Creative & Expressive Arts

Internal use ONLY

Cancelled | Healing, Rest, & Embodied Liberation for Men of Color

With Danny Fluker and Darnell Lamont Walker

June 5 - 7, 2026

Immerse yourself in a restorative workshop designed specifically for male-identifying people of color. This unique experience offers a sanctuary for growth and self-discovery, fostering a supportive community where participants can connect and build meaningful relationships. Black boys and men of color have limited opportunities to engage in mind-body healing practices, and there are not nearly […]

Crafting the Sacred Trilogy of Native American Instruments: Flute, Drum, and Rattle

With Guillermo Martinez

June 8 - 12, 2026

Join master craftsman and musician Guillermo Martinez for an unforgettable journey into the sacred traditions of Native American instrument making and music. This immersive, hands-on workshop invites you to reconnect with the spirit of sound by crafting three profound instruments: a Native American bamboo flute, a 16" elk-hide medicine drum, and a gourd crystal rattle. […]

Embodied Voice

With The Brothers Koren

June 12 - 14, 2026

Come home to your whole body instrument and rediscover your unique sound. For over 20 years, Isaac and Thorald Koren have been guiding people back to their voices through a groundbreaking, embodied approach that invites courage, freedom, and transformation. They believe singing and speaking are radical acts of self-expression — and science agrees. Research shows […]

The Alphabet of Everything: Art, Attention, and the Ineffable

With Corey Pressman

June 15 - 19, 2026

We live in a world richer than description. Language reveals only by leaving out, and when words fall short — when grief overtakes us, when beauty stills us — we do not fall silent. We reach. We shape. We art. This workshop is an invitation into the space beyond language. Guided by The Alphabet of […]

Source to Screen: Accessing, Manifesting, and Transmitting Great Ideas

With Paola di Florio and Peter Rader

June 15 - 19, 2026

In the words of Carl Jung, “People don't have ideas. Ideas have people.”  This immersive week-long lab is for creators of all kinds—writers, inventors, filmmakers, musicians, and entrepreneurs—anyone who wishes to integrate their spirituality and creativity to tap into the deepest source of inspiration and higher intelligence as they bring guided work into the world. […]

Channel Your Creative Life: From Flights to Perchings

With Erin Prophet

June 26 - 28, 2026

The artist is essentially a channel. — Piet Mondrian Explore the nature of creativity — what fuels it, where it comes from, and how we live with it. Is inspiration something we receive from beyond or something we shape from within? Do artists create, channel, or both? In this workshop, we will consider the creative […]

Let Life Lead: An Embodied Journey to Spark Your Truth

With Wendy Haines

June 26 - 28, 2026

Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive. — Howard Thurman There is a vital force in the universe — the spark of life itself.  It’s in the blade of grass bursting forth from […]

A Midsummer’s Dream: Flower Baths, Sound Journeys, and Herbal Magic

With Micha Merrick

June 26 - 28, 2026

Gather with us under the waxing full moon for a weekend of embodied ritual and communal celebration. While the flowers are in full bloom, the moon is bright, and the sun reaches its highest arc in the sky, we will circle together to honor the fullness of the light with sacred ceremony, flower baths, folklore, […]

​​Write Your Deepest Story: Memoir, Autobiography, and the Personal Essay

With Janis Cooke Newman

June 29 - July 3, 2026

We all have a story to tell. But turning your life into an engaging and meaningful narrative requires both keen self-awareness and a working knowledge of basic storytelling. This experiential workshop invites writers at all levels, from personal journalers to published authors, to cultivate the skills needed to tell the most compelling — and truest […]

Engaging with Beauty as a Pathway to Resilience Through the Mindful Viewing of Film

With Francis Lu

July 20 - 24, 2026

Through mindful viewing of eight memorable feature films, participants will engage with cinematic beauty to open their hearts for a pathway to resilience. Recent studies from neuroaesthetics have shown that experiencing beauty can activate the brain’s emotional processing centers, which are critical for resilience; research in positive psychology has identified “appreciation of beauty and excellence” […]

Cancelled | Embodied Writing and Spiritual Practice

With Sravana Borkataky-Varma and Erik Davis

July 20 - 24, 2026

Part writing workshop and part tantric retreat, this unique practice week explores the relationship between personal writing and subtle body practices. Religious historian and Tantric practitioner Sravana Borkataky-Varma will lead experiential sessions largely stemming from Hindu Goddess Tantra practices. Award-winning author and scholar Erik Davis will then guide the group in reading and writing exercises, […]

