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Faculty at Esalen

Esalen faculty represent a spectrum of disciplines, experiences, and perspectives — our faculty members have included Premal Shah, founder of Kiva.org; Robert Walter, Joseph Campbell’s longtime editor; mindfulness researcher Shauna Shapiro; and Wisdom 2.0 creator Soren Gordhamer.

Browse all past and present faculty below, or use the site search to look for someone specific.

Abigail De KosnikA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Abigail De Kosnik

Abigail De Kosnik is an Associate Professor at the University of California, Berkeley with a joint appointment in the Berkeley Center for New Media and in the Department of Theater, Dance & Performance Studies.  She is the author of Rogue Archives: Digital Cultural Memory and Media Fandom.

Adam BarazA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Adam Baraz

Adam Baraz is the founder of Samadhi Bodywork and has taught meditation at Spirit Rock. Adam has studied meditation under renowned spiritual teachers, and has spent many months in retreat. Adam is passionate about helping others discover the clarity, warmth, and power concealed in the depths of the human body.

Adam BramlageA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Adam Bramlage

Adam Bramlage is Founder/CEO of Flow State Micro, a functional mushroom company and microdosing education platform. Bramlage works one on one with clients to optimize their microdosing experience.

Adam LeonardA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Adam Leonard

Adam Leonard works with Google executive leaders and teams to navigate complexity and develop their full human potentials through organizational development consulting, executive coaching, leadership team facilitation, and meditation. He co-authored Integral Life Practice and co-edited The Simple Feeling of Being.

Adam PearceA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Adam Pearce

Adam Pearce co-founded the LoveYourBrain Foundation, a nonprofit organization that offers programs to build community and foster resilience for people with TBI and their caregivers. Drawing on his experience as a caregiver and vipassana practitioner, Adam leads retreats based on the pillars of mindfulness, movement, community, and nutrition.

Adam RumackA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Adam Rumack

Adam Rumack has facilitated transformative processes with individuals, groups, and organizations in some of the most challenging and beautiful places in the US. He is the executive director of The Ojai Foundation, a council trainer, and an Ashtanga yoga instructor. His work has taken him from the wilds of Big Sur to maximum security prisons, and many places in between.

Adam Smiley PoswolskyA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Adam Smiley Poswolsky

Adam Smiley Poswolsky is a millennial workplace expert, keynote speaker, best-selling author of The Quarter-Life Breakthrough and 13-time counselor for Camp Grounded: Summer Camp for Adults. Smiley has inspired thousands of professionals to find more meaning in their work lives.

Adam WolpertA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Adam Wolpert

Adam Wolpert is a painter, facilitator, teacher, and art program director at the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center (oaec.org) in Sonoma County, Calif. He has offered workshops and exhibited extensively throughout California.

Adrienne Shamszad | Guest MusicianA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Adrienne Shamszad | Guest Musician

Adrienne Shamszad is an Iranian-American singer-songwriter, teacher and musician from the San Francisco Bay Area.

Ahmed AlashwaA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Ahmed Alashwa

Ahmed Alashwa teaches meditation at Stanford University using neuro and biofeedback technologies. He focuses on accelerating brain learning, flow states and peak performance. Ahmed teaches from unscripted direct experience. His workshops on human flourishing run throughout the world.

Aimee Ringle | Guest FacultyA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Aimee Ringle | Guest Faculty

Aimee Ringle is a songleader, instrumentalist and storyteller living in Port Townsend, Washington. Her celebrated leadership and cross-pollination at various singing gatherings around the country is now honed at home with her weekly, all ages singing group, Sounding Joy.

Alan HeathcockA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Alan Heathcock

Alan Heathcock is the author of VOLT, which was named as a New York Times Editors’ Choice, and was a Barnes and Noble Discover Prize finalist. Heathcock received a fellowship from the NEA and he is a literary fellow for the state of Idaho.

Alan KishbaughA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Alan Kishbaugh

Alan Kishbaugh is a writer with many years of experience in book publishing, urban planning, and parkland, and open space preservation. He is the author of the memoir Deep Waters: Frank Waters Remembered in Letters and Commentary. He and Stella Resnick have been married since 1987.

Albert Flynn DeSilverA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Albert Flynn DeSilver

Albert Flynn DeSilver is a poet, author, teacher, and speaker. His latest book is Beamish Boy (I Am Not My Story): A Memoir of Recovery & Awakening. Albert teaches at The Omega Institute, Spirit Rock, and at numerous writing conferences. He has been meditating, writing, and teaching for almost 20 years.

