I have a couple of tools that have been helping my mental state: 1) deleted social media off my phone and 2) speaking aloud mantras to myself. They say that we no longer sit in our boredom anymore because we have our phones to distract us. I’ve become so aware of how scrolling increases my anxiety. So, I have been embracing stillness, quiet, my thoughts. My nervous system feels more at ease, and I feel so much more present.


Mantras are helping me stay in the present. My current mantra is “it’s not about you.” In our current state of chaos in the world, all of us just want to feel seen and heard. This is why social media feels so loud to me when I scroll, everyone is fighting for space to feel seen and heard, to validate that they matter. In daily life, it’s so easy to check out, to not listen to others in a conversation, to not see how others are experiencing the world, to not be patient with those around you, to ignore a stranger in need, to stay stuck in your own challenges, needs, wants. So, I am working on purposefully listening, purposefully taking in everyone around me and focusing my attention on helping others. I’m not always perfect at it, but it really does help keep my anxiety away and hold myself accountable when I notice I am falling into a negative space.


Summer always goes so quickly, so I hope you can find some tools that help bring you to the present. Take in the sunshine and enjoy time with yourself and those you love.

This month, 20% of our proceeds goes to Exodus Refugee.


Exodus began in 1981 with the mission to serve the legal needs of immigrants and Cuban refugees, who had arrived as part of the Mariel boatlift in 1980. Since that time, Exodus has helped thousands of refugees from more than 50 different countries establish new lives in Indiana.


In 2025, they welcomed 884 new refugees representing 18 different countries, while providing ongoing services to refugees who already call Indiana home. 


According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, a refugee is a person who, owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country.


According to the United Nations, there are at least 108.4 million forcibly displaced people worldwide, the highest level since World War II. Of these, 29.4 million are refugees – meaning not only have they been forced to leave their homes, but often friends and family, education, and career – the result of having to leave their home country.
More than half of refugees are children, fleeing violence and worse – while still at risk of exploitation, abuse, and more. Many refugee children have been separated from their family or are otherwise unsupported.


In addition to serving refugees, Exodus serves many other types of humanitarian immigrants, including Haitian and Cuban Entrants, those with Humanitarian Parole, those with Temporary Protected Status, those with Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs), and those seeking asylum.


Refugee Resettlement is a humanitarian program that provides protection and opportunity to refugees fleeing persecution and war. Agencies such as Exodus provide services to refugee newcomers from the point of arrival to self-sufficiency. The United States has a long history of welcoming immigrants and refugees. The U.S. refugee resettlement program reflects the United States’ highest values and aspirations of compassion, generosity and leadership. Since 1975, Americans have welcomed over 3 million refugees from all over the world. Refugees have built new lives, homes and communities in towns and cities in all 50 states.


Once refugees arrive, they may experience disorientation, a sense of being overwhelmed, feelings of insecurity, sadness at leaving familiar things behind, grief, culture shock, identity and meaning loss, and fear of the unknown. However, despite the adversity they have experienced, most refugees who make their home in the U.S. are eager to engage the challenges and opportunities that the U.S. offers in order to make a better life for themselves and their families.
By having their basic needs met during the core resettlement period and beyond, combined with a full array of social and medical services, English language training, cultural orientation, and employment services, Exodus clients are able to establish new lives in the United States in freedom and safety.


To learn more about their incredible work, visit their website: https://www.exodusrefugee.org/

The tough news - no one is going to do the work for you. No one can show up for you and eat your vegetables, drink your water, get your solid sleep, get your steps and the movement that’s good for you. You’ve got to show up and do it for yourself. Motivation may not be there, but if you build the ritual, if you just take the first step and show up, I promise you it gets easier to put in the work.


You also have to love yourself. We only get one you. So, my wish for you this month is that you will love yourself as much as everyone around you does and show up for you.

This month, 20% of our proceeds will be contributed to Freedom For Immigrants.


Freedom for Immigrants is an immigrant-led, abolitionist organization committed to ending immigration incarceration. They organize alongside leaders directly impacted by immigration detention, their families, and communities across the country to advance their liberatory vision of abolition. Their work is guided by the wisdom of those who have experienced detention firsthand. They believe these leaders are the heart of their movement and the true experts in their fight for collective liberation.


