The theme of Black History Month in 2022 is centered around Black Health and Wellness. 

In the midst of Covid-19, Black Health and Wellness has become a prevalent conversation piece. Throughout the pandemic, Black communities have been disproportionately affected on all levels – physically, mentally, and emotionally. Black men and women are at a higher risk for serious illness, and many report that the pandemic has had a profound negative impact on their mental health and emotional well-being.

Through art, Black communities have had a platform to express the challenges of this global tragedy and share stories through color and movement. One recent exhibition "In the Midst of All That Is"  featuring the artwork of LA based artists Tiffanie Delune and Kaye Freeman provokes a conversation about current global challenges in regard to the Covid-19 pandemic and other social, political and economic ills (a piece of this exhibit can be found above. Both artists insist on searching for the silver-lining in these fraught times, mainly through the use of vibrant color palettes that are invoked through their real and imagined cityscapes and dreamscapes. These artists imbue their paintings with the hope that this uncertain future that we are living through will bring kinder days ahead for humankind.

Exhibition for "In the Midst of All that Is" at the Band of Vices, an LA based art and culture company committed to providing a platform to often overlooked creative communities a narrative. Learn more about the artists and this exhibition. 

Thankfully the future isn't being left to total uncertainty, as many non-profit organizations are at the forefront of bringing these kinder days to light through advocacy programs, outreach, policy, and education. Not only do these organizations provide support and resources  for Covid-19, but many other issues that Black communities face in access to healthcare and wellness.

Below you'll find information on a few of these organizations, where you can educate yourself on the these issues in order to be a voice for the cause, be empathetic ear for those around you, and share or use the resources they provide. Lastly, we've also included Podcasts that aim to empower Black communities, as well as encourage self-love and healing.

Black Health and Wellness Organizations

California Black Women's Health Project

About Them: The California Black Women's Health Project (CABWHP) is the only statewide, non-profit organization that is solely committed to ​improving the health of California's 1.2 million Black women and girls through advocacy, education, outreach and policy. We focus on empowering Black women to take personal responsibility for our own health and to advocate for changes in policies that negatively affect Black women's health status.

Health Resources: Utilize their Health Toolkits under the 'Our Health' section as a resource for Mental Health, Maternal Health, COVID, and more.

Get Involved: You can get involved by donating, or volunteering your time.

Podcasts

The Self Love Fix

The self love fix podcast is a podcast all about helping WOC delve deeper into self love, self worth, personal development, self esteem and self care. Here on the self love fix we get relatable, we laugh, we cry, we heal, but most of all we learn about the truth of who we are and what we deserve.

Listen on Spotify or Apple

It's the Year of the Tiger! But what exactly does that mean...?

Chinese New Year, one of many Lunar New Year celebrations, begins on the new moon which marks the end of Winter and beginning of Spring. One of the many components of Chinese New Year that makes it unique from other Spring Festivals is the Chinese Zodiac, which is a repeating 12-year cycle of animal signs based on the lunar calendar. 2022 is the year of the tiger!

With her passion for climbing and desire to share Chinese Culture with the community,  Co-Founder and CEO Alice Kao was inspired to launch a Tank that celebrates both. Alice share's more with us about her inspiration for the tank top and her own  Chinese New Year Traditions below in a Q&A.

Celebrating Chinese New Year Through Art

These Chinese-inspired Climbing Tanks designed by artist Ariel Lee are available for purchase in-person and online. Sender One will donate 50% of proceeds during February 2022 to the Asian Pacific Island Forward Movement, a group dedicated to cultivating healthy, long-lasting, and vibrant Asian and Pacific Islander communities through grassroots organizing. 

Q&A with Co-Founder and CEO, Alice Kao 

Q: What was your inspiration to share this part of your Asian culture with the community? 

A: "Actually the idea was inspired by Andrew Hou at Uplift Climbing in Seattle, WA.  Wes and I went to Seattle last September to meet up with other climbing gym owners and we checked out Andrew's new bouldering gym.  He sells a shirt at this gym that says "Climbing Gym" in Chinese.  I was so intrigued by it I told him I'd like to copy his idea (and send him a shirt when Sender One prints one!)

The truth is I've always wanted to share Chinese culture with the community, since we started the company almost 10 years ago, but it didn't feel like it was a good time until now.  We attended our first Climbing Wall Association summit in 2012 and we were the ONLY Asian people who were climbing gym owners.  I might have been the only woman of color who owns a climbing gym in America for a very long time.  It has definitely changed over the past few years and the climbing industry is becoming more diverse across all levels.  I'm really proud to be a part of this transformation."

Q: Sender One has 6 Core Values, why did you choose 'Climb Together' to be represented in this design? 

A: "Because "Climbing Together" is what has gotten all of us through the past 24 months, and because the Chinese phrase for Climbing Together sounds and looks cool."

Q: Does your family celebrate Chinese New year, and if so how do you celebrate? 

