COVID update: learn more about our protocols to keep you safe.
Highway 1 is open!
Our workshops are designed to support you in the challenging work of self exploration, in partnership with some of the leading minds of the day. Join us in discovering the next frontiers of individual and societal transformation. (Interested in a scholarship? Learn more here.)
"We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
– Joseph Campbell, mythologist and Esalen instructor
Letting go of entrenched ideas – of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it – is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to delve into ourselves and to understand the depths of our connections. It’s the driver of change both personal and societal, and it’s always been at the core of Esalen.
The Rituals of Esalen program gives you and a partner five days of peace, space, and natural beauty so you can do the work of growth. Enjoy serenity for the mind, support for the body, stimulus for the spirit, and nourishment for all three. Direct your full energy to connecting with yourself, your partner, and the world around you while drawing on the best of Esalen’s rituals and practices:
During the days, be inspired by the rugged, wild Big Sur coastline. Use the tranquil evenings ideal for stargazing and contemplation, or spend time exploring the day’s insights with your partner. Unplug. Take advantage of the safety and respite, and rediscover who you are and what you bring to the world so you can return with renewed energy.
The upheavals that punctuate life are valuable opportunities for transformation, if we have the time and space to work through it. That’s the gift of Esalen: the expanse you need to distill your intentions and reawaken the change agent within.
Unique times create unique opportunities — like the one to enjoy Esalen’s Big Sur campus without attending a regular workshop. Right now, we have a limited number of spaces available for people to enjoy Esalen in an unstructured way. Shape your own personal retreat among the lush gardens and sublime ocean views with very few people around. Limited gathering sizes means lots of time to sink into your favorite book, journal, or yoga mat with the inspiring beauty of the California coast as your backdrop.
The dynamic schedule changes weekly, but always features opportunities to sit in meditation and mindfulness, explore embodiment and movement practices, and connect with nature.
Are you longing to be in the beauty of the outdoors and relish in the wonder of nature? After a long year spent looking at too many screens, step outside and meditate, serenaded by the lulling sounds of the ocean, cradled by rolling hills, and uplifted by exquisite gardens.
Following ancient spiritual traditions that value the transformative power of nature, this experiential workshop will be spent meditating entirely outdoors among the natural beauty and mystery of Esalen. Whether under a blazing sunset or in the stillness of cypress trees, we will open to the profound serenity and wisdom of nature. We will cultivate mindfulness — being present to ourselves while developing a contemplative relationship with nature. This leads to beautiful states of joy, peace, wonder, love and connection with oneself, one another and the larger web of life.
During our time together, there will be:
This workshop is appropriate for beginning and experienced meditators who are curious about meditation, mindfulness, and how to deepen our connection with the beauty and mystery of the natural world. Be prepared for unexpected rapture, delight, mystery. and stillness.
Recommended reading: Awake in the Wild, by Mark Coleman.
“We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
– Joseph Campbell, mythologist and Esalen instructor
Letting go of entrenched ideas – of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it – is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to delve into ourselves and to understand the depths of our connections. It’s the driver of change both personal and societal, and it’s always been at the core of Esalen.
The Rituals of Esalen program gives you and a partner two days of peace, space, and natural beauty so you can do the work of growth. Enjoy serenity for the mind, support for the body, stimulus for the spirit, and nourishment for all three. Direct your full energy to connecting with yourself, your partner, and the world around you while drawing on the best of Esalen’s rituals and practices:
During the days, be inspired by the rugged, wild Big Sur coastline. Use the tranquil evenings ideal for stargazing and contemplation, or spend time exploring the day’s insights with your partner. Unplug. Take advantage of the safety and respite, and rediscover who you are and what you bring to the world so you can return with renewed energy.
The upheavals that punctuate life are valuable opportunities for transformation, if we have the time and space to work through it. That’s the gift of Esalen: the expanse you need to distill your intentions and reawaken the change agent within.
“To live in accord with love is to set your heart on fire. In the crucible of such an inferno all convention burns away. What’s left is an entirely new kind of existence, one full of passion, presence and infinite possibility.”
— Setting Your Heart on Fire
What if you could fall absolutely in love with every moment? What if you could use love’s radiance to heal your deepest wounds and break through any personal challenges — career, relationships, family, weight, self-esteem, addiction, anything?
All of this is possible, even amid the pandemic. It happens naturally when you stop trying to change your life and instead learn to relax into it. This workshop is designed to meet you where you are and then call forth your very best. You’ll discover the simple, practical steps necessary to feel all emotions with willingness and compassion, uncover and transform your limiting beliefs; and create a life of greater ease, joy, and exquisite connection.
