Women Riding Waves of Change:
A Women’s Grief & Wellness Retreat
with Kelsey Ellis, Jaclyn Long, & Jalene Salus
Oct 18-25, 2025
Blue Spirit Retreat Center
Nosara, Costa Rica
Starting at $2375 per person double occupancy or $2995 Single Occupancy
“You can’t stop the waves,
but you can learn how to ride them.”
– Swami Satchidananda
“To go onward, you must go inward.”
- Janet Lucy
Are you moving through waves of change as a woman?
- Maybe you’re considering a shift in your career or volunteer work, sensing that something different might be calling you.
- Maybe you’re moving through “The Great ‘Pause” of midlife, sensing the impact of hormonal changes on your sleep, energy level, body & mood.
- Maybe you’re in the midst of caretaking for your friends, siblings or aging parents.
- Perhaps you’ve lost ones you have held close & loved dearly.
- Maybe you had a miscarriage long ago, and you haven’t had the time, space or support at the time to truly grieve that loss.
- Perhaps your children are getting older, or moved out of the nest, and they need you “differently” than they did before.
- Maybe you’re finding yourself lost and alone more often, not sure how to fill the time, not sure what you feel called to do with your free time.
- Maybe your relationship with your partner is shifting. Perhaps you’re considering a separation or a divorce.
If so, you’re not alone. And we invite YOU to our Waves of Change retreat.
To experience deep wellness, we must take time to turn inward and truly be with the deep feelings that come with major life changes.
Yet all of this change, grief and loss in our lives can be difficult to process on our own. Out of loving dedication to our system, different parts of us will come up to protect us from feeling the unpleasant waves of our grief, unconsciously keeping us stuck in our pain.
That’s why it can be so helpful to navigate grief with support, in community, together.
A woman needs to be heard, especially as she feels the righteous rage that accompanies grief. When a woman’s voice is heard, it settles her system, allowing her spirit to unfold, awakening her to a deeper essence of her innermost being.
When her pain and longing is witnessed, she becomes more emboldened...
more confident in her own resilience...more aware of her own wisdom, intuition & deep knowing.
She begins to burn through the clouds that once veiled her true self.
Like a phoenix, she rises from the ashes of the dark night, spreads her wings & begins to soar.
So if you feel the deep call to connect with other inspiring women on this journey of riding the waves of change…
...if you feel the deep call to tap into the collective wisdom of womanhood as you turn inward… we celebrate you as a fellow adventurer at heart. And we wholeheartedly welcome you, dear Women Riding the Waves of Change, on this week-long quest at the incredibly beautiful and truly inspiring Blue Spirit Retreat Center to embark on an inner and outer odyssey together.
Tuning into the element of water for inspiration, we’ll tap into the wellspring of life, creativity & vitality that flows through us all.
We’ll explore experiential Internal Family Systems (IFS) exercises, Somatic IFS practices and eco- therapy interventions centered around the element of water, including the ocean as well as the salt-water infinity pool, while in the warm company and caring support of other women. We’ll have the opportunity to dance by the sea, swim in the pool, and learn to ride the waves of change with increasing ease. And - through Somatic IFS “parts work”, restorative yoga and sacred grief rituals - we’ll also take time to slow down, tune in and explore the mystical quality of our saltwater tears as we honor the sacred grief that comes as we truly honor these changes & transitions in our lives.
“The cure for anything is salt water: tears, sweat or the Sea.
- Isak Dinesen
Imagine...
You are in magical Costa Rica and you…
Wake up, walk outside and witness monkeys, birds & butterflies playing in the trees.
Walk down to the ocean as you take in the colors of the sunrise.
Practice ocean breathing as you tune into the lapping waves of the sea.
Explore your inner landscape with “parts work” while supported by inspiring views.
Enjoy a delicious & nutritious lunch, and then book a transformative bodywork session.
Immerse yourself in the saltwater infinity pool.
Explore eco-therapy as you tune into the healing element of water each afternoon evening.
And finally, you wrap up the day by surrendering into restorative yoga after dinner to soothe your nervous system for a restful night of sleep.
F A C I L I T A T O R S :
"You can't stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf.
Kelsey Ellis
Kelsey Ellis, MA, CCLS, is an eco-therapy provider, grief counselor, and surf therapist. Her background lies in facilitating expressive therapeutic programs for trauma recovery. In March of 2020 Kelsey unexpectedly lost her twin sister to Covid19 complications. In response to her personal waves of grief, she found solace in the ocean, and she founded the Waves of Grief Collective & the Audrey Marie Ellis Foundation to support individuals and communities moving through grief and loss in nature. Collectively her professional and personal experiences have further fueled her passion for fostering community connection through creative programing supporting those moving through grief, loss, change and transition. Kelsey truly believes that healing can be found through authentic expression, community engagement, and connection to nature.
