It takes a village.
Experiences at Esalen and the connections made here are powerful catalysts for personal and social transformation. Part of our commitment to integrate body, mind, heart, spirit, and community regardless of geographic or financial circumstance includes partnering with and supporting like-minded organizations.
Our outreach with these partnership organizations allows a true diversity of people, thoughts, and actions to cross-pollinate here at Esalen before rippling out into the world far beyond.
Esalen Partner Organizations
Lightfoot Industries
Lightfoot Industries is a hybrid social enterprise that provides entrepreneurial training for teenagers. Lightfoot uses a for-profit restaurant, retail line, and innovative curriculum to model social, environmental, and fiscal responsibility. www.lightfootind.com.
Beyond Words
Beyond Words is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the empowerment of women, the healing of emotional wounds and traumas, and the undermining of prejudice as a path towards building peace in Israel. www.beyondwords.org.
California Institute for Integral Studies
The Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness (PCC) graduate programs at the California Institute for Integral Studies in San Francisco are dedicated to re-imagining the human species as a mutually enhancing member of the Earth community. www.ciis.edu.
Spirit Awakening Foundation
Akuyoe Graham's Spirit Awakening Foundation builds character and raises self-esteem, one child at a time. www.spiritawakening.org
Be Present
Lillie Allen and Eugene Allen's Be Present is a diverse network of women willing to risk being different with one another, their families, communities, workplaces, and organizations. www.bepresent.org
The Milton H. Erickson Foundation
The Milton H. Erickson Foundation is dedicated to promoting and advancing the contributions made to the health sciences by the late Milton H. Erickson, MD, through the training of mental health professionals worldwide. www.erickson-foundation.org.
Social Venture Network
Social Venture Network is a community of the world’s leading social entrepreneurs working together to create transformational innovation, growth, and impact. www.svn.org.
Upledger Institute International
Upledger Institute International, founded by John E. Upledger, DO, OMM, leads the world in light-touch therapy training programs, information, and products. www.upledger.com
Through our outreach program, we have also been able to provide assistance for people to study/intern with teachers and organizations such as:
- Julia Butterfly Hill www.juliabutterfly.com
- Generation Waking Up www.genup.net
- Joanna Macy www.joannamacy.net
- Ysaye Barnwell www.ymbarnwell.com
Local Community Participation
In addition to programmatic outreach both through our workshops and healing arts departments, we also facilitate guided tours on property and support our local community through grass-roots collaboration/participation in these causes and events:
- Big Sur International Marathon
- Big Sur Food & Wine Festival
- Bioneers Conference
- Carmel Chamber of Commerce and Big Sur Chamber of Commerce
- Eco-Farm Conference
- Four Winds Council
- KUSP Public Radio Santa Cruz
