Programs
Faculty Survey | Staff Education
Survey form to capture Faculty interests in participating in Staff Education events and programs.
Esalen Volunteer Day Pass - Healing Arts
This program is for Esalen Volunteers, not shared publicly
Esalen Volunteer Day Pass - Kitchen
Update 03/20/24, MF - Live for 3/shift daily. Update 03/29/24, MF - Live for 3rd shift: 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm, max 2/shift
Business Comps Application
ONE PERSON PER REGISTRATION, unless for a couple This program is for Business Comp Visitors only - Day visits & Overnight NOT for publication Once the Registration is complete - Pay/Discount the registration Create a discount transaction applying the appropriate Discount code item and the $value. FAC100 (Facilities), REZED100, MKTG100, ADMIN100, PROG100, DEV100, OPS100, BOT100, VS100, HR100 […]
QTBIPOC Farm & Garden Volunteer Day
Please join Esalen staff for a monthly QTBIPOC Farm & Garden Co-op Day. Together, we'll create a shared vision of community stewardship for this sacred plot of land dedicated to QTBIPOC healing. This is a volunteer opportunity. There is no fee to participate. Registration includes a volunteer service shift with the Esalen Farm & Garden […]
COME TOGETHER! A Festival of IntraConnectivity and Spirit | Day Pass
With Daniel Siegel, Elissa Epel, Little Bear Tom Nason, Rhonda V. Magee and Douglas Drummond
We live in times of high existential stress with both ever-increasing personal, societal, and global pressures and the constant pain of witnessing ecological crises and widespread social injustices. These challenges also create opportunities to reconsider our relationships to self, one another, and the planet — and to choose a life of peak purpose and interconnectedness. […]
COME TOGETHER! A Festival of IntraConnectivity and Spirit | ETMC Day Pass
With Daniel Siegel, Elissa Epel, Little Bear Tom Nason, Rhonda V. Magee and Douglas Drummond
We live in times of high existential stress with both ever-increasing personal, societal, and global pressures and the constant pain of witnessing ecological crises and widespread social injustices. These challenges also create opportunities to reconsider our relationships to self, one another, and the planet — and to choose a life of peak purpose and interconnectedness. […]
Altered States: Pathways to Expansion | Day Pass
With Sravana Borkataky-Varma, Lucia Horan, Xochitl Ashe, East Forest and Marisa Radha Weppner
You are an explorer, and you represent our species, and the greatest good you can do is to bring back a new idea, because our world is endangered by the absence of good ideas. Our world is in crisis because of the absence of consciousness. —Terence McKenna Since time immemorial, we humans have been curious […]
Cancelled | Role Mate to Soul Mate: The Art and Discipline of Love
With Warren Farrell
Since falling in love is biologically natural, but sustaining love is biologically unnatural, Soul Mate focuses on the art and discipline of sustaining love. You begin with learning how to appreciate your partner so specifically and frequently that your partner feels fully seen and loved. You then practice both the art and discipline of hearing […]
Cancelled | 5Rhythms®: Grief, Loss, and the Body in Motion
With Lucia Horan and Peter Selwyn
This is an era of chaos, change, and grief for the world. As we continue moving through these unprecedented times, we are required to face difficulties that may seem insurmountable. We invite you to a weekend retreat to hold together what should not be held alone. Have you experienced loss and the natural emotions of […]
Cancelled | Self-Guided Explorations Weekend of April 19-21, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
Cancelled | Common Ground: A 5Rhythms® Dance, Mindfulness and Art Celebration
With Lucia Horan and Douglas Drummond
Spring brings renewal to our lands. After the isolating winter chill, it is time to expand, bloom, and gather in community. During this full moon week, including Earth Day, we’ll celebrate with a campus-wide event that will weave together our most potent offerings: the 5Rhythms® dance, mindfulness, meditation, and art! Together, we’ll honor our common […]
Cancelled | Self-Guided Explorations Week of April 22-26, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
Embodying Resilience: A Movement Workshop on Stability and Chaos
With Andrea Juhan
The seemingly opposing forces of stability and chaos are powerful currents we navigate daily. The dance between the two can become an intense emotional process that leaves us yearning for a sense of balance and ease. Without inner stability, chaos can easily overwhelm, flood, and leave us feeling lost. We must redefine chaos, which is […]
Hardwiring Happiness: Rewire Your Mind for Calm, Clarity, and Joy
With Shauna Shapiro
Revolutionary findings in neuroscience have demonstrated that we can literally re-architect the very structure of our brains. In fact, we can even rewire our neurology to be more focused, calmer, and happier. In this workshop, Dr. Shauna Shapiro — a leading scientist studying the effects of meditation on well-being — will teach you the most […]
Self-Guided Explorations Weekend of April 26-28, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
The Deep: An Immersive Esalen Experience
With Sadia Bruce, Jovinna Chan, J.J. Jeffries and Cara Chandler
Join us for a total reset done the Esalen way: seven powerful days tending to heart, mind, body, and spirit. Reconnect with your sense of purpose and power while immersed in the medicine of our iconic, energized setting within a community of similarly minded seekers. Not for the faint of heart, this deep retreat experience […]
Yoga Nidra Retreat: Rest, Restore, and Remember Who You Are
With John Vosler
Experience five days of deep rest, reflection, and rejuvenation. Using the profound practice of Yoga Nidra, movement and guided meditation. We will restore the body, clear the mind, and shift the habitual patterns that keep us from being calm, clear and balanced. Yoga (meaning “union”) Nidra (meaning “sleep”) is a path to that liminal state […]
Cancelled: Leading with the Heart: Standing in our Authentic Power through the Wisdom of the Enneagram
With Dr. Deborah Egerton
Join Dr. Deborah Egerton for this exploration into how to lead from the heart when faced with life’s challenges. Find your place in the rehabilitation of our humanity through love, light, and connection. Setting aside binary thinking and the assignment of stereotypical roles, we come together to honor and explore the totality of the energies […]
Gestalt Practice and Principles: Cultivating Embodied Wholeness in Daily Life
With Steven Harper
Gestalt Practice at its core is an awareness practice in which we cultivate embodied, present-moment awareness of the unfolding experience of the here and now on a journey toward authentic growth, wholeness, and aliveness. Drawing from the foundations of Gestalt Practice, wisdom traditions, and contemporary approaches that cultivate awareness, we’ll learn to become increasingly aware […]
Cultivating Vitality in Body, Mind, and Spirit: The Ecosystem of Mental Well-Being
With Cassandra Vieten and Elissa Epel
What is vitality? Exuberance, vibrance, sparkle, spirit, and verve — terms rarely found in psychology textbooks. Vulnerability to depression and anxiety is widespread, and our culture traditionally emphasizes reducing symptoms with drugs that alter certain neurotransmitters, which is only part of the picture. We are living in a new era where vulnerabilities can become strengths, […]
Wild Pilgrimage: Backpacking Journey to Esalen
With Fletcher Tucker and Emily Linders
Embark on an intentional wilderness journey through the sublime and seldom-traveled backcountry of Big Sur, concluding at the coastal grounds of the Esalen Institute. Among the fleeting gifts of Spring – free-flowing creeks, boundless wildflower fields and vibrant wildlife – immerse in the wild with an intimate cohort (up to twelve participants), practice awareness and […]
The Relational Leader
With Kerena Saltzman and Ben Saltzman
When you are a leader, often people don’t understand all the complexities you face or the weight of your responsibilities. Being in charge can be isolating and lonely; it can feel like others are looking at a projected image instead of the real you. Whether you're leading an organization, managing a team, or are a […]
How We Change and Why We Don't: The Art and Science of Transformation
With Cassandra Vieten
Have you ever worked hard to make a change, only to find yourself slipping back into old habits? Want to supercharge your ability to stimulate behavior change in others when it comes to the issues you care about the most? Is it time to break free from old patterns and build your next chapter? This […]
Divine Eros and the Diamond Approach: Exploring the Relationship Between Love and Desire on the Spiritual Journey
With Jessica Britt and Vince Draddy
