Lifestyle guru
Encyclopedia
Lifestyle gurus use principles vaguely related to metaphysics
to advise people how they can make themselves happier through changes in their lifestyle. Lifestyle gurus were a profession popularised by several celebrities, including Cherie Blair
, Madonna
etc in the 1990s and 2000s. They came to be seen by the rich and famous as confidants on several lifestyle subjects, including which clothes are fashionable, which hobbies are trendy (which has led to many top celebrities taking up yoga
), feng shui
, drinking wheatgrass
, eating tofu
etc.
Prominent examples of lifestyle gurus include Carole Caplin
, who worked as a lifestyle guru for the Blair family. Among the activities the Blair family has taken part in in recent years is a Mayan rebirthing ceremony when on holiday in Mexico.
Many celebrities view lifestyle gurus as very beneficial, as they put them in touch with the latest things that it is trendy to be seen doing. However, they have come under heavy criticism in recent years, with most criticisms concerning their utility http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/10/28/nguru28.xml http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/l/lifestyle_guru.asp. Other criticisms have centred around the perception that they are a symptom of the indecisiveness of today's society http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/india_knight/article584322.ece.
Frank Furedi
, a professor of sociology at the University of Kent, has been a prominent critic of lifestyle gurus in recent years, which can be seen on his website http://www.frankfuredi.com/articles/unreason-20051118.shtml. Also, lifestyle gurus have received criticism for regularly telling the public how to live their lives, with one example being Andrew Lansley
criticising Jamie Oliver
for interfering too much in what British children eat, ultimately undermining efforts to persuade children to eat healthilyhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/10459744.stm.
Metaphysics
Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...
to advise people how they can make themselves happier through changes in their lifestyle. Lifestyle gurus were a profession popularised by several celebrities, including Cherie Blair
Cherie Blair
Cherie Blair , known professionally as Cherie Booth QC, is a British barrister working in the legal system of England and Wales. She is married to the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair; the couple have three sons and one daughter...
, Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
etc in the 1990s and 2000s. They came to be seen by the rich and famous as confidants on several lifestyle subjects, including which clothes are fashionable, which hobbies are trendy (which has led to many top celebrities taking up yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
), feng shui
Feng shui
Feng shui ' is a Chinese system of geomancy believed to use the laws of both Heaven and Earth to help one improve life by receiving positive qi. The original designation for the discipline is Kan Yu ....
, drinking wheatgrass
Wheatgrass
Wheatgrass is a food prepared from the cotyledons of the common wheat plant, Triticum aestivum. It is sold either as a juice or powder concentrate. Wheatgrass differs from wheat malt in that it is served freeze-dried or fresh, while wheat malt is convectively dried. Wheatgrass is also allowed to...
, eating tofu
Tofu
is a food made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into soft white blocks. It is part of East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and others. There are many different varieties of tofu, including fresh tofu and tofu...
etc.
Prominent examples of lifestyle gurus include Carole Caplin
Carole Caplin
Carole Caplin was the style adviser to Cherie Blair and a fitness adviser to Tony Blair, when he was the British Prime Minister...
, who worked as a lifestyle guru for the Blair family. Among the activities the Blair family has taken part in in recent years is a Mayan rebirthing ceremony when on holiday in Mexico.
Many celebrities view lifestyle gurus as very beneficial, as they put them in touch with the latest things that it is trendy to be seen doing. However, they have come under heavy criticism in recent years, with most criticisms concerning their utility http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/10/28/nguru28.xml http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/l/lifestyle_guru.asp. Other criticisms have centred around the perception that they are a symptom of the indecisiveness of today's society http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/india_knight/article584322.ece.
Frank Furedi
Frank Furedi
Frank Furedi is professor of sociology at the University of Kent, United Kingdom. He is well known for his work on sociology of fear, therapy culture, paranoid parenting and sociology of knowledge....
, a professor of sociology at the University of Kent, has been a prominent critic of lifestyle gurus in recent years, which can be seen on his website http://www.frankfuredi.com/articles/unreason-20051118.shtml. Also, lifestyle gurus have received criticism for regularly telling the public how to live their lives, with one example being Andrew Lansley
Andrew Lansley
Andrew David Lansley, CBE, MP is the UK Secretary of State for Health, who has been the Conservative Member of Parliament for South Cambridgeshire since the 1997 general election, and was Shadow Secretary of State for Health from June 2004 until becoming Secretary of State for Health in May 2010...
criticising Jamie Oliver
Jamie Oliver
James "Jamie" Trevor Oliver, MBE , sometimes known as The Naked Chef, is an English chef, restaurateur and media personality, known for his food-focused television shows, cookbooks and more recently his campaign against the use of processed foods in national schools...
for interfering too much in what British children eat, ultimately undermining efforts to persuade children to eat healthilyhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/10459744.stm.