The Esalen Journal

Don Hanlon Johnson remembers his incredible journey from Jesuit seminarian to somatics pioneer, the Esalen of the 1960s, and the genius of Ida Rolf, Fritz Perls, Carl Rogers, Moshe Feldenkrais, Charlotte Selver, Michael Murphy, and more.

The welcoming mighty pine guarding the Bookstore, the manzanita providing nectar for hummingbirds, the towering cypress standing for centuries, and more. Esalen staff remembers some majestic and comforting natural guardians fallen by the devastating winter storms of 2024.

Just as greenery emerges from the chilly dormancy of winter, we are excitedly bursting into the vernal months — ready for change. Spring is the season to reach further and become more, but rapid growth requires sun and water. That means new ideas and renewed inspiration.

Inspired by 20th-century French writer Marcel Proust, we here at Esalen have created our own version of his favorite parlor game to dig just a little deeper — and differently — into our incredible faculty and staff. Here, somatic and bodywork practitioner, educator, and Gestalt facilitator Kate Flore opens up about admiring the Cowardly Lion, aspiring to fall in love daily, and why she wishes she could have met Esalen’s Dick Price.

A cross-country journey lands this chef where he’s meant to be — a place he can nourish both bodies and souls: "I always receive joy when I am able to help others."

Built around 1963, the freshwater pool we submerge in today is a replacement of a rectangular hot spring water-filled pool. By the ‘80s, a heat exchange was installed to warm fresh water with heat from the hot springs. In the ‘90s, a salt water chlorination system elevated the institute’s aquatic innovations.

As we explore stories of the past, we’re looking through recipes of kitchen favorites that were featured in old newsletters. This one was from December 9, 2010. Check out this delicious veggie-infused carb!

Since the early days of the 1960s, legends and aspiring artists have performed, studied, taught, and found refuge at Esalen. Today, Esalen is once again a destination where widely acclaimed greats energize minds, hearts, bodies, and spirits — and remains a creative laboratory for emerging talents to experiment and grow.

This month, we walk in the metaphorical footsteps of Michael Murphy and Dick Price by reading the great works and great men that inspired them. Maslow, Myers, Huxley, James, and Sri Aurobindo — giants of psychology, spirituality, philosophy, literature, and more who deeply influenced the founders — and founding — of Esalen.

Esalen student, teacher, and workshop leader Jessica Britt on the Esalen of the ‘80s: “A very robust, dynamic place. People were coming to really own and express their dynamic aliveness. We were a sexy bunch, we were an attractive bunch, we were a juicy bunch.”

Even with over 25 years of experience in health and wellness, Deva Munay still gets butterflies before taking new students on sound journeys: “The first days of workshops are so powerful to me … I learn from the participants and grow just as much as they do.” Munay, the founder of Sacred Sound & Wonder, shares her thoughts on staying strong, acceptance, and how playing hundreds of alchemy crystal singing bowls helped her understand “the complexity of frequency and how we can use sound for healing.”

As a lifelong student of natural history, co-founder of Wildtender Fletcher Tucker lists some heroes (both human and “other-than-human”), shares his love for this sacred land that is Esalen, and speaks with perfect poetic clarity on the healing power of nature: “It really is as simple as walking into the wild, which is patiently waiting for our return.”

“And I came back into myself again.” A young grad student is handed a book of Joy and finds a new land of beauty and diversity. LaVerne McLeod remembers how she processed her traumas and transformed herself with dance at Esalen — and giggled her way through a few naked volleyball games.

As the year closes and we take some time to consider all that has passed, we also imagine what can come next — all there is to learn, to understand, and to become. To offer guidance, new passions, and hopes, we’re turning to new works from six brilliant Esalen faculty, each with a valuable gift to share.

The holiday season is marked by generosity and gratitude. With mindful intention, we selected ten items from the bookstore to support your fluency in gift giving. Embrace community with fellow dreamers and seekers through thoughtful presents that embody the spirit of Esalen.

Acupuncturist Jiling Lin and yoga therapist Paula Wild, teachers of The Five Elements of Yoga & Chinese Medicine workshop coming this fall, reveal a desire to speak the language of music, to be resiliently playful, to re-embody mountains, come back as a blue whale, and more.

This longtime Esalen student-turned-teacher reminisces about the Esalen of the early ’80s and discovering a spiritual path through Gestalt therapy. Dorothy speaks of staying open to possibility, working with the children of the Gazebo School, and the innate wisdom we all hold inside: “Dick [Price] always said, ‘Trust process, allow process, and get out of the way.’”

Manon Wilde of Esalen's Healing Arts department caught up with Andrew Hansen and Charlie Wruckle, who work the stretch of land that makes up the Farm & Garden — a place for healing and transformation that helps feed staff and guests. Andrew and Charlie shared some insights about their work, their Esalen origin stories, and what being a land steward means to them.