Join us as we dive into the mystery of spirit and matter in our human lives. There are great and painful misunderstandings about the relationship between our physical nature, expressed in our instincts; our emotional nature, expressed through our relationship to love; and our spiritual nature. For centuries, these three realms have been held in […]
Self-Guided Explorations Week of May 6-10, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
Introduction to Esalen Massage®: The Art of Healing Touch
With Char Pias and Silvia Guersenzvaig
This workshop invites you to enjoy Esalen in the springtime as you gain foundational skills in our famed massage modality. Senior teachers will guide you in this experience of mindful touch translated to the massage table. Through lectures, brief demonstrations, and supervised practice, they will introduce the basics: quality of touch, rapport, massage skills with […]
Welcoming Spring with Fresh, Fun, and Renewing Yoga
With Ulrika Engman
Welcome summer and nourish the spirit of renewal with this fresh and cleansing Mother’s Day weekend yoga workshop. By moving and weaving body, mind and spirit through creative variations of Sun Salutes we revolve around the solar plexus to stimulate metabolism and a radiant, nourishing flow of energy. All practices focus on sloughing off the […]
Self-Guided Explorations Weekend of May 10-12, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
Heart, Broken, OPEN: Cultivating Emotional Balance
With Eve Ekman
Our emotions help us respond to the threats and opportunities in our daily lives and profoundly impact our individual and collective well-being. Feeling the joys and pains of our emotions is universal, yet what makes us emotional and how we respond is unique. We become emotional without our conscious awareness. Developing emotional awareness is like […]
Luminous Yoga Spring Renewal
With Ulrika Engman
Revamp, reinvigorate, and polish your luminous self this season with innovative yoga practices for body, mind, and spirit! This yoga renewal workshop includes energizing movement, flow yoga, core activations, meridian sequencing, tapping, rejuvenating holds, and cleansing rituals based on the five elements. Yoga for the skin sloughs off the old with a potent five-step cleansing […]
Love Thy Nature: Forest Bathing for Homecoming and Belonging
With Sylvie Rokab
What if you could heal modern-life isolation and thrive by deepening your bond with nature? By combining the ancient practices of forest bathing and mindfulness, this program guides you to awaken pleasurable embodiment, experience awe and wonder, and learn simple yet powerful daily practices to deepen connection with yourself, your loved ones, and all existence. […]
Self-Guided Explorations Week of May 13-17, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
Writing and Mindfulness: A Practice for Navigating Difficult Times
With Janis Cooke Newman
A daily writing practice and a consistent meditation practice have the power to ground us during difficult times. Writing gives us perspective and helps us make sense of the world. Mindfulness teaches us how to make space for the joy as well as the fear. This experiential meditation retreat and writing workshop invites writers and […]
Awake in the Wild: Mindfulness in Nature as a Doorway to Joy, Connection, and Wonder
With Mark Coleman and Lori Schwanbeck
Are you longing to feel enlivened by nature and expand beyond the virtual world, revitalizing your senses, body, and heart? Together, with the exhilarating Big Sur coastline, towering redwoods, and verdant gardens, we will access the clarity of the mind, feel the aliveness in the body, and the expansiveness of the heart. Following spiritual traditions […]
RITUAL: Full Moon Women's Retreat
With Sianna Sherman
Alchemize your life with the wisdom of the 13 moons! This is a spirited call to soul sisters, magic makers, and wise women of all ages. If you feel called to awaken and amplify your magic, this is for you. Women throughout the ages have gathered under the light of the full moon, steeping in […]
Relational Gestalt Practice: The Transformative Power of Emotion
With Dorothy Charles
Our sense of self develops in connection with others and our experiences in early relationships. They shape our beliefs — about ourselves, other people, and what is possible for us in our lives. While we cannot change the past, we can change the parts of our lives that we find difficult or unfulfilling through new […]
Self-Guided Explorations Week of May 20-24, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
The Wisdom of Aging: Self-Care, Community, Inquiry, and Celebration
With Jim Gallas
How do we celebrate aging and become wisdom holders for our communities in a youth-obsessed culture? As we ripen into the late summers and autumns of our lives, how can we let go of what no longer serves us and enjoy the abundance of each precious moment? The experience of living through many years and […]
Big Sur Wilderness Experience: Springtime
With Steven Harper
Esalen is the trailhead to one of the most spectacular mountainous coastlines in the world. With the Big Sur wilderness as the primary teacher, participants will explore the beauty of this wild coast — one of the most spectacular mountainous coastlines in the world — which includes ancient canyons of redwoods, dramatic coastal beaches, rugged […]
Secrets of Great Relationships: For Individuals and Couples
With Charlie Bloom and Linda Bloom
For one human being to love another, that is the most difficult of all of our tasks; the ultimate, the last test and proof, for which all other work is but preparation. — Rainer Maria Rilke A great relationship requires more than just staying together. Until we enjoy trust, intimacy, caring and love with our […]
Beyond Duality: Healing Wisdom and Ceremony for Personal Health and Well-being
With Erika Gagnon
Join ceremonial leader and wisdom carrier Erika Gagnon on a sacred journey as we gather to look beyond the false duality of a divided self and the destructive concept of “self versus nature” to discover how to live in harmony and balance within ourselves and the world around us. You are your greatest healer and […]
Self-Guided Explorations Weekend of May 24-26, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
We Are Earth, Air, Fire, and Water: Empowered Elemental Healing
With Erika Gagnon and Jovinna Chan
We are not separate from nature. We are nature. If we separate from nature, then we separate from ourselves. Join Erika Gagnon and Jovinna Chan for their first collaborative workshop: a dynamic weaving of ancient wisdom, somatic movement and dance, sound healing, breath practices, and traditional ceremonies and rituals. The four elements are the basis […]
Holotropic Breathwork®: Expanded States of Consciousness
With Stacia Butterfield
For thousands of years across many cultures, enhanced states of consciousness have been used as a strategy for meaningful transformation and self-exploration — marking life’s major transitions and rites of passage and deepening one’s connection to self, community, and the natural world. In this workshop, we will gather in the rich field of community for […]
Self-Guided Explorations Week of May 27-31, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
Creative Catalyst: The Transformative Power of Making Art
With Dana Albany and Michael "Flash" Hopkins
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 […]
Meditation and Modern Life: A Zen Meditation Retreat
With Dan Zigmond
When was the last time you gave something your undivided attention? Nearly 2,500 years ago, Buddha worried we had become too distracted — and that was before paper, let alone smartphones. In 2022, our days are filled with convenient distractions that promise happiness while mostly delivering busyness and frustration. So many of us today live […]
Awe and Wonder: An Exploration Through Science, Contemplation, and Expressive Writing
With Dacher Keltner and Mollie McNeil
Awe is the feeling of encountering vast mysteries that transcend our current knowledge and understanding of the world. In its greatest sense, it is an astonished and transformative appreciation for the moral beauty of others, for nature, for the arts — and is always rooted in a spiritual understanding of life. In this new, paradigm-shifting […]
Self-Guided Explorations Weekend of May 31 - June 2, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
Designing the Life We Want
With Mark Nicolson
Have you created the impact you want? Are you showing up the way you’d like? Are you going in the right direction? You have never before been where you are right now. You have never been the age you are today, never had the experiences you now possess. This is your time to pause and […]
Tantra: Freedom, Embodiment, and Transformation
With Sravana Borkataky-Varma and Keith Edward Cantú
Have you ever dived into the ocean of Tantra? Join Tantric scholar-practitioners Sravana Borkataky-Varma and Keith Edward Cantú as we explore Tantric practices and perspectives on topics like freedom from external interference and self-sovereignty (Sanskrit svādhikāra), the link between physical and so-called “subtle bodies,” and the creation of physical mandalas (maṇḍala) or circles and other […]
