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 is currently closed through April 28, 2024 due to a road closure. See our travel advisory for more information.
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.

Carol GreenhouseA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Carol Greenhouse

Carol Greenhouse is a creative catalyst who has served on the staff of The Intelligent Optimist for almost a decade. She is the founder and director of the Center for a New Mainstream, which has brought transformative psychology, transformative medicine, and the work of Ruediger Dahlke to the US. She is Dr. Dahlke's lead apprentice.

Carol KramerA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Carol Kramer

Carol Kramer, LICSW, is an advanced Imago therapist, faculty trainer, and workshop presenter. Carol was trained by Dr. Harville Hendrix. She brings enthusiasm, warmth and clarity to the process of learning Imago theory. Carol has taught at the Omega Institute, Kripalu, and the Cape Cod Institute.

Caroline HarveyA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Caroline Harvey

Caroline Harvey, MA, LMT, is a published author, a writing professor at Berklee College of Music, and an internationally renowned speaker. She believes in poetry and performance as a powerful path for overcoming adversity, discovering vibrant health, and affecting real social change.

Caroline MuirA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Caroline Muir

Caroline Muir, is a leader in the work of the Divine Feminine Awakening, and creator of divine-feminine.com. She has led many Esalen weekends for women in past years, as well as teaching couples and singles the transformative work of Tantra Yoga since 1990.

Carrie NorthoverA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Carrie Northover

Carrie Northover is the Director of Research Services at 23andMe. She leads the Project Management function, a team responsible for executing on strategic cross-functional projects such as research partnerships and product launches. She earned her PhD in Biological Sciences from Stanford University.

Cassandra VietenA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Cassandra Vieten

Cassandra Vieten, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist, mind-body medicine researcher, author, consultant, and public speaker. She is a clinical professor in the Department of Family Medicine's Centers for Integrative Health at the University of California, San Diego, where she serves as the director of the Center for Mindfulness and as Director of Research at the Arthur C. Clarke Center for Human Imagination. Cassi is also co-founder and Clinical Psychology Director at the Psychedelics and Health Research Initiative at UCSD, Senior Advisor of the John W. Brick Mental Health Foundation, and Senior Fellow at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS), where she worked for 18 years. She served as CEO/President from 2013-2016.

Catherine Ann JonesA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Catherine Ann Jones

Catherine Ann Jones, MA, is an award-winning playwright (Calamity Jane, On the Edge, The Women of Cedar Creek) and screenwriter (The Christmas Wife, Unlikely Angel, Touched by an Angel series). She also is a writing consultant and author of fiction and nonfiction, including The Way of Story and Nautilus Book Award winner Heal Your Self with Writing.

Catherine McConkieA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Catherine McConkie

Catherine McConkie, NC, is the executive chef for CMBM’s nutrition programs, founder of the Caregivers Table, co-creator of Diabetes in Motion at San Francisco General Hospital, core faculty for Healing Kitchens Institute at Commonweal, and lead chef instructor at San Francisco General Hospital’s Wellness Center.

Caverly MorganA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Caverly Morgan

Caverly Morgan blends the original spirit of Zen with a modern nondual approach. She is also the founder of Peace in Schools and Presence Collective, and is the author of The Heart of Who We Are: Realizing Freedom Together.

Celeste HirschmanA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Celeste Hirschman

Celeste Hirschman is the co-founder of the Somatica Institute® of Sex and Relationship Coaching and co-author of three books. She offers her wisdom, love and deep empathy to her students and clients as she helps them embrace the heights and navigate the challenges off all things relational. Celeste Hirschman has an MA in Human Sexuality Studies.

Celeste YoungA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Celeste Young

Celeste Young is a Buddhist Dharma teacher and Certified Life Balance Strategist. Celeste has worked with thousands of meditation and Dharma students since 2011. She sees Life Balance Strategy as a pragmatic way of supporting people in living from their deepest values.

Chad MorseA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Chad Morse

Chad Morse is an educator and farmer. He managed the Esalen Farm for four years, co-led the Farm & Garden apprenticeship program, and has a background in cross-cultural and service-based education.

Chandra EastonA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Chandra Easton

Chandra Easton is a teacher, author, and translator of Tibetan Buddhist texts. She has taught Buddhism and Hatha Yoga since 2001 and was given the title of Vajra Teacher, Dorje Lopön, in 2015. She serves on Tara Mandala’s Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Council. She is the author of Embodying Tara (2023).

