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Kelsey Ellis

@kelsey___ellis

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🐚🌊 Founder @wavesofgriefcollective

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How do you move forward after half of you is gone?

This is the question Kelsey Ellis faced when she suddenly lost her twin sister Audrey during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a society that treats death as taboo, we’re often expected to grieve alone. Wombie follows Kelsey as she creates spaces for people to grieve together in the ocean and heal through nature.

Link in bio to watch

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Thank you so so much to Kelsey for trusting me with this story and making this project possible. Collaborating with Kelsey to make this film in only 3.5 days has been one of the most rewarding experiences as a journalist and filmmaker

So very thankful also to the @hearst_journalism_awards Foundation for this opportunity. I’m honored to share that my project won First Place in the Multimedia category at this year’s Hearst Journalism National Championship

Thank you to @kelsey___ellis, @wavesofgriefcollective, @janwattenphotography, @patdavison, @unchussman, @amanoma1y, @nithya.ind, @nicoleborman.tv, @capturedbymyah, @edouphoto, @laurenfrohne, @jimseida and everyone else involved for making this such a beautiful experience! taken in San Francisco, California by @kelsey___ellis

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4 months ago

@tuany_nascimentoo @ari853 @ms_kaylagore @chiefshirell @_kameryyn so incredibly grateful, thank you @natgeo for telling our stories by @kelsey___ellis

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5 years ago

🤍 by @kelsey___ellis

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5 years ago

5 Reasons Why the Ocean Feels so Healing

1. The ocean calms our nervous system 🌊
Researchers have found that spending time near “blue spaces” like oceans, lakes, and rivers is associated with lower stress, improved mood, and greater overall well-being. Simply gazing at moving water can give our busy minds a chance to slow down and rest.

2. We are all connected 🫶🏻
The world’s oceans are one interconnected body of water, touching every continent and shoreline. Standing on the shore can remind us that we are part of something much larger than ourselves-and deeply connected to one another across places, cultures, and stories.

3. Saltwater connects us to our own bodies.💦
We’re made mostly of saltwater ourselves

4. The rhythm of waves naturally encourages slower breathing 😮‍💨
Have you ever noticed yourself taking a deep breath when you stand at the shoreline? The steady rise and fall of the waves naturally invites us to slow our breathing. Slower, deeper breaths signal safety to the brain and can help lower heart rate, reduce anxiety, and increase feelings of calm

5. The ocean reminds us we are part of something much bigger 🌎 Standing at the edge of the sea can evoke a feeling psychologists call “awe.” Experiences of awe have been linked to increased feelings of connection, compassion, gratitude, and perspective.”

We don’t believe the ocean fixes grief but we do believe it can help us carry it. - Waves of Grief Collective by @kelsey___ellis

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3 months ago

Camino Part 2 🇪🇸-
The landscape matched my inner world as I let go of what’s too heavy to carry (😅insert symbolism of folks whose backpacks were to heavy and had to physically let GO of things too to not suffer, me too..).

I sobbed quiet forests, I laughed alongside tears of joy dancing along the ocean boardwalks to the most ridiculous girly-pop empowerment playlists, picturing Audy dancing beside me. I belted “wide open spaces” on flower lined cobblestone roads. I talked to trees. Was snuggled by horses and donkeys.
I talked out loud to myself A LOT “hey girl..”♥️
I met INCREDIBLE humans, all standing at some sort of threshold in their lives. Every single person had a message for me, and somehow I had one for them too. The kind of friendships we create at WOG, where you don’t even know what someone does for work- you know what’s on their heart.. Can we have more of this in everyday life please?

I remembered to trust my intuition in a way I haven’t in a long time. I’d randomly choose an alternate route because something in my gut told me to… only to find myself meeting someone at the next crossroads whose words were exactly what I needed to hear. Everything always worked out. I was reminded me that our bodies are resilient, our hearts carry SO MUCH energy, It helped me reconnect with my inner light. And with the practice of asking for help.. With the knowing that people are good. Deeply, deeply good.

When I finally reached Santiago, two sisters I was hop scotching with on the trail said, “You’re so brave to do this alone.” which caught me off guard- because not once did I feel alone. I had Audy, and a reawakened compassion for myself.

And speaking of pilgrimage..long before the Christian pilgrimage to Santiago the shores at Muxia held deep spiritual significance connected to the stars, sea, and humanity’s relationship with death, renewal, and new beginnings. It’s impossible not to feel that this path has been walked with intention for a VERY long time. There is magic here, in Santiago at the cathedral with St James AND at the stones on the coast.🌊

Buen Camino. 🤍🥾🌊 as they say-the true Camino begins NOW
#caminodesantiagoportugués by @kelsey___ellis