Creative Path: Hiking and Artistic Connection on the Big Sur Coast
With Fletcher Tucker and Noël Vietor
Sitting in stillness to draw a flower, tracing the mountain’s slope with brushstrokes by eye, following the sound of waves down corridors of memory, and free association through writing – these are gestures of connection as much as they are creative acts. Join us for an intimate creative workshop on the enchanted grounds of Esalen […]
Self-Guided Explorations Week of June 3-7, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
Poetry and the Page: Writing as a Healing Path
With Heidi Rose Robbins
We are going to write. We are going to gather and fill our notebooks with prose, poetry, and possibility. The moment we dare to show up on a blank page, we begin to transform our pain and fear. We reclaim energy when we write our truths. The page is a great reflection of our inner […]
The Art of Non-Sleep Deep Rest: A Rejuvenating Yoga Nidra Retreat
With Kelly Boys
In this retreat, you will get in touch with a deep relaxation to rejuvenate the body and the mind through non-sleep deep rest (NSDR) and yoga nidra. No matter your reasons — whether you need a break from the constant pressure, are in a life transition, or just want to delve deeper into your meditation […]
Embodied Voice
With The Brothers Koren
Come home to your whole body instrument and discover your unique sound! Isaac and Thorald Koren have been guiding people home to their voices for over 20 years, through their original embodied approach. They both believe singing and speaking are radical acts of self-expression and that exploring your instrument with full freedom takes tremendous courage. […]
Self-Guided Explorations Weekend of June 7- 9, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
Into the Field of Possibility: Meeting Your Essence Through Dance
With Jovinna Chan
Dance is one of the world’s most ancient transformative rituals. From the whirling dervish to the Shamans, the waltz to the rave, we dance for joy, healing, and connection — guided by wisdom that transcends the thinking brain. This five-day retreat is an invitation to come together to awaken the forgotten wild, ignite your creativity, […]
Finding Your Spirit Guides: Building A Relationship with the Unseen World
With Brenda Rose
We all have spirit guides. They are part of your soul family and spiritual GPS. Tuning into them takes patience, trust, and assistance from the Other Side. Learn to access your spirit guides in this kind-hearted immersion that welcomes seekers at all levels of experience and at any stage of healing. This unique class dives […]
Self-Guided Explorations Week of June 10-14, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
Art As A Spiritual Path: Discovering Your Creative Mandala
With Paul Heussenstamm
For over 30 years, Paul Heussenstamm has been traveling worldwide and teaching Art as a Spiritual Path. His beautiful soul mandalas have been created by individuals who have never painted before, and others seeking to expand their creativity through mandala practice. Mandala painting is a genuine form of meditation, cultivating inner harmony as the mandala births […]
Tibetan Yoga, Breath & Sound: Understanding and Practicing with Our Subtle Body
With Alejandro Chaoul
Tibetan yogis, monks, and nuns are human like you and me; they have feelings, emotions, and obstacles in their lives, and they understand ancient yogic practices that help them enrich those lives and overcome those obstacles. These same practices can benefit and transform our lives, too. Tibetan mind-energy-body wellness practices remained secret recipes for centuries. […]
Role Mate to Soul Mate: The Art and Discipline of Love
With Warren Farrell
Since falling in love is biologically natural, but sustaining love is biologically unnatural, Soul Mate focuses on the art and discipline of sustaining love. You begin with learning how to appreciate your partner so specifically and frequently that your partner feels fully seen and loved. You then practice both the art and discipline of hearing […]
The Enneagram and Healing Humanity: A Modern Entry Into Enneagram Work
With Dr. Deborah Egerton
Join Enneagram master educator Dr. Deborah Egerton for this foundational exploration of the Enneagram. Experience the work through her unique approach to the Enneagram, which stems from a deep, rooted understanding that as humans we all have a desire to belong. Through a blend of experiential activities and a deep dive into inner work, you’ll […]
Tuning to the Frequency of Love: Sound Journeys to Transform Your Life
With Deva Munay
Those who know the secret of sound know the mystery of the whole universe. – Hazrat Inayat Khan Come away with peace of mind, a joyful heart, and sacred nourishment for your very best summer! Join us for this celebration of the solstice as we tune into the frequency of love through a series of […]
The Nature of Movement: Embodiment and the Wilds
With Steven Harper
“You didn’t come into this world. You came out of it, like a wave from the ocean. You are not a stranger here.”~ Alan Watts Throughout the ages and across cultural traditions, nature has inspired the human spirit. The wilderness of Big Sur allows us to imprint the collective wisdom of this alive and wild […]
Self-Guided Explorations Week of June 17-21, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
Relational Gestalt Practice: Presence, Contact and Communication
With Dorothy Charles
In 1938, researchers at Harvard University began a 75-year study that addressed life’s fundamental question: What makes a good life? The Grant Study, also known as the Harvard Study of Adult Development, found strong relationships to be the clearest predictor of life satisfaction. In Relational Gestalt practice, direct and response-able communication is essential for creating […]
Unveiling Your Inner Work: Navigating the Enneagram Path to Fulfillment and Purpose
With Dr. Deborah Egerton
Join us on a profound exploration of self-discovery and personal growth. In this immersive weekend workshop, participants will use the Enneagram to delve deeply into the inner work. Through engaging discussions, introspective exercises, and powerful insights, Dr. Egerton will guide you toward unraveling the layers to find your authentic self. Together, we will explore the […]
Ayurveda and Emotional Wellness
With Siva Mohan
The latest research clearly demonstrates the powerful impact emotional experiences have on our health and longevity. While we know this to be true, we don’t always know how to be emotionally well. During this weekend, we’ll open the door to greater emotional intelligence and perception. With a combination of lectures, interactive exercises, live music, breathwork, […]
Renewing Purpose: Modern Rituals to Navigate Life Transitions
With Day Schildkret
As life changes, we also must change — yet this isn't guaranteed. Too many of us get stuck at our thresholds. Ritual can help us cultivate discernment, recognize gains and losses, and conjure possibility. Join us for a transformative workshop designed to provide the skills and understanding needed to create your own modern rituals. Learn […]
Self-Guided Explorations Weekend of June 21- 23, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
Come Together: A Festival for IntraConnectivity and Spirit
With Daniel Siegel, Rhonda V. Magee, Little Bear Tom Nason, Elissa Epel and Douglas Drummond
We live in times of rapid change and high stress. You are not alone if you're experiencing the unease of increasing personal, societal, and global pressures — the pain of witnessing widespread social injustices and devastating ecological crises. These shared challenges create opportunities for us to heal from within in order to heal the world […]
Mother Tongue: 5Rhythms® Trauma Sensitive Mindfulness
With Lucia Horan
Rhythm is the universal mother tongue. It is the language of the soul. — Gabrielle Roth Silent introspection through seated meditation and the dynamic movement practice of the 5Rhythms® both support unlocking gateways to celebration and joy. Together, we will unite these healing modalities in an environment that cultivates peace, balance, and well-being. Through sweat […]
Journey Space: Music, Movement, & Ceremony
With East Forest and Marisa Radha Weppner
Now more than ever, it is important we build practices to strengthen our internal resolve and self-resourcing amidst a dynamically shifting society. Together, we will listen to our heart’s wisdom in this rich four-day journey (Monday to Friday) through sound, ceremony, and self-discovery. In this intimate and transformative workshop, you will have the unique opportunity […]
Self-Guided Explorations Weekend of June 28-30, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
Maps to Ecstasy: A 5Rhythms® Mindfulness & Art Celebration
With Lucia Horan and Douglas Drummond