Through organizing, strategic communications and storytelling, and other forms of advocacy, they fight to free people from detention and shut down deadly detention centers while also working long-term to structurally realign our societal priorities away from criminalization, detention, and deportation and toward non-punitive, humane, and welcoming policies.


Informed by Black abolitionist visionaries who have paved the way before us, they understand immigration detention as one thread in the broader web of mass incarceration and the criminalization of Black and brown people. They fight for everyone - regardless of prior contact with the legal system or criminal record - as they practice community care and build popular support among the public for their vision.


To learn more about their impact, please visit their website: https://www.freedomforimmigrants.org/

In honor of Juneteenth, this month, 20% of our proceeds will be contributed to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

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"APATHY IS NOT AN OPTION."

They fight racial justice issues such as strengthening democracy and voting rights, dismantling white supremacy, ending unjust imprisonment, and eliminating poverty and economic inequality.

They started the movement in the South hoping to inspire change nationwide. Throughout history, the South has been a place of resilience, strength and transformation. Their mission begins there. When they empower communities, they lay the groundwork for a national movement that uplifts all people and drives meaningful progress for future generations.

They have had landmark cases by offering legal advocacy that protects vulnerable communities and promotes equality across the nation. They have inspired by hope by pursuing every person's opportunity to live with dignity, free from discrimination and oppression. They track hate by monitoring over 1,500 active extremist groups and dismantling their influence while also promoting safety and justice nationwide. 

Join them as they create a future where justice, equality and opportunity are available to all. To learn more about their incredible work, visit their website: https://www.splcenter.org/

It is International Pilates Day and what better way to celebrate than to get down on your Mat and do some Pilates!

I am consistently so grateful for the gift of the Pilates method. It has given me a lifelong practice that has helped my body in times of grief and joy, pain and empowerment, and it continually teaches me all that the body is capable of. It allows me to live life to the fullest and do all the activities and challenges I never thought possible (such as climbing Angels Landing at Zion National Park!). And best of all, it has given me a community of fellow instructors, Educators, clients, enthusiasts who not only nerd out with me but also deeply care about the real, heartfelt definition of health and wellness on a deep, equitable, communal level. I always wonder if Joseph and Clara Pilates ever dreamed that this is what Contrology would really turn out to be. But what a gift Pilates is to so many people on a daily basis.

Thank you all for being part of my Pilates journey and community. I am so grateful to be part of your self-care. And as a reminder, Pilates is a practice and with any practice, you only feel progress if you practice repetitively. So, keep going - tomorrow is always a new day to start fresh and build new habits that will impact your life in the best of ways!

In honor of Mental Health Awareness month, we will contribute 20% of our proceeds in May to National Alliance on Mental Health.
NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.

What started as a small group of families gathered around a kitchen table in 1979 has blossomed into the nation's leading voice on mental health. Today, they are an alliance of more than 600 local affiliates who work in your community to raise awareness and provide support and education that was not previously available to those in need.

NAMI envisions a world where all people affected by mental illness live healthy, fulfilling lives supported by a community that cares.


NAMI provides advocacy, education, support and public awareness so that all individuals and families affected by mental illness can build better lives.


Their Values

• Hope: They believe in the possibility of recovery, wellness and the potential in all of us.
• Inclusion: They embrace diverse backgrounds, cultures and perspectives.
• Empowerment: They promote confidence, self-efficacy and service to their mission.
• Compassion: They practice respect, kindness and empathy.
• Fairness: They fight for equity and justice.

They educate. Offered in thousands of communities across the United States through NAMI State Organizations and NAMI Affiliates, their education programs ensure hundreds of thousands of families, individuals and educators get the support and information they need.
They support. Throughout the country, their NAMI State Organizations and Affiliates host support groups, for both those with mental illness and caregivers, so that no one feels alone in their mental health journey.
They advocate. NAMI shapes national public policy for people with mental illness and their families and provides volunteer leaders with the tools, resources and skills necessary to save mental health in all states.
They listen. Their toll-free NAMI HelpLine allows them to respond personally to hundreds of thousands of requests each year, providing free information and support—a much-needed lifeline for many.
They lead. Public awareness events and activities, including year-round awareness initiatives and NAMIWalks, successfully fight stigma and encourage understanding. NAMI works with reporters on a daily basis to make sure our country understands how important mental health is.

