Black founder Katara McCarty launched her app, EXHALE, in 2020 after struggling to find an app suited to Black women’s wellbeing.
Exhale App
EXHALE is the first emotional well-being app designed for Black, Indigenous, and Women of Color (BIWOC).
EXHALE was born from the idea that the Black and Brown community is holding its breath, waiting for the next video of police brutality, the next micro-aggression, or the following adverse health impact statistic.
“It’s time to exhale – to breathe out all that isn’t serving BIWOC and breathe in healing, energy and love,” the app states.
Speaking with theGrio, McCarty explained that her app coaches users through breathwork and meditation with exercises geared toward the Black experience instead of generalized coaching.
There are three categories to pick from: “breath,” “sound,” and “guided journey.”
Users can select five-, ten-, or 15-minute exercises within each category that target topics like connecting with ancestors, calming the mind, or concentrating on inner peace.
“There’s so much power in our breath,” McCarty said.
“Our breath can shift us from our fight or flight mode over into a state of calm.”
The State of Self-Care for Black Women
Recently, EXHALE published its ‘The State of Self-Care for Black Women” report based on its survey of 1,005 Black women in the U.S.
It found that Black women prioritize mental self-care 21 percentage points more than physical self-care, highlighting a vital need to reduce stress among Black women today.
The majority, 72%, also said access to resources that address the unique experiences of Black Women would make them more inclined to utilize mental health resources.
38% said they don’t have access to culturally appropriate emotional well-being resources, highlighting the importance of apps such as EXHALE.
