Founded in 2001 by brothers Ali Smith and Atman Smith and their good friend from college, Andres Gonzalez, HLF began teaching yoga and mindfulness practices to at-risk youth in their community. Since then, the organization has expanded to teaching private and group classes to students of all ages, demographics, and levels of experience. They have authored and piloted two curriculums, as well as many workshops and training sessions. HLF teaches their own unique blend of many styles of yoga, mindfulness, and other self-healing practices.

Established through social entrepreneurship in response to the need for mental health services in underserved communities in Baltimore, HLF currently works with 5,000+ Baltimore City Public School students on a weekly basis. The organization's goal is to improve social, community, educational, and emotional outcomes in low-income, underserved communities by providing multi-faceted programming that empowers youth, families, and adults through yoga, mindfulness, and human and environmental health.

Since its inception, HLF has served more than 200,000+ youth and adults through yoga, mindfulness, and environmental-based programs and trauma-informed training. The organization is also committed to developing high-quality evidence-based programs and curriculum to improve community well-being. These programs have been facilitated in many different settings, including schools, detention centers, drug treatment centers, mental illness facilities, recreation centers, group homes, colleges, senior centers, and wellness centers across the nation.