Time is a luxury. We recognize that — and a lot of extraordinary work can ignite in a single weekend. But when we have the chance to extend our stay and take a longer journey, time can become a currency with even greater value that can yield healing and transformational rewards.
If your schedule allows, consider our weeklong faculty-led workshops and/or our weeklong self-guided experiences. We’ve compiled six reasons (to align with our collective six decades of exploring human potential and self-actualizing) for you to take just a little bit more time off to spend here with us.
Many of us can live too fast to feel. A weekend gives you a taste, but a week lets you truly slow down, drop in, and listen to what’s ready to emerge. Real change doesn’t happen on the clock; it happens in presence.
With a weeklong workshop, you’re diving into the depths. Whether it’s Gestalt, somatics, creativity, or healing, the full arc of a week allows insights to land and integrate into your nervous system and soul.
A conscious uncoupling from the frenetic, demanding everyday world takes time. A weekend may feel like not enough for some. A week provides the space to fully unplug from the digital noise and reconnect with what matters most: yourself, your path, your purpose.
In longer workshops, you’re not just learning — you’re embodying. You live the practice: morning movement, evening integration, long soaks under the stars. You have more spaciousness to remember in your body, not just your mind.
With more time, community blossoms. Days and evenings together help us move past polite introductions into shared presence, vulnerability, laughter, tears, and insight. When you experience the work in a different, deeper way, the opportunity to feel fully seen emerges, and that happens over time.
After a week at Esalen, people often say, “I’m not the same person who arrived.” Because for five days, you chose presence over productivity, nature over noise, meaning over momentum. An epiphany is exhilarating, and, weaving new understandings into your life for a profound change requires time. That way those shifts don't fade; they integrate and leave meaningful imprints on you.
“Remembering to be as self compassionate as I can and praying to the divine that we're all a part of.”
–Aaron
“Prayer, reading, meditation, walking.”
–Karen
“Erratically — which is an ongoing stream of practice to find peace.”
–Charles
“Try on a daily basis to be kind to myself and to realize that making mistakes is a part of the human condition. Learning from our mistakes is a journey. But it starts with compassion and caring. First for oneself.”
–Steve
“Physically: aerobic exercise, volleyball, ice hockey, cycling, sailing. Emotionally: unfortunately I have to work to ‘not care’ about people or situations which may end painfully. Along the lines of ‘attachment is the source of suffering’, so best to avoid it or limit its scope. Sad though because it could also be the source of great joy. Is it worth the risk?“
–Rainer
“It's time for my heart to be nurtured on one level yet contained on another. To go easy on me and to allow my feelings to be validated, not judged harshly. On the other hand, to let the heart rule with equanimity and not lead the mind and body around like a master.”
–Suzanne
“I spend time thinking of everything I am grateful for, and I try to develop my ability to express compassion for myself and others without reservation. I take time to do the things I need to do to keep myself healthy and happy. This includes taking experiential workshops, fostering relationships, and participating within groups which have a similar interest to become a more compassionate and fulfilled being.“
–Peter
“Self-forgiveness for my own judgments. And oh yeah, coming to Esalen.”
–David B.
“Hmm, this is a tough one! I guess I take care of my heart through fostering relationships with people I feel connected to. Spending quality time with them (whether we're on the phone, through messages/letters, on Zoom, or in-person). Being there for them, listening to them, sharing what's going on with me, my struggles and my successes... like we do in the Esalen weekly Friends of Esalen Zoom sessions!”
–Lori
“I remind myself in many ways of the fact that " Love is all there is!" LOVE is the prize and this one precious life is the stage we get to learn our lessons. I get out into nature, hike, camp, river kayak, fly fish, garden, I create, I dance (not enough!), and I remain grateful for each day, each breath, each moment. Being in the moment, awake, and remembering the gift of life and my feeling of gratitude for all of creation.”
–Steven
“My physical heart by limiting stress and eating a heart-healthy diet. My emotional heart by staying in love with the world and by knowing that all disappointment and loss will pass.“
–David Z.
Today, September 29, is World Heart Day. Strike up a conversation with your own heart and as you feel comfortable, encourage others to do the same. As part of our own transformations and self-care, we sometimes ask for others to illuminate and enliven our hearts or speak our love language.
What if we could do this for ourselves too, even if just for today… or to start a heart practice, forever?
