SUMMIT SESSIONS
#MindfulEducationSummit
Detention into Meditation: A Dialogue with the Founders of Holistic Life Foundation
Andres Gonzalez, Atman Smith, Ali Smith
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What You’ll Learn
See how the Holistic Life Foundation is successfully teaching mindfulness to more than 10,000 students in the Baltimore area
Discover how students who cultivate mindfulness can affect their communities in big ways
Go past the idea of love and learn why its' embodiment is the greatest tool for teaching mindfulness
About Andres Gonzalez
Andres Gonzalez has been the Co-Founder and Marketing Director for the Holistic Life Foundation, Inc. in Baltimore, MD since 2001. For sixteen years, Andres has taught yoga to diverse populations throughout the world, including Baltimore City Public School students, drug treatment centers, mental crisis facilities, homeless shelters, wellness centers, colleges, private schools and other various venues throughout the nation and throughout the world. He is a certified Health Coach through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, maintains a B.S. in Marketing from University of Maryland, College Park and an MBA from the University of Maryland, University College.
You can learn more about Andres' work at the website for the Holistic Life Foundation.
About Atman Smith
Atman Smith is a Co-founder of the Holistic Life Foundation, where he served as Director of Youth Programming for ten years, Director of Fundraising for five years, and currently serves as the Director of Development. Since 2001, he has been teaching yoga and mindfulness to a diverse population including underserved and high-risk youth in Baltimore City Public Schools, drug treatment centers, wellness centers, and colleges. A native of Baltimore, Atman attended the University of Maryland, College Park where he was a letter award winner for the University’s men's basketball team. He graduated with a B.A. in Criminology and Criminal Justice.
You can learn more about Atman's work at the website for the Holistic Life Foundation.
About Ali Smith
Ali Smith Co-founded the Holistic Life Foundation in 2001, where he currently serves as Executive Director. He is a native of Baltimore, Maryland and graduate of the Friends School of Baltimore and the University of Maryland, College Park, receiving a BS in Environmental Science and Policy with a Biodiversity specialization. He has over 16 years of experience teaching yoga and mindfulness to diverse populations all over the planet. Ali has authored a series of children's books, and co-authored several yoga and mindfulness based curriculums, as well as developed numerous workshops and trainings. He also helped develop and pilot HLF’s Mindful Moment program, known for turning “detention into meditation”.
You can learn more about Ali's work at the website for the Holistic Life Foundation.
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What do you think?
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Love zombies and student leaders!!! AMAZING. thank you for the reminder to keep up my daily practice while bringing this work to my own school system. I’ve got a leaky faucet worth of participation now- incredibly inspiring to hear about what Niagra Falls could look like. Thank you. Cosmic hugs of peace & gratitude from a newly infected love zombie.
This is how communities are built and sustained. What a beautiful way to help from the inside and make lasting change.
My grandkids (college and senior high) loved your session in Boulder, Colorado. Thanks for giving them tools they now continue to use (even though I’ve urged them to do so for years :). The way you started with, ended with, and included practices throughout your presentation was right on!
You all are so cool and inspiring. I’m a high school English teacher and wish you could come visit and bring professional development to our school! I currently have a bulletin board I created entitled Mindfulness Matters with some basics about self care reminders, gratitude practices, mandala coloring pages, and free compliments, but I’d love to add other daily/weekly practices my students can do on their own. Thanks for sharing the love.
I remember meeting the three of you at the first Yoga Service Conference at the Omega Institute in 2010. I’m so glad to see HLF thriving. I love the concept of the Minful Moments Room and also reciprocal teaching. When you get kids involved at that level, things really start to shift.
I remember meeting the three of you at the first Yoga Service Conference at the Omega Institute in 2010. I’m so glad to see HLF thriving. I love the concept of the Minful Moments Room and also reciprocal teaching. When you get kids 8nvolved at that level, things really start to shift.
I love this! I have been practicing mindfulness in my own life since 2005 and have since gone back to school for, and received my MSW degree (2018). I work with children, adolescents and adults on both group and individual levels. I have, on occasion, introduced mindfulness practice into these clinical situations, but have not had a specific model on how to do this on a consistent basis. Thank you for the work you continue to do and for the valuable reminder of self-care. P.S. The Mindfulness Moment Room is key!
You guys ROCK! Previously a high school teacher, currently a yoga, visualization teacher and have been wanting to implement yoga & meditation into schools, Santa Ana, Cali to be exact. There is one of the highest poverty and homelessness rates in the Nation, surrounded by gang activity as well. I would love to have a conversation with you all to see how together we could spread even more love❣️ Smiles & Namaste Monica
<3 <3 <3
I love the idea of creating “love zombies”. I always thought that was a connection between love and learning, in terms that if we are educated to enjoy our learning journey we are more open to learn and to share our joy with others. Sharing is a part of learning, because I think we can learn better if we share our knowledge with others.
Thank you for highlighting the opposite terms as autocontrol/impulsivity and acting/reacting. And again, like it was mentioned in the previous session: we must start with ourselves and we must accept that there is not an universal method or technique to apply for everybody.
As teachers/parents/mentors/trainers we need to give to our student some tools to cope with life!!! But we need to learn and exercise/try them first.
SO incredible, inspiring, and awesome. What a delightful surprise this session was!