Jaclyn Long
Jaclyn Long, MFT is a Marriage & Family Therapist, Certified Yoga Teacher, mom, wife and surfer. Each day, Jaclyn will guide us on the inner journey of Somatic IFS “parts work” to explore and befriend the different parts of us that are calling out for our warm, compassionate attention as we move through changes in our lives. She will also offer nurturing Restorative and Yin Yoga practices along with Healing Touch. Jaclyn feels a deep calling to help women carve out time to tune in and listen inwardly. She is passionate about helping women reflect on their soul’s calling at each stage of life...especially during and after “The Great Pause” - the liminal stages of menopause and beyond, that are filled with so much potential if we take time to tune in and listen. Jaclyn writes, “My deep calling is to companion people on their journey through life, particularly through the dark night, by serving as a loving witness and companion to them. The essence of my call is to companion women through the dark night, inviting them to dive deeply into themselves to find the wisdom that awaits them in the deepest depths of their being.”
Jalene Salus
Jalene Salus, MFT, is a Marriage and Family Therapist, Integrative Nutrition Counselor, wife, mom and ocean lover. She is passionate about cultivating health and emerging leadership in women, ultimately empowering them to utilize their personal transformation as a catalyst for positive change in the community and world around them. She specializes in facilitating IFS and Somatic IFS practices, offering integrative nutrition counseling and leading ritual/ceremony for thresholds of change. Jalene’s compassionate presence and warm listening help to provide participants with a sense of comfort, increased self awareness & deepened self compassion. Many participants experience their time with Jalene on retreats as a process of “returning back home to their essential selves”. This practice of being with themselves in a loving way has been deeply healing for retreat participants, and many have reported feeling a renewed sense of passion, aliveness and resilience. Jalene brings her rich personal healing through grief & loss, which has been a compass for inspiration - for loving more deeply and living more courageously. Jalene will facilitate ritual and ceremony to honor our sacred grief. Jalene will also offer Somatic IFS practices as well as talks on Integrative Nutrition and intuitive eating. She will help us tune into the element of earth as she shares about different herbs and foods that support our wellbeing as we age.
About Blue Spirit
Blue Spirit will serve as a healing sanctuary for the transformative inner journey we will be embarking on this week.
Jaclyn Long has been offering wellness retreats all around the world since 2004, including Bali, Hawaii, Mexico, California and Brazil. And Blue Spirit Retreat Center in Costa Rica is by far her favorite place to be. The location by the sea is optimal, immersed in one of the Blue Zones, and the views of the ocean from Sky Mind Hall are absolutely breathtaking
- a true feast for the eyes. The grounds are impeccably well kept, and the fauna and flora is inspiringly beautiful. And...the food! The healthy, nutritious and delicious food at Blue Spirit is some of the best vegetarian / vegan food our participants have ever experienced while on retreat. Retreat-goers rave to us about the food they were served at Blue Spirit for weeks after they return home! The massage and bodywork therapists at Blue Spirit are incredibly healing - also some of the best we’ve ever come across. All of the staff at the entire retreat center are so warm, responsive and supportive, and the accommodation options are quite lovely. We have always felt so lovingly “held” each time we have led retreats at Blue Spirit. If you have never experienced a retreat at Blue Spirit, you are in for a real treat! We hope you’ll join us.
This 7-Day Retreat includes:
- 3 x Daily delicious, nutritious, healthy meals from Sat dinner 10/18 thru Sat breakfast 10/25 (option to go out to dinner in Nosara on Wednesday night)
- 7 Nights Accommodation
- Parts work / Internal Family Systems (IFS) / Somatic IFS
- Eco-Therapy with Kelsey Ellis
- Sacred Grief Rituals
- Guided Meditations
- Breathing Practices in the ocean & salt-water pool
- Restorative Yoga most evenings
- Closing Fire Ceremony on the Beach
Optional Extras:
Massage & Bodywork Sessions Surf Lessons
Stand Up Paddle Boarding on a river Zip-Lining Tour
Horseback Riding Kayaking Bird Tour
Day trip / evening meal in the town of Nosara on Wednesday evening
CANCELLATION
For a cancellation made 60 days prior to your arrival, you will receive a refund less a 3.5% Processing Fee and the $500 Deposit is retained.
No refund or credit will be offered for cancellations made within 60 days of the start of the program, including no-shows, late arrivals or early departures.
For any incidentals or unforeseen circumstances, including illness, we strongly suggest securing Traveler’s Insurance.
TRAVEL
We encourage you to secure travel insurance for this retreat. In case of last minute illness or emergencies, travel insurance is the best way to ensure your investment in this retreat.
You are welcome to use any of the options for travel insurance you can find online, but we recommend the services of Linda Schwedock (below). If you attain insurance with Linda, you will need to secure Travel Insurance within 3 weeks of your initial deposit. Please note that If you have a pre-existing medical condition, you’ll need to secure travel insurance even closer to the time of making your initial deposit. Other companies might not be as generous, and most require that travel insurance is secured within 2 weeks of the initial deposit. With Linda, you can also ask for support with other aspects of your travel, such as accommodations & tours if you extend your stay before / after our retreat.
Linda works Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday from 10 – 3 pm Pacific Time. Here is Linda's contact info:
Linda Schwedock, CST# 1014242-10 | Pacific Harbor Travel 519 Seabright Avenue #201, Santa Cruz, CA 95062
1-800-435-9463 | 831-427-5000 | linda@pacificharbortravel.com