Esalen Institute is open! However, Highway 1 to the south is closed — please review the current travel advisory.
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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.
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Esalen in the News

2023

Harper's BAZAAR | December 2023
‍The 67 Best Gifts for Couples to Enjoy Together
W Magazine | November 2023
‍Dermalogica Founder Jane Wurwand Invented Hype-Free Skincare
eurweb.com | November 2023
‍Maejor Unpacks Sound, Psychedelics, and Wellness in New Podcast Series
KTLA | August 2023
‍Travel Tuesday: Travel for the Soul
dezeen | July 2023
Thermal celebrates "vast experience and rich heritage" of bathing culture
Local Getaways | June 2023
Best Spa and Wellness Hotels on the Monterey Peninsula
Women's Health Magazine | June 2023
The 2023 Women’s Health Travel Awards Are Here
Knowledge and Science Bulletin Board System | May 2023
Unlock Your Potential with These Top-Rated Personal Growth Retreats Near Me
The New York Times | May 2023
Want to Fix Your Mind? Let Your Body Talk
The Bay Area Reporter | May 2023
Queer African-centric retreat coming to Big Sur
Business Insider | April 2023
Esalen Instructor Talks About Why Silicon Valley Comes There
Observer | March 2023
The Best Hotels in Big Sur
Integral Life – Deep Transformation Podcast | February 2023
Michael Murphy: The Human Potential Movement Then and Now
Fathom | February 2023
Love Yourself, Treat Yourself: 8 Retreats For Solo Travelers
Pin Adventures | February 2023
Big Sur Village, California: A Traveler’s Guide
Walnut Creek Magazine | January 2023
California's Healing Hot Springs
Time Out | January 2023
Relax and unwind at the best yoga retreats in the U.S.

2022

Carmel Magazine | December 2022
Inside Esalen: 60 Years of Exploring Human Potential
Trip Advisor | December 2022
9 places to escape the crowds on New Year's Eve
USA Today Golfweek | November 2022
Deep thoughts with Michael Murphy: On the 50th anniversary of 'Golf in the Kingdom'
Gotham | September 2022
7 Luxury Wellness Resorts To Help You Relax, Reconnect And Recuperate
Lookout Santa Cruz | July 2022
‍My Esalen experience: Big Sur’s ‘one-of-a-kind, you-gotta-be-kidding-me, is-this-a-dream?’ kinda day
goop | June 2022
‍How to Pack for  the Great Outdoors
Global Viewpoint
‍10 Best Retreat Centers in 2022: Where to Host + Attend a Retreat
Trips to Discover
The 20 Best Wellness Retreats in California, Based on Google Ratings
Barron's Penta
Great Escapes: A Road Trip Along California’s Rugged Coast in Big Sur


View web articles from 2021 and prior.

Browse article archives going back to the 1960's.

Press Releases

❯
May 13, 2020
Esalen Institute Sets Goal of Re-opening in July after COVID-19 Quarantine Lifts
May 17, 2019
Esalen to Host 9th Annual Blue Mind Summit
April 12, 2019
Annabel Teal Appointed to Esalen Board of Trustees
January 26, 2017
William Donius, Author of "Thought Revolution", Named to Esalen Institute Board of Trustees
October 17, 2016
Ken and Maddy Dychtwald Receive the 2016 Esalen Prize for Advancing Human Potential of Aging Population
February 19, 2016
Esalen Institute Elects Noted Scholar and Author Jeffrey Kripal Chairman of its Board of Trustees
May 19, 2015
Esalen Appoints Silicon Valley Entrepreneur Ben Tauber to Board of Trustees
March 12, 2015
Esalen to Celebrate Lodge Renovation & Campus Renewal Project on Saturday, March 14th with Groundbreaking Ceremony
September 24, 2014
Press Release: Esalen Tackles Political Polarization and Gridlock
August 19, 2013
Esalen Selects Arkin-Tilt Architects to Renovate Lodge

2022 Articles

Lookout Santa Cruz
‍My Esalen experience: Big Sur’s ‘one-of-a-kind, you-gotta-be-kidding-me, is-this-a-dream?’ kinda day
goop
‍How to Pack for  the Great Outdoors
Trips to Discover
The 20 Best Wellness Retreats in California, Based on Google Ratings
Barron's Penta
Great Escapes: A Road Trip Along California’s Rugged Coast in Big Sur

2021 Articles

AFAR
6 Solo Wellness Trips to Book in 2021
Los Angeles Times

2020 Articles

TANK Magazine
MultiBriefs Exclusive
KCRW
San Francisco Chronicle
Monterey Herald
Trips to Discover
AFAR
Outside Magazine
AFAR
Conde Nast Traveler
The Today Show


View web articles from 2019 and prior.