Elemental Ceramics

With "Kayenta" Kelly Magleby

July 20 - 24, 2026

Join us for this weeklong wild clay pottery intensive. As a group, we will go through the process of making pottery from the wild, including processing clay, mixing wild clays, and finding and testing clay in the field. We’ll learn how to hand-build pots using various techniques, including pinch pots, slab work, coil and scrape, […]

Discovering the Beauty of Color/Music/Dance Through the Mindful Viewing of Film

With Francis Lu

July 24 - 26, 2026

Through mindful viewing of four classic motion pictures filled with color/music/dance, participants will open their hearts to profound cinematic beauty. This seminar offers an enhanced mindfulness experience through films directed by Jacques Demy, Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, and Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger filled with cinematic beauty involving color/music/dance. These films are presented for […]

Body Poetic and The Life/Art Process®

With Daria Halprin

July 24 - 27, 2026

Imagine that your body has a voice. What would it say?  The body speaks through movement, where each breath, feeling, and memory becomes a metaphor — a living story longing to be heard and danced. Begin by digging, fearlessly and with tenderness, into the fertile soil of soft skin. Touch bone. Listen to the heart, […]

Unlock Your Intuitive Mind: Tap Into Your Higher Consciousness

With William Donius

August 7 - 9, 2026

Learn to call on your spirit guides and tap into your intuitive mind. Join us in a transformative workshop combining scientifically proven brain-enhancing techniques with intuitive guidance to help you break free from self-limiting patterns and create the life you desire. This workshop brings together two powerful approaches to help you develop tools for personal […]

Unmute: Your Story Matters

With Ann Randolph

August 14 - 16, 2026

What would happen if you stopped editing yourself before you began? This embodied writing workshop is designed to get you out of your head and into your body — where the stories that refuse to stay quiet live. Through writing, movement, and deep listening, participants access material often buried beneath politeness and perfection. This is […]

The Inner Atlas: Mapping the Self through Somatic Self-Inquiry

With Lihi Benisty

August 24 - 28, 2026

Take a week-long journey into the cartography of self — mapping the terrains that live beneath language — where breath meets bone, memory lives in muscle, story shapes identity, and the future self waits patiently to be remembered. Through breathwork, somatic movement, writing, sound, and relational mirrors, we’ll explore distinct layers of being. Each day […]

Healing Through Creativity: Merging Art and Psychology for Personal Growth and Change

With Pamela Hayes Malkoff

August 31 - September 4, 2026

This workshop is more than a learning experience — it’s an invitation to connect deeply with yourself and others in a supportive and creative space. Together, we’ll explore the profound potential for healing and growth that arises when art and psychology converge. No artistic experience is necessary; this workshop is about creative expression, not perfection. […]

Free the Resonant Voice: A Vocal Embodiment Journey to Remember the Soul of Your Sound

With Odeya Nini

August 31 - September 4, 2026

The voice is calling me, to come home, to the river that is flowing within me. — Sophia Tuv The voice is more than sound — it is the breath of our being made audible, the vibration of our essence moving through space. It is our most innate instrument, a direct channel between the soul […]

The Buddha, the Brain, and Bach: Exploring Practice in Mind, Music, and Life

With Barbara Bogatin, Nikki Mirghafori and Clifford Saron

September 14 - 18, 2026

You are what you practice! The Buddha’s teachings meet modern brain science in this interactive workshop exploring meditation, musical performances, and neuroplasticity. Join us to discover how these practices can harmonize with one another to offer paths for inner peace and more joyful engagement with the world. Leading deep inquiry and guided meditations, senior teacher […]

Clown Church: Mindfulness, Healing, and Your Deepest Self

With Jet Eveleth

September 25 - 27, 2026

Our clown is the authentic, curious, and playful version of ourselves. Clowning as a life practice is the balancing of our light and shadow while laughing at our attachments. Clown is about being soft, brave, and available to the moment. This workshop is an immersion practice that explores our deepest, most vulnerable, creative self. Using […]

