Learn more about Esalen workshop leaders from past and present.
Amory Lovins is chairman and chief scientist of Rocky Mountain Institute. Published in 31 books and over 450 papers, his innovations linking energy, design, security, environment, and development have received many global awards. He has advised major firms and governments in 50+ countries for 40+ years on advanced energy and resource efficiency.
David R. Loy is a professor, writer, and Zen teacher in the Sanbo Kyodan tradition of Japanese Zen Buddhism. David teaches meditation and offers workshops internationally on personal and social transformation. His most recent book is The World Is Made of Stories.
Francis G. Lu is the Luke & Grace Kim Endowed Professor in Cultural Psychiatry at UC Davis. Since 1987 he has coled 24 seminars at Esalen exploring film and the transpersonal.
Fred Luskin directs the Stanford Forgiveness Projects and is a senior teacher and supervisor for the Compassion and Altruism Research and Education program at Stanford. He is the author of Forgive for Good and Stress Free for Good. At Stanford he teaches classes on Happiness and Emotional Intelligence.
Lauren Mackler is a coach, psychotherapist, and author of the international bestseller, Solemate. Creator of Illumineering Coaching, Lauren has helped people around the world to liberate their innate potential and become who they were born to be.
Miranda Macpherson is known for her capacity to guide people into direct experience of the sacred. Founder of the Interfaith Seminary in London, and a primary teacher at the Findhorn Foundation, Miranda cofounded the Feminine Wisdom School with Lama Palden and Sherry Anderson.
Eric Maisel is a creativity coach and author of more than 30 books, including Rethinking Depression, Mastering Creative Anxiety, Toxic Criticism, Fearless Creating and Coaching the Artist Within. He presents workshops in New York, London, Paris, and Berlin.
Samuel A. Malkemus, MA, is a PhD student in the East-West Psychology Program at CIIS. He presents workshops and facilitates individualized processes on Holistic Sexuality as well as working with the creators of Holistic Sexuality, Marina T. Romero and Ramon V. Albareda, on a project based on the work.
Jamie Marich, PhD, is the author of Trauma and the Twelve Steps and EMDR Made Simple. She formerly worked as a humanitarian aid worker in post-war Bosnia; now she travels the country offering workshops on topics related to trauma and addiction while maintaining a private practice in Youngstown, Ohio.
John Marks is president and founder of Search for Common Ground, an international conflict transformation organization. He also heads Common Ground Productions. A best-selling, award-winning author, in 2006 he was awarded a Skoll Fellowship for Social Entrepreneurship.
Vanda Marlow left a business career in her native London to find her vocation. Now, as a leadership and relationship coach, she inspires people in the fearless pursuit of joy-filled, juicy lives.
Dean Marson teaches Esalen® Massage and Ocean Yoga. He integrates meditation, movement, and bodywork practices to assist people in enlivening their bodies and their lives. He has led workshops at Esalen and internationally for more than 20 years.
Vinn Martí is a movement artist, teacher, and spiritual friend, living in Portland, Ore. He teaches Soul Motion internationally, and is a certified Chaplain and Prayer Practitioner through the New Thought Alliance of Churches.
Diana Marto is an international environmental performance artist, visual artist, activist, and teacher. She has performed and exhibited in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and North America. She teaches papermaking as a spiritual practice.
Djuna Mascall is a senior teacher with Prajna Yoga who offers workshops nationally and in Canada. She lives in Marin, Calif., and leads retreats, classes, and teacher training. She was featured in Yoga Journal in August 2012 and graced the cover of the October 2012 issue.
Charlea Massion is a family physician and works as a hospitalist and palliative care physician. She teaches in the Division of Family and Community Medicine at Stanford University Medical Center and is on the Boards of the National Women's Health Network and American College of Women's Health Physicians.
Edward W. Maupin, a psychologist who was an Esalen scholar-in-residence from 1966 to 1970, has practiced Rolfing since 1968, when he was trained by Dr. Ida Rolf. His early research in Zen Buddhism strongly influenced his approach to the Rolf Method.