This weekend is primarily experiential. It’s designed with the recognition that your heart is already on fire – our job is to remove what’s dampening the flame. The key explorations and practices of the gathering:
Special note: On Saturday night our group will host a Freestyle Dance Jam, with Raphael as DJ, as a gift for ourselves and everyone at Esalen that night. Remember to pack some loose fitting attire and get ready to rock and roll and shake and swing and let it all go!
The human need for connection is built into our DNA, and the past year has been a stark reminder of our deep need for human contact. It’s essential for our well-being, our vitality, and our sense of aliveness. Coming together can inspire creativity, expand our viewpoints, soothe anxieties, and offer much-needed friction that helps us see ourselves more wholly and become well-balanced beings.
Through yoga and intentional music crafted from ancient beats, we’re thrilled to gather as a community to safely celebrate our interdependence.
We’ll dive into meditation, pranayama, chanting, yoga asana, dance, hot baths, lovingly prepared food, open time, and space to process and reconnect.
Meet Janet Stone and DJ Drez at sacred Esalen on the cliffs, in the hot baths, in the redwoods, on the mat, in the heart. We will be practicing both indoors and outdoors, rain or shine, so bring layered clothing and protection from the sunshine. Let’s let’s emerge from our solitude and rediscover the power of connection together.
"We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
– Joseph Campbell, mythologist and Esalen instructor
Letting go of entrenched ideas – of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it – is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to delve into ourselves and to understand the depths of our connections. It’s the driver of change both personal and societal, and it’s always been at the core of Esalen.
The Rituals of Esalen program gives you and a partner two days of peace, space, and natural beauty so you can do the work of growth. Enjoy serenity for the mind, support for the body, stimulus for the spirit, and nourishment for all three. Direct your full energy to connecting with yourself, your partner, and the world around you while drawing on the best of Esalen’s rituals and practices:
During the days, be inspired by the rugged, wild Big Sur coastline. Use the tranquil evenings ideal for stargazing and contemplation, or spend time exploring the day’s insights with your partner. Unplug. Take advantage of the safety and respite, and rediscover who you are and what you bring to the world so you can return with renewed energy.
The upheavals that punctuate life are valuable opportunities for transformation, if we have the time and space to work through it. That’s the gift of Esalen: the expanse you need to distill your intentions and reawaken the change agent within.
“We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
– Joseph Campbell, mythologist and Esalen instructor
Letting go of entrenched ideas – of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it – is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to delve into ourselves and to understand the depths of our connections. It’s the driver of change both personal and societal, and it’s always been at the core of Esalen.
The Rituals of Esalen program gives you and a partner five days of peace, space, and natural beauty so you can do the work of growth. Enjoy serenity for the mind, support for the body, stimulus for the spirit, and nourishment for all three. Direct your full energy to connecting with yourself, your partner, and the world around you while drawing on the best of Esalen’s rituals and practices:
During the days, be inspired by the rugged, wild Big Sur coastline. Use the tranquil evenings ideal for stargazing and contemplation, or spend time exploring the day’s insights with your partner. Unplug. Take advantage of the safety and respite, and rediscover who you are and what you bring to the world so you can return with renewed energy.
The upheavals that punctuate life are valuable opportunities for transformation, if we have the time and space to work through it. That’s the gift of Esalen: the expanse you need to distill your intentions and reawaken the change agent within.
We can clearly see what happens to the planet when we’re out of balance, when we over-consume: It is unsustainable. Applying the wisdom of Ayurveda and yoga we will discover how we can bring the building blocks of the natural world into balance in our bodies and the planet as a whole.
Our bodies are an expression of the five elements. Through asana, pranayama, mantra, meditation, and our connection to the land and sea, we will bring ourselves back into balance with a profound inner harmony.
For five days, perched on the cliffs above the Pacific Ocean with the redwoods and mountains at our back, we will touch earth, water, fire, air, and ether. We’ll explore the power of the five elements quite literally and energetically on the potent land and within our own bodies.
In this workshop, we’ll study how to balance and harness the energies of these fundamental building blocks of all life.
We’ll honor our deeply intimate connection to the planet, recognizing that all we have comes from the earth, and explore how these five elements manifest in our own bodies and all of the living beings with whom we share space.
Required and recommended books will be emailed along with other course details.
25 hours Yoga CE through Yoga Alliance; see faculty.
"We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
– Joseph Campbell, mythologist and Esalen instructor
Letting go of entrenched ideas – of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it – is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to delve into ourselves and to understand the depths of our connections. It’s the driver of change both personal and societal, and it’s always been at the core of Esalen.