Time is a luxury. We recognize that — and a lot of extraordinary work can ignite in a single weekend. But when we have the chance to extend our stay and take a longer journey, time can become a currency with even greater value that can yield healing and transformational rewards.
If your schedule allows, consider our weeklong faculty-led workshops and/or our weeklong self-guided experiences. We’ve compiled six reasons (to align with our collective six decades of exploring human potential and self-actualizing) for you to take just a little bit more time off to spend here with us.
Many of us can live too fast to feel. A weekend gives you a taste, but a week lets you truly slow down, drop in, and listen to what’s ready to emerge. Real change doesn’t happen on the clock; it happens in presence.
With a weeklong workshop, you’re diving into the depths. Whether it’s Gestalt, somatics, creativity, or healing, the full arc of a week allows insights to land and integrate into your nervous system and soul.
A conscious uncoupling from the frenetic, demanding everyday world takes time. A weekend may feel like not enough for some. A week provides the space to fully unplug from the digital noise and reconnect with what matters most: yourself, your path, your purpose.
In longer workshops, you’re not just learning — you’re embodying. You live the practice: morning movement, evening integration, long soaks under the stars. You have more spaciousness to remember in your body, not just your mind.
With more time, community blossoms. Days and evenings together help us move past polite introductions into shared presence, vulnerability, laughter, tears, and insight. When you experience the work in a different, deeper way, the opportunity to feel fully seen emerges, and that happens over time.
After a week at Esalen, people often say, “I’m not the same person who arrived.” Because for five days, you chose presence over productivity, nature over noise, meaning over momentum. An epiphany is exhilarating, and, weaving new understandings into your life for a profound change requires time. That way those shifts don't fade; they integrate and leave meaningful imprints on you.
“Remembering to be as self compassionate as I can and praying to the divine that we're all a part of.”
–Aaron
“Prayer, reading, meditation, walking.”
–Karen
“Erratically — which is an ongoing stream of practice to find peace.”
–Charles
“Try on a daily basis to be kind to myself and to realize that making mistakes is a part of the human condition. Learning from our mistakes is a journey. But it starts with compassion and caring. First for oneself.”
–Steve
“Physically: aerobic exercise, volleyball, ice hockey, cycling, sailing. Emotionally: unfortunately I have to work to ‘not care’ about people or situations which may end painfully. Along the lines of ‘attachment is the source of suffering’, so best to avoid it or limit its scope. Sad though because it could also be the source of great joy. Is it worth the risk?“
–Rainer
“It's time for my heart to be nurtured on one level yet contained on another. To go easy on me and to allow my feelings to be validated, not judged harshly. On the other hand, to let the heart rule with equanimity and not lead the mind and body around like a master.”
–Suzanne
“I spend time thinking of everything I am grateful for, and I try to develop my ability to express compassion for myself and others without reservation. I take time to do the things I need to do to keep myself healthy and happy. This includes taking experiential workshops, fostering relationships, and participating within groups which have a similar interest to become a more compassionate and fulfilled being.“
–Peter
“Self-forgiveness for my own judgments. And oh yeah, coming to Esalen.”
–David B.
“Hmm, this is a tough one! I guess I take care of my heart through fostering relationships with people I feel connected to. Spending quality time with them (whether we're on the phone, through messages/letters, on Zoom, or in-person). Being there for them, listening to them, sharing what's going on with me, my struggles and my successes... like we do in the Esalen weekly Friends of Esalen Zoom sessions!”
–Lori
“I remind myself in many ways of the fact that " Love is all there is!" LOVE is the prize and this one precious life is the stage we get to learn our lessons. I get out into nature, hike, camp, river kayak, fly fish, garden, I create, I dance (not enough!), and I remain grateful for each day, each breath, each moment. Being in the moment, awake, and remembering the gift of life and my feeling of gratitude for all of creation.”
–Steven
“My physical heart by limiting stress and eating a heart-healthy diet. My emotional heart by staying in love with the world and by knowing that all disappointment and loss will pass.“
–David Z.
Today, September 29, is World Heart Day. Strike up a conversation with your own heart and as you feel comfortable, encourage others to do the same. As part of our own transformations and self-care, we sometimes ask for others to illuminate and enliven our hearts or speak our love language.
What if we could do this for ourselves too, even if just for today… or to start a heart practice, forever?