Camille Maurine co-authored Meditation Secrets for Women and Meditation 24/7. A dancer and performing artist who has taught movement, meditation, and expression since 1975, Camille is the creator of kinAesthetics and the transformational Moving Theater process.
Ingrid May is a German-trained physical therapist and since 1986 has been an Esalen Bodywork practioner and massage teacher. The founder/co-director of Oasis School of Massage and Healing Arts in Buenos Aires, she teaches trainings and workshops internationally.
Ivy Mayer Lavie, MFT, is influenced by Somatic Experiencing, the Hakomi Method, and her teaching experience, including for The Marin School, The Moving Center School, Spirit Rock, and Yes!. She offers Coming of Age programs, psychotherapy, trauma and resiliency work, and movement workshops. She is an original "child of Esalen" who loves to share Esalen with families.
Noah Mazé founded MYogaSchool in Los Angeles, Calif., and teaches yoga internationally. Noah began practicing yoga at age 14, studying with Richard Freeman, Pattabhi Jois, and senior Iyengar yoga teacher Manouso Mano. He was a certified Anusara instructor for many years.
Jennifer McChristian is an award-winning artist who was born and raised in Montreal, Canada. In 1986, she moved to California, where she was an animation artist for Disney and Nickelodeon, among other studios. She has studied under Robert Blue, Karl Dempwolf, and Steve Huston, and leads painting and drawing workshops internationally.
Jim McCormick trained with Zero Balancing founder, Dr. Fritz Smith. He is chairman of the board of directors and the on the faculty of the Zero Balancing Health Association. He is co-president of Cambridge Health Associates, where he practices Zero Balancing and traditional acupuncture.
Liam McDermott is a permaculture activist, massage therapist, and professionally trained chef with a degree in literature from Stanford University. He leads workshops and caters at several hot springs in central California: Esalen Institute, Tassajara Zen Monastery, and Wilbur Hot Springs.
Sarah McLean, former education director for the Chopra Center for Wellbeing in San Diego, Calif., is the founding director of the Sedona Meditation Training Company, now known as the McLean Meditation Institute. Her book is Soul-Centered: Transform Your Life in 8 Weeks with Meditation.
Lynne McTaggart is an award-winning journalist, a researcher, lecturer, and author of six books, including The Bond, The Intention Experiment, and The Field. She is the architect of the Intention Experiments and co-founder and editorial director of What Doctors Don’t Tell You now an international newsstand magazine.
Anisa Mehdi is an Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist and filmmaker who specializes in religion and the arts. She is an adjunct professor of communications at Seton Hall University and was a 2009-2010 Fulbright Scholar in Jordan. She previously directed Inside Mecca for National Geographic Television and the PBS Frontline special Muslims. She is a member of the board of trustees of Esalen Institute.
Jeff Mendelsohn founded New York Recycled Paper in 1991, and New Leaf Paper in 1998. He has focused his career on building a highly successful green business and driving a fundamental shift toward sustainability in the paper industry.
Elsbeth Meuth, EdD, is co-founder and director of the TantraNova Institute in Chicago. She is a certified Tantra Yoga teacher, relationship and ontological design coach, and coauthored the forthcoming book, Sexual Enlightenment: The Rosetta Stone of the Twenty-First Century.
Peter James Meyers is a professional actor and theater director. He is also the president of Stand & Deliver, a global communications consultancy that helps leaders engage and inspire their teams to achieve breakthrough performance.
Susan Mickel has been meditating since 1990, first in the Christian tradition, then in the Burmese mindfulness tradition, and now in the "pointing-out" style of Tibetan Mahamudra. Her teachers include Daniel Brown and Rahob Tulku, Thupten Kalsang Rinpoche. She has taught meditation retreats since 1998.
Joseph Millar’s first collection of poems, Overtime, was a finalist for the Oregon Book Award. His work has won fellowships from the NEA, and received a 2008 Pushcart Prize, and has appeared in many journals. Millar teaches at Pacific University’s Low Residency MFA program.
