Gentle Yoga on the Beach: Opening Up & Letting Go

Welcome to Yoga on the Beach in Half Moon Bay: Opening Up & Letting Go!

Join us for this FREE event with a very gentle yet inspiring yoga session with Jaclyn Long (Founder & Director of Mindful Child & Family Therapy and Collective Self Energy) on Poplar Beach in Half Moon Bay. Let's come together, tune into the elements and receive some ocean medicine - as we breathe in the fresh ocean air, run our fingers through the sand, open to the rising sun and dip our feet into the refreshingly cool sea. Whether you're a seasoned yogi or a complete beginner, everyone is welcome to join us for this nourishing invitation to go inward, tend to our bodies and self reflect as the New Year begins.

Throughout the practice, we'll be welcoming in the New Year, reflecting on what it is we're opening up to, and - through a sacred grief ritual led by Kelsey Ellis (Co-Founder of Waves of Grief) after the yoga class - we will be honoring and letting go of what was loved and lost in 2024.

Bring a large towel, a twin sheet, or a yoga mat for the yoga practice on the beach. Please dress in warm layers, as we do not know how cool or cold it will be. If it is raining, we will let you know a rain date - most likely Sunday 1/12/25 - same time, same place.

YOUR SCHOOL AGED KIDS & TEENS ARE INVITED TOO!
At Mindful Child & Family Therapy, we’re a team of therapists who are passionate about introducing youth and families to self awareness and self reflective practices! We will be offering "Art & Wellness Stations" for kids and teens, to help your kids and teens ages 7 years old to 18 years old reflect on the year 2024, say goodbye to those animals and people who were loved and lost, and open up to a fuller, more authentic expression of themselves in 2025. (Please note that we only have activities for ages 7 and older. So please make sure you have childcare for kids ages 6 and under.)

With guidance from the gifted therapists at Mindful Child & Family Therapy and the Waves of Grief Collective, your kids and teens will have the opportunity to explore:

• Sand Art with: What are you letting go of?
• Rock Painting with Alison Lemons: What are you opening up to?
• Fire Paper with : What is your message to those you have loved and lost?
• Ocean Breathing with : Can you breathe into the waves of change?

SACRED GRIEF RITUAL:
After the yoga class for the adults and the Kids / Teens "Wellness Stations", we'll come together as a community to participate in a sacred grief ritual. Facilitated by Kelsey Ellis, we'll create a communal sand mandala. Art in nature is such a powerful way to represent impermanence. "All that arises will eventually cease to be." You and your children / teens will be given an opportunity to honor and celebrate the beloved ones in your lives that you have loved and lost, or are currently supporting through illness and/or the aging process. This communal ritual will be both touching and uplifting...a truly meaningful way to bring 2024 to a close and welcome in 2025.

HELP US RAISE FUNDS FOR GOOD!
Although this event is free, we invite you to consider making a small donation to one or both of these two wonderful non-profit groups:

• American Cancer Society / Relay for Life
• Waves of Grief Collective / Audrey Marie Ellis Foundation

Recommended donation is $25 per person, but please see what feels right to you.

This fundraising event is offered in Loving Memory of Kelsey Ellis' twin sister Audrey, and in honor of Jaclyn Long's sister Stacy who is currently fighting breast cancer, and her mother Faith who is a breast cancer survivor.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to come together as a community to reflect on the year behind us as 2024 comes to a close, and open up to a more authentic expression of ourselves in 2025. See you on the beach in Half Moon Bay!

FAQ'S:

What should I bring?
Please bring a large towel, a twin sheet, or a yoga mat for the yoga practice on the beach. Please dress in warm layers, as we do not know how cool or cold it will be.
Please bring a water bottle.

Is there parking?
There is paid parking at Poplar Beach, so please bring a credit card for that.

What if it is raining?
We will communicate with you through this Eventbrite registration platform, so please check the email you used to register. If it is raining, we will let you know a rain date - most likely Sunday 1/12/25 - same time, same place.

What ages can attend?
Please note that we only have activities for ages 7 and older. So please make sure you have childcare for kids ages 6 and under.

We will be offering "Art & Wellness Stations" for kids and teens, to help your kids and teens ages 7 years old to 18 years old reflect on the year 2024, say goodbye to those animals and people who were loved and lost, and open up to a fuller, more authentic expression of themselves in 2025.

Host or Publisher IFS California