[This is an edited version of the email we sent to our members and community on Sunday, March 15th. Thanks for reading!]
Hey, it's Marissa. In a state of crisis it is important to lean into your values and guiding principles. Community and movement are foundational for us.
On one hand, we have a responsibility to our immuno-compromised (and immuno-concerned) members to help #flattenthecurve. On the other hand, ALL of us need to keep our bodies moving to support our physical health and mental well-being.
This is why I have decided that we need to do our part in mitigating the effects of the coronavirus and stop our in-person classes for now. As an extrovert and physically energized individual this is absolutely not an easy decision for me.
Here's the good news: our movement community is still here! There are over 100 of us who have experienced the empowerment and joy of our Approach Series and daily Strength and Movement classes. We can continue to hold space for this, at a distance. We can come together via the internet. We will continue to lead fun and scalable classes that you can do at home. And we can continue to be there for each other!
So we're still going to ask you to show up. Show up in support of your coaches. In support of each other. In support of the folx that can't afford to risk their health by coming into the gym. Pick a class time, find some floor space, and let's keep moving!
As of Monday, March 16:
**NOTE: Can't make any class times? Don't worry, we will share a link to a recorded class each day. But we want to encourage everyone to come to class as much as possible, to support your coaches and classmates!
(If this situation is affecting your finances in a way that makes that difficult, let us know so we can loan you a weight.)
We try to make our memberships as affordable as possible. We already operate our memberships on a sliding scale, from $95-$145. We also offer a 5-class card for $60 (valid for 2 months).
We recognize that some folks are experiencing significant financial hardship right now, so we've made a temporary unlimited membership support level at $45. We simply ask that people will pay according to their capacity right now.
Want to join us? The first step is an online No Sweat Intro — a brief conversation about your goals and experiences with fitness instruction, just to make sure we're a good fit.
Book your No Sweat Intro online
Other questions? Email us at move@ascent.fit, or reach out via Instagram or Facebook.
We know this is a big change. We also know that it's temporary — we will post another message soon with an update.
In the meantime, help keep spirits high by using our social networks to leave comments, and give each other fistbumps on SugarWOD (yes, that's an actual feature). Selfies and shoutouts on Instagram and Facebook are great, too.
If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to reach out! We want to continue to be here for you through and after this state of emergency.
Stay tuned for more ways to stay connected (and move outside).
For our community in movement,
The Ascent Team
Marissa, Tasheon, Emma, Knic