Esalen is open!

Starting Friday May 17 at 6:30 a.m., Highway 1 north of Esalen will reopen with the use of a 24/7 signalized traffic control, providing unrestricted public access with one-way alternating traffic in both the north and southbound directions. Please plan travel accordingly to accommodate a brief delay of up to 10-15 minutes at the traffic control site.

Highway 1 south of Esalen remains closed. Guests traveling from points south of us, please take the alternate route through Monterey.

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 alternate route directions.

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.

Michael Ventura

For over two decades, Michael Ventura has worked as a leader, practitioner, and educator centered in the practice of empathy. Through his private practice, he works with individuals seeking acceptance and transformation through the Indigenous healing tradition of the Nahua peoples. He’s led countless workshops, retreats, and seminars, sharing the lessons of these modalities as a means to deeper self-knowledge and well-being.

Practices from his book, Applied Empathy (Simon & Schuster, 2018), have been embraced by respected organizations, from the ACLU and Google to the United Nations and the Obama Administration.

Michael’s work has been featured in media outlets such as Fast Company, Forbes, PBS News Hour, The New York Times, and countless others. As a speaker and practitioner, Michael has shared his work with audiences at conferences, including SXSW, The TED Conference, and events and retreats the world over.

Michael Ventura is a leader, practitioner, and educator centered in the practice of empathy. He works with individuals seeking acceptance and transformation through the Indigenous traditions of the Nahua peoples. He’s facilitated retreats and seminars, sharing his teachings as a means to deeper self-knowledge and well-being.

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Michael Ventura

For over two decades, Michael Ventura has worked as a leader, practitioner, and educator centered in the practice of empathy. Through his private practice, he works with individuals seeking acceptance and transformation through the Indigenous healing tradition of the Nahua peoples. He’s led countless workshops, retreats, and seminars, sharing the lessons of these modalities as a means to deeper self-knowledge and well-being.

Practices from his book, Applied Empathy (Simon & Schuster, 2018), have been embraced by respected organizations, from the ACLU and Google to the United Nations and the Obama Administration.

Michael’s work has been featured in media outlets such as Fast Company, Forbes, PBS News Hour, The New York Times, and countless others. As a speaker and practitioner, Michael has shared his work with audiences at conferences, including SXSW, The TED Conference, and events and retreats the world over.

Michael Ventura is a leader, practitioner, and educator centered in the practice of empathy. He works with individuals seeking acceptance and transformation through the Indigenous traditions of the Nahua peoples. He’s facilitated retreats and seminars, sharing his teachings as a means to deeper self-knowledge and well-being.

Website

Past Workshops

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