Kia Miller teaches at YogaWorks in Los Angeles and leads several of their 200- and 300-hour teacher training programs. Trained in Hatha and Kundalini yoga, she offers a powerful combination of asana, breath, meditation, and chanting that leaves students uplifted and empowered.
Lucy Miller is an artisan natural perfumer and a senior student of Mandy Aftel.
Cathy Miller is a practitioner and instructor of Process Acupressure and Clinical Acupressure through Soul Lightening International. She is a diplomate of Asian Bodywork Therapy (NCCAOM) and the director of Clinical Acupressure Training for Soul Lightening International.
Emmett Miller is widely recognized as a founder of mind/body medicine and as the inventor of the guided-imagery audiocassette/CD. He is the author of Deep Healing and has recorded more than 50 deep-relaxation meditations and talks.
Sarana Miller is a faculty instructor at Yoga Journal and has led annual retreats at Esalen and Wilbur Hot Springs, and in Mexico and Alaska. Trained in the Iyengar and Forrest Yoga traditions, she has been teaching for more than ten years.
Dan Millman is a former world trampoline champion, Stanford University gymnastics coach, and Oberlin College professor whose books, including Way of the Peaceful Warrior, Everyday Enlightenment, The Laws of Spirit, and Living on Purpose, have inspired millions of lives in 29 languages.
Joyce C. Mills, PhD, is an award-winning, internationally recognized trainer, author, play therapist, consultant, and program development specialist. Founder of StoryPlay® Global and codirector of the Phoenix Institute of Ericksonian Therapy, she has authored eight books including Therapeutic Metaphors for Children and The Child Within and Butterfly Wisdom.
Debra Moffitt is the award-winning author of Awake in the World: 108 Practices to Live a Divinely Inspired Life and Garden of Bliss: Cultivating the Inner Landscape for Self-Discovery. Her workshops use spiritual practices to inspire creativity.
Phillip Moffitt, former CEO and editor-in-chief of Esquire magazine, is the founder and president of the Life Balance Institute. He is also co-guiding teacher of Spirit Rock Meditation Center. Phillip is the author of two books: Emotional Chaos to Clarity and Dancing with Life.
Noa Mohlabane is a community activist who has worked with families and teachers for more than 40 years in the nonprofit world in organizational development and program directing. She is a Be Present Inc. regional core organizing group member, trainer, and former board member.
Anneli Molin-Skelton is living her dream of inspiring people to discover the forgotten language of their souls by embracing their sacredness and truth in movement. She is a cofounder of the movement sanctuary Spiritweaves.
Michael Molin-Skelton listens to prayers of the wind and hears music. Michael reaches through dance rather than teaches to dance. “Dance is not something I do, it’s simply who I am.”
Dana Moore, LPCC, CADS, is a founding member of the Trauma Center Yoga Program at the Trauma Center in Boston, Mass., and is on the board of the New Mexico Counseling Association Committee for Spirituality, Ethics, and Religion in Counseling. He maintains a private trauma-focused psychotherapy practice in Santa Fe, and teaches internationally.
Susan Morgan, MSN, RN, CS, is a couples' psychotherapist in private practice and a faculty member of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy. She emphasizes body awareness and empathy in her teaching , and has co-led retreats with William Morgan for the past 15 years.
William Morgan, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist specializing in couples psychotherapy. He has practiced mindfulness meditation throughout his adulthood, including more than 6 years of silent retreats. Bill is a founding faculty member of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy.
Jean Morrison, MA, earned CNVC trainer certification in 1989, and specializes in whole brain learning and thinking, experiential learning, and interactive games. She has facilitated NVC trainings in schools, prisons, business teams, and community organizations internationally. She also is in private practice.
Beverly Kitaen Morse is a marriage and family therapist in private practice in Santa Monica, Calif., and executive director of the Rosenberg-Kitaen Integrative Body Psychotherapy Central Institute and the 12 IBP International Institutes. She is coauthor of The Intimate Couple.
