Welcome to the second episode of three special episodes where guest host David Devine speaks with the founders of The Holistic Life Foundation – Ali Smith, Atman Smith, and Andres Gonzalez – about empowering yourself and others with the help of mindfulness and meditation.
The Holistic Life Foundation is a Baltimore-based nonprofit organization committed to nurturing the wellness of children and adults in underserved communities. It was founded by Ali Smith, Atman Smith, and Andres Gonzalez. Through a comprehensive approach that helps children develop their inner lives through yoga, mindfulness, and self-care. HLF demonstrates a deep commitment to learning, community, and stewardship of the environment. HLF is also committed to developing high-quality evidence-based programs and curriculum to improve community well-being. Order their new book, Let Your Light Shine, to learn more about how mindfulness can empower children and rebuild communities.
Let Your Light Shine
Picking up where last episode left off, the group dives into key themes and revelations encased within their new book, Let Your Light Shine. Exploring what finally brought them to encapsulate their teachings into written form, they offer insight into the practices and techniques they have chosen to share with the world.
“We have all these practices and techniques that we want to share with the world. That’s one of our missions in life and one of our goals at Holistic Life Foundation. The book provides us with a larger platform to get those messages and techniques out to more people. Ultimately, that’s what we want to do—give people as many tools as they can use to help them help themselves.” – Ali Smith
Check out the First Episode in this series with the Holistic Life Foundation
Teaching Love // Practice & Living Life (15:00)
How do we cultivate or uncover our own inner worth and self love? The group dives into this crucial question, sharing insights and reflections on how we can teach love, embody love, and share love. From here, they discuss the importance of balancing practice with deeply enjoying the world.
“It’s inviting to other people to see that you don’t have to be living in a cave detached from worldly sensations. You can be living your life and still have a mindfulness and yoga practice. That makes people who would shy away from these practices, dive right in. We might be the entryway, but they dive deeper because they know it’s okay, because we have a deep practice, but we still live in the world.” – Atman Smith