A bittersweet message of resilience.

Our deepest sympathies and prayers for strength and recovery go out to our friends, family, members, and EVERYBODY team who have been displaced or devastated by the fires. We know many of our staff, members, and friends have been evacuated from their homes and remain uncertain about the status of their living situations. Tragically, we also know some in our community have confirmed total loss of their homes, apartments, and belongings. 

Our hearts go out to EVERYBODY staff members Sonny and Lena who lost their home in Altadena this week. If you have the means to donate, here is a link to their GOFUNDME. We wish them and everyone else who have lost so much to these fires a swift recovery from this loss and the ability to rebuild their homes and lives.

We know this is a challenging time for everyone and we want to make it clear that we are here to support our community in any way we can. May we all do what we can to help our city and neighbors rebuild their lives with our incredibly strong community support.🤍

Please visit @mutualaidla for a LIVE updating document and links to local and regional resources for folks impacted by the fires and those who wish offer support.

Jan. 10th also marks our 9th Anniversary and although it feels like a strange time to ‘celebrate,’ we’re sharing this story in hopes that it can serve as a bittersweet message of resilience to help ease us through yet another ‘unprecedented’ time. 

📷 Some TBT’s from 2016-2017: EVERYBODY Wellness Practitioner Lena, Blueprints, Construction, and our very first Member!

It is truly a miracle that we have reached this 9 year milestone of business operations. We've survived so much-- in our first year alone we got through a flood caused by a fallen telephone pole that crashed into our roof. (Hello?!) The next three years of business were financially tough as we grew and people started to slowly spread the word about our unique and inclusive model.  Just as we were getting some good traction, we faced a global pandemic that shuttered so many businesses and especially gyms-- but we survived thanks to our incredibly supportive community who kept taking classes online when we transitioned to a livestream platform overnight.

📹 EVERYBODY Yoga Instructor Liz screams into a pillow during a zoom class at the beginning of the Pandemic.

We had to remain closed for 6 months during 2020-2021, but folks continued to support us by coming and using the gym one at a time during peak Covid as the vaccines were being developed. We started offering offsite services as our van made our gym able to travel to beaches, pools and parks where open space and clean air allowed us to gather and hold space for our community coming out of isolation. We have continued to expand our online offerings into a full scale Video on Demand program for folks who prefer or are not able to make it to us in person. And since reopening our physical space in 2021 again, we have been able to grow our services, expand into new spaces and become the indispensable resource to our community that we are today. 

📷 Takin’ it Outside. And inside (your home).

In 2015 Co-owners Sam and Lake planted the seeds for a brave and inclusive environment for ALL bodies to move, strengthen and heal.

Most importantly, we’ve witnessed the power of community at work in times of struggle, loss, and utter disaster. And as our Friends, Family, and Members recover from deeply devastating losses, time strangely carries on. Anniversaries are important things, whether they help us remember achievements or losses, to celebrate or to mourn. They are necessary markings of time even during a time that feels entirely absent of the construct of time.

There will eventually be an anniversary of the Eaton Canyon/ Altadena (and other greater LA area) fires which destroyed so many homes (and places called home) for folks close in relation and proximity to us. And while that pain may never subside, we can find some healing and comfort in community, an outpouring of local mutual aid, and knowing that we will always have memories and stories of the deep roots and rich histories of such a magical place in our hometown of LA.❤️‍🩹

movement & mental health

Happy May/Mental Health Awareness Month from EVERYBODY! There are so many unique ways we are supporting mental health this month (and every day), but I wanted to take a moment to share a few thoughts & highlights.

When we were bringing EVERYBODY to life, Co-Founder Lake Sharp and I bonded about having parents with mental health issues, and it has ALWAYS informed so much of what, why and how we do things at EVERYBODY. When my own Mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease over a decade ago, I had to shift gears practically overnight to become her full-time caregiver. As anyone who has gone through this experience knows, caring for someone with a mental illness can become a full-time job of its own and takes a serious toll on the caregiver as well as the person with the disease.

Strength Class with Sonny on our outdoor patio.

MOVEMENT & MENTAL HEALTH

I now closely follow the research on dementia and there are many current studies that explicitly link loneliness, stress and depression to increased risk of dementia and other forms of mental illness. There is also an emerging body of hopeful scientific evidence that supports the fact that exercise and connection to community in younger and midlife years are two of the most important keys to avoiding dementia and mental illness in later life. This brings me personally a lot of hope, especially since my Dad is now also on his own end-of-life journey with dementia.