#myEsalen reflects the many ideas, feelings and experiences of what Esalen is to each of us. We all have a unique story to tell about how Esalen has impacted our life, #myEsalen is a vehicle for sharing what makes Esalen our own individually and collectively. Though she’s lived in Big Sur since 2018 and has been visiting Esalen since the late ’90s, Casey Cushing — who joined the Esalen staff last year — still gets the same magical feeling arriving on campus as her very first visit.

Expert Gardener Steve Beck on half a century of greenery, growth, and the origins of farming at Esalen — from clearing the land to planting the original crops to building the fields that now sustain the faculty, guests, and staff. “We kind of invented the whole thing,” says Beck. “It was like we were reinventing the world.”

As the summer heat ripens our spirits, we're meditating on the earth and its lessons — on sustenance, survival, and growth.

Restore yourself with an intentional moment. The author of "Deep Listening" and faculty lead for the workshop "Flowing Through Transition" guides us through a short, everyday healing practice to calm the body, break away from the feelings of never-ending stress, and create space to fully experience who we are.

Inspired by 20th-century French writer Marcel Proust, we here at Esalen have created our own version of his favorite parlor game to dig just a little deeper — and differently — into our incredible faculty and staff. Learn about Elissa Epel, the bestselling co-author of "The Telomere Effect", and which Esalen workshop she calls “one of the best times of my life.”

Author and educator LaVerne McLeod talks about moving beyond awareness to get into the internal work we must all face independently to become allies and collaborators in the fight against oppression. “The change must begin with you, on your own, and that is like a sacred passage to know that you can be the catalyst, the instrument, and, eventually, the helping accomplice.”

Theda Zawaiza tells us about finding Esalen in 1986 and other life-changing discoveries, including Eli Jackson-Bear and Gangaji's Enneagram workshop, Janet Zuckerman's warm energy, Babatunde Olatunji's exhilarating drums, and Gabrielle Roth's cool magnetism.

“There isn’t one path!” JJ Jeffries wisely shares. This beloved community elder explains how a once “clueless yokel from Indiana” created his “Pathways to Joy” from all the many practices and studies that informed and transformed him at Esalen.

This month, we're looking inward to celebrate a few of our favorite in-house authors and delve deep into the topics and themes vital to the institute — because creating outward change begins with the development of inner strength.

What does it mean to reach toward your growing edge? It might involve some discomfort, perhaps a bit of vulnerability. There is an activated art to pushing into what we typically avoid, and it takes a bit of self-aware stretching to move beyond our fears. Esalen is now producing its own homespun programming — Esalen Deep Growth Experience (EDGE), a new transformational accelerator, to help you explore your edge.

Roller skating massage therapist and “vibe curator” Nick Ayers talks poolside parties, the musical massage table he invented, and his superhero alter ego, Silky Slim. Amen to being “vulnerably witnessed in one’s authenticity” to bring us closer to our humanity!”

Esalen scholar and teacher Marleen Thaler, who has dedicated her academic research to exploring modern interpretations of the enlightenment experience of kuṇḍalinī, shares some of the history of spiritual energy — and Esalen’s role in sharing it with Western minds and bodies.

This month, we’re considering how we can change our outlook without psychedelics (though we remain big fans). Instead, find out how to dream, breathe, or dance your way into a different you.

Language can guide us through our deepest and subtlest encounters with ourselves and the world. Upcoming workshop leaders Sravana Borkataky-Varma and Erik Davis offer a simple exercise to help show how writing can help us work out and work through mysteries that surround us, including the mysteries that we are.

The psychedelic pioneer and father of Holotropic Breathwork® tells us about the early days at Esalen, discovering his life’s work, and how building a garden in a patch of poison oak led to the practice’s supportive system of “breathers” and “sitters.”

Robert Albert, an alumnus of our month-long Live Extended Education Program (LEEP), shares a personal awakening where he drops into a non-ordinary state of consciousness with Holotropic Breathwork®.

Certified nature therapy guide, mindfulness teacher, and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Sylvie Rokab speaks “four and a quarter” languages, dreams of life as a very pampered housecat, and calls the natural world her “greatest love.”

Former scholar-in-residence and current REEP faculty member Marleen Thaler on being at Esalen: “And is there anything more beautiful than feeling comforted at the place closest to your heart?”

Esalen Institute, the New Camaldoli Hermitage, the Tassajara Zen Center, and the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County recently gathered as the Four Winds Council for the first time since the pandemic to unite in their shared mission to protect the sacred wilderness of Big Sur and lands we all treasure.

We asked four faculty members leading upcoming workshops to share the healing practices that have pulled them through dark times and back into the light.

Perry Holloman, a practitioner of Esalen massage, deep bodywork, and body-oriented approaches to relational Gestalt process work for more than 30 years, takes us back to the early 1980s, when the Ivy League undergrad held court as Esalen’s resident dishwasher, chess player, dancer, and preschool teacher.

“With beauty and grace, we set the stage for people to have an amazing inner journey here, creating the space for all to reach their Human Potential.” Esalen’s chief operating officer envisions a new era for the next generation of thought leaders — “We are developing a secure place through training and professional and personal development,” she says excitedly — while staying laser-focused on providing guests memorable experiences.