The Rituals of Esalen program gives you and a partner two days of peace, space, and natural beauty so you can do the work of growth. Enjoy serenity for the mind, support for the body, stimulus for the spirit, and nourishment for all three. Direct your full energy to connecting with yourself, your partner, and the world around you while drawing on the best of Esalen’s rituals and practices:
During the days, be inspired by the rugged, wild Big Sur coastline. Use the tranquil evenings ideal for stargazing and contemplation, or spend time exploring the day’s insights with your partner. Unplug. Take advantage of the safety and respite, and rediscover who you are and what you bring to the world so you can return with renewed energy.
The upheavals that punctuate life are valuable opportunities for transformation, if we have the time and space to work through it. That’s the gift of Esalen: the expanse you need to distill your intentions and reawaken the change agent within.
Are you ready to become your most inspirational and co-creative self, and bring forth the Divine Feminine in your fullest expression?
Through guided exercises in vocal expression, movement, and breathwork, combined with Eastern spiritual practices of mudra, mantra meditation, and devotional dance, you will learn how to:
This workshop is open and applicable to all ages, abilities and gender! Come liberate yourself in community.
This workshop is a deep exploration into the inner dimensions of gender and how gender impacts, influences and informs our day-to-day experiences. Skilled and experienced facilitators will offer a balance of lecture-based sessions, process space and self-exploration in a wide range of modalities, including art, movement, journaling, and individual and small group work. Participants will explore their own gender journeys and gender identities, share their experiences, and build community connections.
The nature of this work is deeply personal and thus requires a safe and supportive environment. To that end, registration for this workshop is specifically limited to transgender, non-binary, gender-fluid and/or gender-exploring individuals. To apply, please follow this link to share your gender experience and receive a password to complete your registration process with Esalen.
This application is not meant to be invasive, but to intentionally create safety and an affirming space for participants to explore their gender, share their stories, and build community.
This workshop is limited to registered participants and participants must be able to attend all sessions.
There are so many books that explore gender diversity and gender exploration. We have listed a hand-full here, which is by no means an exhaustive list. We have included links to further reading at the bottom.
Links for further exploration:
“We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
– Joseph Campbell, mythologist and Esalen instructor
Letting go of entrenched ideas – of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it – is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to delve into ourselves and to understand the depths of our connections. It’s the driver of change both personal and societal, and it’s always been at the core of Esalen.
The Rituals of Esalen program gives you and a partner five days of peace, space, and natural beauty so you can do the work of growth. Enjoy serenity for the mind, support for the body, stimulus for the spirit, and nourishment for all three. Direct your full energy to connecting with yourself, your partner, and the world around you while drawing on the best of Esalen’s rituals and practices:
During the days, be inspired by the rugged, wild Big Sur coastline. Use the tranquil evenings ideal for stargazing and contemplation, or spend time exploring the day’s insights with your partner. Unplug. Take advantage of the safety and respite, and rediscover who you are and what you bring to the world so you can return with renewed energy.
The upheavals that punctuate life are valuable opportunities for transformation, if we have the time and space to work through it. That’s the gift of Esalen: the expanse you need to distill your intentions and reawaken the change agent within.
There’s no “Your Mind: A User’s Manual” class in our country’s educational curriculum. Left to its own devices, your mind’s autopilot function may not lead you to the most enlightening destinations.
In this provocative five-day workshop, eclectic teacher and psychotherapist Ira Israel will share a powerful, comprehensive, step-by-step path to recognizing your “way of being” in the world — who you became in order to survive your childhood — and inspires you to transcend it. You will be taught scientifically-proven tools to help you stay at the highest range of your happiness spectrum.
These tools include:
Each class will begin with an interactive lecture, including illuminating exercises and movie clips, followed by a yoga class (vinyasa in the morning; yin, restorative or partner in the afternoon), and conclude with a meditation.
This proven methodology will leave you with a fresh perspective on life, enabling you to reset all of your relationships, and rejuvenate your purpose for living. These practices will allow you to think more clearly and communicate more compassionately, and provide a complete framework for you to bask in the radiance, grace, and splendor of the universe and embody authentic happiness.
"We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
– Joseph Campbell, mythologist and Esalen instructor
Letting go of entrenched ideas – of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it – is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to delve into ourselves and to understand the depths of our connections. It’s the driver of change both personal and societal, and it’s always been at the core of Esalen.