To learn more about their incredible work, please visit their website: https://www.nami.org/

This month, 20% of our proceeds will go to DonorsChoose.

Their mission: to make it easy for anyone to help a teacher in need, moving us closer to a nation where students in every community have the tools and experiences they need for a great education. They are committed to combating racial and socioeconomic inequity in school funding. Their team works to inspire as much support as possible for teachers of color and for schools that serve low-income communities and Black, Latino, and Native American students.

In 2000, Charles Best, a teacher at a Bronx public high school, thought about all the money he and his colleagues were spending on books, art supplies, and other materials for their students. They weren't alone — today, teachers still spend an average of $500 out of pocket on their classrooms each year. Charles figured there were people who'd want to help if they could see where their money was going. He founded DonorsChoose, a website where teachers could post requests for classroom resources, and his colleagues posted the first 11 projects. Since then, teachers at most US public schools have requested resources through their platform. 
To ensure integrity, they're there through every step of every project. They vet all requests, purchase each item, and ship materials directly to verified teachers.
Step One - find a classroom project that inspires you and give as little as $1. They're a public charity, so your donation is tax-deductible. Step Two - when a project is fully funded, they purchase all the requested items and ship them directly to the teacher. Step Three - every donor gets a thank-you from the teacher and a report of how each dollar was spent.
Their team has vetted and fulfilled over 2 million classroom project requests that range from butterfly cocoons, to robotics kits, to books with diverse characters. Many of the team are former teachers, so their operation feels like a cross between a tech company and a classroom. Whether we're in their NYC office or working remotely across the country, they're digging into data, sharing their favorite projects, and Instagramming teacher and student joy.

To learn more about this incredible project, visit their website: https://www.donorschoose.org/

I want you to take a moment to walk through a scenario in your head.

You leave for work and when you return home, it's not there. You aren't even allowed to drive your street to see it. Every single neighbor has lost their home. Your grocery store, schools, library, rec center, favorite local stores, all gone. All you have are the clothes on your back and the bag you took to work. What do you do first?

You need to find somewhere to sleep. You need to figure out how to feed your family. You need to find more clothes, underwear, socks, toothbrush, the essentials. But now let's think long term - you will need to contact insurance, your service providers, figure out how to clean up, write down every item you ever owned in order to claim it, find a new school for your kids, find long-term temporary housing until your home can be rebuilt, which could take 2, 3, 4, 5 years, maybe even longer. And then rebuild the inside of the home - new plates, spoons, spatula, fans, bed, couch, sheets, pillows, rugs, the list goes on and on. How do you start over while still having to live your life?

I know all too well what this feels like and my fire was not even remotely the magnitude of what those in Los Angeles have suffered over the last few weeks. The fear, the panic, the grief, the new sense of bonding as a community. There is so much to process all at once.

We need to help them. Big or small, any penny counts. There are thousands of GoFundMes. I cannot even begin to tell you how expensive it is to go through a fire. The expenses don't stop year after year as you continue to replace what was lost. Anything you can give will truly help and also remind them that they are not alone.

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There is suffering all over the world - war, hunger, Mother Nature - it constantly overwhelming. It is so easy to turn your eye the other way because it is so much to witness. How do we continue on with our lives as we watch such hardship? How can our small pennies of offering make a difference?

It is our human duty to be there for one another, to witness what each and every one of us goes through and to support one another through the good and the bad. We will all go through hardship in our lives in some capacity, we will all lose someone or something in our lives and our sense of safety will become shaken. How can you support those in need? Financially? Volunteer your time? Donate items? Be in community and hold space for those who need to grieve? Share their stories? However you can contribute, big or small, go and make a difference beyond what you provide for you and your family. Let's remind the world that compassion still exists and will always win. ​

This month, 20% of our proceeds will be contributed to Pasadena Community Foundation.