A: "Yes! I was born and raised in Taiwan and moved to the US when I was 12.  My memories of Chinese New Year as a kid were lots of family gatherings, mahjong, and lots of red envelopes.  My mom and I have tried to carry some of these traditions with us now that we're in the US.  We still eat hot pot on Chinese New Year's eve, dumplings on Chinese New Year's day, and give the kids red envelopes.  Hopefully soon we'll start teaching the kids how to play mahjong, it'll help them learn Chinese characters."

Q: What is your Chinese zodiac? 

A: "Year of the Sheep. To illustrate how much my family cares about this, my Chinese name has the character of the sheep in it!"

Q: What's something you'd like to accomplish in the Year of the Tiger?

A: "To be courageous like a tiger and open another gym 🙂 "

About the Artist

Ariel Lee is an Asian American artist and illustrator based out of Southern California. Just like her Chinese Zodiac animal, the Ram, her heart seems to be in the colorful mountains shown in her art. She shared with us that some other AAPI artists that inspire her include Josh Cochran, Tomi Um, and Andrew Hem. See more of her colorful paintings on her Instagram @lee_ariel_, or visit her site. 

Mural by Ariel Lee, Photo by: Andrea Ceseña

Horizon Showers, Gouache on paper, 2021, 15x11 in

Bouldering League season is here and we have everything you need to get started! If it's your first time participating you should know that bouldering league is not just any community event - it's where teams climb together to score based on progress, not just prowess.

Whether you are brand new to climbing or have years of experience, you have an equal chance to win the ultimate title of Bouldering League Champion! The best part is, participants receive perks including:

• a Bouldering League shirt or tank
• entry in a raffle on finals night for a chance to win sweet swag
• to participate in 4 weeks of Bouldering League!
• to compete to win the title of Bouldering League champion and a coveted Bouldering League trophy!

To sign-up for Bouldering League or review more FAQs, check out our Bouldering League page.

If you are brand new to climbing, you can also check out our "Climbing 101: The Essentials" blog that will introduce bouldering grades, how to complete a route, climbing techniques, and more!

Scoring

Climbing for a Score

You will submit your scores once a week on the first day that you attempt the Bouldering League routes. Since you only get to earn points on the first day you climb the routes, be sure to leave it all on the wall that day!

You are welcome to come back and climb the Bouldering League routes again, they just won't count towards your score.

Earn points based on Handicap

While you can earn some points for completing routes below your handicap, most of your points are earned by completing routes at or above your handicap grade. Try to focus your energy on some of the more difficult routes since that's where you will score big time!

Flashing

Flashing means that you completed a route on your first attempt. Flashing a route will help you earn extra points!

Weighting

Bouldering League is all about rewarding progress. To reward progress, scores are weighted each week. This means that your score in Week 4 will count more towards your overall score than your score in Week 1. Here's an example of how weighting works (numbers may not be exact to what is used in scoring):

Week 1: score x 1

Week 2: score x 1.5

Week 3: score x 2

Week 4: score x 2.5

Individual Scores

Each week you will complete as many routes as you can in one session, and submit all of them for a score. However, only the top 5 scores earned will be used to calculate your total score of that week. Since you won't know which route will earn more points, be sure to submit them all!

If you aren't able to complete 5 routes that's okay. You may miss out on a few points but you can make up the points next week!

Team Scores

In your team of 4, only the 3 top scores each week are used for your total score. This is helpful if a teammate is unable to participate that week, or if someone is just having  a high-gravity week!

Whether you are new to the climbing community or thinking about trying it out, welcome! We are here to help get you started with some information and resources you might need as you start your climbing journey:

• How to Start Your First Climb
• What to Climb - Understanding Climbing Grades & Getting Mileage
• Introduction to Climbing Techniques
• How to Climb Free of Intimidations
• Shopping for Your Own Climbing Shoes

If you have more questions beyond what is included in this article, our staff is always available to help! You can also connect with the Community for more support on our community Facebook pages: SNA Community, LAX Community, Playa Vista Community.

Start Your First Climb

Around the gym you'll notice groups of holds going up the wall in the same color. Each set of same color holds makes up a route, which you'll climb from bottom to top. And this may seem straightforward, but there is actually a way to complete a route properly!

To start your route, you'll want to have both of your hands on the hold that is attached to the route tag. However, sometimes the route has a two handed start - meaning your hands can start on two different holds.

For two handed starts at Sender One, the rule is that you can use any holds attached to the route tag, OR below it. You know you have a two handed start when: you try to put both on one hold and it feels IMPOSSIBLE; you see another good hand hold below the route tag, or if you see chalk on another hold below the starting one - that means other climbers have been using it!

To finish your route, get both hands secured on the very top hold in the color you started on. When you can, use the down-climb (white or grey) holds to get lower to the floor before dropping down, your knees who will thank you later!