When we experience moments of ecstasy, we taste what life is meant to be. — Gabrielle Roth The 5Rhythms® maps hold all the information required to lead us where we want to go. What is your destination? There is a science to achieving ecstatic states, and this is the mastery we have come to share. […]
Self-Guided Explorations Week of July 1-5, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
In(ter)dependence Weekend
With Janet Stone
Through yoga and intentional music crafted from ancient beats, we’re thrilled to gather as a community to celebrate our inter-dependence. We’ll dive into meditation, pranayama, chanting, yoga asana, dance, hot baths, lovingly prepared food, open time, and space for connection, creativity and collaboration. Meet us at sacred Esalen on the cliffs, in the hot baths, […]
The Heart of Relationship: A Weekend of Gestalt Inquiry for Couples and Friends
With Perry Holloman and Johanna Holloman
Fostering close and connected relationships is one of the most important things affecting the quality of our lives. Cultivating trust and openness with a loved one, whether with an intimate partner or friend, is an essential aspect of any successful, supportive relationship. This weekend, Perry and Johanna Holloman, intimate partners and friends for over 30 […]
Self-Guided Explorations Weekend of July 5-7, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
Summer Yoga Gathering
With Janet Stone
Let’s meet together at Esalen, beneath the summer sun, and immerse in the power of movement, community, music, and the glory of this land and her three waters. Janet Stone, joined by a luminous cast of musicians and teachers, will welcome you to a journey so rich with connection and an opportunity to reset. At […]
Setting Your Heart on Fire: A Passionate Practice to Liberate Your Life
With Raphael Cushnir
"To live in accord with love is to set your heart on fire. In the crucible of such an inferno all convention burns away. What’s left is an entirely new kind of existence, one full of passion, presence and infinite possibility." — Setting Your Heart on Fire What if you could fall absolutely in love […]
Self-Guided Explorations Weekend of July 12-14, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
The Power of Breath: Embodied Liberation
With Sadia Bruce
To breathe well is to live well. When we befriend the breath, we expand our capacity for choice, change, joy, and healing. When we embody breath — allowing limbs and bones to express outwardly the dynamic, unceasing pulsation of life within — we touch freedom. In this new and electrifying experiential workshop, we’ll explore and […]
Total Immersion for Total Transformation
With Raphael Cushnir
Get ready for ecstatic rebirth! This small group workshop is for you if you are prepared and 100 percent willing to: Determine the aspects of your life that are calling for healing and change. Move toward healing and change on the very first day. Commit to an action plan. Take a giant leap forward in […]
Journey to Wholeness: Embodying the Ancient Teaching of Yoga and Yoga Nidra into Your Modern Life
With John Vosler and Laura McKinzie
The highest spiritual practice is self observation without judgment. — Swami Kripalu Welcome to Esalen, a sacred haven, where the echoes of nature harmonize with the rhythms of self-discovery. This workshop invites you to embark on a transformative seven-day experience designed to nourish your mind, body, heart, and spirit. Take a deep dive into yoga wisdom […]
Embodied Writing and Spiritual Practice
With Sravana Borkataky-Varma and Erik Davis
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, […]
Openness to Belonging Through Film: Transforming Intolerance by Embracing the Other
With Francis Lu
We must learn to live together as brothers and sisters or perish together as fools. — Martin Luther King, Jr. Through mindful viewing of eight feature films — today’s vehicles of myth — participants will open their hearts to the quality of belonging with and to others that is so important in our time. We […]
Self-Guided Explorations Week of July 15-19, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
The Shared Heart Summer Couples Retreat
With Barry Vissell and Joyce Vissell
Imagine your relationship expressing the true depths of your love and commitment. If you are in love, this retreat is an opportunity to rise even higher in love. If you are in crisis, it is an opportunity for healing on the deepest level. We all carry some degree of negative programming from our past, and […]
Stages of Tranquility and Insight
With Dustin DiPerna
Asanga’s Nine Stages of Staying is one of the oldest and most comprehensive systems of concentration in the Buddhist tradition. Sometimes called the Elephant Path, this approach was originated by the great Buddhist master in 506 A.D., and it is now the main method of training the mind in the Tibetan tradition. In this weekend […]
Breaking Free From the Likability Cage: A Replenishing and Empowering Workshop for the Emotionally Exhausted Woman
With Nancy Colier
Summer is the time to take a break, step off the treadmill of modern life, take care of oneself, and refill the tanks before gearing up for the busyness of fall. What does taking care of yourself really mean—for you? What do you want and need at this moment in your life; what genuinely takes […]
Natural Healing: A Spiritual Journey of Return
With Margaret Harrsen and Michael Ventura
Healing ourselves is a journey of return. During this weekend workshop, you will be invited to learn about the practice and traditions of “curanderisma” (folk medicine) to bring forth awareness and attune us to our individual healing journeys. Through meditative and contemplative practices, touch, prayer, plants, and natural elements, their work honors a lineage of […]
Empowering Creativity
With Daria Halprin
Since time immemorial, movement, dance, and the expressive arts have provided individuals and communities with a sense of soulful expression, healing, inspiration, spirit, and connection. We now need to reconnect with these ways more than ever. The Life/Art Process®, developed by Anna Halprin and Daria Halprin, bridges body awareness, art expression, and psychological processes, providing […]
Holotropic Breathwork®: Expanded States of Consciousness
With Stacia Butterfield
For thousands of years across many cultures, enhanced states of consciousness have been used as a strategy for meaningful transformation and self-exploration — marking life’s major transitions and rites of passage and deepening one’s connection to self, community, and the natural world. In this workshop, we will gather in the rich field of community for […]
Esalen Massage® and Meditation
With Dean Marson and Brita Ostrom
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 parasympathetic nervous system, where healing originates. As we give a massage, this healing […]
Self-Guided Explorations Week of Jul 29-Aug 2, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
Reclaiming Your Authentic Power
With Justin Michael Williams
Doing personal growth work while still engaging in self-sabotaging behavior is like watering a garden full of weeds and expecting roses to bloom. Learn to overcome negative patterns and transform your pain into authentic power. In this dynamic three-day workshop with best-selling author and teacher Justin Michael Williams, you will have the opportunity to: Discover […]
Graceful Exit: Preparing for a Good Death
With Andrew Holecek
We all face death, but how many of us are actually ready for it? Whether our own demise or that of a loved one comes first, how prepared are we? This workshop offers a wide array of resources and teachings to help participants address that final unfinished business and make the most out of every […]
Self-Guided Explorations Weekend of August 2 - 4, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
Wisdom and Medicine of the Earth: Healing The Planet And Ourselves
With Lindsay Branham
Are you feeling the existential impacts of climate imbalance, global crises, and so much more? Are you seeking sustainable ways to care for both yourself and the Earth? This workshop, led by Cambridge University psychologist and eco-doula Lindsay Branham, will equip you with somatic and contemplative tools to explore your own relationship with the Earth. […]
Yoga Nidra Retreat: Rest, Restore, and Remember Who You Are
With John Vosler
Experience five days of deep rest, reflection, and rejuvenation. Using the profound practice of Yoga Nidra, movement and guided meditation. We will restore the body, clear the mind, and shift the habitual patterns that keep us from being calm, clear and balanced. Yoga (meaning “union”) Nidra (meaning “sleep”) is a path to that liminal state […]
Transforming Adversity Into Insight: Feeding Your Demons and Cultivating Emotional Balance
With Chandra Easton and Eve Ekman
Across various wisdom traditions, there is a common yet paradoxical invitation: Turn toward what is difficult to find freedom from what is difficult. However, when we find ourselves feeling anxiety, loss, judgment, irritation — the full bouquet of difficult emotions — facing these feelings is the last thing we want to do. Fortunately, there are […]
