Kristin Westbrook, Founder

Meditating since 2001, Kristin discovered the practice helped combat both the stress of her job as creative director as well as navigate the frenetic pace of NYC. Inspired by the food trucks of midtown Manhattan, she dreamed of a similar way to deliver nourishing moments of meditation to busy city dwellers in a calm space without requiring travel or a large time commitment.

Her vision led her to purchase a 1976 recreational vehicle (RV) which she renovated and transformed into New York’s first mobile meditation studio. Thus Calm City was born.

In early 2017, Kristin began parking the Calm City RV on New York’s busiest streets and inviting potential meditators inside. While some New Yorkers had meditation experience, others had never heard of the practice, and neither group had imagined doing it right on the streets of the city. Slowly the business began to grow as Calm City appeared at health fairs, special events, parties, and companies. Calm City now creates custom 8 to 12-week programs for Fortune 500 companies, universities, and government agencies, and continues to deliver meditation via online classes during the pandemic.

Kristin received her meditation certification through the Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Science in partnership with The Path. She has also completed:

• the Mindful School’s 16-hour Mindfulness Fundamentals and 20-hour Mindful Communication courses

• Compassion Cultivation Training with Leah Weiss PhD, MSW, Stanford University

Additionally, she is trained in:

• Transcendental Meditation technique

• Mental Health First Aid. 

Kristin is passionate about sharing the healing power of meditation, which she credits with helping her navigate living with metastatic breast cancer. Through Calm City she seeks to empower people to create a happier, healthier world.

Marlie McGovern, Teacher

Marlie McGovern, E-RYT, RPYT, MA, teaches meditative and somatic practices from the contemplative traditions of Yoga and Buddhism, informed by contemporary insights from Western psychology. With an educational background in cultural anthropology and psychology, Marlie is fascinated by how we experience ourselves and others in the world. She specializes in restorative yoga, a deep and effective practice of fully supported asana that stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system and facilitates exploration of the subtle limbs of yoga. She leads Restorative Yoga Teacher Trainings and workshops open to caregivers, therapists, physicians, and anyone seeking to learn stress reduction and relaxation techniques. Marlie is the Program Director for the Nalanda Institute’s Yoga Mind & Spirit and Meditation Teacher Training programs.
www.marliemcgovern.com

Evy Fung, Teacher

Evy Fung became a certified meditation teacher with The Path/Nalanda Institute in 2018. Prior to her teacher training, she began meditating in 2010 for personal fulfillment. She has facilitated sessions in a variety of fields including Healthcare, Education, Entertainment, Financial Investment Firms, and Non-profits. On a personal pursuit, she continues to push herself by learning more about healing and wellness. She’s a dedicated mom, partner and a native New Yorker of Latina and Asian roots. In her spare time she enjoys the arts. She's also the co-founder of Uniformed Meditation, a convenient meditation experience for Frontline workers and First Responders. www.uniformedmeditation.com

Mike D'Amore

Mike joined the mobile meditation station in the summer of 2017. Among his many responsibilities, he is Calm City's primary driver, which can be a harrowing experience when navigating through the streets of New York. But Mike executes this and his other duties with calm, mindfulness, and an amazing sense of humor.