The Rituals of Esalen program gives you and a partner two days of peace, space, and natural beauty so you can do the work of growth. Enjoy serenity for the mind, support for the body, stimulus for the spirit, and nourishment for all three. Direct your full energy to connecting with yourself, your partner, and the world around you while drawing on the best of Esalen’s rituals and practices:
During the days, be inspired by the rugged, wild Big Sur coastline. Use the tranquil evenings ideal for stargazing and contemplation, or spend time exploring the day’s insights with your partner. Unplug. Take advantage of the safety and respite, and rediscover who you are and what you bring to the world so you can return with renewed energy.
The upheavals that punctuate life are valuable opportunities for transformation, if we have the time and space to work through it. That’s the gift of Esalen: the expanse you need to distill your intentions and reawaken the change agent within.
Sound Healing is one of the oldest and most natural forms of healing known to our planet.
Modern science is now reinforcing what ancient cultures have always known: We live in a vibrational world. A world of frequency.
Frequency can either uplift us and make us feel better, or it can be draining and can weaken and dull our senses. By using sound healing intentionally, we have the opportunity to aid in our own healing.
The power of sound can be deeply nourishing as it restores our mind, body and spirit back to a state of balance. The vibrations emitted from crystal singing bowls entrain our brain wave patterns, calm our hearts, soothe our nervous systems, and harmonize and balance our chakras.
7 Wonders of Sound: Crystal Singing Bowls for Chakra Healing and Nourishment is designed to uplift your energy, tune your chakras, soothe your anxiety, harmonize mind, body, and spirit and help you feel at peace in this ever changing world.
7 Wonders of Sound will show you how to apply innovative sound healing techniques to your daily life in order to balance your energy, nourish your chakras, and manifest personal well-being.
Mothers are the frequency holders of the household. As the common phrase says, “If mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.”
In this self-care immersion, mothers of all ages and stages — new moms, single mothers, empty nesters, and those who are ready to become mothers — come together to explore the sacred path of motherhood. Yoga, dance, and ceremonial self-care provide sensual and centering practices that help clear and revitalize energy. Therapeutic journaling and wisdom circles help participants identify what truly matters. Ritual, prayer, and adornment provide ways to weave beauty into each day. A meditation practice is encouraged for stress reduction and emotional wellbeing.
This journey includes contemplative and experiential circles exploring:
You will leave feeling seen and energized, and with a clear strategy for infusing your discoveries into your home life.
Included in your registration is a self-care list, habit tracker, and community connection via a dedicated WhatsApp group.
“We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
– Joseph Campbell, mythologist and Esalen instructor
Letting go of entrenched ideas – of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it – is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to delve into ourselves and to understand the depths of our connections. It’s the driver of change both personal and societal, and it’s always been at the core of Esalen.
The Rituals of Esalen program gives you and a partner five days of peace, space, and natural beauty so you can do the work of growth. Enjoy serenity for the mind, support for the body, stimulus for the spirit, and nourishment for all three. Direct your full energy to connecting with yourself, your partner, and the world around you while drawing on the best of Esalen’s rituals and practices:
During the days, be inspired by the rugged, wild Big Sur coastline. Use the tranquil evenings ideal for stargazing and contemplation, or spend time exploring the day’s insights with your partner. Unplug. Take advantage of the safety and respite, and rediscover who you are and what you bring to the world so you can return with renewed energy.
The upheavals that punctuate life are valuable opportunities for transformation, if we have the time and space to work through it. That’s the gift of Esalen: the expanse you need to distill your intentions and reawaken the change agent within.
"We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
– Joseph Campbell, mythologist and Esalen instructor
Letting go of entrenched ideas – of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it – is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to delve into ourselves and to understand the depths of our connections. It’s the driver of change both personal and societal, and it’s always been at the core of Esalen.
The Rituals of Esalen program gives you and a partner two days of peace, space, and natural beauty so you can do the work of growth. Enjoy serenity for the mind, support for the body, stimulus for the spirit, and nourishment for all three. Direct your full energy to connecting with yourself, your partner, and the world around you while drawing on the best of Esalen’s rituals and practices:
During the days, be inspired by the rugged, wild Big Sur coastline. Use the tranquil evenings ideal for stargazing and contemplation, or spend time exploring the day’s insights with your partner. Unplug. Take advantage of the safety and respite, and rediscover who you are and what you bring to the world so you can return with renewed energy.
The upheavals that punctuate life are valuable opportunities for transformation, if we have the time and space to work through it. That’s the gift of Esalen: the expanse you need to distill your intentions and reawaken the change agent within.
Doing personal growth work while still engaging in self-sabotaging behavior is like watering a garden full of weeds and expecting roses to bloom. Learn to overcome self-sabotage and transform your pain into authentic power.