Browse article archives going back to the 1960's.

Press Releases
May 13, 2020
Esalen Institute Sets Goal of Re-opening in July after COVID-19 Quarantine Lifts
May 17, 2019
Esalen to Host 9th Annual Blue Mind Summit
April 12, 2019
Annabel Teal Appointed to Esalen Board of Trustees
January 26, 2017
William Donius, Author of "Thought Revolution", Named to Esalen Institute Board of Trustees
October 17, 2016
Ken and Maddy Dychtwald Receive the 2016 Esalen Prize for Advancing Human Potential of Aging Population
February 19, 2016
Esalen Institute Elects Noted Scholar and Author Jeffrey Kripal Chairman of its Board of Trustees
May 19, 2015
Esalen Appoints Silicon Valley Entrepreneur Ben Tauber to Board of Trustees
March 12, 2015
Esalen to Celebrate Lodge Renovation & Campus Renewal Project on Saturday, March 14th with Groundbreaking Ceremony
September 24, 2014
Press Release: Esalen Tackles Political Polarization and Gridlock
August 19, 2013
Esalen Selects Arkin-Tilt Architects to Renovate Lodge

Press/Media Requests

If you are a member of the press and require assistance, please contact us at marketing@esalen.org. Please allow at least one week for a response.

Copyright © 2024 Esalen Institute and Esalen Center for Theory & Research. All rights reserved. Esalen is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, tax-exempt organization. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. View our Tax ID#, 990, and additional information.

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Esalen in the News

Featured articles and their order are set manually in the CMS.
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Carmel Magazine
Carmel Magazine
December 2022

Inside Esalen: 60 Years of Exploring Human Potential

Journalist Dina Ruiz explores and reflects on the Institute's 60 years of growth, transformation, and healing through the pursuit of human potential.

Vogue
Vogue
May 2024

Global Spa Guide | Esalen: Big Sur, California

While Esalen isn’t a spa, Vogue Magazine has recognized the healing powers of our hot springs, healing arts services, and transformational programming in its spa guide — a compendium of the 100 best spas worldwide.

Audible
Audible
November 2023

Maejor Unpacks Sound, Psychedelics, and Wellness in New Podcast Series

Post '60s Psychedelics Renaissance: Stan Grof developed the consciousness-altering practice of Holotropic Breathwork while living at Esalen. Stacia Butterfield, a Grof student-turned-Esalen faculty, led an unprecedented experience.

The Bay Area Reporter
The Bay Area Reporter
May 2023

Queer African-centric retreat coming to Big Sur

Marques Redd, PhD and Mikael Owunna return to Esalen for a workshop focused on African cosmological traditions using imagery, movement, writing, and rituals to help participants transcend personal blocks and move forward.

Business Insider
Business Insider
April 2023

Esalen Instructor Talks About Why Silicon Valley Comes There

Justin Michael Williams on how his workshops help people expand their human potential, which can help increase their productivity and improve their performance.

Integral Life – Deep Transformation Podcast
Integral Life – Deep Transformation Podcast
February 2023

The Human Potential Movement: Then and Now (with Michael Murphy)

Esalen co-founder Michael Murphy speaks about the birthplace of the human potential movement, transformational practices, and Soviet-American Citizen Diplomacy with Roger Walsh and John Dupuy of the DEEP Transformation podcast.

Atlas Obscura
Atlas Obscura
December 2015

How a Famed New Age Retreat Center Helped End the Cold War

Discover how “dreamers in hot tubs” organized the first Soviet-American “space bridge” — the 1980s version of video chat — and brought astronauts, writers, and politicians together to “thaw out” then-frozen international relations.

