Esalen is open!

Starting Friday May 17 at 6:30 a.m., Highway 1 north of Esalen will reopen with the use of a 24/7 signalized traffic control, providing unrestricted public access with one-way alternating traffic in both the north and southbound directions. Please plan travel accordingly to accommodate a brief delay of up to 10-15 minutes at the traffic control site.

Highway 1 south of Esalen remains closed. Guests traveling from points south of us, please take the alternate route through Monterey.

Learn more.

Learn more.

Due to road closures along Highway 1 to our north and south, Esalen is closed through April 11.
Esalen Institute is open! However, Highway 1 to the south is closed — please review the alternate route directions.

Esalen opens May 3, 2024

Visitors are now able to access Esalen as well as other businesses and trails in northern Big Sur via twice-daily convoys on Highway 1 operated by Caltrans.

Convoys run only at 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. each day. These are the only opportunities to travel into and out of Big Sur, so visitors must plan accordingly.

Learn more.

Justin Michael Williams

Justin Michael Williams is an award-winning author, Grammy-nominated recording artist, and transformational speaker who has become a pioneering voice for diversity and inclusion in wellness.

From growing up with gunshot holes outside of his bedroom window to sharing the stage with Marianne Williamson and Deepak Chopra, Justin knows well the pain of adversity and the power of healing to overcome. He has since been featured by the Wall Street Journal, Grammy.com, Billboard.com, The Root, the Advocate, Yoga Journal, and SXSW®. He is on the Board of Trustees of the Esalen Institute, is a recurring keynote corporate and higher education speaker at places such as Google, Bloomberg, and universities around the world, and is a voting member of the Grammy Awards Recording Academy.

With his groundbreaking book Stay Woke and nearly two decades of teaching experience, Justin’s message of hope and empowerment has spread to more than 40 countries around the globe, particularly through his national "Stay Woke, Give Back" tour bringing mindfulness to youth in underserved communities. Justin is dedicated to using his voice to serve, to being a beacon of hope for those who are lost, and to making sure all people, of all backgrounds, have access to the information they need to change their lives.

Justin Michael Williams is a transformational voice bringing people together across divides with a multigenerational message of hope, empowerment, and unity. He is an award-winning speaker and teacher, a Grammy-nominated recording artist, and the author of the groundbreaking book Stay Woke.

Justin Michael Williams

Justin Michael Williams is an award-winning author, Grammy-nominated recording artist, and transformational speaker who has become a pioneering voice for diversity and inclusion in wellness.

From growing up with gunshot holes outside of his bedroom window to sharing the stage with Marianne Williamson and Deepak Chopra, Justin knows well the pain of adversity and the power of healing to overcome. He has since been featured by the Wall Street Journal, Grammy.com, Billboard.com, The Root, the Advocate, Yoga Journal, and SXSW®. He is on the Board of Trustees of the Esalen Institute, is a recurring keynote corporate and higher education speaker at places such as Google, Bloomberg, and universities around the world, and is a voting member of the Grammy Awards Recording Academy.

With his groundbreaking book Stay Woke and nearly two decades of teaching experience, Justin’s message of hope and empowerment has spread to more than 40 countries around the globe, particularly through his national "Stay Woke, Give Back" tour bringing mindfulness to youth in underserved communities. Justin is dedicated to using his voice to serve, to being a beacon of hope for those who are lost, and to making sure all people, of all backgrounds, have access to the information they need to change their lives.

Justin Michael Williams is a transformational voice bringing people together across divides with a multigenerational message of hope, empowerment, and unity. He is an award-winning speaker and teacher, a Grammy-nominated recording artist, and the author of the groundbreaking book Stay Woke.

Website

Past Workshops