Boulder, CO, May 22, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Holistic Life Foundation (“HLF”) and Naropa University are pleased to announce that Naropa President Charles G. Lief has been elected a member of the Board of Directors of the Baltimore-based, nonprofit organization.
HLF nurtures the wellness of children and adults in underserved communities using yoga, mindfulness, and self-care techniques through an evidence-based curriculum. Co-founded in 2001 by Ali Smith, Atman Smith, and Andres Gonzales, HLF works daily with thousands of students in Baltimore city schools, many of whom are from low-income families and neighborhoods. The model, which includes yoga and mindfulness practice during the school day and after school, works because school administrators support the program. There is clear evidence of benefit in the form of dramatic decreases in suspensions and other disciplinary actions as well as improved coping skills for students who face very difficult life circumstances. HLF’s team travels nationally and internationally, at the request of schools, to present the model for adaptation locally.
Charles G. Lief has been the President of Naropa University since 2012. Naropa is an undergraduate and graduate college in Boulder, Colorado. Founded in 1974, Naropa builds its liberal arts curriculum by integrating western academic training with mindfulness and compassion study and practice in each of its programs. Naropa is the birthplace of the modern mindfulness movement. Naropa’s BA in Elementary Education is training a new generation of teachers and resonates fully with HLF’s work. For most of his career, Lief developed permanent housing for homeless persons; co-founded an HMO for low-income people living with HIV/AIDS; and, as president of the Greyston Foundation in Yonkers, NY, grew the Greyston Bakery, an early model of social enterprise which employs disenfranchised people, and has an internationally recognized strategic alliance with Ben and Jerry’s. He was a founder and chair of the board of the Social Enterprise Alliance, and has served on more than twenty nonprofit boards of organizations working with homelessness; social, food, and economic justice, and which provide access to capital for entrepreneurs in low-income communities.
“We are excited and honored to have Charles Lief join the board of the Holistic Life Foundation. He is someone we have known for quite a while now, both personally and professionally. We think that his years of mindfulness practice and education will do nothing but enhance the overall reach and impact of the work HLF is doing.” Ali Smith, Executive Director, Holistic Life Foundation, Inc.
“It is an honor to serve on the HLF board. Its visionary and impactful work directly benefits thousands of students who deserve support. It is inspiring to know that these students will carry the tools of mindfulness, compassion, and resilience with them, as they emerge as a new generation of the kind of leaders we so badly need.” Charles Lief, President, Naropa University.
About Holistic Life Foundation, Inc. (https://hlfinc.org/): The Holistic Life Foundation (HLF) is a Baltimore-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to nurturing the wellness of children and adults in underserved communities. Through a comprehensive approach which helps children develop their inner lives through yoga, mindfulness, and self-care HLF demonstrates 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.
About Naropa University (www.naropa.edu): Located in Boulder, Colorado, Naropa University is a private, liberal arts institution offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Naropa University is a leader in contemplative education, an approach to learning and teaching that integrates Eastern wisdom traditions and traditional Western scholarship. Naropa University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.