Mindfulness tips, apps and more for relaxation and meditation

The internet is full of wonders, and it’s equally full of horrors. Being online too much can be a detriment to our mental health, but the internet also provides a wide array of resources that can help us make positive changes in our lives.Take the practice of mindfulness, the principle of being in tune with your body and the present moment to facilitate relaxation and meditation.

While rooted in age-old principles and diverse cultures, including yogic Hindu practices, Buddhism, and Taoist philosophies, the phrase is now common across social media sites and wellness blogs. This can be a problem, as influencers and brands take advantage of oft-appropriated and sanitized practices, but the exposure can also bring peace to a lot of people when intelligently and respectfully shared. And people are finding immense benefits in engaging in mindfulness routines, from improvements in mental and physical health to reducing implicit biases.Mindfulness and its associated meditation practices can be done anywhere, without the need for apps or classes.

It’s never too late, or too early, to introduce these practices into your life — you can even get your kids involved with the principles of mindfulness. It isn’t a treatment for everything, nor a replacement for medical advice. You should always consult a physician or other professional if you are struggling with intense anxiety, depression, or have other mental health concerns. But if you want a little bit of help developing a calming mindfulness routine, or just an introduction to the immense amount of mindfulness resources online/
Kristen Neff is a professor of psychology, author, and the co-founder of the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion, an international nonprofit training and guiding others in mindfulness principles. Neff’s practice is centered on nurturing a mindful attention to self-compassion, and she shares helpful reminders, quotes, and practical tools for incorporating these principles into daily life, like writing exercises, guided daily meditations, and ways to reframe self-criticism. The center’s Instagram account is also a great resource for mindfulness resources and mindfulness programming opportunities.

Cory Muscara is an author and the founder of mindfulness.com, a site that provides mindfulness and mental health courses. Cory’s Instagram account and the mindfulness.com TikTok feature short videos sharing things like breathing tips, morning meditation exercises, and gentle mindfulness reminders on staying aware of negative patterns in our lives, redefining resilience in a compassionate way, and thinking of your life how it “is” rather than what it “should be,” for instance. He also created mindfulness.com’s accompanying meditation app, offering sleep and anxiety meditations and other relaxation resources.

Angel Kyodo Williams is a Buddhist teacher, activist, author, and an ordained “zen priest” who shares how to apply the principles of spiritual transformation to social issues. She’s been a leader in her field for the last 15 years. Williams also founded the Center for Transformative Change and started mndflmeditation, a mindfulness training course. The mndflmeditation Instagram account is a good stop for an introduction to mindfulness techniques and related conversations about mental health.

Sharon Salzberg is an author, meditation teacher, and the host of the Metta Hour podcast, an exploration of the Buddhist philosophy of mindfulness in contemporary daily life. Salzberg, a teacher of more than 30 years, shares daily reminders, questions, and tips on things like quieting your inner critic and how to practice what is called “loving kindness”— a mental practice of sending good intentions, kindness, and compassion — with yourself and others.

Brach is a psychologist, Buddhist meditation teacher, and author who shares weekly meditations on various topics, like how to practice radical acceptance of yourself and others, the purpose of non-reactive mindfulness when you’re in a conflict, and mindfulness principles of awareness and attention. Brach also hosts a free 40-day mindfulness workshop alongside Jack Kornfield, an American Buddhist teacher and founder of Spirit Rock Meditation Center.

Booker, a mindfulness and dharma teacher with a specific lens for LGBTQ and BIPOC communities, shares and frequently hosts classes alongside other BIPOC mindfulness experts, and her account is filled with mindfulness reminders. Booker also does live sessions, free events as well as paid mindfulness retreats, and has provided tips on addressing anxiety through dharma practices for the Ten Percent Happier Podcast.

There’s one more thing to keep in mind while scrolling through mindfulness accounts or tags online: Mindfulness and meditation practices are often perceived as a practice for those with the privilege of time and money. It makes sense: Mindfulness and meditation are lumped into the monolithic wellness industry, which is frequently criticized for its predominant whiteness and, often, blatant anti-Blackness. These practices might seem far removed from their roots in non-white cultures, but there’s power in reclaiming principles of mindfulness for your own mental health. And many creators and mindfulness experts are doing the work to reengage with populations that have felt excluded from these spaces.

With that in mind, here are a few mindfulness resources specifically catered to Black communities and communities of color:

The Exhale App is a mindfulness and well-being resource specifically for Black women and women of color to address the mental and emotional effects of systemic racism. Created by life coach and author Katara McCarty, the app includes meditation, guided imagining, breath work, and more, and its Instagram page often shares tips related to these practices, like how to protect your emotional health.

Lauren Ash is a yoga teacher and the founder of BlackGirlInOm, an online community providing mindfulness, meditation, and spiritual healing opportunities. It was specifically created for Black women and women of color, but its courses and free meditations are open to all LGBTQ and BIPOC people. Ash’s Instagram feed is full of her own musings on spiritual healing and self love, as well as the ways she incorporates these principles with intention in her own life, while the BlackGirlInOm page shares positive affirmations and both in-person and online meditation opportunities and courses. BlackGirlInOm also hosts its own podcast with a variety of guest voices covering a wide array of social justice and mental wellness topics.

The Black Mental Health Alliance is a Baltimore-based nonprofit that connects Black communities around the country to relevant mental health services, culturally-relevant mental health education, and other services to promote racial and emotional healing. In addition to programming for mental health, suicide prevention, and mindfulness practices, the alliance also connects individuals with professionals and clinicians in their area. The organization’s social media accounts include updates on programming, gentle mental health reminders, and other opportunities to engage in conversations about mental health among Black communities.

Mindfulness is a part of a greater learning process that includes figuring out what works for you in your daily routine and with regard to your personal mental health obstacles. It’s inevitable that we will encounter the bad on the internet, along with the stress and emotional obstacles of life, but we can also use the internet to bring out the best in ourselves. Try out some of these accounts, scroll through their resources, and see what works for you.