Alberto VilloldoA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Alberto Villoldo

Alberto Villoldo, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and best-selling author who has studied the shamanic healing practices of the Amazon and Andes for over 30 years. He is the founder of the Four Winds Society, and his most recent book is The Heart of the Shaman: Stories and Practices of the Luminous Warrior.

Alejandra CampoverdiA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Alejandra Campoverdi

Alejandra Campoverdi is a women's health advocate and the founder of the Well Woman Coalition and LATINX & BRCA at Penn Medicine's Basser Center for BRCA. She is a certified holistic cancer specialist.

Alejandro ChaoulA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Alejandro Chaoul

Alejandro Chaoul-Reich, PhD, has studied in the Tibetan traditions since 1989. He holds a PhD in Tibetan religions and is the director of the Mind Body Spirit Institute at the Jung Center of Houston. He teaches and researches the benefits of Tibetan mind-body practices.

Alexandra Crosswell, PhDA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Alexandra Crosswell, PhD

Alexandra Crosswell, PhD, is a national stress and well-being expert. She combines her training as a psychological scientist and interfaith spiritual companion, with her experience as a mother of three, to support others in navigating the intense demands of modern life.

Alexandra KatehakisA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Alexandra Katehakis

Alexandra Katehakis, PhD, LMFT, is founder/clinical director of the Center for Healthy Sex in Los Angeles, co-author of Mirror of Intimacy: Daily Reflections on Emotional and Erotic Intelligence, and author of Erotic Intelligence: Igniting Hot Healthy Sex While in Recovery from Sex Addiction.

Alexis SlutzkyA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Alexis Slutzky

Alexis Slutzky, MFT, is a mentor, educator, guide, and facilitator whose work supports cultural restoration through deep listening and inquiry, nature connection, grief tending, community ritual and conversation. Alexis holds a Master’s Degree from Pacifica Graduate Institute and is Adjunct Faculty at Antioch University.

Alison LutermanA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Alison Luterman

Alison Luterman is the author of three poetry books — The Largest Possible Life, See How We Almost Fly, and Desire Zoo — and one e-book of essays. She teaches creative writing at the Writing Salon and at workshops around the country.

Alison RabyA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Alison Raby

Alison Raby is co-founder and inclusion advocate at Digital Raign. She is a connector, facilitator, and serial entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience. She is a board member for The Virtual World Society and served on the Wisdom 2.0 early development team. Her current focus is on diversity/inclusion, socially conscious business, and research on augmented mindfulness through emergent tech.

Allan BadinerA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Allan Badiner

Allan Badiner is the editor of Zig Zag Zen: Buddhism and Psychedelics, Dharma Gaia: A Harvest in Buddhism and Ecology, and Mindfulness in the Marketplace. He is also a contributing editor of Tricycle magazine, producer of Psychedelic Integration, and co-producer of the Entheowheel series.

Allie StarkA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Allie Stark

Allie Stark is a life coach, speaker, and podcast host. Her work is centered around Reclaiming Your Instinct, which focuses on quieting the clamor of social training and realigning with a deeper truth. Allie's facilitation provides tools to support individuals and organizations to reconnect with their intuition.

Amanda BallA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Amanda Ball

Amanda Ball, MS, based her post-graduate studies in counseling on Karla McLaren’s work. She is a co-creator and lead instructor of the Dynamic Emotional Integration® (DEI) licensing program, and she is double licensed as a DEI trainer and consultant.

Amelia NagoskiA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Amelia Nagoski

Amelia Nagoski is a conservatory-trained choral conductor, specializing in the embodiment of music, emotion and connection. She is co-author, with Emily Nagoski (her twin sister), of Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle.

Amishi JhaA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Amishi Jha

Amishi Jha, PhD, is a neuroscientist and associate professor in the department of psychology at the University of Miami, and director of contemplative neuroscience for the UMindfulness Initiative. She studies the neural bases of attention and the effects of mindfulness-based training programs on cognition, emotion, and resilience.

Amory LovinsA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Amory Lovins

Amory Lovins is cofounder and chief scientist of Rocky Mountain Institute. Published in 31 books and more than 470 papers, his innovations linking energy, design, security, environment, and development have received many global awards. He has advised major firms and governments in 65+ countries for 40+ years on advanced energy and resource efficiency.

Amy IppolitiA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Amy Ippoliti

Amy Ippoliti travels the globe helping people bridge the gap between ancient yoga wisdom and modern day life. She has appeared on the covers of Yoga Journal and Fit Yoga Magazine, and inside numerous publications nationally and internationally.