CONNECTION & COMMUNITY

Of course we know many members of our LGBTQIA+ community already face a dramatically increased risk of depression, anxiety and suicide. We always create programming with the idea that moving our bodies together in community is about so much more than simply getting our heart rates up and achieving better circulation, flexibility, and strength. It is about a sense of belonging, a real connection to your community, and having a safe place for you to explore and expand your own relationship to your body ON YOUR OWN TERMS.

Outdoor mural by artist Maria Pineres.

IRL SEROTONIN BOOST

You may have also noticed that our beautiful multi-colored camouflage outdoor mural has just graced our interior space, all thanks to incredible artist Maria Pineres, a local Mt. Washington resident and beloved member of our community. Maria was inspired to bring the beauty of her original outside mural into the gym and our hope is that these gorgeous colors and shapes energize your workout and fortify you for the many fights ahead. "Resist" is the title of her initial large outdoor mural on our patio, which she painted just after Trump's 2016 presidential election. "Resilience" is the theme behind this powerful and inspiring interior imagery that re-purposes military imagery for our use as a tapestry of solidarity, strength and resilience for the days before us and those yet to come. Maria also wanted to represent the many colors, textures and shapes of our community in a slightly more abstract form, playing on the idea of many different "skins" imbued with various shades of Camouflage. I hope this contributes to everyone's sense of well-being, support and collective strength. Come see what we’ve done with the place!

Donate here!

COLLECTIVE SUPPORT FOR GAZA

We also continue to do everything we can to support and amplify the call for a ceasefire in Gaza including donating membership proceeds to the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund and donating supplies and resources to our local student groups including @oxyjvp at Occidental College organizing and protesting for divestment from Israel. The extremely critical work of demanding the safety of innocent Palestinians remains a top priority for us, as well as providing needed space for folks in our community to grieve, gather, restore & recharge between devastating emerging news, protests and local community actions. 

We have been unsurprised yet extremely saddened to learn that many mainstream gyms have actually * fired * members of their staff for speaking out in support of Palestine. We remain very proud of our commitment to hold space for Palestinian solidarity with our collective reflection, grief, and calls to action. We continue to advocate for an immediate ceasefire and end to Israeli apartheid and genocidal Zionism. Knowing our tax dollars are going to fund a genocide is absolutely detrimental to all of our collective mental health, and we must continue to show up, speak out, and call out for divestment from Israel in whatever ways we can.

Trans Trainer Ames Miyako is producing a film centering mental health.

STAFF FEATURE

A shout out to our Wednesday Night Hot & Heavy Strength Class teacher and Personal Trainer Ames Miyako, who is currently producing and raising funds for a film centering mental health.

Checking Out is a short film about a queer date gone mentally ill, where no one is crazy and humor and hope prevail: When a  really good date brings up really bad experiences from the past, Alex (played by Ames Miyako) has a dissociative episode at the worst possible moment: a first kiss with their really cute date Jess. Trapped inside the literal walls of their own psyche (which just so happens to look like the inside of a school gymnasium), Alex is challenged by “Cool Alex”, a past version of themselves, to crack the psychological code needed to get back into their body for that first kiss with Jess.

If you’d like to support this independently produced film written by Ames Miyako and directed by Ariel Zucker, consider making a tax deductible donation here!

WELLNESS, COMMUNITY AND OUTDOOR PROGRAMMING:

Looking for a little more movement, wellness or connecting with community outdoors? Join us for:

• Monthly Sliding Scale drop-in Community Acupuncture w/ Ben Leventer.

• New Monthly Sound Bath Series: High Vibes w/ Jordan Wolan starts May 31st at 6pm at out sister location, SIBLING.

• EVERYBODY Swims! returns for the summer every first and third Sunday at Occidental College beginning June 2nd! All bodies welcome.

In addition to all our weekly on-site class programming, these special wellness and outdoor events are intended to add a little more to the mix to our affordable and accessible programming. We are proud to offer a wide range of opportunities for connection and health.

Sign up/ see our full schedule of offerings here!

HOMEBODY VIDEO ON DEMAND

FOR ALL THE HOMEBODIES:

I would be remiss not to mention HOMEBODY, our revolutionary Video-On-Demand library that continues to deliver all our radically inclusive programming to you wherever you are, whenever you need it. We understand for those who may face mental health issues, working out from home can be a vital way to access the services you need most when you need them most. Our full Video on Demand catalog is available to our gym members or available as a separate subscription.

VOD curious? Check it out here!

Beach Pilates returns in July!

Take good care this month and remember, self-care is key to community care! We all need to breathe in our own oxygen before giving it away to others.

Happy almost Summer!

Sam / EVERYBODY Co-Founder