America in the late 60s occupied a period of major social transformation. Esalen Institute amplified that feeling, capturing that energy with a wild, unbridled sense of curiosity and openness to explore and pioneer big ideas. There was the music! The art! The literature! The call for change! Human potential personified!
This June we are looking back on what was good and magical about the late 60s while applying some deeply reflective and vulnerable wisdom of 2023 to launch some very special summer programming. Esalen’s own thoughtfully curated social phenomenon.
Real talk: The last few years have been depleting for many. Esalen is all about collective potential, collective fullness. So, to help you refill your love tank, we present to you our Summer Groove! Together we will fill up and get mindfull, heartfull, and soulfull in community. Let’s amaze and delight, get expansive and be inclusive!
Imagine the halcyon elements of the Big Sur Folk Festival and Summer of Love — from live music, dance, poetry, painting and throwback crafting, to the tech embrace of silent DJ-led discos and music-driven experiential altered state parties.
But let’s also get real vulnerable and transparent right there with you — about our past and who we want to be for everyone. While much of the late 60s messaging was about love and peace, access to the sentiment was not a reality for everyone. The Summer of Love wasn’t all love for all people. Across the country it was a “Long, Hot Summer” as riots erupted in cities nationwide in response to a serious lack of equity and equality that disproportionately affected Black and Brown citizens — which our society continues to face today.
The parallels between the harsh realities of yesteryear and the present are far too numerous. Today we face them with more self-awareness, more knowledge, a greater capacity for change, and a deepened commitment to making Esalen, and the world, a welcoming, equitable, and safe place for all. Now 60 years in operation, Esalen continues to embrace much of the 60s glow and afterglow, retaining the gold and transmuting the rest.
It’s happening right now, Baby!
During Esalen's first ever foray into a summer series, our own faculty will be joined by very special guests to add amazing and delightful programming to each uniquely different week and weekend! Think throwback meets future forward: floating flower mandalas and flower crowns in the Art Barn, mass metta meditations on the lawn and in hidden corners of the property. Evening soul shakedowns with summer loving dance parties and an Afrobeat homage to Babatunde. Together we will honor the sacred indigenous land we co-steward through a water blessing, tobacco ceremony, healing talks, share circles, and more.
Savor three hearty, healthy meals per day. Our kitchen draws on global culinary traditions, using the fruits of the Esalen Farm & Garden and other local Big Sur providers to create delicious meals that support holistic health — for you and for the earth.
Esalen’s beloved mineral hot springs perch dramatically over the Pacific Ocean, a juxtaposition of intimate and infinite. A core part of Esalen from its inception, the baths and tubs are an ideal place to reflect, find clarity, and set new intentions.
Please note: All guests must provide proof of negative test results at time of check-in. Please read our current COVID safety guidelines for complete details prior to booking your stay.
Esalen Institute
55000 Highway 1
Big Sur, CA 93920
US: 1-831-667-3000
info@esalen.org