Nancy Mortifee is an educator, author, vocalist, and intimacy coach in Vancouver, BC, who focuses on women and couples. Her eclectic practice includes elements of emotional body work, cognitive-based therapies and Gestalt, which she shares with humor, creativity, and sensitivity.
Gwyneth Moss is a founding EFT Master. Gwyneth's teaching, known as The Moss Method of EFT, is clear, simple, and direct with an abundance of intelligence and humor. She is also certified in neuro linguistic programming and the Human Givens approach to psychotherapy.
Nan Moss is a shamanic practitioner and teacher, serving on the faculty of the Foundation for Shamanic Studies for more than 15 years. She is author of Weather Shamanism: Harmonizing Our Connection with the Elements and CloudDancing: Wisdom from the Sky.
Robert Moss is the creator of Active Dreaming, an original synthesis of modern dreamwork and shamanism. Born in Australia, he leads popular seminars all over the world. His nine books on dreaming, shamanism and imagination include Conscious Dreaming and Dreamways of the Iroquois, among others.
Caroline Muir, founder of the Divine Feminine Institute and coauthor of Tantra: The Art of Conscious Loving, inspires women of all ages to claim their birthright to be all they can be and to delight in their sexuality.
Charles Muir, a professional yoga instructor since 1976, is director of the Source School of Tantra Yoga in Hawaii and California. He is coauthor of Tantra: The Art of Conscious Loving. His work was featured in the Hollywood movies Bliss and The Best Ever.
Paul Muller-Ortega, a life-long meditator, is one of the world’s most respected academic scholars in the field of Hindu Tantra. He founded Blue Throat Yoga, teaching the practice of Neelakantha Meditation and the elegant Svatantra philosophy of Kashmir Shaivism.
Heather Munro Pierce founded TransDance® and has led inspirational, transformative, and healing movement for over 20 years nationally and internationally. She is the creative force behind the dance meditation audio CD Embodied Awakening Through the Elements.
Mary Elizabeth Murphy is an expert at creating innovative grassroots campaigns that target niche markets. She has worked on Academy Award®-winning film The Cove, and other indie hits such as Pina, Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Bottle Shock, and The Way.
Roxanne "Nikki" Myers is a yoga therapist, Somatic Experiencing practitioner, certified recovery specialist, and founder of CITYOGA School of Yoga and Health. Nikki is the co-founder of Y12SR, the Yoga of 12-Step Recovery.
Tom Myers, author of Anatomy Trains and Fascial Release for Structural Balance, directs Kinesis, which offers continuing education for manual and movement professionals. Tom worked directly with Ida Rolf, Moshe Feldenkrais, and Buckminster Fuller as well as in traditions of esoteric anatomy and mystical practice. Tom lives on the coast of Maine.
Mehrad Nazari is a master teacher of the Walt Baptiste Method of Raja Yoga. Dr. Nazari received initiation from Swami Veda Bharati, Kyozan Joshu Roshi, and H.H. The Dalai Lama. As an industrial psychologist, he applies the ancient spiritual practices to the corporate world.
Kristin Neff, PhD, is an associate professor of human development at the University of Texas at Austin. She is a pioneering researcher into the psychological health benefits of self-compassion. She is also the author of Self-Compassion.
Victoria Nelson is the author of On Writer’s Block and five books of fiction, memoir, and literary criticism. She has conducted workshops on creative block in many venues and teaches in the Goddard College MFA creative writing program.
Yeshi Neumann, CNM, MPH, has been working as a midwife since 1970. Her two granddaughters were born into her own hands. She brings her passion for mindfulness, women’s empowerment, healing, and social justice to her work with all different kinds of families.
David Newman (Durga Das), is a Kirtan chant artist, sacred singer songwriter, and a practitioner and educator of Bhakti yoga. David is a recording artist for White Swan Records, the author of Merging with Grace, and the founder of The Stay Strong Project and Yoga On Main.
