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Mask-up for Omicron COVID
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LGBTQIA+ Writers Lab
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Intro to Qigong
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T’ai Chi Chih Class Restarts
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GenPride at the Movies: Supernova
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Yoga & Stretching
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Strength & Balance
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January 25, Tuesday — LGBTQIA+ Writers Lab
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January 27, Thursday — T’ai Chi Chih: Joy of Movement
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January 28, Friday — GenPride at the Movies (Friday)
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February 15, Tuesday — LGBTQIA+ Community Forum on Alzheimer’s & Dementia
Plus, our ongoing Yoga and Strength & Balance classes continue throughout the year. All these programs are FREE and available online via Zoom.
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Mask-up for Omicron COVID
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This week the Federal government opened a new website covidtests.gov where you can order free, at-home rapid COVID test kits (up to four tests per household). The government also announced plans to distribute free N95 masks through community health centers and local pharmacies.
The next few weeks of January and early February are expected to be the peak of the spread of Omicron COVID in our region. But limiting your personal risk catching Omicron is easy as 1-2-3!
1. Get your COVID-19 booster shot!
Check with your doctor or the state’s vaccine locator for where to find a free booster shot near you:
https://vaccinelocator.doh.wa.gov/
2. Mask-up in public!
Especially for these next few weeks, wear a mask that filters and covers your nose and mouth whenever you’re in public places.
The most-effective certified masks are: (in this order)
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N95 …USA-made, behind-the-head straps
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KF94 …Korean-made, over-the-ear straps
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KN95 …Chinese-made, over-the-ear straps
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Double-up masking: a pleated surgical mask under a snug-fitting cloth mask
You can re-use a disposable mask up to 5 times if you handle it only by the straps and keep it isolated in a dry paper bag for at least 24 hours after each use. Some folks rotate through a set of three or four disposable masks this way, before tossing the mask after its fifth use.
Be sure to immediately wash or sanitize your hands every time you put on or remove your mask.
A cloth face mask alone is not effective against COVID.
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3. Test, test, test!
If you’re going to be meeting with someone indoors for an extended period of time with masks off — for example, to watch a movie or share a meal together — everyone should take a COVID rapid antigen test right before getting together. This minimizes the chance that someone is contagious but without symptoms, a situation that is quite possible in the first few days of an Omicron COVID infection. Anyone who tests positive for COVID should immediately return home and isolate themselves, so as to avoid spreading the virus to others.
These three steps: getting a booster, masking-up, and at-home rapid testing are especially important practices for those of us 65 years and older, during these next few weeks.
More resources:
https://kingcounty.gov/depts/health/covid-19/current-guidance.aspx
https://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/COVID19
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GenPride is launching a new Writers Lab!
If you have completed the GenPride Writers Workshop with Ingrid Ricks, or a comparable formal writing class, this twice a month meetup might be just for you.
The Writers Lab is a mutual support group for LGBTQIA+ writers who want accountability, structure, and a ‘lab space’ to test out written pieces, refine ideas, and build on your results.
You’ll be expected to be an active writer: meeting deadlines, reading your written work, and gathering feedback to then incorporate into your writings for the next lab.
The group will meet online on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month at 6:30 pm. Writers will also be encouraged to participate in a public reading event in early May.
Register and attend the Writers Lab orientation session on Tuesday, January 25 to learn more about this exciting new program.
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We’re restarting our popular Qigong class! Join instructor Kimberly Ivy, founder of Seattle’s Embrace the Moon Tai Chi and Qigong for a free, 10-week Qigong course. Qigong is a contemplative movement system that is one of the main branches of Chinese Medicine. (The others are Nutrition, Massage, Herbs, and Acupuncture.) There are many variations of Qigong and you’ve likely seen several of them being practiced in the parks or online.
No matter the method variety, all Qigong is a health system that helps us to understand Yin/Yang philosophy, meditation, breath, and movement. All these beautiful flows harmonize the body, mind, and spirit with nature and provide many health benefits. In just a short time of practice, you’ll feel better all-around!
This course will cover fundamental methods of breathing, movement, and concentration. Between classes, you can practice with a video recording of that week’s session. All ages and fitness levels are welcome!
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Join our Winter 2022 series of free, online T’ai Chi Chih® classes for the LGBTQAI+ and gender nonconforming community and their allies.
T’ai Chi Chih is a slow-moving, meditative routine of 19 moves and one pose. Benefits include: reduced stress, increased energy and mental clarity, improved balance, flexibility, and overall well-being. Beginning and continuing students are welcome. The practice can also be done seated in a chair.
Join instructor Linda Robinson Thursday mornings for this
10-week series.
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Join us for a free showing of Supernova, a heartrending modern love story about a long-term gay couple in present-day England, who are struggling through one’s diagnosis of dementia.
The two men take a road trip to reconnect with friends, family, memories, and places from their past. Secrets are uncovered, private plans unravel, and their deep love for each other is tested like never before. Ultimately, the two must confront the question of what it truly means to love one another in the face of this relentless illness.
Academy Award winner Colin Firth (The King’s Speech, A Single Man) and Academy Award nominee Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones, Spotlight) give brilliant performances in this intense and intimate 2021 cinematic gem you won’t want to miss.
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Experience with yoga or stretching is not required. This class is designed to be approachable by all populations, regardless of fitness level. Moves in class are broken down in a slow and manageable manner.
The intention of the class is to move a little and have a lot of fun – even if you don’t perform each move perfectly.
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Mondays, 11 am – 12 pm
Wednesdays, 3:30 – 4:30 pm
Fridays, 3:30 – 4:30 pm
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Join us for this 40-minute movement-based class that integrates full-body strength, balance, and core-strengthening exercises.
Exercises will focus on strengthening the major muscle groups of the body in vertical and horizontal positions for strength and challenging our static and dynamic balance.
In this virtually taught class, we will use our own body weight using a chair for balance for support and a mat to aid various core strengthening exercises.
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