Char PiasA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Char Pias

Char Pias: “My teaching of Esalen® Massage is based on awareness practice, principles of energetics, unlocking the nervous system, and an emphasis on self-care.” Char began teaching at Esalen in 1984; she also teaches throughout California and in Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Charlea MassionA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Charlea Massion

Charlea Massion, a family physician, is the medical director of Hospice of Santa Cruz County and a hospital inpatient palliative care consultant in Santa Cruz, Calif. She has taught Esalen workshops on self-care and work-life balance for health care professionals since 1997.

Charles EisensteinA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Charles Eisenstein

Charles Eisenstein is a speaker and writer focusing on themes of human culture and identity. He is the author of several books, most recently Sacred Economics and The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible. He lives in Rhode Island with his family.

Charles MuirA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Charles Muir

Charles Muir has been a professional yoga teacher since 1967 and director of the Source School of Tantra Yoga since 1978. He is quoted in 145 books in print on Tantra, relationship, sex, and yoga. He is co-author of Tantra: The Art of Conscious Loving, which is printed in nine languages.

Charles S. GrobA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Charles S. Grob

Charles S. Grob, M.D. is professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the UCLA School of Medicine and director of the division of child and adolescent psychiatry at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.  Over the last thirty years he has conducted approved clinical research with psilocybin, MDMA, and ayahuasca.

Charlie BloomA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Charlie Bloom

Charlie Bloom is an educator, therapist and seminar leader. He and his wife Linda are co-founders of Bloomwork and co-authors of Secrets of Great Marriages: Real Truth from Real Couples about Lasting Love and 101 Things I Wish I Knew When I Got Married. He has facilitated workshops internationally since 1986.

Charlie CascioA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Charlie Cascio

Charlie Cascio is founder of Sweetwater Farm in Carmel, California, a self-sustaining organic farm specializing in goat and poultry husbandry, cheese making, beekeeping, olive and fruit orchards, and vegetable gardening. A chef since 1968, Charlie has taught internationally and was head chef and kitchen manager at Esalen from 1998 to 2004.

Charu RachlisA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Charu Rachlis

Charu Rachlis was born and raised in Brazil, and has been teaching yoga in San Francisco since 1997. She teaches in a Bhakti lineage. She has a 20-year history of Tibetan Buddhist meditation, and is influenced by Iyengar and Ashtanga yoga.

Chas PerryA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Chas Perry

Chas Perry, PhD, joined the Upledger Institute International teaching team in 1994 and also teaches Advanced CranioSacral Therapy and BioAquatic Explorations. His work emphasizes sensations and emotions as they contribute to the functioning of the body's systems.

Chelom LeavittA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Chelom Leavitt

Chelom Eastwood Leavitt combines research and practice to explore how mindfulness influences our ideas about our body and sexual experiences. She works with individuals, committed couples, and parents striving to gain a healthy perspective on sexual behaviors and attitudes.

Chelsea SchererA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Chelsea Scherer

Chelsea Scherer is a Bhakti infused wellness practitioner & yoga teacher. In her classes, she loves to weave Ayurveda, Astrology, and Yogic philosophy in for a holistic experience and deeper intention setting.

Cherie RayA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Cherie Ray

Cherie Ray has been assisting Michele Cassou for many years and conducts her own Point zero painting workshops. She offers Intuitive Painting workshops globally, virtually, and in-person in Houston, Texas, and sits on the board of CICF.

Cheryl StrayedA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Cheryl Strayed

Cheryl Strayed is the best-selling author of four books, including the memoir Wild, which was made into a film starring Reese Witherspoon. Her books have been translated into 40 languages around the world. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

Chip ConleyA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Chip Conley

Chip is a bestselling author and hospitality entrepreneur. At 52, he joined Airbnb, embracing the role of a new kind of elder, one who is as curious as they are wise. In 2018, Chip created Modern Elder Academy, the world’s first midlife wisdom school.

Chloë GoodchildA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Chloë Goodchild

Chloë Goodchild is a singer, educator, and acclaimed recording artist. She is the founder of The Naked Voice (1990) and its UK Charitable Foundation (2004), and author of The Naked Voice: Transform Your Life through the Power of Sound. Chloe is also a Sounds True author and a teacher for the Shift Network.

