From one determined founder and a meeting with Mayor Cory Booker to 48,000+ children — this is the story of how yoga came to Newark.
Newark Yoga Movement 501(c)(3) was founded in October 2009 to help provide important social and emotional learning (SEL) skills to children. Founder Debby Kaminsky had read about low graduation rates in Newark — in 2013, approximately 87.5% of students graduated high school in New Jersey compared to just 67.7% in Newark.
She wanted to do something to help reverse the trend. She got a meeting with then Mayor Cory Booker, who liked the idea and — through the education liaison at the time — forwarded an executive summary of her vision to all schools in Newark.
A few months after launch, Newark Yoga Movement received a call from Newark Public Schools' head of Health, PE & Athletics. After a series of meetings — and a green light from then Assistant Superintendent Roger Leon — pilot testing was set up across the district.
Students built self-regulation skills that helped them manage stress, navigate anger and anxiety, and improve focus, confidence, balance, strength, and flexibility.
A mission to bring SEL skills and yoga to Newark's youth.Founding Vision - 2009
Newark Yoga Movement 501(c)(3) is established in October. Debby Kaminsky begins her mission to bring SEL skills and yoga to Newark's youth, starting with a meeting with Mayor Cory Booker and the city's school network.
In NYM's first year, Debby was teaching at a high school facing daily challenges, including lockdowns and metal detectors. One day, an 11th-grade student approached her, placed his hands together at his chest, and said, "Hey—Namaste." That moment became the heart of NYM's identity.
Hey. [hands together] Namaste.— An 11th grader, Newark High School, 2010
"Stretching Minds" became the language for everything NYM does.Brand Milestone - 2011
A graduate student getting her master's in integrated marketing approaches NYM. She writes a full marketing plan, direct mail campaign, and coins the tagline "Stretching Minds" — exactly what NYM does in every school, introducing breathing, movement, and relaxation.
NYM finds inspiration in the Dalai Lama and global mindfulness leaders, deepening our commitment to bringing compassion, mindfulness, and peace to every community we serve.
Compassion, mindfulness, and peace belong in every community.Guiding Inspiration - 2011
NYM begins offering free public yoga classes for the community and has offered free classes around the City of Newark every week since. The Star Ledger covers the story: "Newark Stretches its Limits with Yoga for Free."
Star Ledger — July 2012Free yoga in Newark became a weekly promise.Community Classes - 2012
Wellness reached every shift of the Newark Fire Department.Workplace Wellness - 2013
NYM makes national headlines by becoming the first organization in the country to teach yoga to an entire fire department. The entire Newark Fire Department participates in yoga over 20 staff development sessions covering all shifts — a landmark moment for workplace wellness.
NJ.com — July 2013
Corporations and universities recognize the power of NYM's work. Weekly staff and employee yoga programs expand the movement well beyond schools.
The movement grew beyond schools and into workplaces.Growth Milestone - 2014
Newark Public Schools partners with NYM to launch "Instant Calm," a specialized wellness program rolled out across district schools. Students gain access to quick, evidence-based mindfulness tools they can use anywhere, anytime.
Instant Calm gave students tools they could use anywhere, anytime.School Partnership - 2015
Brick City Solstice turned the longest day into a community tradition.Community Celebration - 2016
NYM launches the inaugural Brick City Solstice, an annual free community yoga event celebrating the summer solstice. The event becomes a beloved tradition, bringing hundreds of Newark residents together on the longest day of the year for yoga, music, mindfulness, and community.
Local teachers trained locally helped the work take root even deeper.Teacher Training - 2017
A 200-hour training gave 18 selected Newark-based applicants the opportunity to help spread more yoga in the community — building a new generation of local teachers rooted in the neighborhoods they serve.
In 2018, NYM expanded its work to include incarcerated individuals — bringing breath, movement, and mindfulness into spaces where these tools are often least accessible. This program continues today, reflecting NYM's deep commitment to making wellness accessible to all.
Wellness reached spaces where it is often least accessible.Expanded Access - 2018
When the world paused, NYM kept the community connected and moving.Pandemic Response - 2020
When COVID-19 forces schools and gyms to close, NYM pivots immediately to virtual classes — keeping the community connected, calm, and moving. NJ.com features NYM as a standout in their pandemic yoga coverage. NJTV highlights the school's role as a place for teachers and students to relax.
NYM introduces specialized yoga programming for student athletes, focusing on injury prevention, flexibility, mental resilience, and performance optimization. The program becomes essential to athletic training across Newark schools and community sports teams.
Breath, mobility, and resilience became part of the game.Student Athletes - 2020
The Hammock Room became a sanctuary during the school day.School Wellness Space - 2020
In 2020, NYM launched the Hammock Room at Sussex Avenue School with two hammocks, hand-painted mandalas, soothing sounds, mindful activities, coloring, writing, guided meditation, reading, and deep relaxation. It becomes a sanctuary where students find peace during the school day.
NYM unveils Yoga Vibes, an innovative music-infused wellness experience blending yoga, rhythm, and community. The program brings the latest developments in somatic practices and expressive movement to Newark students and adults.
Yoga Vibes blended movement, rhythm, and community.Program Launch - 2026
Student leaders stepped forward as wellness advocates.Youth Leadership - 2026
NYM launches the Yoga Ambassador Program, empowering student leaders to become peer educators and wellness advocates in their schools and communities. Ambassadors receive training, support, and mentorship to guide their peers through yoga, mindfulness, and self-care practices.
The 7th Annual Brick City Solstice grows even bigger through a partnership with North to Shore, expanding the reach and impact of Newark's premier free community wellness event. More participants, more yoga, more music, and more magic as the community comes together to celebrate the summer solstice.
Free Community EventBrick City Solstice kept growing with more reach, more yoga, and more music.North to Shore Partnership - 2026
From a single vision in 2009 to a thriving movement today, Newark Yoga Movement continues to expand access to wellness for all. With 48,000+ children reached, 6,000+ educators trained, and 170+ classes per week, the work continues — always free, always rooted in our community, always committed to accessibility.
Always free, always rooted in community, always expanding access.Looking Forward - 2026
"The students were amazed that yoga worked. The teachers were amazed that the students actually enjoyed it. And I was amazed by what one 'Hey, Namaste' could do."
