There are more than a few good reasons to start incorporating meditation into our daily routines.
It can provide us with tools to keep us in the present moment, decrease negative thought patterns, and even help to manage stress and anxiety. Still, finding the right apps and digital spaces that speak to the direct experiences of the Black community can feel like a challenge.
The good news is, over the last few years, conversations around mental health within the Black community have taken on a new form. With talks of therapy, unlearning trauma, and self-care becoming more normalized than ever before, finding the right support for our shared cultural experiences has felt more in reach, especially during uncertain times.
Studies have shown that since the pandemic, 48 percent of Black adults were more likely to report symptoms of anxiety and/or depressive disorder than Non-Hispanic White adults (41%). As new resources to improve our mental and emotional well-being grow in their accessibility for all, we can now download the benefits of mindful practices and remedies from the therapy couch to the comfort of our phones.
With that in mind, we’ve put together a collection of Black and POC-owned wellness apps to keep you calm and collected, no matter what life tries to throw at you.
01
Shine App
Shine app is a daily self-care app that helps people “rest, heal, and grow through difficulty.” Founded by Marah Lidey and Naomi Hirabayashi, the app provides its users with a mental wellness program that includes daily meditations, weekly courses, and virtual workshops.
02
Somewhere Good
We can all agree on the fact that the internet isn’t always the safest space for our minds, so
Naj Austin, founder and CEO of Ethel’s Club, created Somewhere Good to be the solution. The audio conversations platform is designed to place a focus on meaningful voice-recording-based discourse that brings the ease of connection back to your social feed.
03
Ayana Therapy
This digital platform provides people from marginalized communities access to therapy options by matching them with licensed therapists “who share their cultural traits, identities, and experiences and enable them to communicate virtually.” New users can take culturally informed questionnaires to ensure the best matches to begin their mental health journey.
04
The Safe Place
Jasmine Pierre, the app’s founder, created this minority-centered mental health app as a tool to save lives in the Black community and help eliminate stigmas around mental health within the culture. The app offers a selection of meditation albums, self-care tips, Black mental health statistics, self-assessment questions, and more.
05
Liberate App
This app provides meditations and discussions, specially designed with the Black experience in mind. The digital wellness studio helps develop daily meditation habits that will lead to a better mental state. It’s “meditation for us, by us.”
06
Poppy Seed Health
Poppy Seed Health is an app that connects mothers affected by postpartum depression, and other mental issues associated with pregnancy, with on-demand professional help and guidance. Founded by Simmone Taitt, the app is a resource for pregnancy, postpartum and loss support made accessible for all.
