Beginning March 9, 2026 we will begin maintenance work at the baths on Mondays. Learn More.
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.
past workshop

Fear of Dopeness: Surrendering to Your Own Greatness

March 16–20, 2026

Didier Sylvain

Your crown has been bought and paid for. All you have to do is put it on. — James Baldwin

Most people don’t actually fear failure; they fear their own brilliance. In this weeklong journey, we’ll explore how subtle self-sabotage, shrinking, and doubt prevent us from claiming our gifts. Through coherence coaching, embodied exercises, and radical self-honesty, you’ll discover the courage to live as the powerful being you already are.

Participants will:

  • Engage in guided movement and meditation to release constriction and embody expansive power.
  • Use reflective journaling prompts to surface patterns of self-betrayal and write new declarations of possibility.
  • Practice storytelling and peer coaching circles that mirror back wholeness, strengths, and hidden capacities.
  • Enter creative play exercises to rehearse new ways of showing up boldly.
  • Make commitments to sustained daily practices that anchor your dopeness as a lifestyle.

When we embrace our greatness, we move beyond fear into freedom, clarity, and contribution. You’ll receive practical tools and experience a supportive community for the embodied confidence to live your dopeness with courage and joy.

Didier Sylvain

Didier Sylvain is an executive coach, artist, and facilitator of life alignment. With a background in philanthropy, consulting at Deloitte, and teaching university-level leadership courses, he applies his training in adaptive leadership, psychosomatics, and the healing arts to inspire transformative change.

Full Bio