Permission: The New Memoirist and the Courage to Create

With Elissa Altman

October 12 - 16, 2026

Who are we to tell our stories? How can we grant ourselves permission to write the truths we’re compelled after being told we shouldn’t?  Designed for creatives of every stripe and at every level, this workshop is a generative and inspiring experience that empowers participants to unpack their right to tell the stories that make […]

Creative Catalyst: The Transformative Power of Making Art

With Dana Albany and Michael "Flash" Hopkins

October 12 - 16, 2026

The Artist lives within everyone! Art can be made out of just about anything! It’s a time to leave the critic behind and allow oneself to play, nourish, and replenish the creative spirit. It’s also a time to enjoy the company and camaraderie of like-minded peers. Now is your time to discover the joys of […]

Crafting the Sacred Trilogy of Native American Instruments: Flute, Drum, and Rattle

With Guillermo Martinez

October 19 - 23, 2026

Join master craftsman and musician Guillermo Martinez for an unforgettable journey into the sacred traditions of Native American instrument making and music. This immersive, hands-on workshop invites you to reconnect with the spirit of sound by crafting three profound instruments: a Native American bamboo flute, a 16" elk-hide medicine drum, and a gourd crystal rattle. […]

The Future We Choose: Human Empowerment in the AI Age

With Sam Stern and Cecilia Callas

October 23 - 25, 2026

What does it mean to remain human in the new age of artificial intelligence? In this immersive weekend workshop, we’ll explore this profound question together, journeying from awareness to empowerment to integration as we discover how to shape our relationship with AI while preserving what matters most. Through hands-on AI demonstrations, creative labs, and experiential […]

The Medicine of Song, the Land, and Community

With Johnsmith

October 26 - 30, 2026

If your life were a song, what would it be? If you told the story of your heart, what tale would you tell? This workshop invites participants to discover their authentic singing and songwriting voice through creative exercises, prompts, and assignments. We will focus on opening the creative heart and bringing forth the music and […]

Wild Color: A Week of Natural Dye and Creative Renewal

With Kristin Arzt

November 9 - 13, 2026

Discover the art of creating color sourced directly from the land. In this immersive workshop, participants explore plant-based dyeing through mindful foraging, wildcrafting, and creative practice inspired by Esalen’s gardens and landscape. Each day begins with a grounding meditation to connect with the earth and awaken creative flow. Through hands-on exploration of resist techniques, surface […]

The Healing Voice: Exploring the Sonic Anatomy

With The Brothers Koren and Eileen McKusick

November 13 - 15, 2026

What if you could use your voice to feel alive and present in your body? What would it look like to discover your own voice and fulfill its unique potential? This November, join sound therapy pioneer Eileen McKusick and transformational voice leaders and international recording artists Isaac and Thorald Koren of the Brothers Koren in […]

The Plants Who Know Us: Traditions of Botanical Kinship

With Fletcher Tucker

November 16 - 20, 2026

For hundreds of thousands of years, plants have been humanity’s greatest allies, shaping culture in material and spiritual ways. Across the Northern Hemisphere, a shared cohort of plants has profoundly influenced human existence, providing sustenance, medicine, textiles, and more. Honored as wise relatives, they carry mythic and spiritual significance across diverse cultures, forming a thread […]

The Seven Flames: Winter Solstice Ritual Retreat

With Cristi Christensen

December 14 - 18, 2026

Winter Solstice marks a sacred turning point — the threshold where darkness begins to yield to the returning light. As nature grows quiet and the earth turns inward, we are invited to slow down, listen deeply, and tend the inner flame. Guided by the wisdom of the chakra system, this immersive retreat explores the seven […]

Imagine, Explore, Envision: An Enchanting Weekend of SoulCollage® and Self-Discovery

With Kimberly Lee

December 18 - 20, 2026

The hands will often solve a mystery that the intellect has struggled with in vain. — Carl Jung Sometimes the wisest part of you speaks through images. Inspired by the work of Carl Jung, SoulCollage® is a powerful expressive arts method that invites your authentic inner voice to come forward. Through this accessible yet profound […]

Gateways: A 5Rhythms® Movement & Mindfulness Retreat

With Lucia Horan and Douglas Drummond

December 28, 2026 - January 3, 2027

Come to dance and be danced! Move until you are moved. Dance until the dancer disappears and only the dance remains. —Gabrielle Roth The gateway of the body is a powerful vessel that allows us to move and be moved. During this unique seven day retreat, we will dance into and through the gateway of […]