On a busy street, amid the hustle and bustle of New York City sits an unobtrusive van. Inside is a soundproof space where soft lights bathe the interior in ever-changing colours, as soothing music plays in the background. You have entered one of the mobile meditation vans that are popping up in cities throughout the US including Detroit, New York, Chicago and San Francisco. They offer a few minutes of calm and relaxation to people who are stressed by city life and their jobs. Meditation is generally becoming more and more popular, but this mobile version brings a new level of convenience. Anyone can come in and pay for a space to collect their thoughts and be in peace. You may start out being wary of meditating inside of a van on a busy city street, but once you get comfortable you might just forget what planet you're on.

While each mobile studio varies slightly, they all share the same mission: helping people de-stress from their hectic lives. The story of how most of these businesses started is surprisingly similar: The founders were all stressed out and couldn't find a time or place to relax in the midst of their busy days. "I wanted something where people could pop in during lunch," said Kristin Westbrook, founder of Calm City. "People in New York are so time starved. I thought, wouldn't it be cool if there was something like Superman's phone booth where they could pop in and recharge their superpowers."