After 15 years of bringing yoga and mindfulness to Baltimore schools, the Holistic Life Foundation—founded by brothers Ali and Atman Smith and Andy Gonzalez—has garnered nationwide attention, on CBS, CNN, Huffington Post, and others, for its Mindful Moment Room at Robert W. Coleman Elementary. Instead of detention, children take a moment to breathe and assess what’s going on in body and mind. Suspensions dropped to zero.
The publicity helps, Gonzalez says, because “We’re interested in inspiring systemic change in education, here in Baltimore, and beyond.” To help with that effort, HLF’s workforce development initiative just increased the staff from 30 to 37. Atman Smith says, “We can offer training and meaningful work to people with few options. We have one ex-con who has turned his life around and is now a role model.” His brother Ali adds, “Our partnerships in other cities, like Boston and Madison, WI, are making it possible for us to replicate our success, and to create online tools to serve the entire country, and even the world. It’s all about the love.”
Instead of detention, children take a moment to breathe and assess what’s going on in body…
