COVID update: learn more about our protocols to keep you safe.
Highway 1 is open!
Esalen is more than a retreat center or an educational institute. Anchored by the inspiring beauty of Big Sur and an incomparable intellectual history, Esalen is a worldwide network of seekers who look beyond dogma to explore deeper spiritual possibilities, forge new understandings of self and society, and pioneer new paths for change.
Are you longing to be in the beauty of the outdoors and relish in the wonder of nature? After a long year spent looking at too many screens, step outside and meditate, serenaded by the lulling sounds of the ocean, cradled by rolling hills, and uplifted by exquisite gardens. Led by meditation teacher and author Mark Coleman, this retreat is appropriate for both beginning and experienced meditators.
The human need for connection is built into our DNA, and the past year has been a stark reminder of our deep need for human contact. Led by Janet Stone and DJDrez, this weekend of yoga and intentional music is an opportunity to emerge from solitude and gather safely as a community to celebrate our interdependence.
Created specifically for transgender, non-binary, gender-fluid and/or gender-exploring individuals, this workshop looks at the inner dimensions of gender and how gender impacts, influences and informs our day-to-day experiences. Ben Geilhufe and Jen Hastings create a safe space for participants to explore their own gender journeys and gender identities, share their experiences, and build community connections.
In this era of chaos, change, and grief for the world, you may find yourself facing difficulties that seem insurmountable. Lucia Horan and Peter Selwyn invite you to a weekend retreat to hold together what should not be held alone. Using the tools of 5Rhythms movement practice combined with a process of grief work grounded in emotional presence, non-judgment, and supportive witnessing, participants will come together in a safe space to help heal mind, body, and spirit.
Join us April 23 - 26, 2021 for a live-streamed event that is the first in an 8-part Entheowheel series. Your guides for this inaugural journey The Ceremony & Science of Psilocybin include: Jyoti Ma, Paul Stamets, Xochitl Ashe, East Forest, Robin Earhart-Harris, Dream Mullick, James Fadiman, Millana Snow, Justin Boretta, Allan Badiner, Grace Oh, Rhada Weppner, Sachin Patel and a digital pre-recorded transmission from Francoise Bourzat, and more to be announced. This event is designed as an educational opportunity to nurture a sense of belonging while you move through the arc of preparing, experiencing, and integrating a future sacred plant medicine experience.
The first installment of our new, free quarterly digital summit, The Way Forward: How To Stay Inspired, Reintegrate, and Find Hope in the Shadow of the Pandemic will explore the concept of collective trauma, how it both unifies and divides us, and most importantly, how we can face it together to heal on a local and national level. Offered for a sliding scale contribution, the two-day program includes multiple tracks to dig into, from interviews with incredible thought leaders and activists to a session on prolonged somatic grief processing through dance and movement. Each interview will be followed by a live Q&A with the speaker, and every attendee is welcome to join in connecting with our luminaries. In true Esalen style, we will open the event on Saturday and close it on Sunday with a group awareness practice.
Be a leading center for exploring and realizing human potential through experience, education, and research.
Work toward the realization of a more just, creative, and sustainable world, seeking answers to questions unlikely to be explored by traditional universities and religions.
Sponsor pioneering initiatives and offer personal, spiritual, and social transformation programs for residents, interns and workshop participants.
Esalen is a major catalyst in the transformation of humankind, working with individuals and institutions to integrate body, mind, heart, spirit, and community in a nurturing relationship with the environment.
Interviews with teachers and thinkers from the Esalen universe including Cheryl Strayed and Michael Pollan, innovators Stan Grof and Dr. Mark Hyman, Esalen co-founder Michael Murphy, and many more!
Twice weekly interviews with Esalen faculty and change agents about timely topics — coping with the pandemic, perspectives on racial justice, and overall well-being.
The Esalen Journal is our blog, with posts encompassing everything from inspiring conversations with cultural luminaries and Esalen instructors to timely news announcements, book recommendations, and soul-nurturing recipes.
In addition to unparalleled access to the leading minds of the day and rejuvenating virtual gatherings, we also welcome visitors to our California estate and retreat center, which boasts natural hot springs, an organic farm and garden, serene guest suites, and more, all set on over 100 acres along the gorgeous Big Sur coastline.
COVID update: learn more about our protocols to keep you safe.
Highway 1 is open!