One Love Movement to raise money for charity through yoga

More than 600 yogis will gather at the Embarcadero Waterfront Park on Aug. 19 to do yoga and raise money for a good cause.

The annual One Love Movement event will feature yoga, live music, vendors, food and libations to raise money to support underserved youth locally in San Diego and abroad at the One Love Shelter in India.

Chelsea Koehnen, an Encinitas resident who has participated in the event since its inception in 2011, will serve as one of five instructors this year.

The mother of three young daughters said she enjoys the charitable efforts of the One Love Movement and hopes to inspire her children with her participation.

“My kids have a pretty privileged life,” she said. “I don’t think they’ve ever really seen kids really want anything, and so I think it’s really powerful for [founder] Kim [Bauman] to be helping and supporting kids in our area that need support. It’s very important for me to have my kids be involved in helping as well and seeing there are other people out there who aren’t as fortunate.”

Koehnen’s 6-year-old daughter, Ella, is president of the kids chapter of the One Love Movement and will be attending the event, along with her 9-year-old and 6-year-old sisters.

Instructors will walk around the event to assist participants with hands-on training, Koehnen said, making the event appropriate for yogis of all ages and abilities.

Last year, the event had about 600 participants. Koehnen said this year the group is aiming for 700.

“There is absolutely something so powerful about sharing the energy and this connection with 600 people,” she said. “It’s just something you cannot replicate in a regular studio class. When you’re outside and in nature, and you have really fantastic live music, the energy is just something that is really empowering. You really feel that essence of connection in mind and body beyond just the physical postures.”

For tickets and more information about the Aug. 19 event, which will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and to donate online, visit www.serveyourheart.org.