V Magazine
V Magazine
February 2024

Catching Up With Professor Kesha

Pop music’s most unpredictable player chats about the Esalen community, becoming an artist in residence, and The Alchemy of Pop Music, the songwriting course she led during her two-and-a-half-week stint on campus.

Freakonomics Radio
Freakonomics Radio
February 2024

Mr. Feynman Takes a Trip — But Doesn’t Fall

Voices of Esalen’s Sam Stern and Stephen Dubner discuss the noted genius and theoretical physicist’s time at the Institute and his 1984 “Tiny Machines” lecture.

Sunset
May 2025

Yep, Getting Naked in Nature Is Still Trending. Here’s How to Do It (and Not Get Arrested)

Tourist Secrets
April 2025

Hidden Retreats For Contemplative Writing In Big Sur

Hoop LA
April 2025

5 Wellness Retreats & Getaways in California That Prioritize Your Mental Health

Food Drink Life
April 2025

No-phone zones are on the rise — Americans are finally paying attention

Fora Travel
April 2025

Your Best Wellness Weekend Getaway Ever: The Esalen Institute

Home Stratosphere
February 2025

10 Secluded Towns on the Big Sur Coast Where the Redwoods Meet the Pacific

The Carmel Pine Cone
January 2025

Highway 1 through Big Sur reaches sober milestone: Two-year closure sets record

The New York Times
January 2025

5 Intimacy Retreats to Improve Your Sex Life

MSN
January 2025

Unplugged and Recharged: The Rise of Digital Detox Retreats

Outside
January 2025

You Deserve Your Vacation. What if It Also Made You Live Longer?

Places of Healing
December 2024

Exploring Healing and Connection: Attending an Esalen Massage Workshop at the Esalen Institute

The Wall Street Journal
November 2024

I Was Feeling Hopeless About Love. Then I Went on a Singles Retreat

Chicago Tribune
November 2024

From Big Sur to Carmel, a wellness adventure along California coast

Document Journal
November 2024

What if the artistic impulse is wisdom from the future?

The Points Guy
October 2024

Airplane mode activated: Places to go to unplug from election stress

Edible Monterey Bay
September 2024

Found Treasure: Esalen’s Kitchen (and the Big Sur Fashion Show)

Ageist
July 2024

Since You Asked: Somatic Retreats Over 50

USA Today 10 Best
July 2024

Find your calm at the 10 best meditation centers in the US

Edible Monterey Bay
June 2024

Found Treasure Special Slideshow Edition: Big Sur Is Back

Savoteur
May 2024

The Ultimate 2-Week California Road Trip Itinerary

W Magazine
November 2023

Dermalogica Founder Jane Wurwand Invented Hype-Free Skincare

AFAR
September 2023

7 Meditation Retreats to Experience in the U.S.

Harper's BAZAAR
September 2023

The 67 Best Gifts for Couples to Enjoy Together

KTLA
August 2023

Travel Tuesday: Travel for the Soul

dezeen
July 2023

Thermal celebrates "vast experience and rich heritage" of bathing culture

Women's Health Magazine
June 2023

The 2023 Women’s Health Travel Awards Are Here

Local Getaways
June 2023

Best Spa and Wellness Hotels on the Monterey Peninsula

Knowledge and Science Bulletin Board System
May 2023

Unlock Your Potential with These Top-Rated Personal Growth Retreats Near Me

The New York Times
May 2023

Want to Fix Your Mind? Let Your Body Talk

Global Viewpoint
April 2023

11 Best Retreat Centers in 2023: Where to Host + Attend a Retreat

Observer
March 2023

The Best Hotels in Big Sur

Pin Adventures
February 2023

Big Sur Village, California: A Traveler’s Guide

Fathom
February 2023

Love Yourself, Treat Yourself: 8 Retreats For Solo Travelers

Walnut Creek Magazine
January 2023

California's Healing Hot Springs

Time Out
January 2023

Relax and unwind at the best yoga retreats in the U.S.