Chris KrzyzkowskiA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Chris Krzyzkowski

Chris Krzyzkowski teaches the Anat Baniel Method with a focus on children with special needs as well as adult stroke survivors. His background includes physical therapy, neurologic recovery, and work as an international instructor in Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation.

Chris MurchisonA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Chris Murchison

Chris Murchison is a passionate advocate for positive workplace culture. In his broad career he has focused his energy on developing creative means to build community at work and practices that support an experience of connection, meaning, joy, and learning.

Christa LancasterA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Christa Lancaster

Christa Lancaster is co-founder of North of Eden Archetypal Dreamwork, a master dream analyst, and a master teacher at the Center for Archetypal Dreamwork. Her books include Flesh Off the Bone: Dream Descent through Past Life Trauma and Sex, Trauma and Conjunctio.

Christen LienA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Christen Lien

Christen Lien creates experiences intended for deep processing and provides artistic medicine for healing and reconciliation. Through original music, storytelling, dialogue, and visual media, she aims to illuminate the power and transformation that happens when we better understand the shadowy aspects of life and recontextualize their symbiotic relationship to the light.

Christian de la HuertaA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Christian de la Huerta

Christian de la Huerta is a personal transformation coach, spiritual teacher, TEDx speaker, and the award-winning author of Coming Out Spiritually and Awakening the Soul of Power, described by music icon Gloria Estefan as “a balm for the soul.”

Christiane WolfA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Christiane Wolf

Christiane Wolf, MD, PhD, is a physician turned mindfulness and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction teacher, author and speaker. She has been practicing insight meditation for more than 25 years. She co-authored A Clinician’s Guide to Teaching Mindfulness.

Christina DauenhauerA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Christina Dauenhauer

Christina Dauenhauer is a landscape designer and artist living off the grid near Hood River, Oregon. She has a degree in sculpture, and founded her own design/build landscape company in Seattle. Between 2009 and 2016 she was Esalen's Grounds Manager. At Esalen she specialized in succulent design.

Christine AryloA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Christine Arylo

Christine Arylo, MBA, is a yogini, transformational leadership advisor, and best-selling author/speaker who combines 20 years of business experience with divine feminine, yogic, and indigenous wisdom to guide women to access, strengthen, and lead from their core feminine power.

Christine ChenA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Christine Chen

Christine Chen is the co-founder of Spellbound Yoga and best-selling author of Happy-Go-Yoga. Christine’s 20-year study of infusing yoga and Ayurveda into her life and teachings helped her emerge from painful traumas to embrace empowered, natural well-being. (E-RYT500 + E-RYT300 Lotus Flow/Ayurveda; YACEP)

Christine LeutholdA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Christine Leuthold

Christine Eisner Leuthold, founder of C Insight Group, is a brand strategy expert and author of Comfort Living: A Back-to-Basics Guide to a More Balanced Lifestyle. She is on the advisory board of SCAD and is involved in the Savannah Film Festival and aTVFest

Christine LinesA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Christine Lines

Christine Lines is executive director of the Holistic Centers Network and network weaver of the Findhorn Foundation. She is passionate about weaving the global network of holistic centers. Christine has 18 years' experience organizing retreats and programs around the world.

Christine SperberA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Christine Sperber

Christine Sperber is a former pro snowboarder who has launched and operated boutique hotels, produced life-altering events, managed pro athletes and worn many entrepreneurial hats. She is a partner and the Chief Experience Officer of Modern Elder Academy.

Christopher GermerA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Christopher Germer

Christopher Germer, PhD, is a clinical psychologist in private practice, a lecturer on psychiatry (part-time), and a founding faculty member of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy. He leads workshops internationally on mindfulness and self-compassion, and is author of The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion.

Christopher MichelA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Christopher Michel

Christopher Michel is an accomplished photojournalist whose high-impact images have been seen by millions, and have appeared broadly in print and in everything from Google screensavers to album covers.

Christopher SmithA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Christopher Smith

Christopher Smith is a musician, teacher, engineer, and entrepreneur. His relationship with the piano is a microcosm for everything in his life, from creativity to science. Christopher's music invites listeners to open to their own creativity and let go of self-limiting ideas.

