Having access to activities that support our mental and physical health—like yoga and meditation—is something that many of us tend to take for granted. Sadly, there are many disadvantaged people from the inner city and low-income communities, particularly young people, that lack access to these types of resources.

The impact of poverty and social disadvantage on young people’s health puts them at a greater risk for mental illness, depression, psychological stress, and other issues. On top of that, many of these individuals are struggling with additional issues and trauma that further impact their mental health and well-being.

Inner City Bliss is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 2018 by Andre Humphrey, who wanted to provide black and brown inner city communities with an alternative approach to mental health management in a culturally competent environment. Growing up, Humphrey struggled with his mental heath and found there to be a lack of help outside of the church—with all other options either unaffordable or culturally incompetent.

“The creation of Inner City Bliss was inspired by my own healing journey,” says Humphrey. “People from the inner city need access to yoga and meditation. The mental health of black Americans is something that can no longer be ignored and has to be addressed. We are committed to doing what we can to provide some relief to black and brown communities. We just received  a $10,000 grant from the Akonadi Foundation, who looked at what we are doing and decided our organization is something they could support.”

We chatted with Humphrey, who shared the inspiration behind Inner City Bliss, the different programs they offer to disadvantaged communities, how meditation changed his life, and more.

How did you discover meditation and how has it helped you in your life?

I stumbled upon  an article on the Internet about 50 Cent the rapper. He was in Africa doing philanthropy work and he said he had been listening to a lot of Deepak Chopra. I googled Deepak Chopra, signed up for a 21-day meditation challenge—and the rest is history.

Tell us more about Inner City Bliss’s mission.

Our goal is to help people recover from trauma by using therapeutic practices. We offer trauma-informed yoga and meditation to black and brown communities. Our goal is to challenge the stigma surrounding African-Americans and mental health. We make yoga and meditation accessible to those living in the inner city.

What programs does Inner City Bliss offer?

We have four programs that we offer to organizations and schools:

• Meditation for Beginners. The class is designed to teach participants what meditation is and is not. It also will provide participants with tools needed to cultivate a personal meditation practice.

• Introduction to Mindfulness. This class is designed to to explore meditation on a deeper level. The mindfulness techniques used in the class will help participants become more present with themselves and others.

• How to Make Peace With your Past. This class is designed to help participants make peace with the past and release unresolved trauma.

• How to Love Yourself. This class is based on the teachings of American motivational author and founder of Hay House, Louise Hay. In this class we take an in-depth look at her teachings on how we can love ourselves more. 

We also offer free classes via Instagram Live on Mondays and Wednesdays at  at 11:30 a.m. PST. Replays are available. Check out our upcoming schedule here.

What are your future goals for Inner City Bliss?

Short-term goal: we would like for 100 at-risk youth to participate in our "Meditation for Beginners Program” by Dec 31, 2020.  

How can others get involved and contribute to the cause?

You can help us by sharing our work with anyone who could benefit from what we do. You can also connect with us via social media to attend our free offerings. Please go to our website and check out our work. If you are inspired by what we do, please donate to our mission!

What do you enjoy about doing this?

Helping people heal from trauma is my gift. I enjoy using the gift that was given to me. I am thankful for this gift.

For the remainder of 2020, Inner City Bliss’s goal is to provide free trauma-informed yoga and meditation programming to 100 at-risk youth. You can donate and make a difference by sponsoring a youth to go through Inner City Bliss’s eight-week “Meditation for Beginners” Program. Each week, participants will be guided through trauma-informed yoga and meditation. The program also includes different themes such as 7 Myths of Meditation, Benefits of Meditation, Effects of Stress, and more. $1,500 will support 10 youth, $150 will support one youth. To donate to 100 Meditative Minds, click here.

For more information, visit inner-citybliss.org. Follow them on Instagram: @innercitybliss111

[Images courtesy of Inner City Bliss]

Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk