennials are the catalyst for growth in energy medicine and its related fields, there is reason to believe that millennials are at the heart of its momentum. Because if there’s ever been an offering that was built for millennials and their beliefs and lifestyle, it’s energy medicine. Why is it the perfect fit for this generation of young adults? Let us count the ways.

First, it’s individual. Millennials, partly due to their young age, are known to be individualistic. Energy medicine allows them to get in touch with their inner selves. It taps individual rhythms and plays a key role in allowing millennials to discover themselves and how they can live their best lives by understanding their energies. The Five Elements, a theory that stems from ancient Chinese medicine, has answers to questions many millennials are interested in seeking, such as: Why do you do what you do? Why do you say what you say? How can I understand others? How can I understand myself?

Energy medicine is also an experience shared between a practitioner and a person. In a world of wait-an-hour-to-see-a-doctor-for-five-minutes, energy practitioners take time to understand who their clients are and what exercises it will take to channel their best energies so they can feel happier and healthier. It’s a more individual and less institutional approach. And that’s proven appealing to millennials.

As Western medicine fast becomes the medicine of the older generation, and as America’s health care system becomes more expensive and bureaucratic, energy medicine provides a welcome alternative to those who have become disenchanted with the current U.S. health care system. According to millennial Jessica Rich, whose story appeared on CNBC and who uses several alternative medicine experts to help her cope with multiple sclerosis, traditional Western medicine doesn’t treat individuals holistically. She also distrusts the potential side effects of pharmaceuticals.

It’s not just traditional medicine that millennials are moving away from. They’re also leaving conventional ideas of religion behind and exploring alternative forms of spirituality. Not convinced they need an outside authority, millennials are turning inward and redefining their spiritual paths in the process. From Reiki to astrology, millennials are open minded in their spiritual practices. Spirituality is personal; energy medicine is too.

Connection is also what millennials seek. Yes, connections to the Internet, of course—this generation grew up with technology. But mainly, they want to be deeply in tune with themselves and what they believe. As Reiki Master and millennial Robyn Benelli writes in Reiki News Magazine, “We are a conscious generation, wanting to live with our planet and our fellow humans, animals, and nature in symbiosis. So, in our 20s we are starting with ourselves. If we can connect with our inner guidance and inner authority at this age to help raise our vibration, hopefully, we can then participate in the intention of raising the vibration of humanity.”

Energy medicine helps provide an outlet for the humanity described by Robyn Benelli. For example, compassion is something many millennials seek. According to Gallup’s piece, What Millennials Want From Work and Life, millennials desire high levels of well-being, which they define as more than physical fitness. They recognize that there is power in both forgiveness and in gratitude and that these things are tied to feeling well. According to research, an “attitude of gratitude” has been associated with improved health, better sleep, less anxiety and depression, and kinder behavior towards others. Asking for forgiveness is equally powerful.

Finally, millennials are also drawn to experiences versus material things. And everything that we experience, from emotions and energies to toxins and viruses, touches our aura first. Understanding how to keep the aura healthy, another aspect of energy medicine, can help people feel happier and healthier too. In their approach to well-being, perhaps millennials are truly wise beyond their years.

About the Author

Mary Walters, RN, EEM-CP, is the owner of Energy Girl in La Grange and a member of the La Grange Business Association.