Glimpse: Raising Baltimore

Carsten Knox, former associate editor at Mindful, on his trip to Baltimore and meeting the three young men who teach children yoga and meditation. 

Photograph by Mark Mahaney

I am a fan of the Peabody Award-winning HBO TV series The Wire, so I eagerly accepted the assignment to go to Baltimore and spend time with Ali and Atman Smith and Andy Gonzales. In the same part of the city where The Wire was shot these three young men teach schoolchildren mindfulness and yoga.

When I asked them about the show, they told me they liked the story but that frankly the reality of life on the streets there was far tougher than the TV portrayal. I embedded myself in their world for four days to write the story. I am so happy to have seen the great work they’re doing up close and tell the world about it. It was a life-changing experience.

For more than just this Glimpse: