2023 SI Swimsuit Rookie Lauren Chan’s Top Meditations, Podcasts and Audiobooks for Manifesting the Life You Want

Lauren Chan.Swimsuit by MESHKI. Earrings provided by New York Vintage.James Macari/Sports Illustrated

Model and fashion editor Lauren Chan has worked at Vogue, Glamour and Interview, and has been featured in campaigns for Vera Wang, Christian Siriano, Valentino, Chanel and more. While her stacked résumé seems glamorous and perfect, her journey to get to where she is today—a confident woman and successful entrepreneur of clothing brand Henning who is secure in her sexuality and identity—was anything but easy.

The 2023 SI Swimsuit rookie makes her debut in the magazine this May. She has built her platform over the past few years to create an uplifting and authentic space where she advocates for size inclusivity in the fashion industry.

She finds strength in being vulnerable and regularly practices self-love while prioritizing her mental health. She encourages her followers to do the same.

“I practice self-love in so many ways. I feel like I have changed those ways within the last year,” Chan says. “I have changed those ways with every life experience, whether that was a new job or a divorce or coming out—I changed it on the daily. I’ve been practicing self-love by letting everything slip by the wayside—except for who I am and how I want to take away the experience of everything that I’m doing. Keeping that top of mind [has] helped me really be present and myself and calm and connected.”

On the day of her SI Swimsuit photo shoot in the Dominican Republic with photographer James Macari, Chan began her morning with a two-minute meditation focused on having a “beginner’s mind” and living each experience as if it were the first time. This helped her to soak in each moment to the fullest for the excitement that comes with being an SI Swimsuit rookie.

“Mental health is so important to me. I try to go to therapy every week,” she says, adding that with the help of her therapist she has “been able to get to know myself really well and prioritize how I feel and act,” which, in turn leads to great meditation practices.

Chan says she’s made her mental health a priority over the past few years rather than an option.

“It’s not, if I have time, it’s not, if I’m not working, it’s not, when things just get really stressful. It’s the first thing, so that all those other things in my life [like] work and relationships with myself are in check when I need them to be,” she explains.

Lauren Chan was photographed by James Macari in the Dominican Republic. Swimsuit by MESHKI. Earrings provided by New York Vintage.

James Macari/Sports Illustrated

The Toronto native, who identifies as gay, shares it took her until her 30s to come to the awareness of her sexuality, but she has reached a place where she is proud, secure and “ready to celebrate, ready to live and ready for what’s next.”

“I’ve learned to trust myself by completely uprooting my life and seeing that everything is still O.K.,” she continues. “I feel better by following that deep knowing inside of me that was pulling me toward where I’m supposed to be, who I’m supposed to be, who I’m supposed to be with and what I’m supposed to be doing.”

Chan knows that being able to take a risk and creating major and uncertain change in your life can feel impossible. That’s why she’s so adamant about sharing her lived experiences on social media, to give fans a glimpse of what an “O.K., brighter, more hopeful and authentic” future could look like.

“I feel my most authentic self when I am around people I love,” she adds, mentioning that finding comfort in being your true self can be empowering. “I have a team today that is comprised of some friends that I [knew] before I landed in the Dominican, and that is making me feel really confident [and] strong. I’m just having fun and I can like not hold my tongue on the joke I wanna say or the silly dance move that I want to do. Your world is who you surround yourself with.”

Chan gets her courage, inspiration and advice from friends, as well as from a variety of media. Here are her top six recommendations for podcasts, books, talks and more on manifesting the life you want.

Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself, Joe Dispenza

“This [audio] book is a scientific take on manifesting, or as Dr. Joe Dispenza labels it, quantum physics,” Chan says. “It explains how it works; it makes you think about your ideal life; it teaches you how to get what you want. It’s quite dense, so I recommend the audiobook.”

Chan has developed a useful hack that makes her love audio books even more. She screen records specific memorable sound bites, saves them on a folder on her phone and refers back to them later.

Beginner’s Mind, Dr. Eric López

Chan says this is her go-to podcast before anxiety-inducing moments. She listened to the meditation before her SI Swimsuit shoot.

“It’s a quick suggestion to treat your situation as if it’s the first time you’ve ever experienced it, encouraging a mindset of curiosity and awe in lieu of stress or anxiety,” she explains.

The Power of Vulnerability, Brené Brown

“Sometimes, we all need a reminder that being vulnerable and emotional isn’t just O.K., it’s necessary,” Chan shares. “[Author, speaker and professor] Brene Brown’s Ted Talk on vulnerability does just that. Brown says that courage is the ability to show up as your whole self or to share your whole self—which helped me squash any physical insecurities and focus on being my true self ahead of my SI Swimsuit shoot.”

Come Home, Kendra Austin

“Kendra Austin’s newsletter is a smart, funny, essay-based newsletter that focuses on mental well-being, spirituality, and creativity,” Chan says. “She describes it as, ‘a ritualistic return to the only place we’ve ever truly known—ourselves,’ and some of her past issues include ‘On Main Character Energy,’ ‘On Burnout,’ and ‘On Fat Girl Summer.’ Just trust me on this: you will not regret subscribing to Come Home.”

XO Higher Self, Bunny Michael

“For a long time, I didn’t understand how to do the “inner child” work that I constantly heard therapized people talk about,” Chan admits. “Bunny Michael’s podcast helped me understand how to do it by answering listener questions; she exemplifies how to speak to an inner child from the POV of a higher self. In her own words, the podcast, ‘will help you tap into your self-worth and self-compassion by connecting you with your Higher Self.’”

Untamed, Glennon Doyle

“Glennon Doyle’s memoir details her unlearning the “perfect” womanhood that society pushes upon us,” Chan says. “It could help you buck that pressure in order to make a change, big or small, like starting a new career, making a big move, coming out, getting divorced, etc.”

Meet Lauren Chan—read the 2023 SI Swimsuit rookie’s full feature profile here.