Self-Guided Explorations Week of August 5-9, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
Revitalize Your Purpose with Forest Bathing
With Sylvie Rokab
What does nature / the cosmos have in store for your life today? What yearns to be birthed in and through you? What if Nature can help you release what stands in your way? Join us in this deep partnership with the more-than-human world at wondrous Esalen to help you identify and dissolve the obstacles […]
Unlock Your Intuitive Mind: Tap into Your Higher Consciousness
With William Donius
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 […]
Deepening Our Connection to Reiki: Japanese Roots to Modern Practice
With Diane Domondon and Justin Stein, PhD
Misconceptions about Reiki place its origins anywhere from ancient Egypt to Tibet — even from angels and aliens — but we hold the truth in the palms of our hands. In this workshop, we’ll explore the roots of this Japanese practice and discover the transformative power of universal life energy through Reiki meditations and transmissions. […]
Self-Guided Explorations Weekend of August 9-11, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
Chakra Rituals: A Balancing ACTivation, Celebration of Life Through Embodied Movement and Live Music
With Cristi Christensen and Marques Wyatt
The chakra system is one of the greatest gifts the ancient yogis and rishis of India shared with the world: a powerful spiritual map for our healing and the awakening of our consciousness so we can fully come alive! This week is an invitation to explore this map and unlock the unbridled joy, creative power, […]
Self-Guided Explorations Week of August 12-16, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
Love Yourself for Everyone Else's Sake
With Mark Abramson
Mark Abramson designed the course as a deep dive into self-compassion after seeing students achieve self-kindness from work with his Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Clinic at Stanford University. Thirty years of teaching have taught Dr. Abramson that bringing kindness and compassion to one’s self is truly the most altruistic of all practices. Imagine always being […]
Ancestral Plant Medicine
With Xochitl Ashe
What if our lives could feel magical? What if we felt supported in every way? Join us for this delightful weekend as we connect with plants, ancestors, and ancient wisdom from Mesoamerica and Peru to nourish our hearts and replenish our spirits. Ayni is the Quechua word for “sacred reciprocity” — the way we humans […]
Self-Guided Explorations Weekend of August 16-18, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
Falling in Love With Existence at the Edge of the World: Yoga and Myth
With Hannah Muse
In many shamanic societies, if you came to a medicine person complaining of being disheartened, dispirited, or depressed, they would ask one of four questions: "When did you stop dancing? When did you stop singing? When did you stop being enchanted by stories? When did you stop being comforted by the sweet territory of silence?” […]
Life as a Ceremony: South American Indigenous Wisdom for Healing and Connecting with the Earth
With Xochitl Ashe
Use for 4-Night weekday workshops, 6-Night Mon - Sun workshops, or 7-night Fri - Fri workshops--RG will autocalculate the correct pricing. We need the medicine of joy, magic, and fun. What if our lives could feel like a sweet ceremony, where all is sacred? What if we felt supported in every way? Join us […]
Reunion with the Wild Earth: Hiking and Nature Connection in Big Sur
With Fletcher Tucker
How would it feel to move into a meaningful relationship with the living world? Beyond a mere passive appreciation of nature? In the long arc of human history, people across all cultures and traditions have lived in communion with the lands they called home. Though this intrinsic connection has been largely severed in our modern […]
Self-Guided Explorations Week of August 19-23, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
Mosaic Art: Patterns in Nature
With Wilma Wyss
Nature provides us with space to quiet our souls, gain perspective, and harness our creativity. Explore Esalen’s stunning grounds to find places that resonate and inspire your mosaic art, be it big vistas, small individual succulents, or anything in between. Mosaic is a slow and contemplative art form, perfectly suited for Esalen’s restorative setting. In […]
Afro Flow Yoga: Release, Flow and Heal Our Sacred Waters
With Leslie Salmon Jones and Jeff W. Jones
Join us for a weekend to remember as we delve into the depths of the human soul, guided by the visionary founders of Afro Flow Yoga®. This workshop is an immersive experience weaving together the healing powers of yoga, dance, live music, and the ancient wisdom of African and Indigenous cultures. Together, we will embark […]
Self-Guided Explorations Weekend of August 23-25, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
Luminous Darkness: Restoring Our Authentic Power A Women’s Retreat
With Deborah Eden Tull
All light arises from darkness. This includes insight, creativity, vision, and possibility. Darkness is not the absence of light, but a vital, regenerative, and healing expression of nature and consciousness. Join us for a restorative and empowering women’s retreat based in embodied meditation, relational mindfulness, and conscious dance. Together we will shift away from the […]
Libido: Riding the Waves, an Open Floor Movement Workshop
With Andrea Juhan
Variety may be the one and only truly universal characteristic of human sexuality. — E. Nagoski The ups and downs of our days, months, and years are unpredictable, but change will always be constant and reliable. The energy we call libido, in all the ways we might perceive it — as sexuality, vitality, creativity, aliveness, […]
Self-Guided Explorations Week of August 26-30, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
Source to Screen: Accessing, Manifesting, and Transmitting Great Ideas
With Paola di Florio and Peter Rader
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. In the words of Carl Jung, “People don't have ideas. Ideas have people.” […]
Belonging to Ourselves, Each Other, and Our Planet: A Relational Mindfulness Retreat
With Deborah Eden Tull
While we sometimes draw a division between sitting meditation and how we show up to the beautiful and messy field of socializing and relationships, relational mindfulness helps us bridge this divide. Every relationship we will ever have begins with our relationship with ourselves. Beyond the myth of separation, conditioned beliefs, and false divisions that feed […]
Unfolding Potential: Healing Transgenerational Trauma through Systemic Constellation Work
With Stephan Hausner
Despite our greatest efforts, some of us still struggle to create happy relationships and live our lives fully. These difficulties and challenges are often related to unconscious bonds and loyalties to our family. Systemic constellation work is the method we will use to recognize, understand and resolve these unconscious ties and hidden loyalties. In this […]
Self-Guided Explorations Weekend of August 30 - September 1, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
Into the Field of Possibility: Meeting Your Essence Through Dance
With Jovinna Chan
Dance is one of the world’s most ancient transformative rituals. From the whirling dervishes to the shamans, the waltz to the rave, we dance for joy, healing, and connection — guided by wisdom that transcends the thinking brain. This five-day retreat is an invitation to come together to awaken the forgotten wild, ignite your creativity, […]
Designing the Life We Want
With Mark Nicolson and Caitlin Wild
Have you created the impact you want? Are you showing up the way you’d like? Are you going in the right direction? You have never before been where you are right now. You have never been the age you are today, never had the experiences you now possess. This is your time to pause and […]
Wild Presence: Relational Gestalt Practice in Nature
With Dorothy Charles, Noël Vietor and Fletcher Tucker
“Wilderness, by itself, has its own way of teaching. The direct experience of wilderness can spontaneously bring wholeness back into the human community.” – Manual of Gestalt Practice in the Tradition of Dick Price When we are present in the here and now, every moment in the natural world represents an opportunity to enrich, heal, […]
Self-Guided Explorations Week of September 2-6, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
Meditation and Modern Life: A Zen Meditation Retreat
With Dan Zigmond
When was the last time you gave something your undivided attention? Nearly 2,500 years ago, Buddha worried we had become too distracted — and that was before paper, let alone smartphones. In 2022, our days are filled with convenient distractions that promise happiness while mostly delivering busyness and frustration. So many of us today live […]