What to Climb

Understanding Climbing Grades

 Each boulder route in the gym will have a tag with a 'v' followed by a number. The number on this tag indicates the difficulty of the climb, with the lowest difficulty starting at v0. As a beginner, you'll want to find routes with a tag that show 'v0', 'v1', or 'v2'. Each gym has a learning corner where you will find multiple routes with these grades next to each other. This is the perfect place to start especially if it's your first time climbing. If you aren't sure where this learning corner is, just ask a staff member! Once you've climbed all these routes, you'll find even more lower difficulty grades scattered throughout the gym. 

Each top rope route will also have a tag with a number, and sometimes a letter. The lowest difficulty you'll find at the gym is a 5, and the routes will get more difficult as the numbers increase. Once you reach 10, you'll notice the tags start to include letters, such as '10a'. The letters range from 'a' to 'd', and indicate an increase in difficulty where a '10a' is less difficult than a '10d'. As a beginner, you'll likely start with grades 5-9, and some 10s if you're a natural.

Climbing Everything

During your first year of climbing it's helpful to focus on getting in  mileage - meaning go climb everything you can! This will help you build up strength, increase endurance, and introduce you to different styles of climbing. 

To get more mileage, warm-up by climbing up AND down routes. If heights don't suit you quite yet, that's okay too! You can get mileage in by traversing. Traversing is essentially sideways climbing. Simply pick a starting point on the wall and climb to the left or right, working your way across the wall as far as you can go. 

Introduction to Climbing Techniques

As you start to climb more difficult routes, it will require a bit more technique to continue climbing efficiently. Here are some techniques you'll start to use:

Flagging: Using your legs to provide balance on the wall. When reaching for a hold in one direction, move your leg on the opposite side of your body out in the other direction. For example, if you reach towards the right with your right hand, move your left leg out towards the left to maintain balance.

Straight Arms: Keep your arms straight whenever possible to conserve energy, and focus on using your legs for driving momentum rather than relying on your arms.

Smearing: Using the the ball of your foot to gain friction on the wall.  Sometimes there may not be a hold available when you need it, but the wall is always there for you!

Foot matching: Switching which foot is placed on a particular hold. You can do this efficiently by hovering one toe directly above the foot on the hold, and quickly replacing the hovering toe with the other. 

Heel Hooks: Placing the back of your heel on a hold for stability, or to drive momentum through by pulling on a hold with your heel to reach the next hand hold. 

Stemming: Pushing with your hands and/or feet against opposing walls or holds.

Closed Hips: Turning your hips in close to the wall. This helps improve your reach, improve stability, and helps conserve energy. 

These climbing techniques and more are taught in our Intro to Bouldering class (FREE for members & punch-pass holders!) and Foundations Series. Class availability may vary by location, sign-up below!

• Intro to Bouldering at Playa Vista
• Foundations Series at SNA
• Foundations Series at LAX

Climb Free of Intimidations

One of the best parts of climbing is becoming a part the community. While climbing can be intimidating at first, don't forget that each climber had to start their own journey at the beginning too. If you ever feel stuck on a climb, or need a little encouragement, don't be afraid to ask a fellow climber for help. Part of climbing is really just creative problem solving, and us climbers love to work together to find the solution, or as we call it the 'beta'.

Another intimidating factor may be approaching a route when there are a few other advanced climbers watching. But toss those fears aside because the climbers sitting there need to take breaks between attempts, and work on finding a beta (creative solution) to complete their route. By attempting a route near them, you are really just ensuring they get a much needed break, and they will most likely cheer you on!

Getting support from your community can help accelerate your progress, and of course you may make some friends along the way.

Shopping for Your Own Climbing Shoes

Investing in your own climbing shoes is worth it! Rental shoes will only get you so far as they have their limits as you progress into more difficult routes. Plus, no one else's feet have been in them which is the real benefit. 

How Your Climbing Shoes Should Fit

Climbing shoes will fit more snug than a regular pair of shoes. It's actually perfect if your climbing shoe is a little bit tight as this will help give you more control when climbing! However, you don't want them to be uncomfortable. If your toes are too crunched where there's a clear bump when you look at them, try a size up. Also keep in mind that you don't typically wear socks while climbing, so be sure to test your shoe size without socks on.

How to Shop for Climbing Shoes

For your first pair of climbing shoes, you'll want to look for shoes designed for beginner climbers. Look for climbing shoes with only a slight arch, and more rounded toes. These are designed for more comfort since you'll be wearing your shoes throughout your session, rather than competition style shoes that climbers will take off right after they attempt their route.

A good example beginner shoe is the 5.10 Kirigami Climbing Shoe shown on the left.

Where to Shop For Climbing Shoes

5.10 climbing shoes, including the Kirigami shoe above, can be found in the retail section of your Sender One home gym (may vary by gym). If it's not available your size we can always order it for you!

You can also find gently used shoes from multiple brands at discounted prices through REI.