Dear Friends,
You Are Incredible
Thank you for making my birthday wish come true! YOU helped us raise a whopping total of $6356 for Revived Soldiers Ukraine from our Stop Drop and Dance fundraiser last Saturday! We showed up in yellow and blue and danced together for a bigger cause... peace, love, and faith!
Thank you for helping to deliver medical equipment and supplies, arrange humanitarian aid, and provide medical treatment to injured Ukrainians right now!
Your generosity and support IS making a difference!
Take the 3/21 Pledge
This Saturday, March 19th at 9:30am, please join us for our 3rd annual fundraiser for Ruby's Rainbow and the 3/21 Pledge! This pledge is an effort to make the world a kinder and more compassionate place for people of all abilities, to celebrate differences, and to help students with Down Syndrome achieve their college dreams!
With your donation, you will receive an Eventbrite confirmation email including 3 options to dance:
1) Directions to our in-person location in San Rafael
2) Zoom link to join live from your home
3) Recording of class that you can watch on-demand for 2 days afterwards
The theme is RAINBOWS, so come dressed in colorful colors or any clothing that has rainbows on it! We will also have a special guest who is an old friend I used to dance with, Shannon Larsen, join us for class and she will be sharing some yummy samplers from the health and wellness company, Arbonne.
Come dance in honor of our very own Stop Drop and Dance kids, Cassidy Kissane and Toshi Byers!
(Even if you aren't dancing, your donation is appreciated!)
Donate HERE
Days 16-20 ABS Challenge
We are over half way through our abs challenge and now we're moving to SEVEN minutes!!! Just do your best, whatever that looks like. If you're just starting, welcome! If you started and stopped, re-start again now! If it's too long, feel free to mix up exercises if you need to, or modify them to help you get through all 7 minutes. Yes you can!
What you need:
- Yoga mat
- Clock, stopwatch, or timer that shows seconds (iPhone Clock App has a stopwatch!)
- SAVE these newsletters to refer to exercises
How it works:
Complete each exercise as many times as you can for 50 seconds work and 10 seconds rest. This is 1 round. Feel free to modify exercises and take extra breaks if you need it, but try to complete all the rounds for that day! If you miss a day, double up on the next day if you can =)
- March 1-5: Complete 4 rounds (done)
- March 6-10: Complete 5 rounds (done)
- March 11-15: Complete 6 rounds (done)
- March 16-20: Complete 7 rounds (THIS EMAIL)
- March 21-25: Complete 8 rounds (Email coming 3/20)
Bonus Round:
Building core strength and toning abdominal muscles requires cardio as well! As an added challenge, try to reach 10,000 steps everyday for 25 days! This is easy to track on the Health App if you have an iPhone or Apple Watch, or invest in a pedometer! Get outside, go for a walk or run, dance with us, or simply march/jog in place at night when you watch TV instead of sitting on the couch!
March 16th: Ball Tuck to Low Boat
Starting Position: Lie on back and bend knees into chest. Wrap arms around shins and bring nose to knees into a tight ball. Lift both shoulder blades and glutes as much as possible off floor. Keep chin tucked into chest.
Movement: From the starting ball tuck position, straighten legs to front of mat and extend arms overhead. Lengthen from fingertips to toes but be sure to keep lower back completely on the floor. Rest head down to give your neck a break. Hug knees back to nose into a ball tuck and repeat the movement.
Modification: Make it easier by extending arms and legs at a higher angle away from the ground (i.e. 45 degrees). Make it harder by keeping legs and arms only a few inches from the ground, as long as the lower back does not lift off the floor.
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March 17th: Knee to Elbow Plank and 3-Legged Tricep Pushup
Starting Position: Place hands and feet shoulder distance apart in a high plank. Keep a diagonal line from heels to hips to shoulders. Pull belly up to spine and engage core.
Movement: Tap one knee to the same side elbow, then extend leg straight back without placing it down into a 3-legged plank. Keeping the leg up, take a tricep pushup by bending elbows 90 degrees in line with ribs and then straighten arms. Lower leg down and repeat on other side.
Modification: Make it easier by lowering knees to mat in a kneeling plank for the entire movement from the starting position to the tricep pushup. Other options include standing and placing hands against a wall or use the back of a sturdy couch or bench (be mindful floor is not slippery). Take extra breaks when you need to, even if it's after every repetition! Just keep going!
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March 18th: Butterfly Oblique Crunches
Starting Position: Lie on back and bend knees into chest. Open knees wide and point toes together to touch in a butterfly position. Bring hands behind head with elbows wide and chin a few inches away from chest. Press entire back onto mat.
Movement: Crunch the right side of the body as short as possible and touch right elbow beyond right knee towards the calf or ankle. Return to center and double crunch both elbows to both knees, lifting shoulder blades as well as glutes off floor. Repeat on left side and back to center.
Modification: Make it easier by eliminating the reverse curl in the center and just lift shoulder blades off floor. Make it harder by increasing speed and repetitions within time frame, or deepening each crunch.
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March 19th: Scissor Twists
Starting Position: Lie down on back with legs straight up to the ceiling. Extend through feet and point toes actively. Bring hands behind head and chin slightly away from chest. Keep lower back pressed down on the mat.
Movement: Keep one leg pointed up to the ceiling and lower other leg towards floor. Twist opposite elbow to the outside of the leg lifted, then immediately switch legs and twist the other direction. Be sure to keep entire back pressed to mat.
Modification: Make it easier by lifting the bottom leg higher away from the ground (45 degrees). Make it harder by lowering bottom leg only a few inches from the ground.
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March 20th: Star Opposite Taps
Starting Position: Lie down on floor with legs wide on ground and arms out to the side, like a 5-pointed star. Turn palms to face down.
Movement: With as little momentum as possible, sit up and tap opposite hand to opposite foot. Keep legs and arms straight if possible. Lower all the way down to starting star position and alternate taps.
Modification: Make it easier by lifting torso only halfway up into a crunch, and tap opposite hand to opposite foot towards the ceiling instead of a full sit up. Make it harder by increasing speed and repetitions.
Here's To All The Warriors
This past weekend I celebrated my birthday with my friends and family for a few packed days in a row, and I celebrated by dancing, eating, running, socializing, and getting to see my favorite people.
It was all so wonderful. Except, it wasn’t.
What often comes with excitement and special occasions such as this, are my migraines that have haunted me for over 30 years now. And it comes, always at the worst times.
I wanted so badly to just call the whole weekend off and lie in my bed in darkness, but I’ve had migraines for so long that I’ve learned to show up to everything I do even when I feel horrible. I went to dinners. I taught my classes. I hung out late. I smiled and I hid my pain.
I share this because I know I am not alone.
Whether it’s migraines, or anxiety, or depression, or any million other reasons… the fight is hard. We truly are silent warriors fighting internal battles.
I don’t have a cure for our pain, but I do know that it is important to be surrounded by people who can help. People who care. People who can lift you up. It’s important not to fight alone.
Showing up in life, especially when you least feel like it, is a form of fighting, and healing.
Always sending you much love,
Grace