Trip Advisor
December 2022

9 places to escape the crowds on New Year's Eve

Golfweek
November 2022

Deep thoughts with Michael Murphy: On the 50th anniversary of 'Golf in the Kingdom'

GOTHAM
September 2022

10 Luxury Wellness Resorts To Help You Relax, Reconnect And Recuperate

Lookout Santa Cruz
July 2022

My Esalen experience: Big Sur’s ‘one-of-a-kind, you-gotta-be-kidding-me, is-this-a-dream?’ kinda day

Trips to Discover
June 2022

The 20 Best Wellness Retreats in California, Based on Google Ratings

goop
June 2022

How to Pack for the Great Outdoors

Barron's Penta
May 2022

Great Escapes: A Road Trip Along California’s Rugged Coast in Big Sur

Los Angeles Times
February 2021

23 miles of Highway 1 near Big Sur are closed. Repairs will take months

AFAR
January 2021

6 Solo Wellness Trips to Book in 2021

Multibriefs
November 2020

Esalen evolution: A retreat for the next age

KCRW
November 2020

As election 2020 stirs up stress, anxiety and anger, some people are tuning out entirely

The San Francisco Chronicle
October 2020

At Esalen, famous Big Sur retreat center, hands-on healing goes digital during coronavirus

Monterey Herald
October 2020

Esalen, near Big Sur, set to reopen with renewed focus

TANK Magazine
August 2020

The Invention of Wellness

AFAR
February 2020

The California Road Trip All Book Lovers Should Take

Condé Nast Traveler
February 2020

The Biggest Wellness Travel Trends: Sound Baths, Tickling Helmets, and More

Today
January 2020

Meet 2 sisters on a mission to beat burnout

Outside
January 2020

11 Places to Recoup After the Holidays

Market Watch
December 2019

Want to really improve someone’s life? Buy them a gift that helps them unplug

Scientific American
December 2019

Can Mysticism Help Us Solve the Mind-Body Problem?

San Francisco Chronicle
December 2019

Top 10 things to do in Monterey

GOLF
October 2019

Into the mystic: Golf in the Kingdom’s magical power still inspires, as does its visionary author

Houston Chronicle
September 2019

The Rice professor who saw cosmic consciousness

San Francisco Chronicle
September 2019

What’s next for the Esalen Institute?

San Francisco Chronicle
September 2019

Q&A: Esalen co-founder Michael Murphy

Good Housekeeping
July 2019

10 Dreamy Meditation Retreats for Your Most Relaxing Vacation Ever

AFAR
January 2019

The Best Hot Springs in the United States

AllTheRooms
December 2018

12 Beautiful Hot Springs in California

Discovery Channel
December 2018

California: Innovation Nation, Episode 2

San Francisco Magazine
November 2018

Anna Halprin's Curtain Call

The New York Times
October 2018

California’s Highway 1, With Memory Riding Shotgun

Travel + Leisure
October 2018

The Best Reason to Be Out at 2 a.m. if You’re Not a 23-year-old Club Kid

Los Angeles Times
August 2018

Noise causes stress. Here’s why you need to seek out some silence

Los Angeles Review of Books
August 2018

The Queerness of It All: An Interview with Jeffrey Kripal

Pure Wow
June 2018

6 Gorgeous Meditation Retreats That Will Leave You Feeling Like a Million Bucks

Elite Daily
May 2018

The Best Yoga Retreats In The U.S. Will Help You Unplug & Unwind On Your Next Vacation

PR Newswire
April 2018

Kellyann Chippendale's 'Meisnered' Featured at Big Sur Esalen Institute Inspirational Film Festival

HGTV
April 2018

10 Transformative Yoga Retreats in the US

National Geographic
March 2018

15 Ways that Travel Inspires Creativity

Allure
February 2018

Losing Clothes, Finding Zen

lonely planet
January 2018

Weekend escape to Big Sur

The New York Times
December 2017

Where Silicon Valley Is Going to Get in Touch With Its Soul

The Telegraph
October 2017

Witness the ‘pink moment’ and take a spiritual journey in the Ojai valley

KSBW Action News 8
October 2017

Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge is open

Travel + Leisure
August 2017

You Can Still Take a Big Sur Road Trip This Year — Here’s How

KAZU
July 2017

Big Sur's Esalen Reopens After Record Long Closure

The Mercury News
July 2017

Esalen’s survival story: A tale of transformation

NBC News
May 2017

Big Sur Landslides Leave Small Canyon Town Stranded

CNN
May 2017

Landslide buries California’s scenic highway in Big Sur

Time Out Los Angeles
May 2017

How can you get to—and around—Big Sur right now?

