A Workshop and Homecoming on Sacred Esselen Land

“Right now, our world is in a deep need of reconnection — to the land, to each other, and to the wisdom that has sustained human beings for thousands of years,” says Tom “Little Bear” Nason, Tribal Chairman of the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County. “We are facing climate change, the erosion of community, and a loss of our relationship with the natural world.”

5Rhythms® teacher Douglas Drummond echoes this sentiment: “This is a heartfelt response to disconnection. In coming together, through breath, movement, shared presence, and reciprocity on sacred land, we begin to dissolve the lines of separation. We remember our interconnection, honor our differences and step into a space of unity.”

From November 10–14, Little Bear and Douglas will be joined by Mac Murphy (somatic and breathwork practitioner and Michael Murphy's son), Sanga of the Valley (who played with Babatunde Olatunji), and Nick Ayers (Esalen Renaissance man of Esalen Massage, music, and dance) for a special event that “blends tribal wisdom and the Esalen lineage.” Healing Waters: Return to One will combine guided movement, storytelling, and shared rituals for a workshop that celebrates diversity, unity, authentic expression, and deep listening — where every story and background will be honored. (Though previous iterations of this workshop have been reserved exclusively for men, this year’s event will be open to men, women, and people of all gender expressions.)

This year, seekers will experience a combination of tribal practices, ceremony, and land-based teaching on some of the most sacred and beautiful grounds in Big Sur. Participants will be guided in traditional ecological knowledge, learn to attune to the cycles of the seasons, and discover traditional ways to awaken awareness.

“Together, we will walk the land, share songs, and create moments of quiet reflection to feel the presence of those who walked here before us,” says Little Bear, who will lead many of the Esselen rituals. Sanga and Nick will perform, offering the steady pulse and rhythm of the workshop through music. Mac will lead the cohort with breathwork practices. “Return to One, is an opportunity to cultivate our reconnection to nature and the old ways. It is an opportunity to come to the vital land, share in communal ritual and receive the teachings of Esselen elders,” says Mac. 

“Gabrielle Roth, the founder of the 5Rhythms®, drew deep inspiration from the land of Esselen Territory during her time at Esalen in the 1970s,” explains Douglas, who will guide the dynamic movement meditation practice. “What we’re offering is a living, breathing experience that honors the integrity of her vision. We also honor the elders, Little Bear and Sanga of the Valley, who were present and influential during those formative years. Their presence and wisdom ground this experience in authenticity and lineage.”

This workshop also commemorates the land acknowledgement ceremony hosted by Esalen Institute in 2022 to honor the sacred relationship with the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County, though the process of reconciliation began even earlier. “The reconciliation work that started in 2019 between the Esselen Tribe, Esalen Institute, and the Murphy family is an important and sacred work. It has grown into an embodied leadership of how a land based organization on tribal land can transform the wounds of colonization,” says Mac. “[By] Joining our workshop, participants get to be a part of this relationship building of this most important reconciliation and healing work.”

Douglas adds that to both teach and receive teachings from the original stewards of this land is deeply meaningful: “To move through the 5Rhythms® on the very land that helped inspire the practice, and in the presence of those most connected to its source, is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

For Little Bear, bringing this work and his practices onto Esselen land is a true homecoming. “For over 250 years, our people were displaced from this land, and only recently have we been able to return to steward it once again,” he says. “To share our teachings here is to invite others into that homecoming, to feel the heartbeat of the mountains, the whisper of the redwoods, and the song of the river that has nourished our people for countless generations.” 

Little Bear invites us to join him on the sacred Esselen land of Big Sur — a place of rivers, mountains, and memory — for this unique collaborative event. “Together, we will step into an ancient story, one that has lived here for thousands of years, carried in the songs of the wind and the heartbeat of the Earth. Through storytelling, ceremony, and time on the land, you will learn the old ways of caring for the Earth — and feel her caring for you in return.”