Las Olas Surfing for Women

"Gone surfing, be back soon!" said no one ever.

Remember when Happy Hour" looked like this? Photo @camillafuchsphotography

Veteran Las Olas surfcoach and master yoga instructor Aynsley guides us through a brief meditation on the simple pleasures of just relaxing on warm sand. She recorded her thoughts while sheltering-in-place with her family at their home in southern Mexico during the coronavirus pandemic. https://lasolas.surf/2020/04/25/la-playa-warm-sand/

More and more reports are surfacing proving the advantages of face protection. Our operations manager, Chris, has been busy testing different mask designs and came up with a breathable and easy option to sew by machine or hand. Click on the link below to make your own. Now let’s make a mask! https://lasolas.surf/2020/04/02/make-a-mask/

Witnessing our collective commitment to human rights has been inspiring, especially under the cloud of an international pandemic. There's still work to be done, but we can still take a moment to reflect. Click here to listen to Aynsley's latest meditation. Feel the rise and fall of the tides as a reminder that we are all part of something as vast as the deep blue sea. https://lasolas.surf/2020/05/31/la-playa-ebb-and-flow/

Your mother is your first friend, your best friend, your forever friend. Happy Mother’s Day!

That smile is worth a thousand words... Photo by Camilla Fuchs

Happy World Oceans Day! Let’s celebrate and be part of something big! #WorldOceansDay

Please be safe this weekend, friends! Photo by @camillafuchsphotography

We sent the message below to our subscribers yesterday and we’re overwhelmed with the positive response we received. Thank you all for showing up. Your response gives us confidence. ~~~~~~~~~~ As a white woman living in Bubble-by-the-Sea, I find myself ill-prepared to understand the deep pain people are feeling around the country. I'll admit I'm isolated and naive. To grasp the depth of the crisis, I will need guidance. My friend, Des Garcia (Vida Aventura), is an executive... coach, big city girl, Las Olas alum, and a woman of color. She helped us create It’s Your Wave, our workshop that helps us overcome the mental challenges of surfing. She understood that to catch a wave, we first needed to replace I can’t with I can. I asked Des if she would help me again, so she shared her thoughts below. bev "It’s time to do the work. Like many of you, my heart is breaking from the division, unrest, and violence we are seeing in our country. Honestly, the times I've walked into executive leadership team meetings only to discover that I'm the single minority - and often the only woman - in the room are too numerous to count. This has left me bone-weary and beyond disheartened. We need to talk less and listen more. It’s the only way to truly understand the perspectives of ALL of our diverse team members and colleagues. We need to self-educate and be proactive in learning more about this country's history, systemic racism, and the facts about violence, inequality, and prejudice practices. And in our communities, we need to lock arms with black leaders and diverse organizations who can show us the way. It’s time to do the work. There is something each one of us can do every single day. Read, research, discuss ... purposely involve friends and family members. And in the workplace, bring in diversity and inclusion that can help. Do something today, right now. Silence is violence. It’s time to do the work." Des Garcia On behalf of Las Olas Surfing for Women alumnae, we’ve donated to The Loveland Foundation, founded by Rachel Cargle to provide opportunities and healing in communities of color, with special focus on Black girls and women.

Take a few minutes to relax, recharge, and drift away before the holiday weekend. Our guide Aynsley has been teaching surfing and yoga at Las Olas since 2008. In La Playa ~ Drifting Away, she skillfully shares her meditations on the lessons and joys of just floating out beyond the break. https://lasolas.surf/2020/04/29/la-playa-drifting-away/ Photo by Camilla Fuchs

It may not seem appropriate to share vacation photos when so many people are fighting for their lives, or the lives of others. But it may also be a welcome reminder that if we help each other, do the right things, and look ahead, we will paddle beyond the tumbling whitewater and make it outside again. We decided to take a short break and go back in time to reminisce about what life was like before COVID-19. Click here for inspiring snapshots of our February 2020 surf retreat. Beautiful photos by Camilla Fuchs https://lasolas.surf/2020/03/25/february-2020/

Ready for a little inspiration? Let Aynsley bring positivity, hope, and calm to your workweek in her 15-minute meditation. Click on the link and begin to clear your mind and bring on the sunshine! https://lasolas.surf/2020/04/25/la-playa-warm-sand/