Grounded DC: Where Nature, Wellness and Community Converge 

🗓️ March 19, 2026

✍🏾 Chelsea Nelson

As gentrification reshapes long-standing neighborhoods in Southeast DC, curators are pioneering new ways to preserve cultural traditions through community. Grounded DC reimagines Anacostia as an indoor oasis, offering innovative approaches to food resilience and self-care.

In 2024, curators Mignon and Danuelle developed a brick-and-mortar sanctuary in the heart of Southeast DC, complete with a wide selection of plants, plant accessories, and educational resources for flora-lovers. The self-care haven also operates an in-house café and hosts weekly wellness events where residents can connect, converse, and thrive in communion.

Grounded DC isn’t just a store—it tells a story.

Grounded DC isn’t just a store—it tells a story. The narrative unfolds in Anacostia, home to Frederick Douglass and Cedar Hill. As a cultural hub for African Americans since the Reconstruction period, Anacostia welcomed formerly enslaved individuals who settled in neighborhoods along the eastern bank of the Anacostia River. Today, this district remains a predominantly Black community, continuing to celebrate cultural staples like the Anacostia Arts Center and the Heritage Trail.

The curators’ decision to open in DC’s Ward 8 reflects their deep personal connection to, and a growing concern for, the Southeast community’s well-being. Because of long-standing housing discrimination and economic barriers, Ward 8 faces unique issues related to food insecurity, rehabilitation resources, and mental-health services. When asked, “Why Anacostia?” Doswell explained, “Access to nature is important to us. We want to show the many ways people can disconnect and decompress through nature.” Grounded DC has served as a means for marginalized Washingtonians to reconnect with their traditional herbal practices and ancestral heritage.

Since launching in 2024, the business has hosted more than 50 complimentary and low-cost wellness events, ranging from therapeutic sound baths to yoga sessions and plant swaps.

Last winter, I attended the “Nervous System Regulation” event at the wellness expo, where I participated in intentional movement and breathwork designed to promote healing. Their next event—the “Spring Equinox Candle-Making Experience” on March 20—is another opportunity to reconnect with the community and detach from everyday stressors.

There’s no doubt that your next self-care day should be spent at Grounded DC in Anacostia. For more information, visit their website at feelgrounded.com, or download the Grounded Wellness App, available in the IOS and Android app stores.