Amy ShinalA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Amy Shinal

Amy Shinal, MSW, LCSW, is an integrative psychotherapist and clinical director at the Center for Mind-Body Medicine.

Amy WeintraubA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Amy Weintraub

Amy Weintraub, MFA, ERYT-500, is the author of Yoga for Depression, offers professional trainings internationally, and is involved in ongoing research. Her evidence-based protocol is featured on the award-winning LifeForce Yoga® DVDs and CDs.

Ananda YogijiA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Ananda Yogiji

Ananda Yogiji connected with a cacao shaman in Lake Atitlán, Guatemala, who shared with him his way of holding cacao ceremonies and how to connect with the spirit of cacao. Inspired by this wisdom, he began sharing cacao ceremonies with Jaya Lakshmi. Together they have held over 100 cacao ceremonies worldwide.

Anat BanielA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Anat Baniel

Anat Baniel, best-selling author of Move Into Life and Kids Beyond Limits, is the creator of the Anat Baniel Method™, a powerful practice that takes advantage of the brain’s ability to change itself at any age to heal both body and mind.

Andrea DavisA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Andrea Davis

Andrea Davis is an intuitive facilitator of Family Constellation Work. She has shared this work extensively at Spirit Rock Meditation Center and InsightLA, and consults nationwide with dharma teachers, psychotherapists, and medical doctors. She is also a certified teacher of Gabrielle Roth 5Rhythms.

Andrea JuhanA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Andrea Juhan

Andrea Juhan is a licensed psychotherapist and has a PhD in Dance/Movement Therapy. She is fascinated by the journey of becoming an attuned, skillful inhabitant of a human body. Her embodiment approach is channeled through bodywork, yoga, dance, psychotherapy, and meditation, as well as through professional training, academic programs, and constant dedicated practice. 

Andrea LiebersteinA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Andrea Lieberstein

Andrea Lieberstein, MPH, RDN, IMTA CMT-P, RYT, is founder of the Mindful Eating Training Institute and author of Well Nourished: Mindful Practices to Heal Your Relationship with Food, Feed Your Whole Self, and End Overeating. She is a mindful eating expert, a certified eco-therapist, a certified mindfulness meditation teacher, an internationally recognized ​mindfulness teacher ​trainer, a mindfulness-based dietitian and nutritionist, and a dedicated Dharma practitioner. She offers professional certification programs.

Andrea ShantiA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Andrea Shanti

Andrea Shanti is a master herbalist and proprietor of Holistic Body Therapy, an internationally distributed line of wild-crafted and plant-based health products. Certified in shamanic studies, yoga, and massage, Andrea leads classes in creative empowerment and natural medicine.

Andrew HolecekA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Andrew Holecek

Dr. Andrew Holecek has completed the traditional three-year Buddhist meditation retreat and offers seminars internationally on meditation, lucid dreaming, and the art of dying. He is the author of many books, including The Power and the Pain and; Preparing to Die.

Andrew SealyA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Andrew Sealy

Andrew Sealy is a connection catalyst, yoga artist, and movement creator. Through the unique practice of yoga and mindful living, Andrew embodies progressive knowledge while positively influencing and empowering his students. Andrew’s teachings aim to answer the question: How can we adapt to create and evolve to sustain?

Andy Abrahams WilsonA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Andy Abrahams Wilson

Andy Abrahams Wilson is an award-winning, Oscar®-shortlisted filmmaker and photographer. President of Open Eye Pictures, Andy emphasizes using the camera as a way to bridge – and heal – disparate parts and people, and to connect to nature, ourselves, and each other.

Aneel ChimaA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Aneel Chima

Aneel Chima is director of the Division of Health and Human Performance and of the Stanford Flourishing Project at Stanford University. The question animating his work is: What is the future of human flourishing in a hyper-complex, ever-accelerating culture where technology is everywhere?

Angel AcostaA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Angel Acosta

Dr. Angel Acosta has worked to bridge the fields of leadership, social justice, and mindfulness. He holds a doctorate degree in curriculum and teaching from Teachers College, Columbia University. He is currently the director of the Garrison Institute’s Fellowship program and a principal at the Acosta Institute. 

Angie ThurstonA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Angie Thurston

Angie Thurston is a Ministry Innovation Fellow at Harvard Divinity School who works to deepen spiritual community amid increasing religious disaffiliation. She is the co-author of How We Gather and Something More, two reports profiling new forms of meaningful community in America. She is dedicated to connecting and supporting innovative community leaders nationwide.