In this dynamic three-day workshop with award-winning instructor Justin Michael Williams, you will:
Learn practical behavioral changes to help you overcome the hidden patterns standing in the way of your goals. Together, we’ll create your personal action plan and define your “next best move,” so that you have a ritual for change that lasts well after the retreat is over. This is your moment to reset, overcome fear and self-doubt, and say “yes” to the life that’s waiting for you.
This program has been designed from the ground up to welcome all people of all genders, races, identities, and socioeconomic backgrounds. All meditation experience levels are welcome as well.
10% of tuition goes to the Dream Bigger Foundation, which provides scholarship funds to underserved communities, and hosts the Liberation Experience, a program that works to unite people across social, political, and religious divides, and other transformational opportunities.
Nearly 2,500 years ago, Buddha worried we had become too distracted — and that was before paper, let alone smartphones. Now many of our days are filled with convenient distractions that promise happiness while mostly delivering busyness and frustration. So many of us today live life in a hectic fog, working too much and noticing too little. When was the last time you gave something your undivided attention?
There is a different way. During this weekend retreat, we will disconnect, slow down, and meditate together. We will learn the magic of stillness, of bringing our full awareness to what is now. The weekend follows a gentle schedule of sitting meditation punctuated by brief lectures, group discussion, relaxing meals, and a special on-your-own practice in the healing baths, all while we explore the process and practice of more mindful living. We’ll be listening to our own bodies, noticing the food we eat, and truly engaging with the people around us – all to explore what it means to be fully present.
Whether you’re new to meditation or have been practicing for years, you will leave prepared to bring mindfulness to your work and home. Come reclaim a healthier and happier way to be.
Recommended reading: Dan Zigmond, Buddha’s Office: The Ancient Art of Waking Up While Working Well.
“We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
– Joseph Campbell, mythologist and Esalen instructor
Letting go of entrenched ideas – of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it – is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to delve into ourselves and to understand the depths of our connections. It’s the driver of change both personal and societal, and it’s always been at the core of Esalen.
The Rituals of Esalen program gives you and a partner five days of peace, space, and natural beauty so you can do the work of growth. Enjoy serenity for the mind, support for the body, stimulus for the spirit, and nourishment for all three. Direct your full energy to connecting with yourself, your partner, and the world around you while drawing on the best of Esalen’s rituals and practices:
During the days, be inspired by the rugged, wild Big Sur coastline. Use the tranquil evenings ideal for stargazing and contemplation, or spend time exploring the day’s insights with your partner. Unplug. Take advantage of the safety and respite, and rediscover who you are and what you bring to the world so you can return with renewed energy.
The upheavals that punctuate life are valuable opportunities for transformation, if we have the time and space to work through it. That’s the gift of Esalen: the expanse you need to distill your intentions and reawaken the change agent within.
Through the practices of 5Rhythms dance, mindfulness meditation and self care, we weave together a weekend of healing and celebration. In times of turmoil and change, self care, compassion and kindness are qualities required to help us resource and renew. Looking back at all we have experienced in 2020, it is clear that many of us are exhausted. In order to begin to move forward with energy, passion and creativity, it is important we can seed these qualities in our daily life.
How much self care do you integrate into daily life? Would you like to be better resourced and have more energy? If the answer is yes to either of these questions, then you are in perfect alignment to participate in this workshop.
The 5Rhythms is an externalization process that through movement, releases and balances the systems of the body. It is a method focused on presence versus performance. While seated meditation offers us a process of quieting the heart and mind, allowing for stillness and integration. Bringing both practices together mirrors the dance of life. We come together to create an environment that cultivates and nurtures joy, calmness and ease.
Each session will be primarily focused on Gabrielle Roth’s 5Rhythms moving meditation practice. We will complete each practice with a 10-15 seated meditation. Included will be a discourses on 5Rhythms, Dharma & self-care. All practices taught during this course lend to the experience and wisdom of resourcing and renewing our vital life energy.
No experience is necessary. All workshop hours contribute to 5Rhythms® Teachers Training.
Recommended reading: Sweat Your Prayers by Gabrielle Roth
Our sense of self develops in connection with others and our experience in early relationships shape our beliefs — about ourselves, other people and what is possible for us in our lives. While we cannot change the past, we can change the parts of our lives that we find difficult or unfulfilling by having new experiences of contact. When our need for understanding and emotional attunement is met, our limiting beliefs can change.
In this workshop we will:
The workshop includes time for basic gestalt awareness practices, a mixture of didactic and experiential exercises, as well as individual “open seat” sessions with Dorothy and with the support of the group.
Recommended reading: Korb, et al Gestalt Therapy: Practice and Theory; Mann, Gestalt Therapy: 100 Key Points and Techniques.
