A travel advisory is in effect for Highway 1 to our north. Learn more about repairs at the baths.
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 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.

Learn more.

Workshops

Find a workshop:
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Join the Waitlist

Join the Wait List

Join the Waitlist

Join the Wait List

Join the Waitlist

Join the Wait List

44

spot left!

44

spots left!

Program is Full

Gateways: A 5Rhythms® Movement & Mindfulness Retreat

Join the Waitlist

Join the Wait List

Join the Waitlist

Join the Wait List

Join the Waitlist

Join the Wait List

44

spot left!

44

spots left!

Lucia Horan and Douglas Drummond with Guest Musicians Sanga Of The Valley & Nick Ayres
Gateways: A 5Rhythms® Movement & Mindfulness Retreat
December 28, 2026–January 3, 2027
December 28, 2026–January 3, 2027
December 28, 2026
December 28, 2026–January 3, 2027

The gateway of the body is a powerful vessel that allows us to move and be moved. During this unique seven day retreat, we will dance into and through the gateway of the new year, crossing the thresholds of past, present, and future. We will honor the darkness of this season while igniting the light of prayer and hope for the future, dancing out of distraction and into the focused space of collective movement medicine.

If we have the courage to move the body, the heart and mind can follow. Come open the gateway of your body by unlocking presence and potential. Join us and find out what is waiting for you on the other side.

The 5Rhythms®, a moving meditation practice, teaches us skills and tools to use in our everyday lives that help us facilitate the union of presence-based awareness. The rhythms — Flowing, Staccato, Chaos, Lyrical, and Stillness — allow us to explore the true nature of who we are and how our energy moves in this world.

In the 5Rhythms, we engage in mindfulness while in motion as a pathway to externalize energy and activate the nervous system. Seated meditation allows the space for quiet integration of the nervous system. The two polarities of moving and sitting meditation together mirror the dance of life and open the door to cultivate peace, well-being, and balance.

No experience is required. All workshop hours contribute to 5Rhythms teacher training prerequisites.

Recommended reading:  Maps to Ecstasy, Connections, & Sweat Your Prayers, by Gabrielle Roth, Dancing with the Dharma Edited by Harrison Blum, Trauma Sensitive Mindfulness by David Treleaven

This workshop includes an additional $120 of faculty tuition.

December
This is some text inside of a div block.

Join the Waitlist

Join the Wait List

Join the Waitlist

Join the Wait List

Join the Waitlist

Join the Wait List

spot left!

spots left!

Program is Full

Placeholder

Join the Waitlist

Join the Wait List

Join the Waitlist

Join the Wait List

Join the Waitlist

Join the Wait List

spot left!

spots left!

Placeholder
January 1, 2300

This is used as a workaround for an issue with Finsweet pagination, where the last 2-3 workshops in the CMS don't get displayed.

January
This is some text inside of a div block.

Join the Waitlist

Join the Wait List

Join the Waitlist

Join the Wait List

Join the Waitlist

Join the Wait List

spot left!

spots left!

Program is Full

Placeholder

Join the Waitlist

Join the Wait List

Join the Waitlist

Join the Wait List

Join the Waitlist

Join the Wait List

spot left!

spots left!

Placeholder
January 1, 2300

This is used as a workaround for an issue with Finsweet pagination, where the last 2-3 workshops in the CMS don't get displayed.

January
This is some text inside of a div block.

Join the Waitlist

Join the Wait List

Join the Waitlist

Join the Wait List

Join the Waitlist

Join the Wait List

spot left!

spots left!

Program is Full

Placeholder

Join the Waitlist

Join the Wait List

Join the Waitlist

Join the Wait List

Join the Waitlist

Join the Wait List

spot left!

spots left!

Placeholder
January 1, 2300

This is used as a workaround for an issue with Finsweet pagination, where the last 2-3 workshops in the CMS don't get displayed.

January
This is some text inside of a div block.
Self-Guided Explorations | Esalen

Are you looking to immerse yourself in the peace, space, and natural majestic beauty of our campus without taking a workshop?

Choose Your Dates
Letting go of entrenched ideas — who we are, how the world works, our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth encourages us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This more flexible, less structured model of change encompasses both personal and communal, aligning with the core of our mission. Self-Guided Explorations are designed to function outside of the group structures of our workshops for a more freeform, spacious healing journey. These experiences are for those who want to immerse themselves in the peace, space, and natural majestic beauty of our campus, exploring the edges of personal growth and open group classes when compelled. The beauty of our Big Sur campus supports serenity for the mind, the body, the spirit, and offers nourishment for all three. Exploring human potential.Our dynamic open class schedule changes weekly, but always features opportunities to sit in meditation and mindfulness, explore embodiment and movement practices, and connect with nature. An opening circle, hosted by an Esalen Staff member or a visiting teacher, welcomes you as you begin your stay. A closing circle on the final day provides a reflective conclusion to your time with us. Feeding mind and body.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.Creating space for reflection.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.
All Workshops Yoga Movement Mindfulness Spirituality Creativity Culture Nature Sustainability
December
December
December
December
December
December
December
December
November
November
November
November
November
November
November
November
October
October
October
October
October
October
October
October
October
September
September
September
September
September
September
August
August
August
August
August
August
August
August
August
July
July
July
July
July
July
July
June
June
June
Self-Guided Explorations | Esalen

Are you looking to immerse yourself in the peace, space, and natural majestic beauty of our campus without taking a workshop?

Choose Your Dates
Letting go of entrenched ideas — who we are, how the world works, our place in it — is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth encourages us to examine ourselves and understand our connection to the whole. This more flexible, less structured model of change encompasses both personal and communal, aligning with the core of our mission. Self-Guided Explorations are designed to function outside of the group structures of our workshops for a more freeform, spacious healing journey. These experiences are for those who want to immerse themselves in the peace, space, and natural majestic beauty of our campus, exploring the edges of personal growth and open group classes when compelled. The beauty of our Big Sur campus supports serenity for the mind, the body, the spirit, and offers nourishment for all three. Exploring human potential.Our dynamic open class schedule changes weekly, but always features opportunities to sit in meditation and mindfulness, explore embodiment and movement practices, and connect with nature. An opening circle, hosted by an Esalen Staff member or a visiting teacher, welcomes you as you begin your stay. A closing circle on the final day provides a reflective conclusion to your time with us. Feeding mind and body.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.Creating space for reflection.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.
All Workshops Yoga Movement Mindfulness Spirituality Creativity Culture Nature Sustainability
December
December
December
December
December
December
December
December
November
November
November
November
November
November
November
November
October
October
October
October
October
October
October
October
October
September
September
September
September
September
September
August
August
August
August
August
August
August
August
August
July
July
July
July
July
July
July
June
June
June