As a happiness activist from Colombia, I’ve long believed that wellness is about how you feel on the inside – not how you look.
With anxiety levels surging around the world and the number of therapists and healers in short supply, the need for affordable tools for inner work has never been greater.
As CEO of OYE, the bi-lingual emotional wellness app I co-founded with global superstar J Balvin and creative futurist Patrick Dowd, I have seen firsthand how culture and technology can help address the growing global need for self-healing and inner exploration.
For the price of a cup of coffee, a monthly membership to OYE gets you access to a diverse range of meditation and movement practices in Spanish and English along with personalized content recommendations that support self-healing and personal growth.
With so many wellness resources available in the world today, the things that make OYE different for me are its emphasis on mind-body connection, affordability, and inclusivity.
The diversity of practices and practitioners you will find in the app, from Mexican shamans to Colombian perreo dancers, show that wellness doesn’t have to look one way: it can reflect your unique culture, style, and vibe.
OYE CEO Mario Chamorro, Paula Duran, and New York Times bestselling author Yung Pueblo at the United Nations Latino Impact Summit
At a recent event at the United Nations, I spoke alongside New York Times Bestselling Author Yung Pueblo about the importance of using technology to facilitate self-healing in ways that honor and celebrate the diverse cultural perspectives that shape our world.
As Yung Pueblo writes: “The global conversation about mental health is now being elevated into taking action and finding ways to heal…Healing is becoming part of the dominant global culture.”
I couldn’t agree more.
My encounters with the OYE community have shown me just how big of a cultural phenomenon inner work and personal transformation are becoming around the world.
From Medellín to Miami, I have personally observed the emergence of self-exploration and healing as a defining characteristic of post-pandemic urban culture.
In Mexico City, seeking inner transformation is a hallmark of urban youth culture.
At a recent OYE event in Mexico City, diverse attendees in their 20s and 30s gathered to transform their fears into creativity through meditation, dance, and journaling.
Talking openly about feelings and personal challenges – particularly in LatinX communities – has long been taboo, but our culture is changing, and so is the world.
As self-healing and inner exploration become more mainstream, our relationship to technology and media is changing as well.
We don’t want to spend the rest of our lives staring at screens.
We want to look inside ourselves.
We want to grow.
To try OYE for free, visit www.oye.co
Mario Chamorro is a guest contributor to Upworthy and founder and CEO of OYE.