After Days of Protest, A Moment to Meditate on Peace in Baltimore

A local organization caught in the crosshairs of the riots in West Baltimore on Monday has planned a mass meditation for Saturday to bring the community together.

Riots broke out in West Baltimore on Monday after the funeral of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, who died in police custody on April 19. Protests continued on Tuesday and by Wednesday, spread across a number of US cities.

Long-time friends of Mindful magazine, Ali and Atman Smith and Andy Gonzalez of the Holistic Life Foundation (HLF), are doing great work with at-risk youth in Baltimore—as highlighted in our magazine. They took a break from a retreat happening just outside of the city to speak with us on Wednesday about what they’re hearing from their community.

HLF has planned an event for Saturday that will include talks and meditation. Watch the video below to hear they hope to achieve.

Most of HLF’s work takes place in West Baltimore where Ali, Atman, and Andy teach yoga and meditation to kids in after-school programs and other settings. If you want to learn more, read Mindful‘s feature on HLF, “Raising Baltimore—One Child at a Time.”