A Journey Into the World of Dreams: Exploring the Depths of the Unconscious
With Machiel Klerk
Machiel Klerk will lead participants on a journey into the mysterious world of dreams. Through various experiential exercises and discussions, we will explore how to tap into the wisdom and guidance of our inner selves, unlocking new levels of creativity, insight, and personal growth. Dreams are a powerful tool for accessing the inner workings of […]
Fundamentals of Esalen® Massage
With Daniela Urbassek and Malachi Stone
This workshop is a perfect opportunity for you to enjoy the natural beauty of Esalen’s land while gaining a foundation in Esalen® Massage. Senior teachers and staff will guide you in this experience of connection and presence translated to the massage table. Through lecture, demonstration and practice with your fellow students, you will be introduced […]
Altered States: Pathways to Expansion
With Stacia Butterfield, Marques Redd and Andrew Holecek
You are an explorer, and you represent our species, and the greatest good you can do is to bring back a new idea, because our world is endangered by the absence of good ideas. Our world is in crisis because of the absence of consciousness. —Terence McKenna We humans are curious and since time immemorial, […]
Altered States | Holotropic Breathwork® Pathway
With Stacia Butterfield
Explore Holotropic Breathwork® as a pathway to reach non-ordinary states of consciousness. For thousands of years and across many cultures, breathwork has been used to induce enhanced states of consciousness as a strategy for meaningful transformation and self-exploration. These states can mark life’s major transitions and rites of passage and deepen one’s connection to self, […]
Altered States | The Five Nocturnal Meditations Pathway
With Andrew Holecek
The five nocturnal meditations allow you to explore and stabilize altered states of consciousness with full lucidity every night. Those meditations are a unique form of “night school” and include: liminal dreaming, lucid dreaming, dream yoga, yoga nidra, and bardo yoga. These five meta-meditations can open the aperture of your mind, and give you access […]
Altered States | African Ritual and Sacred Art Pathway
With Marques Redd
According to Nigerian-Igbo myth-science, human history can be divided into Four World Ages: eras of Divine Unity, Separation, Civilization, and Chaos. Blending visual art, traditional African cosmology and ritual, and creative expression, this pathway invites profound engagement with ancient wisdom and personal discovery. Participants will watch a film that explores these four stages, and then […]
The Power of Mindfulness and Self-Compassion
With Shauna Shapiro
Learn how mindfulness and self-compassion can change everything about how you feel, how you relate and how you live ― for good. In this workshop, Shauna Shapiro ― a leading scientist studying the effects of mindfulness + compassion on well-being ― shows us that acting with compassion toward ourselves is the key. She explains basic […]
The Power of Breath: Embodied Liberation
With Sadia Bruce
To breathe well is to live well. When we befriend the breath, we expand our capacity for choice, change, joy, and healing. When we embody breath — allowing limbs and bones to express outwardly the dynamic, unceasing pulsation of life within — we touch freedom. In this new and electrifying experiential workshop, we’ll explore and […]
Self-Guided Explorations Weekend of September 13-15, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
Roll Into Fall Release: Yoga and the Foam Roller
With Ulrika Engman
Surprise yourself with this fresh and creative way to renew your yoga practice this fall: familiar poses with the help of soft foam rollers. Autumn is a natural time to explore the many ways to release, reset, and go inward. It’s your season to unwind the restless patterns of body and mind, to reset the […]
The Buddha, the Brain, and Bach: Exploring Practice in Mind, Music, and Life
With Barbara Bogatin, Nikki Mirghafori and Clifford Saron
You are what you practice. Or, as the Buddha said, “Whatever you frequently reflect and ponder upon, that becomes the inclination of your mind.” This essential observation is examined from our intertwined perspectives on contemplative practice, brain science, and music. Through interactive inquiries and guided meditations, Nikki Mirghafori will lead a journey into mindfulness and […]
Awake in the Wild: Mindfulness in Nature as a Doorway to Joy, Wisdom, and Wonder
With Mark Coleman and Lori Schwanbeck
Do you love the beauty of the outdoors and delight in the wonder of nature? Do you want to learn how to meditate outdoors? Would you like practices to stay grounded, connected, and open-hearted in life? Then what better place to discover all this than in the majesty of the Big Sur coastline, where we […]
The Next You: The Art of Futuremaking
With Cassandra Vieten and Bristol Baughan
What innate potential lies dormant within you? What dreams are yearning to be expressed? What does it look like to be fully alive, live an integrated and embodied life, and become an engaged part of the larger ecosystem of nature and community? It’s time to meet your future self and find out. This workshop focuses […]
Self-Guided Explorations Weekend of September 20-22, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
Beyond Duality: Healing Wisdom and Ceremony for Personal Health and Well-Being
With Erika Gagnon
Join ceremonial leader and wisdom carrier Erika Gagnon on a sacred journey as we gather to look beyond the false duality of a divided self and the destructive concept of “self versus nature” to discover how to live in harmony and balance within ourselves and the world around us. You are your greatest healer and […]
Tantra: Freedom, Embodiment, and Transformation
With Sravana Borkataky-Varma and Keith Edward Cantú
Have you ever dived into the ocean of Tantra? Join Tantric scholar-practitioners Sravana Borkataky-Varma and Keith Edward Cantú as we explore Tantric practices and perspectives on topics like freedom from external interference and self-sovereignty (Sanskrit svādhikāra), the link between physical and so-called “subtle bodies,” and the creation of physical mandalas (maṇḍala) or circles and other […]
Self-Guided Explorations Week of September 23-27, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
The Space Between: Where Tensegrity Meets the Subtle Body
With Kate Flore and Kevin Dockery
“A brain without a body couldn’t think.” — Moshe Feldenkrais “We want to get you to a place where gravity is your friend, a nourishing force.” — Dr. Ida P. Rolf Human beings are relational by nature. We are an intricate web of anatomy, energy, space, and time that takes shape through our life experiences. […]
Flow Into Fall: Unlocking Abundance & Awakening Vitality
With Sianna Sherman and Masood Ali Khan
Flow into fall to awaken the inner codes of abundance and vitality with yoga, nature, and community. As we journey into the autumn season, we are guided to turn within and alchemize the inner gold. In the yoga tradition, there are four key aims — purpose, prosperity, love, and liberation — to support this transformation […]
Know Justice Know Peace: Reconnection, Healing, and Oneness through the Power of the Enneagram
With Dr. Deborah Egerton
Join us for an enriching exploration into the transformative potential of the Enneagram and discover its profound capacity for fostering reconnection and oneness. As we commemorate the two-year anniversary of Dr. Deborah Egerton's impactful best-seller, Know Justice Know Peace, we will explore the art of coming together through compassion, kindness, healing, and self-awareness. For this […]
The Healing Keys: Biofield Science and the Future of Health
With Shamini Jain
Our current models of medicine fall short of understanding the depths of our human healing potential, but we are on the cusp of finally awakening to a new path. A growing number of scientists are exploring a true expansion of science with a profound understanding of ancient concepts of spirituality. Over a 20-year career, award-winning […]
Wild Tao: Hiking and Qi Gong in Big Sur Wilderness
With Fletcher Tucker and Jim Gallas
In search of balance, the ancient sages of China walked into the woods to attune themselves to nature in its sublime integrity. The timeless wisdom uncovered in their wild wanderings was called simply Tao, “The Way.” Qigong — the practice at the heart of Taoism — is dedicated to harmonizing body, mind, and spirit with […]
Love Your Body Now: A Yoga Therapy Approach to Joyous, Full-Body Awareness as We Age
With Tracy Lease
You deserve to feel ease and joy in your body as you age. Movement, time in nature, breath, quiet contemplation, and “Aha!” moments all contribute to expanding happiness and delight in life. Though this is true, you may face challenges. Changes to our bodies — aches and pains, joint replacements, osteoporosis, heart issues, and other […]