Sarah Newman designs and implements strategic social action campaigns for films. She has worked on a range of award-winning films, including FOOD, INC., THE COVE, LIVING FOR 32, BITTER SEEDS, WE ARE WISCONSIN and THE SOLOIST. She worked at Participant Media for five years and is now an independent consultant.
Michael Newman is an attorney-mediator, surfer, and lifelong resident of the Big Sur coast. He has an MA in psychology and promotes the integration of wilderness into contemporary life.
Linda Nicholls, DipC, PhD, is a dynamic facilitator with an extensive background in group process. Her direct yet compassionate approach establishes a respectful foundation for discovering genuine whole-person health and harmony. She has developed and taught energetically engaging workshops on five continents.
Mark Nicolson is an organizational consultant based in Silicon Valley, California. He specializes in leadership development and in the effectiveness of teams and organizations. He is also the co-founder of Ventana Group, LeadershipDNA, and the Tutu Peace Ambassadors.
Wes “Scoop” Nisker is a Buddhist meditation teacher, radio commentator, and performer. His books include Essential Crazy Wisdom, Buddha’s Nature, and Crazy Wisdom Saves the World Again! Wes teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, Calif. He founded and co-edits the journal Inquiring Mind.
TS O'Grady is a metal worker and builder who recently moved to New Orleans after a decade in Big Sur.
Leanne O'Shea, MSc, is a psychotherapist and supervisor in private practice in Melbourne, Australia, and a faculty member of Gestalt Therapy Australia. She is co-editor of the new Gestalt Journal of Australia and New Zealand and president of the Gestalt Australia and New Zealand (GANZ) Council.
Gina Ogden, PhD, LMFT, is a sex therapist, researcher, and shamanic practitioner who leads workshops internationally. She conducted the only nationwide survey on sexuality and spirituality (ISIS). Her latest books are Women Who Love Sex, The Heart and Soul of Sex, and The Return of Desire.
Jennie Oppenheimer is an artist and co-leader of Artplane painting workshops, creative retreats that explore art process and transformation offered around the country. She is also a certified SoulCollage® facilitator.
Judith Orloff, MD, a psychiatrist and intuitive, is author of the New York Times bestseller Emotional Freedom: Liberate Yourself from Negative Emotions and Transform Your Life and Second Sight. She synthesizes traditional medicine with intuition, energy, and spirituality.
Ji Hyang Padma has taught Zen for 20 years, 15 of these as a monastic in the Korean Zen tradition. She is the Director of Spirituality and Education Programs at Wellesley College. She is the author of Living the Seasons: Zen Practices for Transformative Times.
Christina Page heads sustainability at Yahoo! and is a leading expert on sustainability and systems thinking. Previously she worked with Amory Lovins at Rocky Mountain Institute. She is a Fulbright Specialist and alumna of Yale’s School of the Environment.
Wendy Palmer is a sixth-degree black belt in aikido and the author of two books, The Intuitive Body and The Practice of Freedom. She leads trainings internationally. She has been practicing aikido and mindfulness for 40 years.
Kristi Panik, MD, is a psychiatrist in private practice and on the clinical staff of the University Student Health Services at UC Berkeley, Calif.
Laurel Parnell is a psychologist, author, consultant, and EMDR trainer who has trained thousands of clinicians internationally. The author of numerous books, including the forthcoming Attachment-Focused EMDR: Healing Relational Trauma, she maintains a private practice in San Rafael, California.
Terry Patten is the co-author, with Ken Wilber, of Integral Life Practice. He is a pioneering innovator, advancing the evolutionary edge of spirituality as well as a facilitator of intimate collective awakening. He has a lifelong commitment to social activism.
Larry Payne was named one of America's most respected yoga teachers by the Los Angeles Times. He is coauthor of Yoga for Dummies and Yoga Rx, and founder of Yoga Therapy Rx and Prime of Life Yoga certification programs at Loyola Marymount University.
Dulce Maria Perez carried her passion for cooking with her when she moved from her native Dominican Republic to the US. She studied at Anne Marie Colbin Natural Gourmet Institute in New York, the California Culinary Academy, and the Ann Wigmore Institute.
