Newark Yoga Movement Inc

NEWARK YOGA MOVEMENT (NYM) PROVIDES YOGA CLASSES TO OVER 40 SCHOOLS IN NEWARK, NJ OVER THE LAST THIRTEEN YEARS. PRIOR TO COVID, THE ORGANIZATION RAN OVER 100 CLASSES PER WEEK IN A VARIETY OF SCHOOLS FROM PRE-K THROUGH 12TH GRADE. THIS PAST YEAR INCLUDED A MIX OF IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL CLASSES, WHICH WAS A SHIFT FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR. DOSAGE (FREQUENCY OF YOGA AND TIME PER CLASS) VARIES BASED ON SCHOOL NEEDS AND AGE OF CHILDREN. ALL LEVELS ARE CHILDREN RECEIVING YOGA FROM TIER ONE AND TIER TWO CHILDREN (HAVING MANY BEHAVIORAL NEEDS) TO CHILDREN HAVING SPECIAL NEEDS, ATHLETES AND MORE. OUTCOMES: OVER AND OVER STUDENTS REDUCE THEIR ANXIETY AND STRESS AND LEARN HOW TO HANDLE SITUATIONS DIFFERENTLY. NOTE THAT IN AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT, IT IS OFTEN TWO STEPS FORWARD AND ONE STEP BACK. FOR EXAMPLE, MANY CHILDREN LIVE ON A STAGE OF CHAOS, SINGLE PARENT HOUSEHOLD, GUARDIAN OR PARENT IN JAIL, DRUGS, SHOOTINGS ETC. IT'S A LOT FOR THE CHILDREN SO IF ONE IS ANGRY, THE BEHAVIOR OFTEN SEEN AT HOME IS VIOLENT. IN SCHOOL WHERE THEY LEARN YOGA, THEY CAN SHIFT ANGER USING BREATH AND THAT TAKES TIME. A NEW PROGRAM STARTED WITH TIER THREE STUDENTS AFTER SCHOOL SHOWING TREMENDOUS POSITIVE BEHAVIORAL SHIFTS AND JOY.WE ALSO HAD STAFF YOGA AND STAFF DEVELOPMENT DURING COVID VIA ZOOM SESSIONS WITH SCHOOLS. EDUCATORS WERE SO STRESSED OUT THAT THESE SESSIONS SERVED TO TAKE CARE OF THEM AND HELP THEM SELF-REGULATE, REDUCE STRESS AND ANXIETY AND MOVE A BIT. ALSO, TIPS WERE PROVIDED FOR THEM TO USE WITH THEIR STUDENTS WHILE TEACHING VIRTUALLY. ADDITIONALLY, NEWARK BOARD OF EDUCATION HIRED NYM TO GUIDE YOGA VIRTUALLY TWICE MONTHLY WHICH WAS OPEN TO THE ENTIRE SCHOOL DISTRICT.WHILE THIS PAST YEAR IN-PERSON CLASSES RESTARTED FOR COMMUNITY CLASSES, WE CONTINUED OUR VIRTUAL PROGRAM AS WELL. THERE IS NO CHARGE FOR ANY OF THESE CLASSES. PRE-NATAL YOGA OCCURED ALMOST MONTHLY IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS SPECIAL EVENT CLASSES AT NEWARK'S MUSEUM AND NJPAC.