Time is a luxury. We recognize that — and a lot of extraordinary work can ignite in a single weekend. But when we have the chance to extend our stay and take a longer journey, time can become a currency with even greater value that can yield healing and transformational rewards.
If your schedule allows, consider our weeklong faculty-led workshops and/or our weeklong self-guided experiences. We’ve compiled six reasons (to align with our collective six decades of exploring human potential and self-actualizing) for you to take just a little bit more time off to spend here with us.
Many of us can live too fast to feel. A weekend gives you a taste, but a week lets you truly slow down, drop in, and listen to what’s ready to emerge. Real change doesn’t happen on the clock; it happens in presence.
With a weeklong workshop, you’re diving into the depths. Whether it’s Gestalt, somatics, creativity, or healing, the full arc of a week allows insights to land and integrate into your nervous system and soul.
A conscious uncoupling from the frenetic, demanding everyday world takes time. A weekend may feel like not enough for some. A week provides the space to fully unplug from the digital noise and reconnect with what matters most: yourself, your path, your purpose.
In longer workshops, you’re not just learning — you’re embodying. You live the practice: morning movement, evening integration, long soaks under the stars. You have more spaciousness to remember in your body, not just your mind.
With more time, community blossoms. Days and evenings together help us move past polite introductions into shared presence, vulnerability, laughter, tears, and insight. When you experience the work in a different, deeper way, the opportunity to feel fully seen emerges, and that happens over time.
After a week at Esalen, people often say, “I’m not the same person who arrived.” Because for five days, you chose presence over productivity, nature over noise, meaning over momentum. An epiphany is exhilarating, and, weaving new understandings into your life for a profound change requires time. That way those shifts don't fade; they integrate and leave meaningful imprints on you.
“Remembering to be as self compassionate as I can and praying to the divine that we're all a part of.”
–Aaron
“Prayer, reading, meditation, walking.”
–Karen
“Erratically — which is an ongoing stream of practice to find peace.”
–Charles
“Try on a daily basis to be kind to myself and to realize that making mistakes is a part of the human condition. Learning from our mistakes is a journey. But it starts with compassion and caring. First for oneself.”
–Steve
“Physically: aerobic exercise, volleyball, ice hockey, cycling, sailing. Emotionally: unfortunately I have to work to ‘not care’ about people or situations which may end painfully. Along the lines of ‘attachment is the source of suffering’, so best to avoid it or limit its scope. Sad though because it could also be the source of great joy. Is it worth the risk?“
–Rainer
“It's time for my heart to be nurtured on one level yet contained on another. To go easy on me and to allow my feelings to be validated, not judged harshly. On the other hand, to let the heart rule with equanimity and not lead the mind and body around like a master.”
–Suzanne
“I spend time thinking of everything I am grateful for, and I try to develop my ability to express compassion for myself and others without reservation. I take time to do the things I need to do to keep myself healthy and happy. This includes taking experiential workshops, fostering relationships, and participating within groups which have a similar interest to become a more compassionate and fulfilled being.“
–Peter
“Self-forgiveness for my own judgments. And oh yeah, coming to Esalen.”
–David B.
“Hmm, this is a tough one! I guess I take care of my heart through fostering relationships with people I feel connected to. Spending quality time with them (whether we're on the phone, through messages/letters, on Zoom, or in-person). Being there for them, listening to them, sharing what's going on with me, my struggles and my successes... like we do in the Esalen weekly Friends of Esalen Zoom sessions!”
–Lori
“I remind myself in many ways of the fact that " Love is all there is!" LOVE is the prize and this one precious life is the stage we get to learn our lessons. I get out into nature, hike, camp, river kayak, fly fish, garden, I create, I dance (not enough!), and I remain grateful for each day, each breath, each moment. Being in the moment, awake, and remembering the gift of life and my feeling of gratitude for all of creation.”
–Steven
“My physical heart by limiting stress and eating a heart-healthy diet. My emotional heart by staying in love with the world and by knowing that all disappointment and loss will pass.“
–David Z.
Today, September 29, is World Heart Day. Strike up a conversation with your own heart and as you feel comfortable, encourage others to do the same. As part of our own transformations and self-care, we sometimes ask for others to illuminate and enliven our hearts or speak our love language.
What if we could do this for ourselves too, even if just for today… or to start a heart practice, forever?
Esalen Institute
55000 Highway 1
Big Sur, CA 93920
US: 1-831-667-3000
info@esalen.org