"We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
– Joseph Campbell, mythologist and Esalen instructor
Letting go of entrenched ideas – of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it – is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to delve into ourselves and to understand the depths of our connections. It’s the driver of change both personal and societal, and it’s always been at the core of Esalen.
The Rituals of Esalen program gives you and a partner two days of peace, space, and natural beauty so you can do the work of growth. Enjoy serenity for the mind, support for the body, stimulus for the spirit, and nourishment for all three. Direct your full energy to connecting with yourself, your partner, and the world around you while drawing on the best of Esalen’s rituals and practices:
During the days, be inspired by the rugged, wild Big Sur coastline. Use the tranquil evenings ideal for stargazing and contemplation, or spend time exploring the day’s insights with your partner. Unplug. Take advantage of the safety and respite, and rediscover who you are and what you bring to the world so you can return with renewed energy.
The upheavals that punctuate life are valuable opportunities for transformation, if we have the time and space to work through it. That’s the gift of Esalen: the expanse you need to distill your intentions and reawaken the change agent within.
“We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
– Joseph Campbell, mythologist and Esalen instructor
Letting go of entrenched ideas – of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it – is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to delve into ourselves and to understand the depths of our connections. It’s the driver of change both personal and societal, and it’s always been at the core of Esalen.
The Rituals of Esalen program gives you and a partner five days of peace, space, and natural beauty so you can do the work of growth. Enjoy serenity for the mind, support for the body, stimulus for the spirit, and nourishment for all three. Direct your full energy to connecting with yourself, your partner, and the world around you while drawing on the best of Esalen’s rituals and practices:
During the days, be inspired by the rugged, wild Big Sur coastline. Use the tranquil evenings ideal for stargazing and contemplation, or spend time exploring the day’s insights with your partner. Unplug. Take advantage of the safety and respite, and rediscover who you are and what you bring to the world so you can return with renewed energy.
The upheavals that punctuate life are valuable opportunities for transformation, if we have the time and space to work through it. That’s the gift of Esalen: the expanse you need to distill your intentions and reawaken the change agent within.
Our lives may be determined less by past events than by the way we remember them. You are invited to come aboard this inner adventure that offers a step-by-step journey of discovery and re-visioning through focused journaling. You will be engaged in exercises designed to facilitate self-healing and transformation. Sharing stories about our past through focused journaling can help change our perspectives to enable healing and empowerment. In this way, we are able to make meaning out of memory and put the past where it belongs – behind us. Healing and transformation are only possible through changing one’s perspective from within. In this way, global healing takes place one individual, one tribe, at a time. What story are you living? How do you choose to remember your story?
Join award-winning writer and global teacher Catherine Ann Jones in this course. No writing experience is necessary.
Recommended reading: Heal Your Self with Writing, by Catherine Ann Jones
"We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
– Joseph Campbell, mythologist and Esalen instructor
Letting go of entrenched ideas – of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it – is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to delve into ourselves and to understand the depths of our connections. It’s the driver of change both personal and societal, and it’s always been at the core of Esalen.
The Rituals of Esalen program gives you and a partner two days of peace, space, and natural beauty so you can do the work of growth. Enjoy serenity for the mind, support for the body, stimulus for the spirit, and nourishment for all three. Direct your full energy to connecting with yourself, your partner, and the world around you while drawing on the best of Esalen’s rituals and practices:
During the days, be inspired by the rugged, wild Big Sur coastline. Use the tranquil evenings ideal for stargazing and contemplation, or spend time exploring the day’s insights with your partner. Unplug. Take advantage of the safety and respite, and rediscover who you are and what you bring to the world so you can return with renewed energy.
The upheavals that punctuate life are valuable opportunities for transformation, if we have the time and space to work through it. That’s the gift of Esalen: the expanse you need to distill your intentions and reawaken the change agent within.
A growing number of people are aware of the Enneagram as an accurate and profound map of personality. The nine Enneagram types are based on the three primary centers of intelligence: thinking, emotion and instinct. However, in almost all human beings, distortions or blockages in these centers have led to a loss of connection with our essential nature and to the arising of ego structures to compensate for this loss. Thus, while our Enneagram type usually obscures our true nature with a characteristic web of defenses, it can also serve as an opening to the deeper reality of spirit.
This workshop will emphasize recognizing the ways that each of the nine types plays out in our own personalities. It will combine psychological insight into the inner workings of the types with meditation practices and exercises to lead you toward a more direct experience of qualities of essence such as presence, clarity, compassion and joy. Conversational instruction will be combined with group meditations, small-group work, physical movements and music so that you can more fully integrate the richness of the Enneagram material into their daily work and relationships.
