4 Guided Meditations That Support Healing From Trauma

Stress from personal, environmental, and racial trauma can take a deep and lasting toll emotionally, mentally, and physically. For people of color especially, these layers of trauma often intersect, creating unique challenges in healing and self-care. Guided meditation, when rooted in culturally affirming and inclusive spaces, can be a powerful tool to help restore calm, process emotions, and strengthen self-awareness.

“Meditation helps your creativity, your intuition, your connection with your inner self,” says Burke Lennihan, RN, a meditation teacher at the Harvard University Center for Wellness. And research supports it. A 2014 review in JAMA Internal Medicine found that mindfulness meditation is linked with improved symptoms of anxiety, depression, and pain. According to the Mayo Clinic, meditation may also help increase positive emotions while reducing stress and emotional reactivity.

But finding meditation resources that speak directly to your lived experiences matters. These four Black-led meditation platforms do just that offering thoughtful, culturally resonant practices that help process trauma and celebrate identity.

1. Stay Present With Black Girl in Om

Founded by Lauren Ash in 2014, Black Girl in Om is a mindfulness community that centers the wellness of Black women and femmes. Their meditative program Divine Disruption is a self-paced journey complete with journal prompts, reflective exercises, and audio-guided meditations.

A standout feature is their free, accessible meditation that invites awareness of the body, thoughts, and memories. Accompanied by soothing music, it gently encourages presence without judgment. Whether you’re sitting at your desk or lying in bed, this practice brings calm and clarity to your day wherever you are.

2. Honor Your Emotions With Dr. Candice Nicole Hargons

Dr. Candice Nicole Hargons, a counseling psychologist and professor, creates meditations that integrate heart, body, mind, and soul. Her work includes affirming, healing meditations specifically addressing racial trauma and supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.

She offers guided practices for both Black individuals and non-Black allies, with empowering mantras like “Your humanity is not a question” and “You don’t have to justify anything to anyone.” These meditations are deeply personal, inviting you to process complex emotions and claim your full humanity without having to represent an entire race.

3. Explore Diverse Topics With Liberate Meditation

Liberate Meditation is the first meditation app by and for the BIPOC community. Created by Julio Rivera in 2019, the app offers over 240 talks and meditations addressing internalized racism, microaggressions, intergenerational trauma, and ancestral honoring.

With practices ranging from one to 20 minutes, you can choose meditations that help you process self-blame, move through pain, and reconnect with love. Rivera emphasizes that these practices aren’t just about relaxation they’re about transformation. “We want to empower people, not only in meditation, but to show them there’s something they can do about their suffering,” he told Lion’s Roar.

The app offers a free seven-day trial and is available on Android and iPhone.

4. Recharge Joyfully With Black Zen

Sisters Stacey and Jasmine Johnson founded Black Zen in 2016 with a mission to make meditation accessible, inclusive, and fun. Their platform features guided meditations tailored for home, office, or group settings, along with a six-week beginner’s series to help you get started.

What sets Black Zen apart is its joyful and culturally grounded approach. Their guided meditations and podcasts are infused with humor, pop culture references, and real-talk honesty making space for healing that feels authentic, uplifting, and approachable.

Topics include grief, resilience, and emotional restoration, all offered in a relatable format designed to reduce barriers to wellness for people of color.

The Bottom Line

Meditation can’t solve systemic injustice, but it can help you navigate the toll it takes on your well-being. These guided practices rooted in lived experience and cultural identity offer more than just relaxation. They’re spaces of healing, reflection, and empowerment that affirm who you are and how you move through the world.

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