Self-Guided Explorations Week of September 30 - October 4, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
The Heart of Relationship: A Weekend of Gestalt Inquiry for Couples and Friends
With Perry Holloman and Johanna Holloman
Fostering close and connected relationships is one of the most important things affecting the quality of our lives. Cultivating trust and openness with a loved one, whether they be an intimate partner or friend, is an essential aspect of any successful, supportive relationship. This weekend, Perry and Johanna Holloman, intimate partners and friends for over […]
Deep Rest, Recovery, and Renewal: From Burnout to Vitality
With Elissa Epel
Join us to experience deep rest and renewal! You need and deserve this. So many of us are overtaxed by constant demands, burdens, and worries, especially those of us providing extra support for others through caregiving, healthcare, activism, and other service-oriented jobs. We bring you expertise in the science, art, and practice of restoration from […]
The Path of the Wounded Healer: 5Rhythms Heartbeat and Trauma Sensitive Mindfulness
With Lucia Horan
The healing path has a trajectory. Gabrielle Roth called this, The Path of The Wounded Healer. It is here that we look closely at our healing process. We mark both where we are and where we want to be. We dance through the five stages of healing in relationship to being the victim, the survivor, […]
Portals and Pathways: Ecstatic Experience, Music, and Jung’s Red Book
With John W. Price and Rodney Waters
We are all participants in the ancient and the modern, the ego and the unconscious, the personal and the transcendent — though we all seem to forget these dual allegiances. When we go into nature, when we listen to music, when we encounter the numinous in whatever form it may manifest, we are reminded of […]
Discovering Childhood Solutions, Enacted in our Adult Body, Preventing Physical and Emotional Healing. Advanced CFR®
With Harriet Goslins, Judy Greenman, Melissa Krikorian and Tomas Prietto
Recent brain research reveals how constant predictions based on old information can run our lives. As we are flooded with current sensory information, our brains compare past and present to identify discrepancies called “prediction errors," updating the old predictions to create a better working model of the world. Inaccurate predictions are often based on unconscious […]
Self-Guided Explorations Week of October 7-11, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
The Art of Non-Sleep Deep Rest: A Rejuvenating Yoga Nidra Retreat
With Kelly Boys
In this retreat, you will get in touch with a deep relaxation to rejuvenate the body and the mind through non-sleep deep rest (NSDR) and yoga nidra. No matter your reasons — whether you need a break from the constant pressure, are in a life transition, or just want to delve deeper into your meditation […]
Moon Lodge: Honoring the Sacred Feminine
With Lucia Horan and Dr. Julie Von
How empowered do you feel as a woman navigating this world? What is your relationship to the feminine? And to female wisdom? Join us inside the Moon Lodge, a place for exploration — for women to find tribal and ritual healing. The 5Rhythms is a map that teaches us how energy moves. It shows us […]
Self-Guided Explorations Weekend of October 11-13, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
Flowing Through Transition: A Sacred Autumn Pause
With Jillian Pransky
“Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.” —Chinese Proverb Join us for deep release and renewal as we pause to align with autumn, acknowledge the sacred cycle of life, and move gracefully through this transitory season. Autumn is a time of letting go and accepting the impermanence of things. […]
Awakening Joy: Finding Well-Being in Difficult Times
With Jane Baraz and James Baraz
True happiness is not about acquiring anything; instead, it comes from opening to the natural joy and aliveness inside you. As we are bombarded with messages that heighten our fear and sadness about the world, more than ever, it is vital to understand the importance of joy as a central aspect of mindfulness practice. We […]
Self-Guided Explorations Weekend of October 18-20, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
The Transformational Enneagram: Mindfulness, Insight and Experience
With Russ Hudson
More and more, people are discovering the Enneagram as an accurate and profound map of personality. In this workshop, we’ll explore the full scope of its power to illuminate our greatest wisdom, become our truest selves, and face life’s challenges with fortitude and grace. The nine Enneagram types are based on the three primary centers […]
Self-Guided Explorations Week of October 21 - 25
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
Emptiness Dancing: An Open Floor Movement Workshop
With Andrea Juhan
Most of us have experienced a flow state at least once or twice. On the dance floor, it sometimes happens that you find yourself in a state of exquisite surrender to the spirit that dances us; those timeless moments when we disappear and all that’s left is Emptiness Dancing. Often these moments feel like “happy […]
From Practice to Freedom: The Foundations of Self-Mastery
With Jovinna Chan
To fully be in touch with the essence of who we are, and vibrantly live from there, we must embark on a journey to take us from outside distraction to our innermost world. We must travel like a pilgrim, with one pointed focus. There, we expand our awareness to melt into the embrace of silence, […]
Embraced by the Earth: Embodied Herbalism, Plant Meditation, and Folk Medicine
With Marysia Miernowska
“You carry Mother Earth within you. She is not outside of you. Mother Earth is not just your environment. In that insight of inter being, it is possible to have real communication with the Earth, which is the highest form of prayer.” - Thich Nhat Hanh Join herbalist, medicine woman, and plant spirit teacher Marysia […]
Art as Medicine
With Daria Halprin
“If art doesn’t make us better, then what on earth is it for?” –Alice Walker How can art contribute to healing while staying centered in the creative process? What kind of art-making responds to the therapeutic experience? What does it mean to live an aesthetic life? And what is possible when we do? In the […]
Yoga and Devotion: Living Life With Joy and Purpose
With Hannah Muse
Attention is the beginning of devotion. – Mary Oliver A life of fulfillment requires fostering connection with what truly matters to us, whatever that may be. It’s easy to lose sight of what we’re devoted to. In this workshop, we’ll have tranquil, uninterrupted space for yoga, storytelling, and contemplative practice to clear our minds and […]
Designing the Life We Want: Self Renewal in the Fall
With Mark Nicolson
Have you created the impact you want? Are you showing up the way you’d like? Are you going in the right direction? You have never before been where you are right now. You have never been the age you are today, never had the experiences you now possess. This is your time to pause and […]
Relational Gestalt Practice: Presence, Contact and Communication
With Dorothy Charles
In 1938, researchers at Harvard University began a 75-year study that addressed life’s fundamental question: What makes a good life? The Grant Study, also known as the Harvard Study of Adult Development, found strong relationships to be the clearest predictor of life satisfaction. In Relational Gestalt practice, direct and response-able communication is essential for creating […]
Self-Guided Explorations Week of November 4-8, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
Meditation and Modern Life: A Zen Meditation Retreat
With Dan Zigmond
When was the last time you gave something your undivided attention? Nearly 2,500 years ago, Buddha worried we had become too distracted — and that was before paper, let alone smartphones. In 2022, our days are filled with convenient distractions that promise happiness while mostly delivering busyness and frustration. So many of us today live […]
Harnessing the Power of Creation through African Ritual
With Marques Redd
Open to people of all backgrounds and experience levels, this workshop will explore the lessons that traditional African spirituality can teach us about creation, how the universe was brought into being, how to manifest things we want in the world, and how to fashion a life filled with divine harmony. It will first introduce the […]
Esalen® Massage: Couples, Partners & Friends
With Robin Fann-Costanzo and Patrick Stockstill
Come enjoy the beauty of Big Sur during the quiet time as the days shorten and sunsets blaze across the sky. This is a perfect season to awaken touch, our forgotten language. In this introductory massage course, participants will learn to listen to each other, gain the sensory skill of initiating touch, experience the felt […]
Healing Waters: Rites of Passage & the Embodied Masculine
With Douglas Drummond and Little Bear Tom Nason
