The Holistic Life Foundation BAHAR ATAAI FALAK WAHLA

The Holistic Life Foundation BAHAR ATAAI FALAK WAHLA FRANKIE DOERR JACKIE KEARNEY JEFF SCHNEIDER NEGEEN FARIDA HARVARD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

Breathing Love Into Communities ("Breathing Love Into Communities | Holistic Life Foundation | TEDx. Charlottesville, " 2014)

Background The Holistic Life Foundation (HLF) • Baltimore-based non-profit • Founded in 2001 by 3 friends who wanted to foster social, emotional, environmental, and physical improvements in the lives of children, adults, and families in their underserved community (“About Us, ” 2016) The HLF mission • Empower underserved communities by nurturing the wellness of children and adults ("About Us, " 2016) (Andres Gonzalez, Ali Smith, & Atman Smith)

Goals • Develop high-quality evidence based programs and curriculum to improve community well-being (“About Us, ” 2016) • Cultivate mindfulness, stress reduction, green living, and general physical and spiritual wellbeing (“Living the Holistic Life, ” 2016) Programs • Holistic Me After School Program • Mindful Moment Program • Omega Institute Training • Workforce Development • Mentoring • Stress Reduction & Mindfulness Curriculum • Environmental Programs • Urban Youth Yoga & Mindfulness Programs ("Programs & Services, " 2016) Background

Stress Reduction & Mindfulness Curriculum

Nuts & Bolts Curriculum • Derived from yoga, meditation, breathing, and tai-chi • Two 45 -min sessions/week • Begins with centering, yoga and tai-chi, then breathing • Discussion on a selected topic • Ends with meditation • Assignments between lessons serve as reinforcements ("Stress Reduction & Mindfulness Curriculum, " 2016)

Nuts & Bolts Tools & Teach To Teach • Most of sessions use yoga mats and some include chairs • Teach to Teach Framework: “If you teachers, you’ll not only empower them, but you’ll empower the people in their lives” – Atman Smith ("Breathing Love Into Communities | Holistic Life Foundation | TEDx. Charlottesville, " 2014)

Theory of Change

HLF To. C Interventions Mindfulness Techniques (e. g. , yoga & centering) Mediating Processes Reduction in involuntary stress reactions (e. g. , intrusive thoughts & rumination) (Mendelson et al. 2010) Ultimate Outcome Improved focus, concentration, & self -regulation Greater control & awareness of thoughts and emotions Improved social, emotional, and behavioral development (Mendelson et al. 2010) Moderators: ability of child, course progress, physical fitness, & peer involvement Resources & Assumptions: equal buy-in from children, coaching ability, & ability of the child Internal & External Factors: base-line levels of everything, home life, course progress, & assessment

Existing Evidence Supporting Mindfulness Practices

Mindfulness Meditation • Enhances responses to stress among youth • Improves cardiovascular functioning for A. A. adolescents with high blood pressure or risk for hypertension (source? ) • Decreases rates of absenteeism, suspension, and hostility (source? ) • Physical activity is also associated with improved health and mental health outcomes among youth: (Mendelson et al. 2010) • Lower rates of substance abuse (Pate et al. • Decrease in depression and anxiety symptoms (Floriani and Kennedy 2008) 2000; Ströhle et al. 2007)

Yoga • Complementary therapy for children with ADHD and children with anxiety (Birdee et al. , 2009; Galantino et al. , 2008) • Reductions in self-reported and physiological indicators of anxiety, including resting heart rate (Stueck & Gloeckner, 2005; Telles, Narendran, & Raghuraj, 1997; Telles & Srinivas, 1998) • Decreases in involuntary stress responses, including lower scores on the subscales of rumination, intrusive thoughts, and emotional arousal (Mendelson et al. 2010)

Scholarly Research Mindfulness practices: – Decreases stress and anxiety – Increases attention – Strengthens compassion Areas where research on mindfulness needs improvement: – Non-randomized designs – Impact on underserved youth populations

Holistic Life Foundation and Freud

Holistic Life Foundation & Freud • Can we think of this intervention as a way to discharge psychological energy? • Can the strengthening of selfregulation skills be compared to the strengthening of the ego and its ability to focus the id? • Can yoga, meditation, and other mindfulness techniques be viewed as a way to avoid defense mechanisms? As a defense mechanism? As a sublimation?

Holistic Life Foundation & Freud • Could some children be considered too young for this intervention depending on their psycho-sexual stage? • Does meditation fail to release unconscious desires or does it help to slowly release the unconscious over time? • Would Freud view this as a helpful intervention or not?

More Questions… • Can results be replicated by other teachers? – For example, will an old white man from New York have the same impact as young men of color from the local community? If not, where’s the line? • Can a holistic combination of activities ever be part of a testable theory of change model? – Is it the yoga? the meditation? the breathing exercises? the expressions of love? or the selected discussion topic at each session? Can it be none of the above but rather all of the above?

References About us. (2016). Retrieved from http: //hlforg. wpengine. com/about-us/ Mendelson, T. , Greenberg, M. T. , Dariotis, J. K. , Gould, L. F. , Rhoades, B. L. , & Leaf, P. J. (2010). Feasibility and Preliminary Outcomes of a School-Based Mindfulness Intervention for Urban Youth. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology J Abnorm Child Psychol, 38(7), 985 -994. doi: 10. 1007/s 10802 -010 -9418 -x Programs & services. (2016). Retrieved from http: //hlfinc. org/programs-services/ Stress reduction & mindfulness curriculum | Holistic Life Foundation. (2016). Retrieved from http: //hlfinc. org/programs-services/stress-reduction-mindfulness-curriculum/ [TEDx Talks]. (2014, Dec 29). Breathing love into communities|Holistic Life Foundation|TEDx. Charlottesville. [Video File]. Retrieved from https: //youtu. be/SBJ 7 MUJzv. Zc.