Pasadena Community Foundation has been serving the communities of Altadena and Pasadena for over 70 years.  As an umbrella organization, they have worked closely with both civic and nonprofit leaders during good times and bad to meet the changing needs.


In response to the devastating Eaton Fire, PCF’s Board has approved an initial $100,000 grant to launch the Eaton Fire Relief and Recovery Fund. As of January 17, 2025 , the Foundation has raised more than $4 million from more than 1,500 generous donors, but their community’s needs are immense and will be ongoing for months into years.


They are committed to deploying these funds as swiftly and effectively as possible to address urgent short-term needs. Their immediate priorities are supporting those directly impacted by the fires, including individuals displaced due to home loss, evacuation, or job loss—many experiencing more than one. They are actively working with trusted nonprofit partners providing essential services such as food, shelter, emergency childcare, and medical care.


At the same time, they know that new challenges will arise for survivors as days turn into weeks, and weeks turn into months. PCF will engage with civic and nonprofit leaders to develop strategies for longer-term response and priorities.  These will include addressing housing and mental health services. They will also assist in unlocking government resources to preserve the diversity and beauty of Altadena, to ensure that generational Black and Latino families can rebuild their home and their lives, that the creative and artistic community can thrive, and that small businesses can reopen.


Please know that every donation and every act of encouragement strengthens their ability to make a positive impact in the wake of this terrible fire.


To learn more about this incredible organization, please visit their website: https://pasadenacf.org/

This month, 20% of our proceeds will go to The Trevor Project. The Trevor Project is the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention nonprofit organization for LGBTQ+ young people. They provide information & support to LGBTQ+ young people 24/7, all year round. They have five pillars of action: Crisis Services, Research, Public Education, Advocacy and Peer Support.

Crisis counselors are trained to answer calls, chats, or texts from LGBTQ+ young people who reach out on our free, confidential and secure 24/7 service when they are struggling with issues such as coming out, LGBTQ+ identity, depression, and suicide.

They are also committed to producing innovative research that brings knowledge and clinical implications to the field of LGBTQ+ mental health and suicide research. They accomplish this by leading the development, execution, and analysis of survey data collected from LGBTQ+ young people. They translate these findings and statistics to inform evidence-based policies and practices.

Through innovative online mental health, suicide prevention, and LGBTQ+ training workshops and strategic partnerships across the United States, they have been able to reach more people than ever before:


100,000+Youth and youth-serving adults
reached through our CARE, Ally, and Lifeguard workshops.
 20,000+Educators trained to create supportive, safe spaces for LGBTQ+ students in schools.

 First in the nation to launch a partnership with the NY Department of Education.

TrevorSpace is an affirming, online social community for LGBTQ+ young people between the ages of 13-24 years old. With over 400,000 members across the globe, you can explore your identity, get advice, find support groups, and make friends in a moderated online safe space intentionally designed for you.

Lastly, through legislation, litigation, and public education, The Trevor Project is the leading advocate for the mental health of LGBTQ+ young people. This includes advocating for preventative and intervention efforts at the federal, state, and local level to address factors that place them at a significantly higher risk of suicide.

To learn more about their incredibly important work, please visit their website: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/

December 20th marks one year since our apartment fire. It feels like a lifetime ago and yesterday all at once. 2024 has forced me to heal in many ways. Truthfully, while I've worked so hard to be grateful and positive, numbness and anger have been my main emotions. I've prioritized taking care of everyone else and put off taking care of my emotional well being. Upon my mother's recommendation, I listed to all of Anderson Cooper's "All There Is," which is all about the loss of loved ones, but it certainly helped me process a lot of emotions that I buried for most of the year. 

