Esalen News January/February 2024
Renewal. That's how we are looking at 2024. No “new year, new you” business. Instead, the same wonderful you with different personal explorations as we collectively seek to create a brighter and better year. The notion that we can experiment — do work for ourselves and for others to build something exceptional. That is what we are going for this year: a reset. Renewal in 2024 takes on the challenging act of clearing out the detritus of last year to focus on the here and now — to artfully and meaningfully renovate our days.
Of course, we aren’t without a past — and an exciting one at that. There is great curiosity for our history with so many different eras of ideas. Some are brilliant and culture-shifting; others have proven to be lessons for growth. Join us in embracing the lore of our past as we connect it to what resonates in 2024 and onward.
We looked back over the last 12 months to find out what drives you to grow, heal, and transform with us. Our data shows that the spaciousness of our Self-Guided Exploration weekend and week-long experiences continue to pique your interest. We are excited to share that this signature program is upleveling in 2024 with a more robust Open Class schedule and more musical guests, creating additional opportunities to engage while still maintaining space for personal freedom.
We crunched the numbers Esalen-style, and saw that community and acts of service mean a lot to you. We see this trend growing in abundance based on the ongoing popularity of our Residential Extended Education Program (REEP) and Live Extended Education Program (LEEP), as well as our volunteer days. For 2024, we opened applications for our upcoming four-week LEEP programs, and we’re very excited to announce a brand new two-week LEEP program themed around eco-stewardship starting in April.
Following a strong commitment to service, your interest in our campus-wides and Esalen-curated programming was also significant and inspiring! Come Together, Summer Groove, Altered States and Go Within were exceptionally popular, which is good news! All of these festivals are returning in 2024 as annual celebrations. First up, Come Together: A Festival for IntraConnectivity in June. And for those of you who prefer to plan further in advance, Summer Groove 2024 is now officially open for registration!
Esalen means something different to everyone. The “good ol’ days” is a subjective term that shifts depending on one’s arrival, departure, and uniquely personal experience, but those early Esalen iconic building names remain year after year. Why are these structures named for certain people? Who were they to Esalen and its founders? Who, like you and me, has also gazed up at that star-filled sky while soaking in the tubs? What sounds officially and unofficially r echoed from the pool deck and through the canyon? What has been sculpted, painted and chiseled within the storied walls of the Art Barn? The tales are abundant. We are introducing these origin stories online and on campus. Join us in expanding the storytelling by sharing your recollections about the Esalen pool. Here’s ours!
Since the early days in the 1960s, many legends and lesser-known artists have performed, studied, taught, and found refuge at Esalen. Today, we are once again a destination where widely acclaimed greats energize minds, hearts, bodies, and spirits — and a creative laboratory for emerging creative talents to experiment and grow.
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This month, we walk in the metaphorical footsteps of Michael Murphy and Dick Price by reading the great works and great men that inspired them. Maslow, Myers, Huxley, James, and Sri Aurobindo — giants of psychology, spirituality, philosophy, literature, and more who deeply influenced the founders — and founding — of Esalen.
This month, we walk in the metaphorical footsteps of Michael Murphy and Dick Price by reading the great works and great men that inspired them. Maslow, Myers, Huxley, James, and Sri Aurobindo — giants of psychology, spirituality, philosophy, literature, and more who deeply influenced the founders — and founding — of Esalen.
This month, we walk in the metaphorical footsteps of Michael Murphy and Dick Price by reading the great works and great men that inspired them. Maslow, Myers, Huxley, James, and Sri Aurobindo — giants of psychology, spirituality, philosophy, literature, and more who deeply influenced the founders — and founding — of Esalen.
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