Esalen Movement Practitioners

Below is a list of the people who teach movement regularly at Esalen. At times, special invited guest practitioners teach as well.

Bea Sochor received her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Physiology from San Jose State University in 1984, after teaching Elementary School since 1974. Teaching yoga to the children in her classroom was an important part of the curriculum. She has studied traditional Hatha Yoga, as well as Iyengar, Ashtanga, and Bikram, spending time in ashrams and yoga centers to study and deepen her practice. She incorporates many modalities to make the class fun, informative and an experience that can be integrated into all parts of life: mental, spiritual, emotional, physical. Although the focus is on wellness, relaxation and breathing, her intention is to offer tools that will benefit students at whatever level they are and to give them skills that can be applied in aspects of their lives. As a certified Primordial Sound Instructor, she integrates the concepts of meditation and pranayama also into the yoga experience.

Dianne Miller Dianne is a Halprin practitioner since 1973. Four of those years were devoted to receiving a B.A. in Psychology emphasizing the Halprin methods. For fifteen years she was a practitioner and teacher on the Esalen massage staff, since then she has maintained a private practice. She is currently a part of the Esalen movement program. Through her practice of collective creativity, she contributed to the origin of the first Esalen Community Council. She established and coordinated the first Esalen Reach-Out Program, which originally was for Vietnam Vets, and Esalen's first nursery school. She came up with the idea for Work-Scholars, Experiencing Esalen, Floaters in the kitchen, and Spacemates. She has worked for many years with children in education, receiving recognition as an innovative thinker, facilitator and as a dancer.

Ellen Watson (www.movingventures.org) practices and teaches movement arts at Esalen, and is a member of the massage crew. She currently focuses her attention on Hatha Yoga, The Wave,™ and the Roth 5Rhythms,™ a dancing meditation developed by Gabrielle Roth. A recent passion of hers is learning Swing Dancing. Ellen also practices and teaches massage at Esalen. At other locations around the world, she combines teaching massage and movement. Ellen loves her work and has trained with many wonderful teachers, including Gabrielle Roth, Stanislav Grof, Terrance McKenna, Emily Conrad, Susan Harper, Eli Jaxon Bear, and the White Lotus Foundation.

Johanna Holloman is a licensed clinical psychologist, Gestalt therapist and teacher of deep bodywork from Germany. She has studied yoga, dance and the martial arts for many years. At Esalen she was trained as a yoga teacher by Thomas Fortel. Being a student and teacher-in-training of the Diamond Approach she brings a spiritual orientation to all aspects of her work. Various yoga teachers like Shiva Rea have influenced her flowing teaching style, combining Ashtanga with Iyengar practices. Using breath and awareness she emphasizes presence within the trance-like, often vigorous flow through the poses and vinyasas. The deeper intention for her classes is to access true nature, developing our capacity to be present in each and every moment. Johanna is also a member of the Esalen massage crew.

Kevin Burke Burke began studies of comparative spiritual philosophy in 1968. Initiated into Kriya Yoga in 1970, he has practiced Raja Yoga ever since. He started studying Tai Chi Chuan at Esalen Institute in 1998. He began teaching the Yang Style Short Form at Esalen in 2002. His employment background includes eight years of public school teaching, fifteen years in public administration, and ten years as a professional bodyworker. He is a certified Esalen Massage Practitioner and currently serves as a staff member in the Esalen office. His Tai Chi class includes Chi Gung warm-up exercises, an introduction to the Tai Chi form, elements of Taoist philosophy, as well as meditation techniques.

Rick Cannon currently manages the Esalen Movement Arts Program. He has been studying movement, yoga, meditation and music throughout most of his adult life and more intensively at Esalen for the past twelve years. In his time at Esalen, Rick has taught Hatha, Yin and Restorative Yoga, Dynamic and Kundalini active meditations, an improvisational dance form called Dance Aware, Devotional Chanting, the ITP Kata and many other forms of meditation. In his world travels he has studied yoga and meditation practices in a variety of institutions in Europe, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia and throughout the U.S. Rick completed the first Esalen yoga staff training and has taught yoga at other locations in Big Sur and the Monterey peninsula.

Thomas Michael Fortel is a longtime yoga practitioner/teacher, influenced by the Iyengar and Ashtanga styles. He blends strong practice, focus on alignment and breath, and compassionate support. He presently resides in Big Sur and leads workshops and retreats around the U.S. as well as internationally.