Anjali GuptaA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Anjali Gupta

Anjali Gupta, MD, is an emergency medicine and sports medicine physician working in the California Bay Area. She served as the wellness chair for her emergency department for several years and enjoys fostering a community of spiritually healthy physicians. She loves spending time in nature, doing yoga, cycling and travel.

Ann BradneyA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Ann Bradney

Ann Bradney, CPRA, is the founder and director of the Radical Aliveness Institute. The Radical Aliveness model is a distinct approach to working with groups and individuals that addresses healing on the personal, interpersonal and systemic levels.

Ann MortifeeA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Ann Mortifee

Ann Mortifee is an artist, performer, storyteller, workshop facilitator, and keynote speaker. Her albums, book, concerts, musicals, and musical scores for ballet, opera, film, and TV have generated numerous national and international distinctions.

Ann RandolphA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Ann Randolph

Ann Randolph is an award-winning writer, performer, and educator. Her off-Broadway hit, Squeezebox, was produced by Mel Brooks. Her current show is Inappropriate in All the Right Ways. Her personal essays have aired on NPR, BBC and The Moth.

Ann Weiser CornellA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Ann Weiser Cornell

Ann Weiser Cornell is the best-selling author of The Power of Focusing and The Radical Acceptance of Everything. She teaches her popular workshops in Inner Relationship Focusing and Getting Unblocked internationally, both in person and by telephone bridge line.

Anna HalprinA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Anna Halprin

Anna Halprin was named one of “America’s 100 Irreplaceable Dance Treasures” by the Dance Heritage Coalition. She has created revolutionary directions for the art form and inspired fellow choreographers to take modern dance to new dimensions. She founded the San Francisco Dancer's Workshop in 1955 and the Tamalpa Institute in 1978 with her daughter Daria.

Anna Pierce-SliveA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Anna Pierce-Slive

Anna Pierce-Slive has gotten her hands dirty as the garden supervisor for Esalen’s Farm & Garden and at the University of California at Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems. Her teaching blends a passion for plants with the urgency for social change to work towards more equitable and healing relationships between people and the land.

Anna-Lisa AdelbergA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Anna-Lisa Adelberg

Anna-Lisa Adelberg is a recognized healer, spiritual teacher, and co-founder of the Luminous Awareness Institute that offers students an awakening and healing path synthesized from Tibetan Buddhism, developmental psychology, neurophysiology, and subtle energy.

Anne OrnishA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Anne Ornish

Anne Ornish created and directs Ornish Lifestyle Medicine’s digital platform, Empower. Anne has more than 20 years of advanced training in yoga, meditation and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, and is a certified Integrative Health & Spirituality practitioner through the California Pacific Medical Center.

Anne Van de WaterA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Anne Van de Water

Anne Van de Water, the creator of True Self Mastery Coaching and Wellness, is here to help you awaken your full potential. As a Life and Business Coach, Health and Wellness Teacher, and Spiritual Guide, Anne brings a wealth of experience to support you in breaking free from subconscious limitations and rediscovering your True Self. With her guidance, you'll bridge the gap between your current self and who you're meant to be, courageously and authentically living, loving, and leading by example.

Embrace your transformation with Anne at annevandewater.com

Anne WattsA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Anne Watts

Anne Watts was deeply influenced by her father, the pioneering philosopher Alan Watts. She leads workshops on four continents, teaching adults to have more loving, fulfilling relationships. Anne has been leading workshops since 1985.

Annellen SimpkinsA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Annellen Simpkins

Annellen Simpkins, PhD, is a psychologist in private practice who, with her husband C. Alexander Simpkins, specializes in research and practice of hypnosis, neuroscience, and meditation. Together they teach widely and have written 28 books, including Neuroscience for Clinicians, Tao of Bipolar, and Neuro-Hypnosis.

Anthony GiacobbeA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Anthony Giacobbe

Anthony Giacobbe is a former Esalen executive chef. Inspired by international travels, his culinary style is fresh, bright, and showcases seasonal ingredients. Currently the executive chef for an organic catering company, Anthony is known for his engaging personality and kitchen DJ skills.

Anushka FernandopulleA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Anushka Fernandopulle

Anushka Fernandopulle, MBA, studied at Harvard and Yale, and is on the Teacher's Council at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. She teaches retreats globally, bringing Eastern practices to Western modern life and making them accessible to individuals and organizations.