Riso and Hudson, The Wisdom of the Enneagram, Personality Types (Revised Edition, 1996), and Understanding the Enneagram (Revised Edition, 2000), Hudson, The Enneagram: Nine Gateways to Presence (2021).
“We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
– Joseph Campbell, mythologist and Esalen instructor
Letting go of entrenched ideas – of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it – is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to delve into ourselves and to understand the depths of our connections. It’s the driver of change both personal and societal, and it’s always been at the core of Esalen.
The Rituals of Esalen program gives you and a partner five days of peace, space, and natural beauty so you can do the work of growth. Enjoy serenity for the mind, support for the body, stimulus for the spirit, and nourishment for all three. Direct your full energy to connecting with yourself, your partner, and the world around you while drawing on the best of Esalen’s rituals and practices:
During the days, be inspired by the rugged, wild Big Sur coastline. Use the tranquil evenings ideal for stargazing and contemplation, or spend time exploring the day’s insights with your partner. Unplug. Take advantage of the safety and respite, and rediscover who you are and what you bring to the world so you can return with renewed energy.
The upheavals that punctuate life are valuable opportunities for transformation, if we have the time and space to work through it. That’s the gift of Esalen: the expanse you need to distill your intentions and reawaken the change agent within.
Learn to activate the right side of your brain to unlock the insights necessary to break through self-limiting patterns. Based on a Nobel Prize-winning discovery in neuroscience, this methodology helps you think outside the box and live a more creative, productive, happier life.
William Donius, author of the New York Times bestseller Thought Revolution, spent a decade researching and developing this brain-enhancing methodology. He has taught these skills to a wide range of people, from students and corporate executives to scientists and artists. This innovative approach inspires more creative solutions than conventional thinking or brainstorming sessions. Through easy-to-learn exercises, you can discover ways to harness your intuition and uncover profound insights about yourself that make change possible. You’ll develop practical tools you can apply each time you face an important decision or obstacle in life. You can go home with new ways to unlock your own inner genius and create the life you long for. Please bring a notebook or journal and a pen.
Recommended reading: Donius, Thought Revolution: How to Unlock Your Inner Genius.
"We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
– Joseph Campbell, mythologist and Esalen instructor
Letting go of entrenched ideas – of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it – is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to delve into ourselves and to understand the depths of our connections. It’s the driver of change both personal and societal, and it’s always been at the core of Esalen.
The Rituals of Esalen program gives you and a partner two days of peace, space, and natural beauty so you can do the work of growth. Enjoy serenity for the mind, support for the body, stimulus for the spirit, and nourishment for all three. Direct your full energy to connecting with yourself, your partner, and the world around you while drawing on the best of Esalen’s rituals and practices:
During the days, be inspired by the rugged, wild Big Sur coastline. Use the tranquil evenings ideal for stargazing and contemplation, or spend time exploring the day’s insights with your partner. Unplug. Take advantage of the safety and respite, and rediscover who you are and what you bring to the world so you can return with renewed energy.
The upheavals that punctuate life are valuable opportunities for transformation, if we have the time and space to work through it. That’s the gift of Esalen: the expanse you need to distill your intentions and reawaken the change agent within.
In this new program, we will explore how the Enneagram can show the connection between inner work and the world of social justice. We unlock the Enneagram’s potential as a tool for healing and strengthening the purpose of those of us who have remained silent but are seeking an opportunity to learn how to engage as cultural allies & advocates–racial bridge builders for marginalized communities.
Authentic inner work helps us address issues of diversity by taking us to the heart of our humanity–the place from which we can truly meet others. We will learn how the practices of self-observation can free us from the deeper issues of our personality but also from the roots of our biases so that we can truly be agents of healing in our world. The experiential exercises are designed for participants to take ownership and action as cultural allies and advocate for all people.
We dive deep into the unique perspectives of each type and explore how we have access to all 9 lenses & their inherent gifts. Our journey leads us to uncover the importance of embracing all 9 lenses in the same light that we embrace all of humanity & our universal oneness.
Recommended reading: “Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates, and “CASTE: The Origin of our Discontents” by Isabel Wilkerson
“We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
– Joseph Campbell, mythologist and Esalen instructor
Letting go of entrenched ideas – of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it – is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to delve into ourselves and to understand the depths of our connections. It’s the driver of change both personal and societal, and it’s always been at the core of Esalen.