The one blessing of 2024 for me is community. I have undoubtedly rooted even deeper within my Sunnyside community and also my circle of loved ones - that's the only way through this life, through the good and the bad, together. On one of the episodes in Anderson's podcast is with a woman by the name of Mama Shu. She suffered unspeakable tragedy with the murder of her two sons years apart and rather than run and hide, she rooted deeper in her community. Her healing was by seeing a better community, a better life for all those who live in the same area as her. With our political climate so polarized, so angry, so defensive, so dividing, may we learn from Mama Shu that the only way through is together, focusing on community over self, making things brighter and better for those who live next door to us, no matter their race, gender, age, birth country, sexual orientation. 

Wishing you and yours a happy, healthy, loving, community-filled holiday season. ​

This month, 20% of our proceeds will go to The Avalon Village.
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Avalon Village's Mission is to create a safe, nurturing, uplifting, and healing space within the City of Highland Park MI. We're doing this by converting vacant and blighted land into a valuable urban resource and providing basic living components for a quality, comfortable, and prosperous life. In addition, we provide basic services to the community to enhance traditional municipal or government services that have been reduced, eliminated or have become unaffordable.


2023 CNN Hero Top 10 finalist Shamayim ‘Mama Shu’ Harris is the founder and CEO of Avalon Village in Highland Park, MI. She is a mother, a community activist, and a former school administrator, who served Detroit schools for 27+ years. Her dream of building this urban oasis was manifested after the tragic loss of her son, Jakobi RA, who was killed by a hit-and-run driver in 2007 at the age of two.


In 2021, the unthinkable happened. She lost another child when her 23-year-old son Chinyelu was murdered on January 26.


Rather than fall into despair, Shu chose to heal and honor the memory of her sons by transforming "Blight to Beauty"™ and creating something wonderful for the people of Highland Park. She assembled a team of engineers, futurists, artists, urban farmers, volunteers, and donors from around the world who are helping to build Avalon Village, a sustainable eco-village on Avalon Street between Woodward Avenue and Second. The village currently owns 40+ parcels of land and 5 houses with plans to acquire more property as the organization grows.


These vacant, blighted lots and structures are being brought back to life as the Homework House (an after-school learning and activity center for neighborhood children), the Goddess Marketplace (an economic development initiative for women entrepreneurs), the Healing House (a center for holistic healing), a healthy cafe, activity courts, greenhouses, a micro-library and more.


This unique community-building project has received local, national, and international media attention on The Ellen Show, NBC Nightly News, CBS Evening News, the Today Show, People Magazine, The New York Times, Huffington Post, Fast Company, and many other publications in Detroit and beyond. Comedian and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres even gifted Mama Shu with a prefabricated house which now serves as The Village Hall, the headquarters of Avalon Village.


Shu served as the first female chaplain with the Highland Park Police Department. She was the chairwoman of the Highland Park Charter Commission, charged with helping shape the city’s future. In addition, she served as Vice President of the Highland Park Housing Commission, president of the Highland Park Board of Education, and as an appointed member of The Michigan Commission on Community Action and Economic Opportunity, appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer. She has received the Let Freedom Ring Award and numerous other local and national awards for her work.


Shu has dedicated her life to serving the people (especially children and elders) in her community, demonstrating that one person truly can make a difference, even against seemingly impossible odds, and inspiring others to live without fear and follow their dreams.

Learn more at theavalonvillage.org.

This month, 20% of our proceeds will be contributed to Environmental Defense Fund.

They are a global nonprofit organization tackling climate change - the greatest challenge of our time. Their bold, game-changing solutions put people at the center of all they do.

Their goals: 1) stabilize the climate, 2) strengthen people and nature's ability to thrive and 3) support people's health. Together, they are creating a vital Earth. For everyone.

They have 3.5 million members supports and activities, 1,000 scientists, economists, policy experts and lawyers, 50+ years of driving real, meaningful change and 30+ countries around the world where they work. 

They are tackling the biggest issues and striving for maximum impact: energy transition, natural solutions, sustainable fishing, hydrogen, clean air, methane, agriculture, and safer chemicals. They bring together people from all sides and draw from deep expertise to tackle environmental issues from every angle: scientific evidence, economic sustainability, climate justice, strong advocacy, commitment to diversity. 

To learn more about their outstanding work, please visit their website: https://www.edf.org/