Join us for this unique opportunity to explore the masculine traditions of the Esselen Tribe, integrated with the fundamentals of the 5Rhythms® movement practice. Answer the call of 55000 Highway 1’s healing waters and travel with Douglas and Little Bear on a hero’s journey. Together, we will explore what it means to embody the sacred […]
Holotropic Breathwork®: Expanded States of Consciousness
With Stacia Butterfield
For thousands of years across many cultures, enhanced states of consciousness have been used as a strategy for meaningful transformation and self-exploration — marking life’s major transitions and rites of passage and deepening one’s connection to self, community, and the natural world. In this workshop, we will gather in the rich field of community for […]
Self-Guided Explorations Week of November 11-15, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
The Healing Voice: Exploring the Sonic Anatomy
With The Brothers Koren and Eileen McKusick
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 […]
Role Mate to Soul Mate: The Art and Discipline of Love
With Warren Farrell
Since falling in love is biologically natural, but sustaining love is biologically unnatural, Soul Mate focuses on the art and discipline of sustaining love. You begin with learning how to appreciate your partner so specifically and frequently that your partner feels fully seen and loved. You then practice both the art and discipline of hearing […]
Self-Guided Explorations Weekend of November 15-17, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
Awakening the Heart of Belonging: An Embodied Inquiry into Curiosity, Courage, and Compassion
With Steven Harper
The hunger to belong is at the heart of our nature. ~ John O’Donohue Uncertain times have shaken and are shaking our habitual ways of being. Individually and collectively, we are experiencing anxiety, disconnection, and the reality of impermanence even as we begin our journey into the ever-forming new “realities.” Now more than ever, we […]
Unlock the Storyteller Within through Writing and Yoga
With Darnell Lamont Walker and Cara Chandler
Somewhere inside you - buried deeply, or maybe just below the surface - there is a story you’ve been wanting to tell. Movement and mindfulness practices are carefully curated to support moving past your creative obstacles and connect you with your inner voice. We invite you to connect to that deeper authentic story and that […]
Higher Self & You: Illuminate Your Inner Compass through Hypnotherapy and Your Spirit Guides
With AJA Daashuur and Laurnie Wilson
What shackles bind your higher self's ascent? What reservoirs of latent power lie dormant within your being? How can you deepen your communion with your highest self to unleash its limitless potential and guiding light? Embark on a sacred journey of soul discovery with medium and spiritual guide AJA and multidisciplinary hypnotherapist Laurnie Wilson. Immerse […]
Gratitude Retreat
With Janet Stone
We gather on this powerful land for a weekend to remember — with our bodies, minds, and spirits — all that we have to be grateful for. Amidst all of the turmoil, we come together in community to remember that we are enough as we are. Through yoga, meditation, reflection, cliff side baths, and walking […]
Giving Thanks: A Yoga Retreat
With Janet Stone
“Enoughness” is the starting point of any journey toward gratitude. We begin to fully take in the profound gift of all that is unfolding only when we recognize that we are enough. With Esalen as our transformative container, let’s meet during the week of Thanksgiving. Let’s honor the land and the Esselen people, the indigenous […]
A Return to Radiance: Igniting the Flame of Your Heart Through Movement, Live Music, and Chakra Activation
With Cristi Christensen and Marques Wyatt
Join us for a transformative journey to rekindle the seven flames of consciousness within you. Led by Cristi Christensen, with musical guidance and scoring by renowned DJ Marques Wyatt and the celestial vocals of Donna De Lory, this five-day workshop over Thanksgiving week invited you to shift from a life of “meh” to a resounding […]
Gratitude for Our Ancestors: Healing Our Lineage & Ourselves
With Erika Gagnon
Join ceremonial leader and wisdom carrier Erika Gagnon on a sacred journey as we gather to look at our ancestral lineage and how our ancestors continue to influence and affect our lives today. Gratitude for our ancestors! We are the reality of their dreaming. We are the tip of the arrow of our entire ancestral […]
The Essential Qigong of China: The Energy, the Movement, and the Stories
With Chungliang Al Huang
Master Chungliang “Uncle Al” Huang, one of Esalen’s most cherished faculty members, brings 50+ years of teaching experience to welcome you into China’s ancient practice of qigong. During this workshop, Master Huang will teach the most essential qigong exercises — guiding students through energetic practices of movement, storytelling, and subtle energy work. This is an […]
Integrative Gestalt Practice™: Unlock Your Authentic Life Through Self-Inquiry
With Perry Holloman and Johanna Holloman
Integrative Gestalt Practice™ is a method of self-inquiry developed by Perry and Johanna Holloman over the last 30 years. Self-inquiry is a powerful practice for discovering and living that which is most authentic in us. This in-depth program is for those wanting to experience the practice of Gestalt Inquiry to support their self-exploration. Integrative Gestalt […]
Creative Tai Ji Experience: Change, Transformation, Metamorphosis
With Chungliang Al Huang
To be truly creative, to let go of preconceived restrictions, is to allow yourself the freedom to flow. Taoist wisdom calls this Wu Wei — the art of not interfering with what is already happening. During this weeklong workshop, we will playfully reinvent Tai Ji forms with ancient Tai Ji rituals, Five Moving Forces of […]
Self-Guided Explorations Week of December 2-6, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
Self-Guided Explorations Weekend of December 6-8, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
Aligning with Nature: A Winter Solstice Yoga Retreat
With Sarana Miller
Winter solstice is a time to reflect — to cultivate vitality and nurture ourselves. The dark days of winter are an opportune time to slow down and make space for self-care. This winter solstice yoga retreat will focus on cultivating inner awareness. By practicing in community, we build inner vitality and brightness to return home […]
Go Within Week of December 16-20, 2024
With Teachers in Residence
Use for 4-Night weekday workshops, 6-Night Mon - Sun workshops, or 7-night Fri - Fri workshops--RG will autocalculate the correct pricing. Venue Color Codes: Hux - #7996e5 RT - #eab885 BY - #b1f8f9 MH - #ea9fea LP - #c6c5e5 PY - #3aad9a AB - #f7f494 PH - #9dcc82
Soul Motion®: Tenderness at the Heart of the Dance
With Scott Engler and Zuza Engler
Soul is flow. It’s an ever-changing play of sensations and feelings. It’s how the deathless presence meets and moves our finite human body. In this workshop, we will reclaim the body-in-motion as a doorway to the life unfolding just under the surface of everyday forgetting. A formless dance form, Soul Motion® allows for passionate, full-bodied […]
The Luminous Darkness: Imagination, Possibility, and Conscious Intentions for 2025
With Deborah Eden Tull
All light arises from darkness, including insight, creativity, vision, joy, and possibility. The luminous darkness is the healing presence and receptivity through which we also access light. It is the field of all potential and emergence that we sometimes forget in the context of ordinary life and habit. In this deeply restorative retreat, at the […]
Releasing into Presence: A Meditation, Mantra, Music and Movement Retreat
With Chandra Easton
Bring in the New Year with a rejuvenating week filled with meditation, yoga, hot springs, and the time and space to release the old and welcome the new. We’ll slow down and experience the benefits meditation, gentle yoga, and music offer the body, mind, and soul. Buddhist teacher and author Lopön Chandra will share expert […]
New Year Meditation Retreat: Self-Love and Kindness That Benefits All
With Mark Abramson
Meditating in noble silence offers a special opportunity to focus inward, deeply connect with oneself, and reflect on life goals. The New Year, with its connection to the winter solstice and new beginnings, is the perfect time to silently journey inward. You are invited to set intentions and explore, through seated and moving meditation, themes […]
Self-Guided Explorations Week of December 30, 2024 - January 3, 2025
With Teachers in Residence
Letting go of entrenched ideas — of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This model of change encompasses both personal and communal, and it’s […]
Digital Hybrid | Template
NOTE - Template includes: Early bird pricing--edit if using, turn off if not. Discount code turned on, turn off if not using (Registration tab). Replay links email - may need to edit send date based on when uploaded (Email tab)