Strength Training, Body Image and Mental Health with Proud Asian Men Bay Area
Asian men are experiencing a mental health epidemic.
In 2015-2019, Asian men were the least likely to use mental health services compared to any other race and gender combination (SAMHSA, 2021).
In order to combat this, Proud Asian Men was created.
Proud Asian Men is a support group and men's mental health collective hosted under Asian Mental Health Project in collaboration with JinShan Collective whose mission is to create a safe and brave space for Asian men to explore the intersection of their culture and masculinity in a supportive environment.
About the Trauma Informed Weightlifting:
Living in an Asian man’s body in America can come with chronic stress and trauma. One main issue being around our bodies, whether it’s pressure from familial judgment, or the pressure of Euro-centric and hyper-masculine male body standards. The message is that our bodies are not acceptable. Dissociation from the body can give us temporary relief by “living in our heads”, but doesn’t allow us access to emotions needed for connection and joy. Western fitness focuses narrowly on metrics and aesthetics, and efficient routines, instead of creating a positive relationship with the body.
Trauma-informed weightlifting is an alternative that provides emotional safety and consent for the individual to discover a joyful and sustainable relationship with the body again through strength and flexibility training. This new relationship to movement can foster self-confidence and body awareness as an antidote to dissociation, and build resilience to feeling emotions deeply through the body again.
Programming is as follows:
1-2 PM: Introductions, Community Guidelines, Opening Meditation and Ice Breakers by Leo Xia
2-4 PM: Trauma Informed Weightlifting Facilitated by Brandon Chien
4-5 PM: Group Share, Processing and Acknowledgement Circle Facilitated by Leo Xia
General Agenda:
Exercises: Squat, Hinge, Push, Pull, Twist
Physical maintenance: tips for injuries and recovery
What to Bring:
- Clothes and shoes that you can move, jump, and lift weights in
- Plenty of water
- Sweat towel
- Change of clothes
- Journal & writing implements
- Open Heart & Mind
Scholarships: if you are in need of financial assistance to attend this event please email me at [email protected]. We will have some sliding scale options as well as sponsored tickets available.
All purchases are nonrefundable.
Parking: private parking lot at the gym.
This event is reserved for folks who identify as Asian men - spots limited to 25 attendees. If we have reached capacity, please sign up for the waitlist in case someone drops out at the last minute. This will allow us to gauge interest in future events as well.
All purchases are nonrefundable.
DISCLAIMER This event is not providing professional therapy services. Please seek professional medical and mental health services for treatment needs and advice.
By attending you are consenting to photos and videos being taken potentially for promotional purposes. If you are uncomfortable with this please let us know beforehand and we will honor requests to not have any media taken of them for promo.
About your facilitators:
Leo Xia is a Los Angeles-based men’s mental health facilitator and Alt R&B/Lofi performance artist going by the name Lowhi.
He facilitates weekly men's support groups through his own JinShan Collective as well as Proud Asian Men in collaboration with Asian Mental Health Project. In these groups he navigates conversations about masculinity, culture and identity for Asian men. He created these spaces to combat the global male loneliness epidemic and to support men in creating the life that they dream of through emotional intelligence and communication.
ABOUT BRANDON:
Brandon is an Oakland-based personal trainer and strength coach. With over 14 years of experience teaching QTBIPOC folks how to build a joyful and satisfying relationship with their bodies and movement. He is an instructor for the Trauma-Informed Weightlifting organization, teaching trainers and coaches worldwide how to combine strength training and therapy to improve mental health outcomes. He has dedicated a branch of his coaching business to focus on Asian-American men's mental health. He is also a physical culture enthusiast, competing in the sport of Olympic-weightlifting, and feats of flexibility like the splits
ABOUT MICHAEL:
Michael Ly is passionate about helping people cultivate healthier, more authentic relationships with themselves and others. Over the past year, he has co-organized community events for Asian men centered on mental health, vulnerability, and collective healing. He currently leads a men's integration group (open to men of all backgrounds) in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood. Guided by non-hierarchical healing and community support, Michael aims to create more spaces where men can practice vulnerability and active listening—reconnecting with their full emotional potential and challenging patriarchal norms.