“Fitness” of the urban middle class and “wellness” of the spa centers in Delhi

Abstract

This article attempts to explore the notion of “wellness” in relation to the emerging health markets in Delhi. For this study, spa centers are going to be my major focus. How spa centers define and sell wellness? How does the notion of wellness link to the neoliberal economy and laissez-faire nature of the state? Moreover, in present societies how has it emerged as an “ideological normativity” which pathologies those who do not conform to the idea of wellness? Wellness is used in everyday conversation to indicate a healthy balance of mind, body, and emotions. It argues that how wellness as a quality is purportedly being sold through a range of objects and services, from a bottle of shampoo to the complex practice of power yoga. The article examines the spa center as a site and how it models the notions of health and wellness in new ways.

Keywords

• health
• neoliberal market
• well-being
• wellness