Birth doula, herbalist, and facilitator of transformational retreats Micha Merrick speaks lovingly about Esalen, harvesting flowers, and her rituals and practices — "There's a lot of pleasure surrounding me as I work" — but it's her "creative flower-child parents" and all the traditional healers who have shared with her their wisdom who make Micha truly grateful.

For April, we’re focused on the concept of healing and the myriad ways Esalen’s visitors can mend from life’s many wounds while here on campus. There are many paths to recovery and transformation — and multiple dimensions that require us to harness powerful forces to achieve some form of restoration. To this end, we’ve selected five books with varied themes, disparate concerns, and radically diverse forms of healing, though ultimately the peace and harmony they are reaching for are all part of a very unified whole. 

We’ve experimented a lot here at Esalen over 60 years. Check out our latest video that touches on some of the transformative theories and ideas that have sparked innovation and reshaped the fields of education, personal growth, psychology, psychedelics, and somatics over the decades.

“This is where the three waters meet.” You might have heard those words spoken as you stood along the creek — a sacred and rare convergence of mineral, sea, and fresh waters — with the fresh part providing our daily drinking water thanks to Esalen’s innovative in-house water system.

Pursuing your potential is an ongoing process that resonates differently for each of us. Whatever your goals, guidance can often be found from the greats. Look upon their works, but do not despair! Instead, be inspired to grow mighty.

After fluttering around the world, Manon Wilde’s restless spirit suddenly alights at Esalen — for now: “Here, I feel connected, accepted, and valued.”

The author of the New York Times bestseller Thought Revolution spent a decade researching and developing a brain-enhancing methodology that tapped into his right brain, which he now refers to as his “better half.” This revolutionized his life, and for nearly three decades, he’s traveled the world sharing this creativity block hack.

“I went from hating my body to loving my body,” shares Dave Morin. The concept of accepting our physical selves and the healing power of touch developed holistically for Western curiosity at Esalen. "Celebrating the body and pleasure supported by the freedom of the '60s and '70s became central,” recalls Peggy Horan.

This month, we search for love in all its myriad forms — philosophically, spiritually, bodily, and psychologically. Here are a few titles to deepen your understanding for the type of love you desire.

We asked some of our upcoming workshop leaders to share their favorite spots on campus — where they feel Esalen’s mystique and beauty most acutely.

Sadia Bruce tells us about living enthusiastically, cultural fluidity, internalized belonging, and maintaining her practice: “What we need today will differ from what we’ll need tomorrow.” An expert in breath-based movement, Sadia shares an integrative, vitalizing understanding of embodied movement to challenge her students and also herself: “I heal and grow even as I offer experiences for others to do the same.”

Guest Services Supervisor Nani Almanza likens finding her way to Esalen during the pandemic to “washing up on the shore of a beautiful island after being lost at sea.”

Peggy Horan found her calling in Esalen Massage®. After managing the Healing Arts department at Esalen for over a decade while teaching workshops and leading teacher training programs, the certified meditation teacher now has a coaching practice. She reflects on the summer of ’69 and the Esalen of that very poignant time in American culture. “I wasn't a hippie,” she says. “But I was fringe; I believed in the movement.” Peggy tells the tale of a formative moment: young dreamers discovering themselves through cutting edge spiritual practices and psychedelics — all to a soundtrack by Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez.

The great psychedelic resurgence is upon us. If your curiosity is piqued, we’ve created a reading list that will expand the mind and understanding of psychedelics today while also honoring the galaxy’s most distinguished pioneers: Huxley, Fadiman, McKenna, Grof — each with a long history at Esalen.

As we awaken into the new year, right now is a good time to reflect on how we communicate and share this planet with one another. Tatyana Sanikovich spent a decade at Esalen and currently works as a leadership and career coach. She draws wisdom from her experiences and shares ways to move forward rather than wallow in the spirals of what if and if only.

In her second installment of “Conversations We Should Be Having,” S. Rae Peoples asks activist and publisher Tim McKee, how he thinks white men can meaningfully contribute to and benefit from racial justice.

Inspired by the recordings of the acclaimed ethnobotanist, mystic, and psychonaut, Hunter Stroope drove his 1984 VW van to see “the space that held Terrance McKenna and his fringe esoteric thinking.”

Internationally respected psychotherapist, executive coach, and Enneagram JEDI (justice, equality, diversity, inclusion) Dr. Deborah Egerton — "Dr. E," as she’s known on campus — tells us about her faith, greatest achievements, and her Spiritual board of directors: “They lead, but the backup chorus of angels is quite remarkable.”

Did you know we have an online version of our on-campus Bookstore? To help you find the perfect presents for loved ones, dreamers, and seekers in your life, we have curated our 2022 Ultimate Esalen Holiday Gift Guide!

CABinS Supervisors Jess Siller and Aaron Willams share their thoughts on service, clearing spaces, and setting the stage for transformation.