EARLY YEARS: William Fleming teacher bringing mindfulness training to more area youth

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) -Antonio Stovall teaches mindfulness, something he discovered for himself in 2005, as he was starting college.

“It was a very challenging time for me emotionally, mentally. So, mindfulness helped me learn how to not identify so much with my thoughts and emotions, which helped me be able to think more clearly to have better clarity of mind. That also gave me the opportunity to change my eating habits. I started to work out more. I started to have more connections with my family and my friends. It was just like a game changer for me,” says Stovall.

Leading by example, Stovall says mindfulness is part of the African American Culture curriculum he teaches at William Fleming High School.

The class started with 20 students, and now has more than 70.

“The students love it. They love it. They come to class. They’re ready to learn. And I’ve had a lot of success stories,” says Stovall.

One of those is Mack Malloy, who graduated from Fleming last year. He says it takes a lot of practice, but mindfulness is still part of his routine.

“When things get overwhelming, I take time and go outside, maybe go to a nice, quiet area to meditate to get my mind right,” says Malloy.

It’s Stovall’s goal for his students to carry mindfulness within them, as they navigate any challenges that might come from the outside world.

“One of my sayings is the only way out is in. The only way out is in,” say Stovall.

The free Mindfulness Training class is presented by Total Action for Progress and the Gun Violence Prevention Commission.

It’s Saturday, October 15 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Roanoke Higher Education Center.

Click here to learn more, or you can email antoniostovall90@gmail.com.

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