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3 months ago

Camino part 1- 🇵🇹
How do I even begin to summarize this? well heres a little brain dump-
It all started on March 22nd Audrey’s angel day. At the Rincon Invitational @wavesofgriefcollective paddle out, I remember @lorrainegr and @alexandra_greenwald absolutely beaming as they shared about their Camino experiences. @almorulestheworld too! Something inside me whispered…”It’s time.” Ever since losing Aud, I’ve dreamt of doing some sort of @cherylstrayed backpacking PCT trek. I remember reading Wild and being struck by her describing how hiking everyday gave her the time and space to process and make peace with the people, situations and chapters in her life. I was craving that type of space.. AND I enjoy sleeping in a real bed 😅
So... the Portuguese Camino it was-beginning along the coast, weaving through small towns and lush forests and ending in Spain. Where Auds studied abroad! With beds, and cafes :) 17 days, 170-ish miles, Up to 17 miles a day. Countless yellow arrows, world cup matches, cute animals, fresh peppers, pastel de nada pastries, electrolyte tabs (hello historic heat wave). Countless incredible humans. And more Camino magic than I could have imagined. (NGL the night before I left I called my parents and Alex in tears- wtf did I sign myself up for??) of course it ended up being great.

There is something so sacred, primal and familiar about walking- humans are meant to walk long distances!
My body and mind reveled in waking up each morning with just one simple job- move.
I was amazed by how quickly the body adapts, the composition changes. Somewhere around day 7 I stopped walking to Santiago and simply became someone who walked everyday. With endless mental, spiritual and physical landscapes to explore.

Walking became daily prayer and meditation. It became the way I came home to myself. I untangled relationships. I found compassion for myself.  I revisited 2020, because honsetly the last six years have been such a blur… (side note- I bet theres some research out there on bilateral processing-how movement is good for unpacking trauma and coming home to the body-we know it with surfing…) by @kelsey___ellis

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3 months ago

Happy Father’s Day to the best dad Audrey and I could have ever asked for! 🩵Thank you for your unconditional love and unwavering support, for being our fun dad, for instilling deep love for the ocean and adventure and for always being someone we can count on by @kelsey___ellis

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4 months ago

🌊 This month marks five years of Waves of Grief. Every second Sunday of the month for the past five years, people have gathered by the ocean to share, remember, and connect around the world.

What began as a way to honor Aud and find a place for my own grief has grown into a collective of incredible humans, healers, facilitators and friends who hold circles in their own communities. The Waves of Grief Collective continues to remind me what’s possible when we come together to share what authentically is in our hearts, and to reconnect with nature.

This work has carried me across so many shores. I’ve been stretched in ways- from dealing with imposter syndrome, major anxiety & learning when to take a pause to fill my own cup. I certainly have not carried this alone and am incredibly grateful for EVERYONE who has shaped WOG over the years.

Some hilights for me have been hosting a circle for the U.S. Surgeon General, leading a paddle-out at ISTO, retreats in Costa Rica and Ireland, youth and family programs. But the real magic lives in the moments on the beach listening to stories each month, Friday morning meetings with our collective team, belly laughing in the waves, and realizing again and again that grief and love are two sides of the same tide.

This space has held my heart and given my grief a home. It’s connected me with so many beautiful humans and taught me so much about what it means to live and to love after loss. I’m endlessly grateful for the Waves of Grief Collective for their wisdom, creativity, and care. And for the signs from Aud along the way.

There’s so much to learn about leading a nonprofit. Here’s to many more years of showing up, and letting the waves take us where we need to go. My hope is that everyone who finds this space feels a little less alone and a little more connected to the rhythms of nature, other humans, and to life. 🌊💙 as I always tend to say 🤪 “more to come”

#WavesOfGrief #WavesOfGriefCollective #GriefAndLove #OceanHealing #GriefCommunity #NatureHeals #SecondSunday #WavesOfLove #HealingTogether by @kelsey___ellis

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a year ago

Grief and joy can coexist. Thank you to everyone who came and joined our circles this past weekend. 🙏🏻

“Each moment is a miracle encompassing everything: the joy and sorrow, the failure and success, the disappointment and happiness, the celebration and grief.” -Kazuaki Tanahashi by @kelsey___ellis

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5 months ago

Happy heavenly birthday my wombie. I miss you more than I can put into words this year. We will forever celebrate you. I’m so grateful for our twinship, our shared celebrations. My love for you only continues to grow 💚 💚
@audreye_ by @kelsey___ellis

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3 years ago

Whales are the keepers of the song of the ocean 💙
Since the beginning of time they have passed these melodies down. Swimming alongside of them, looking into their eyes, feeling their energy,(the joy and curiosity of the babies) & hearing their chorus was a magical transcendental experience.
This was a trip booked in 2019, as a family of 4. (We)are so lucky for our parents,who share their love of the ocean. Opening the gift on our 29th birthday Aud told me she wouldn’t miss this experience for the world. There was no doubt she was with us so in spirit. I’m continuing to learn how to lean into the liminal, to connect back to nature to regain my footing on this planet. Nature is the greatest healer, the greatest teacher. taken in Vava'u , Tonga by @kelsey___ellis

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3 years ago

We gather by the sea each month-to return to what’s natural, to remember that connection itself is the medicine. 🌊 thank you @gwenbcn for the 📸! by @kelsey___ellis

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a year ago