The Esalen Journal

This month marks the 30th anniversary of the death of Esalen co-founder Dick Price, who died in a hiking accident in Hot Springs Canyon. “Dick Price’s influence lives on at Esalen in countless ways, among them our emphasis upon psychophysical healing, intelligent risk taking, independence from cult, and regard for each person’s uniqueness,” said Michael Murphy, co-founder and Chairman Emeritus of Esalen’s Board of Trustees. “He embodied a wondrous combination of strength and compassion, skepticism about extravagant claims, and freedom from dogma. He was a great partner when the going got tough. For me, he was a comrade for the ages.”

Esalen is a place where diverse elements come together to create something new. And much like a mosaic, at any given moment it’s more than the sum of its parts. A new workshop in February 2016, led by artists Wilma Wyss and Carol Bevilacqua, will use mosaic as a creative celebration of Esalen’s Campus Renewal project by inviting seminarians to co-create a large-scale mosaic mural to be placed in the Lodge’s downstairs restroom.

Singer and songwriter, artist and teacher, mother and activist, Alanis Morissette is used to bridging different worlds. She recently returned from co-teaching a weeklong workshop at Esalen, entitled Hurtling toward Wholeness, and shared her thoughts on what it means to explore and deepen your connection with self, spirit, and other.

In the course of one year, there are more than 300 students participating in Esalen’s residential education program. Ranging in ages from 18 to 70-plus, they come from across the country and around the world to study, work, and live at Esalen for 28 days, a summer, or an entire year depending on which program they choose to pursue.

The Esalen Kitchen, led by Chef Phillip Burrus, shared their world-class Kale salad as part of the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s annual Seafood Watch fundraiser Cooking for Solutions on October 3rd. As a partner for Seafood Watch, Esalen only purchases seafood that is sustainably and responsibly sourced. The Esalen kitchen crew has participated in the annual fundraiser, hosted at the Aquarium, for the last 10 years.

Jeremy Tarcher, founder of one of the first publishing companies solely dedicated to topics related to human evolution and potential, died on September 20, 2015, at the age of 83.

More than 100 self-described thinkers and doers in social media, digital strategy, and social change converged at Esalen in October for an innovative annual conference called Web of Change. Founded in 2001, Web of Change alumni have gone on to lead transformational change in such organizations as Greenpeace, Presente.org, 350.org, and the National Counsel of La Raza. This year’s conference attracted more than 400 applicants.

Since construction began at the end of March, we've seen rapid progress on the Lodge remodel. "We've been encouraged by feedback from our visitors and faculty that construction has had minimal impact on their experience," said Cheryl Fraenzl, Director of Programs. "There is genuine excitement for the renewal of the Lodge and how it will enhance our community."

It's that time of year again when our children and grandchildren head back to school. While many parents may be (literally) sighing in relief, the transition to a more structured schedule may cause some anxiety for kids. According to Esalen's own Gazebo Park School director, Jessica Tamayo, we can help alleviate stress for even young children by introducing — and modeling — mindfulness practices.

As the creator of the Gokhale Method®, Esther Gokhale's mission is to provide posture and movement re-education to help people eradicate unnecessary pain and live life to the fullest. After experiencing crippling back pain during her first pregnancy and the subsequent, unsuccessful back surgery, Gokhale decided to devote her professional life to vanquishing back pain. Her studies at the Aplomb Institute in Paris and years of research in non-industrial cultures led her to develop the Gokhale Method, a unique, systematic approach to help people find their way back to pain-free living.

This versatile dish is a staple at lunch-time and tapas-time at bars and in homes everywhere in Spain. The trick to making a really good tortilla is to avoid the temptation to slice the potatoes into straight, uniform slices. Doing so robs the resulting omelet of the nooks, crannys, and voids that are necessary for the eggs to do their thing.

Esalen has been considered a place of sacred waters for thousands of years. Here, three water sources converge to heal and nourish the web of all life. The canyon stream that cascades through the Esalen property is fed by a spring that provides us with water for our daily use. The hot springs are heated by the earth’s inner fires, and this water is a source of both healing and energy. The ocean here is pristine, wild, and remote. This section of the pacific coastline is a haven for wild life, including sea otters, birds, and fisheries.

The EcoFarm Conference is a revered winter tradition for thousands of farmers—one of few good excuses to leave the lonely farm behind and join the larger community of allies in sustainable agriculture. This year’s conference, in January 2015, marked EcoFarm’s 35th year of bringing together farmers, ranchers, educators, researchers, and other food system stakeholders for education, networking and celebration.

Beloved by Esalen guests and staff alike, these are quite possibly the best pancakes in creation.