Christy HengstA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Christy Hengst

Christy Hengst’s artwork involves sense of place, and the potential of heightening perceptions. Site-specific projects include bus stops, a sculpture project in Ecuador, and the international traveling public installation “birds in the park.”

Christy MuirA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Christy Muir

Christy Muir is an advanced-level teacher at the Source School of Tantra. She has practiced Tantra for 10 years and is a certified massage and yoga instructor. She has a BA in sociology with a strong background in psychology and NLP.

Chungliang Al HuangA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Chungliang Al Huang

Chungliang "Al" Huang teaches Tai Ji philosophy, East/West synthesis, and the art of movement meditation. He is the founder and president of the Living Tao Foundation and director of Lan Ting Institute in the Sacred Mountains of China. His best-selling books include Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain, and Tao: The Watercourse Way, co-authored with Alan Watts.

Cida VieiraA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Cida Vieira

Cida Vieira offers a safe space where her Brazilian Soul ignites everyone to express their joy and freedom. Born at the heart of the dance circles of Brazil, Cida has choreographed and performed in the US and abroad with musicians including Xuxa, Ray Charles, Daniela Mercury, and Airto Moreira.

Claude SteinA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Claude Stein

Claude Stein has 36 years of experience blending psychology and voice training. His clients include RCA, Warner Bros., Sony, Atlantic, Island Records, Juilliard, the New York Actors Institute, Sprint, Siemens, JPMorgan, NASA, and the U.S. House of Representatives.

Claudia CuentasA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Claudia Cuentas

Claudia Cuentas is a Peruvian artist, a researcher, an educator and a therapist (LMFT), specializing in the treatment and healing of trauma, cultural identity, and decolonization of healing. She also has extensive studies in Indigenous healing from her native Aymara and Peruvian lineages of South America.

Claudia J. FordA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Claudia J. Ford

Dr. Claudia J. Ford has had a career in women’s health and international development spanning four decades and all continents. Claudia is an ethnobotanist and midwife, who studies traditional ecological knowledge, women’s reproductive health, and agricultural and food justice. Dr. Ford is on faculty at State University of New York, Potsdam and also serves on the boards of The Biodynamic Association and the Soul Fire Farm Institute. Claudia is also a writer, poet, and visual artist, and a single mother who has shared the delights and adventures of her global travel with her four children.

Claudine LafondA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Claudine Lafond

Claudine Lafond found yoga, and it was love at first breath. The feeling of coming home was familiar, yet mysterious. She has been clear about the impact this path has had on her life, and endeavors to shine this same light of awareness for all who are interested to listen. Claudine co-created YogaBeyond.

Clifford HendersonA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Clifford Henderson

Clifford Henderson is co-founder of the Fun Institute in Santa Cruz, California, a school of improv and solo performance. She’s had numerous plays and sketch comedies produced in the SF Bay Area. Her published works include The Middle of Somewhere, Spanking New, and Maye’s Request.

Clifford SaronA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Clifford Saron

Clifford Saron, PhD, is a neuroscientist at the Center for Mind and Brain and MIND Institute at the University of California at Davis. Dr. Saron has had a long-standing interest in the effects of contemplative practice on physiology and behavior.

Coby KozlowskiA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Coby Kozlowski

Coby Kozlowski, M.A., is a speaker, life coach trainer, contemporary yoga and meditation educator, and a faculty member of Kripalu. She is the author of One Degree Revolution: How the Wisdom of Yoga Inspires Small Shifts That Lead to Big Changes.

Coral BrownA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Coral Brown

Coral Brown is a licensed mental health counselor with 20 years of experience in yoga, philosophy, and holistic counseling. Coral is trained in Iyengar and Jivamukti yoga methods, and is a senior teacher of Prana Flow. Her teachings cultivate space for transformational exploration.

Corey BarkerA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Corey Barker

Corey Barker is a member of Burning Man’s People and Operations team and a co-creator of its emergent leadership curriculum. Corey has over a decade of experience facilitating organizational effectiveness, managed change, and personal growth for people-first organizations like Zappos.

Corinne BourdeauA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Corinne Bourdeau

Corinne Bourdeau is president and founder of 360 Degree Communications, a boutique entertainment marketing firm specializing in films that celebrate and enrich the human spirit through social change. Corinne’s portfolio includes Academy Award®-winning films: Free Solo, The Cove, The Way and Boyhood.