The Mercury News
May 2017

Beleaguered Big Sur institutions turn to crowdfunding

LA Yoga
April 2017

Esalen Update: from Rain to Renewal

The Hollywood Reporter
April 2017

How the Industry Is Dealing With Big Sur Closures From February Storms

The Mercury News
April 2017

At Big Sur, a sudden taste of isolation

The Washington Post
April 2017

Big Sur usually can’t keep people away. Right now, it’s practically deserted.

The Seattle Times
February 2017

The 7 best hot springs in the U.S.

Pilot Getaways
January 2017

Big Sur, California: Zen Central

Culture Trip
November 2016

A Culture Lover’s Guide to Big Sur, California

San Francisco Chronicle
November 2016

Esalen refreshed for another new age

Skoll
April 2016

Wellbeing Project Reveals Changemakers’ Need for Personal Support

Carmel Magazine
December 2015

Transformation at the Pacific's Edge (pdf)

Daily Beast
May 2015

Inside Don Draper’s Big Sur Nirvana: The Esalen Institute

Trips to Discover
February 2015

18 Most Blissful Meditation Retreats Around the World

Institute for Cultural Evolution
October 2014

Reflections on Esalen’s 2014 Conclave on Political Polarization

Condé Nast Traveler
September 2014

The Best Fall Yoga Retreats

Another possible layout for featured and all articles

Carmel Magazine

Inside Esalen: 60 Years of Exploring Human Potential

December 2022

Journalist Dina Ruiz explores and reflects on the Institute's 60 years of growth, transformation, and healing through the pursuit of human potential.

Vogue

Global Spa Guide | Esalen: Big Sur, California

May 2024

While Esalen isn’t a spa, Vogue Magazine has recognized the healing powers of our hot springs, healing arts services, and transformational programming in its spa guide — a compendium of the 100 best spas worldwide.

Audible

Maejor Unpacks Sound, Psychedelics, and Wellness in New Podcast Series

November 2023

Post '60s Psychedelics Renaissance: Stan Grof developed the consciousness-altering practice of Holotropic Breathwork while living at Esalen. Stacia Butterfield, a Grof student-turned-Esalen faculty, led an unprecedented experience.

The Bay Area Reporter

Queer African-centric retreat coming to Big Sur

May 2023

Marques Redd, PhD and Mikael Owunna return to Esalen for a workshop focused on African cosmological traditions using imagery, movement, writing, and rituals to help participants transcend personal blocks and move forward.

Business Insider

Esalen Instructor Talks About Why Silicon Valley Comes There

April 2023

Justin Michael Williams on how his workshops help people expand their human potential, which can help increase their productivity and improve their performance.

Integral Life – Deep Transformation Podcast

The Human Potential Movement: Then and Now (with Michael Murphy)

February 2023

Esalen co-founder Michael Murphy speaks about the birthplace of the human potential movement, transformational practices, and Soviet-American Citizen Diplomacy with Roger Walsh and John Dupuy of the DEEP Transformation podcast.

Atlas Obscura

How a Famed New Age Retreat Center Helped End the Cold War

December 2015

Discover how “dreamers in hot tubs” organized the first Soviet-American “space bridge” — the 1980s version of video chat — and brought astronauts, writers, and politicians together to “thaw out” then-frozen international relations.

V Magazine

Catching Up With Professor Kesha

February 2024

Pop music’s most unpredictable player chats about the Esalen community, becoming an artist in residence, and The Alchemy of Pop Music, the songwriting course she led during her two-and-a-half-week stint on campus.

Freakonomics Radio

Mr. Feynman Takes a Trip — But Doesn’t Fall

February 2024

Voices of Esalen’s Sam Stern and Stephen Dubner discuss the noted genius and theoretical physicist’s time at the Institute and his 1984 “Tiny Machines” lecture.