Nature, Art, Movement and Ritual: Embodying the Five Elements of Chinese Medicine

Embody the Five Elements of Chinese medicine through nature, art, movement, and ritual. Experientially learn practical and poetic Five Element philosophy and tools to apply in daily life. Design your own elemental practices and rituals, aligning with seasonal rhythms, to come home to the wild beauty of your inner radiance.

Enjoy five nourishing days deeply connecting with ourselves, each other, and the surrounding sacred landscape as material and metaphor. We will begin with an overview of the Five Elements, focus on one Element each session, then integrate by crafting personal elemental rituals and enjoying a restorative group acupuncture experience.

The Five Elements of Chinese Medicine include Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. With each Element, we will:

• Practice yoga asana and other embodiment forms to experience the Elements within ourselves, integrate breath and movement, and nourish health and well-being. 
• Experience elemental meditations to attune our inner and outer landscapes, and rest in present moment awareness. 
• Explore journaling and creative visual arts practices to reflect on, deepen, and integrate our experiences, welcoming insights. 
• Enjoy engaging presentations to identify Elements within ourselves and in nature, recognize imbalance, and gain tools for restoring dynamic equilibrium. 
• Explore the Esalen landscape with nature connection activities and rituals to enhance sensory awareness, hone intuition, and directly observe and learn from the Five Elements in their natural splendor.

Our indigenous ancestors communed intimately with the natural world, gathering information, inspiration, and both material and immaterial resources from the Earth. Come reconnect with your unique ancestral wisdom through the lens of the Five Elements of Chinese Medicine. Embody the Elements within and around you through nature connection, artistic creation, nourishing movement, and sacred ritual. Welcome spring by resting and resetting your current life trajectory, guided by the Five Elements. Experience gentle yet powerful transformation. Reconnect with the wild beauty within and all around. Feel loved, welcomed, and a sense of full belonging with every breath. Thrive.