Dear Friends,
May is Asian American Pacific Islander month and with the increase of Asian hate especially in the past year due to the pandemic, I wanted to help raise money for iHollaback.org, an organization that empowers individuals to know how to speak up and stand up when someone is being harassed, including ourselves!
Some of you know my story of getting pushed last summer at an ice cream shop in Half Moon Bay.
I didn't speak up for myself, and no one around me did either.
That's why I want to support Hollaback! - because maybe if I had taken their training earlier, I would have known what to do or say. Hollaback! offers their bystander intervention trainings for FREE and I can't agree more with their mission to END HARASSMENT - in all its forms - including:
- gender-based street harassment
- youth
- the workplace
- voter harassment at the polls
- police sponsored violence and anti-black racist harassment
- stopping anti LGBTQ+ harassment
- anti asian-american and xenophobic harassment
- online abuse
- learning differences
- ...and more!
I will be hosting a Stop Drop And Dance AAPI DONATION class for Hollaback! on Saturday, May 8th from 9:30am-10:45am. You can join on Zoom or in-person in San Rafael, or if you don't want to dance, your donation would be greatly appreciated!
As an added perk, my friend Laika has generously sponsored cute "Stop Asian Hate" tote bags by @amandanhammond to the first 25 people who come on Saturday that have donated!
Thank you for your support!
Giving the gift of movement
On Tuesday, we recorded a special Stop Drop And Dance class that was donated as a "Month of Movement" activity for the Best Buddies Friendship Walk, which took place on May 1st. Over 65 Best Buddies joined our dance party to support inclusion! Thank you to Stefanie Taylor for organizing this event.
Best Buddies empowers people with intellectual and developmental disabilities by helping them form meaningful friendships with their peers, secure successful jobs, live independently, improve public speaking, self-advocacy and communication skills, and feel valued by society.
We raised $1501 for HeadsUP!
Thank you for dancing and celebrating Tanya's Birthday Fundraiser yesterday and raising $1501 for HeadsUP (San Rafael Public Education Foundation)! If you missed it, don't forget that all our Stop Drop And Dance classes are RECORDED on-demand for 2 days afterwards!
HeadsUp's mission is to bring critical enrichment and support programs to San Rafael schools, providing equitable opportunities for students while building community district-wide.
NEW SERIES: 20x7 Week of Workouts
It has been 6 months since I launched The Power With Grace website, and data shows that out of all the on-demand workouts, the 20 minute classes are hands-down the most popular ones!
Therefore, this month, we have posted a new 20x7 SERIES called "Week of Workouts."
Only 20 minutes a day, for 7 days, this is a perfectly balanced workout schedule if you don't have much time for anything else. We mix in moderate-intensity activity with a few days of strength training plus stretching.
This is your GO-TO 20 minute weekly exercise plan!
Day 1: Cardio Legs
Day 2: Strong Arms (with dumbbells)
Day 3: Power Yoga
Day 4: Cardio Arms
Day 5: Strong Legs (with dumbbells)
Day 6: Cardio Core
Day 7: Yin Yoga
You can repeat this plan week after week, or substitute similar focus-area classes from our old videos (i.e. HIIT Cardio for Cardio Legs, or Gentle Vinyasa Yoga for Power Yoga, etc), or you can add to it with Stop Drop And Dance, or hiking, or cycling.
Here is an example of adding on another workout to the 20x7 Series:
Day 1: Cardio Legs + TRX Arms and Abs or YogaBurn
Day 2: Strong Arms (with dumbbells) + Stop Drop And Dance or hiking/cycling
Day 3: Power Yoga + HIIT Cardio Strength or TRX/Bootcamp 30/30
Day 4: Cardio Arms + Stop Drop And Dance or hiking/cycling
Day 5: Strong Legs (with dumbbells) + YogaBurn or Gentle Vinyasa Yoga
Day 6: Cardio Core + Stop Drop And Dance or Power Yoga/TRX
Day 7: Yin Yoga + Meditation or Rest
The 20x7 Week of Workouts Series is included for members!
If you are not a member, you can purchase the Series for $18!
May the 4th (force) be with you.
(wishing you good will, hope, and protection)
As we begin this new month of May, I reflect on how challenging April was for me.
At the beginning of the month, I shared about the devastating loss of my wonderful mini-goldendoodle, Miya, who didn't survive her injuries from a huge buck kicking her.
Last week, I got the call from our veterinarian that Miya was "ready to be picked up."
As I drove to the vet's office, the uncontrollable tears poured down my cheeks, blurring my vision as I was driving. When I parked, the crying just got worse as I couldn't help but start hyperventilating from the sorrow. Finally, I just put on my mask and decided to hide my face behind the largest pair of sunglasses I had.
I entered the small waiting room of our vet's office, and there was someone being helped at the counter. So I waited 6 feet behind them. I didn't make eye contact and just tried desperately to not make any noise so that I could hide my crying. I started sweating because my tears were so hot and my sunglasses were fogging up, and I just did not want to be there any longer...
Then a couple walked in the door and because there wasn't much space left behind me, they stood to the side of the waiting room.
All of us were waiting... waiting... waiting for what felt like forever.
FINALLY, the person in front of me left the counter, and before I knew it, the man that had walked in after me went straight to the counter to be helped. Shocked, in my mind, all I could hear was my 6 year old's voice saying, "He's cutting!"
Fortunately, the receptionist stood up for me and said, "Sir, there's someone in front of you."
He actually said, "What?" and was completely oblivious to ME.
She repeated with firmness as she pointed to me, "Sir, there's SOMEONE in front of you."
No apology, no reaction, he just stepped aside and said, "Oh."
I was invisible to him.
This is what American looks like.
I share my story because this is exactly why I feel strongly about recognizing this month of May as AAPI Heritage month. This is one of many experiences my friends and family who are Asian face as a form of racial discrimination.
And I love a post that Kim P. sent me that said,
"This is not the oppression Olympics."
What I love about the organization I chose for our donation class this Saturday, is that iHollaback.org wants to end ALL types of harassment, and they do it by reaching all the way down to the individual level.
YOU AND ME.
In their free one-hour trainings, they teach us what to say or do if we are a bystander or victim to harassment. It's not a magic formula, but it's a start to move past our natural reactions of FREEZE or FLIGHT (which I am definitely guilty of!).
It gives us language.
It gives us preparation.
It gives us tools,
so we can actually stand up for ourselves and for others.
Please join me and help to raise money this Saturday for iHollaback.org.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/152631195013
Thank you.
Love,
Grace
