Esalen Massage® and Meditation
With Peggy Horan and Patrick Stockstill
October 13 - 17, 2025
As the splash of summer fades and days shorten, this workshop provides the time and space to quiet down and relax in a spectacular natural setting. Esalen Massage is a moving meditation, a practice in presence and mindfulness, and a loving healing art. When practiced with focused attention, massage comes from a deep, quiet place that resides inside each of us. This practice of meditation helps access the nervous system, where healing originates. As we give a massage, this healing state of mind can permeate the field that practitioner and receiver create together.
In guided sessions, we will explore the practice of sitting meditation to prepare and quiet our minds, and the fundamentals of Esalen Massage as a meditative and self-reflective practice. Special focus will be on quality of touch, breath awareness, centering, and sensitive rapport between partners. The signature long strokes will support a sense of wholeness and integration. Instruction in detailed work for the shoulders, hips, limbs and neck will contribute to the massage experience. There will be supervised practice daily as students exchange massages, with the support of their experienced teachers.
Beginners as well as seasoned practitioners will welcome this week to explore Esalen Massage and meditation, while enjoying the natural beauty of the Esalen grounds.
This workshop is especially useful for those in the helping and healing professions in working with their clients and partners.
26 hours of NCBTMB approved continuing education provided by the faculty through the Esalen® Massage and Bodywork Association Teachers.
About the Leaders

Peggy Horan
Peggy Horan gives Esalen Massage in a field of comfort and support, using stretches and deep muscle work to bring healing and relaxation to her clients. She has been practicing and teaching Esalen Massage for five decades and is the author of Connecting Through Touch, A Couples Massage Book. Email Me
Learn more about Peggy HoranPatrick Stockstill
Patrick’s first experience of Esalen® Massage changed the course of his life, opening his eyes to the power of nurturing, skillful, presence-based touch. A massage therapist since 2008, Patrick became an Esalen Massage practitioner in 2011, and has continued expanding his practice ever since. Patrick brings reverence, humility, and playfulness to the classroom and his […]
Learn more about Patrick StockstillCategory : Massage & Healing Arts