Esalen Institute is open! However, Highway 1 to the south is closed — please review the current travel advisory.
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 current travel advisory.

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.

Explore Your Potential.

Esalen is a holistic retreat and nonprofit educational institute. Established in 1962 and considered the epicenter of the human potential movement, we welcome visitors with advance reservations for workshops and massages to our campus in Big Sur, California.

Ways to Visit

Embark on a Personal Journey

Unlike traditional retreats that follow a predetermined schedule, Self-Guided Explorations empowers you to craft a personalized, self-paced journey of self discovery.

Explore, Play, Heal

Human Potential & Self Actualization for All

December 13–16, December 16–20
January 27–31

Money should never stand in the way of human potential. Donor-funded financial scholarships help make Esalen, a 501c3 nonprofit, accessible to a wider community of brains, hearts, and souls.

Apply Now

FEATURED WORKSHOPS

Explore All Workshops
Cristi Christensen with Guest Musician Marques Wyatt
Chakra Rituals: Heal, Transform, and Reignite the Spark of Life
July 7–11, 2025
Amina Peterson
Authentic Consent: An Intimate Weekend of Play, Exploration and Clarity in Connection
July 11–13, 2025
Warren Farrell
Role Mate to Soul Mate: The Art and Discipline of Love
July 11–14, 2025
Melissa Petro
Writing for Shame Resilience: Turning Shame Into Your Superpower
July 14–18, 2025
Jasmine Star Horan
Generative Resourcing for Wonder and Wisdom: Caretaking the Next Generation
July 18–20, 2025
Marilyn Schlitz
Elegant Aging: Cultivating Grace and Gratefulness During Life Transitions
July 18–20, 2025
Pamela Hayes Malkoff
Healing Through Creativity: Merging Art and Psychology for Personal Growth and Change
July 21–25, 2025
Janelle Hacault
Texture of Emotions: Self-Expression Through Dance and Voice
July 21–25, 2025
Janet Stone with Guest Musician DJ Drez
Summer Yoga Gathering
July 21–25, 2025
Daria Halprin
Empowering Creativity
July 28 – August 1, 2025
Robert MacPhee
The Values Based Path to a Life of Purpose and Meaning
July 28 – August 1, 2025
Barry Vissell and Joyce Vissell
The Shared Heart Summer Couples Retreat
July 28 – August 1, 2025
Cristi Christensen with Guest Musician Marques Wyatt
Chakra Rituals: Heal, Transform, and Reignite the Spark of Life
July 7–11, 2025
Amina Peterson
Authentic Consent: An Intimate Weekend of Play, Exploration and Clarity in Connection
July 11–13, 2025
Warren Farrell
Role Mate to Soul Mate: The Art and Discipline of Love
July 11–14, 2025
Melissa Petro
Writing for Shame Resilience: Turning Shame Into Your Superpower
July 14–18, 2025
Jasmine Star Horan
Generative Resourcing for Wonder and Wisdom: Caretaking the Next Generation
July 18–20, 2025
Marilyn Schlitz
Elegant Aging: Cultivating Grace and Gratefulness During Life Transitions
July 18–20, 2025
Pamela Hayes Malkoff
Healing Through Creativity: Merging Art and Psychology for Personal Growth and Change
July 21–25, 2025
Janelle Hacault
Texture of Emotions: Self-Expression Through Dance and Voice
July 21–25, 2025
Explore All Workshops

Human Potential & Self Actualization for All

Money should never stand in the way of human potential. Donor-funded financial scholarships help make Esalen, a 501c3 nonprofit, accessible to a wider community of brains, hearts, and souls.

Apply Now

Your Support Matters

As a 501c3 nonprofit organization, Esalen relies on tax-deductible donations to help support leading-edge programming, fund scholarships, sustainably maintain our campus, and more.

Give Today

Embark on a Personal Journey

Unlike traditional retreats that follow a predetermined schedule, Self-Guided Explorations empowers you to craft a personalized, self-paced journey of self discovery.

Explore, Play, Heal

CAMPUS-WIDE FESTIVALS

Unite for festivals that enhance your “me” time with “we” time through transformational revelry that builds community and supports healing.

Summer GrooveDig It
Scholarships
Apply Now

Inspired by what was good and magical about the late 1960s, our first-ever summer series will feature festive programming in an open, a-la-carte format similar to our Self Guided Explorations workshops. Esalen’s own faculty-in-residence will be joined by very special guests to add amazing and delightful programming to each uniquely different week and weekend!

Providing access to the growth and healing opportunities through our programs and faculty is a priority for Esalen. We offer a number of partial scholarships per workshop and programming opportunities with up to 90% coverage based on need. We encourage you to make use of this potential support and apply now.

Altered States: Pathways to Expansion, September 9–13, 2024Learn More
Go Within: An Esalen Institute Winter Series, December 13–16 & December 16–20, 2024Learn More
Learn More

Through the embrace of the arts and our own creativity, we unite during this communal, campus-wide gathering  to unleash the pulsating, reverberating inner curiosity that fuels imagination, sparks innovation, and nourishes the soul.

Human Potential & Self Actualization for All

Money should never stand in the way of human potential. Donor-funded financial scholarships help make Esalen accessible to a wider community of brains, hearts, and souls.

Apply Now

Accommodations & Tuition

Whether you prefer rustic, deluxe, or something in-between, check out the homey spots you can lay your head during your stay at the edge of the world.

Preview Options

Celebrating Human Potential Since 1962

Watch short films, listen to our podcast, and read colorful articles linking our past to the present day.

Immerse in Story
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STAY CONNECTED ON SOCIAL

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Copyright © 2025 Esalen Institute and Esalen Center for Theory & Research. All rights reserved. Esalen is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, tax-exempt organization. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. View our Tax ID#, 990, and additional information.

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