Beginning March 9, 2026 we will begin maintenance work at the baths on Mondays. Learn More.
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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.

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Nitsan Joy Gordon

Nitsan Joy Gordon is a Jewish Israeli international facilitator, peacebuilder, author, and co-creator of Army of Healers, an initiative devoted to healing trauma and restoring connection across divides. Her work brings Israelis and Palestinians into shared spaces where listening deepens, hearts open, and human connection becomes possible even in the midst of conflict.

Drawing on Dance Therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Radical Aliveness, storytelling, and other embodied practices, Nitsan creates environments where people can gently meet their inner worlds, transform pain, and rediscover the capacity to be with themselves and others with presence and care. Her approach weaves emotional depth with grounded tools, supporting participants to stay connected to Self-leadership, even in moments of tension and difference.

Since October 7, Nitsan has been deeply engaged in facilitating groups responding to the impact of war and collective trauma, working with diverse communities in Israel and internationally. Her work is rooted in the belief that healing happens in relationship, and that even in times of profound division, transformation remains possible.

She is the author of Together Beyond Words: Women on a Quest for Peace in the Middle East and The Magic of Tears. More at: https://beyondwords.org.il/

Nitsan Joy Gordon is a Jewish peacebuilder, author, and co-creator of Army of Healers. Drawing on Dance Therapy, IFS, Radical Aliveness, storytelling, and compassionate listening, she works with Israelis and Palestinians to support connection, resilience, and healing amidst conflict and collective trauma.

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