Katia Petersen, PhD, is the senior educational advisor to The Worldview Literacy Project at the Institute of Noetic Sciences. She is an author and recognized training expert in school improvement strategies, and integration of social-emotional and academic learning.
Maggie Phillips has created an online multi-media self-healing program. She teaches uses of Energy Psychology with stress-based difficulties. As a member of the Somatic Experiencing international faculty, Maggie specializes in methods that release trauma and relieve emotional and physical pain. www.reversingchronicpain.com.
Kay Phillips has been committed to providing natural health care modalities and education since 1994. She is a registered nurse, massage therapist, and teacher of numerous natural healing methods, including EFT, herbal medicine making, HypnoTherapy, and HypnoBirthing classes.
Drummond Pike is a philanthropist, activist, and social entrepreneur. In 1976 he founded Tides Foundation. Pike helped pioneer the practice of donor-advised funds in philanthropy.
Bill Plotkin, founder of Colorado’s Animas Valley Institute, is a depth psychologist, wilderness-based soul guide, and agent of cultural evolution. Author of Soulcraft, Nature and the Human Soul, and Wild Mind, he has guided thousands of people through initiatory passages in the underworld of soul.
Noelle Poncelet is a psychologist and trainer in hypnotherapy in the US and Europe. She is also on the international faculty of the Foundation for Shamanic Studies.
David Presti is a neuroscientist at the University of California in Berkeley. His areas of expertise include the chemistry of the human nervous system, the effects of drugs on the brain and mind, and the scientific study of mind and consciousness.
Christine Stewart Price is a teacher and ongoing student of Gestalt Awareness Practice and other approaches to developing awareness.
Steven Pritzker is a professor of psychology, writer, creativity coach, and director of Creativity Studies at Saybrook University in San Francisco. He co-edits The Encyclopedia of Creativity and wrote for network television.
Tigaro Tihikpas “He who flirts with all life", is a tribal elder formally educated in Europe and fluent in several languages. Tihikpas has facilitated sweat lodges at Esalen and across Europe. His theological background includes Native American, Judaism, Christianity, Gnosticism, Buddhism, and mystic traditions.
George Protos has studied the “pointing-out” style of meditation with Daniel Brown since 1995. He leads weeklong retreats and an ongoing meditation study group in Marin County, Calif., and created an online user support group for meditators.
Brenda Proudfoot is a senior teacher with Prajna Yoga and has her own studio, Valley Yoga, in Visalia, Calif. She is also trained in Thai Yoga therapy/massage. Brenda has searched deeply into her practice during difficult times and uncovered unexpected treasures she holds as precious and sacred.
Jill Purce, international pioneer of the sound-healing movement, rediscovered ancient vocal techniques, the power of group chant, and spiritual potential of the voice as a magical instrument for healing and meditation. She is the author of The Mystic Spiral and Overtone Chanting Meditations.
Edward Quevedo is the interim academic dean at Presidio Graduate School. Since 1994, Ed has advised organizations in the private, non-profit, public, and higher education sectors on sustainable development and organizational strategy and transformation. His affiliations include Katovich & Kassan LLP and Cutting Edge Capital.
Lourdes Quiroz Kepner is a Gestalt therapist and trainer who co-founded UPAD Gestalt institute in Guadalajara, Mexico, and was academic director for Maestría en Desarrollo Humano at ITESO, Universidad Jesuita de Guadalajara. She teaches Gestalt Body Process Psychotherapy and is certified in Nervous System Energy Work.
Gustavo Rabin is a psychologist and an organizational consultant based in Silicon Valley, Calif. He specializes in improving leadership skills of individuals and the effectiveness of teams and organizations. Gustavo is also a cofounder of Skyline Group.
Charu Rachlis, born and raised in Brazil, has been teaching yoga in San Francisco since 1997. She teaches in a Bhakti lineage. She has a 20-year history of Tibetan Buddhist meditation, and is strongly influenced by Iyengar and Ashtanga yoga.