This is a perfect season to awaken touch, our forgotten language. In this introductory massage course, participants will learn to listen to each other, gain the sensory skill of initiating touch, experience the felt sense of touch and muscle release, and close with a balanced tenderness. Seasoned instructors will offer exercises, demonstrations, and at-the-table guidance during supervised practice. The simple principles of Esalen® Massage – presence, connection, attending rather than fixing, self-care, and slow, lengthening strokes encompassing the body – will build a heartfelt experience with our partner or friend and, perhaps most significantly, ourselves.

By the final session, participants will share the basics of an Esalen Massage. Beginners, practitioners, and caregivers will find this method  personally refreshing, and will notice its healing effect as their pace slows and focus rests on compassionate contact rather than technique.

Touch can evoke an openness to spirit, enhancing our natural inclination toward healthful balance, and sparking our awareness of interconnection with all beings in this edgy wildness of canyons, hot springs, flowers, and mountains.

This workshop is for couples, partners, or friends registering together, as they will be your bodywork partner for the weekend.