The Rituals of Esalen program gives you and a partner five days of peace, space, and natural beauty so you can do the work of growth. Enjoy serenity for the mind, support for the body, stimulus for the spirit, and nourishment for all three. Direct your full energy to connecting with yourself, your partner, and the world around you while drawing on the best of Esalen’s rituals and practices:
During the days, be inspired by the rugged, wild Big Sur coastline. Use the tranquil evenings ideal for stargazing and contemplation, or spend time exploring the day’s insights with your partner. Unplug. Take advantage of the safety and respite, and rediscover who you are and what you bring to the world so you can return with renewed energy.
The upheavals that punctuate life are valuable opportunities for transformation, if we have the time and space to work through it. That’s the gift of Esalen: the expanse you need to distill your intentions and reawaken the change agent within.
Join us for an immersion in deep relaxation and refreshment in the luscious natural world of Esalen. We will be playing with a range of natural movement and seated meditations that awaken the senses, nourish the heart, and stretch the mind in wonder and awe.
Nature is wild and serene. So too is your inner nature. In this liberating approach to meditation, you learn to embrace the fullness of your nature – vastness and vulnerability, sensuality and surging power. Discover that what might seem like obstacles – raw emotion, restlessness, desire – are actually gateways into vitality, renewal, and creativity.
We will be sharing inspirations from The Radiance Sutras. The Sutras describe meditation as a process of savoring the current of life and love flowing through us and riding it inward to commune with our essence. This is an instinctive ability, a way of accessing inner wisdom, and we all can do it.
You will have the freedom to experiment with a wide variety of practices – standing, walking, sitting, lying down, eyes open and eyes closed, using your senses of vision, touch, hearing, taste, balance. We each have our own favorite ways and the key to falling in love with meditation is to customize the practice so that it flows in harmony with your inner nature. Find meditations you love and can take home.
Drawing on fifty years of teaching and 39 years of relationship, Lorin and Camille share this wisdom of Instinctive Meditation with humor and compassion. All levels of experience are welcome.
Recommended reading: The Radiance Sutras by Lorin Roche, Ph.D, Meditation Made Easy by Lorin Roche, Ph.D, and Meditation Secrets for Women by Camille Maurine and Lorin Roche, Ph.D.
"We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
– Joseph Campbell, mythologist and Esalen instructor
Letting go of entrenched ideas – of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it – is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to delve into ourselves and to understand the depths of our connections. It’s the driver of change both personal and societal, and it’s always been at the core of Esalen.
The Rituals of Esalen program gives you and a partner two days of peace, space, and natural beauty so you can do the work of growth. Enjoy serenity for the mind, support for the body, stimulus for the spirit, and nourishment for all three. Direct your full energy to connecting with yourself, your partner, and the world around you while drawing on the best of Esalen’s rituals and practices:
During the days, be inspired by the rugged, wild Big Sur coastline. Use the tranquil evenings ideal for stargazing and contemplation, or spend time exploring the day’s insights with your partner. Unplug. Take advantage of the safety and respite, and rediscover who you are and what you bring to the world so you can return with renewed energy.
The upheavals that punctuate life are valuable opportunities for transformation, if we have the time and space to work through it. That’s the gift of Esalen: the expanse you need to distill your intentions and reawaken the change agent within.
“We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
– Joseph Campbell, mythologist and Esalen instructor
Letting go of entrenched ideas – of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it – is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to delve into ourselves and to understand the depths of our connections. It’s the driver of change both personal and societal, and it’s always been at the core of Esalen.
The Rituals of Esalen program gives you and a partner five days of peace, space, and natural beauty so you can do the work of growth. Enjoy serenity for the mind, support for the body, stimulus for the spirit, and nourishment for all three. Direct your full energy to connecting with yourself, your partner, and the world around you while drawing on the best of Esalen’s rituals and practices:
During the days, be inspired by the rugged, wild Big Sur coastline. Use the tranquil evenings ideal for stargazing and contemplation, or spend time exploring the day’s insights with your partner. Unplug. Take advantage of the safety and respite, and rediscover who you are and what you bring to the world so you can return with renewed energy.
The upheavals that punctuate life are valuable opportunities for transformation, if we have the time and space to work through it. That’s the gift of Esalen: the expanse you need to distill your intentions and reawaken the change agent within.
The healing path has a trajectory. Gabrielle Roth called this, The Path of The Wounded Healer. It is here that we look closely at our healing process. We mark both where we are and where we want to be. We dance through the five stages of healing in relationship to being the victim, the survivor, the healer, the transformer and eventually the one who rests in compassionate service.
It is my belief that our sacred task in life is to transform the most difficult things we have been through, into our greatest strengths. These are the stories of our resiliency, vulnerability and strength. It is here one may learn how to move with what is and transform it to what we want it to be.
In the Heartbeat Map, we investigate what is moving through the shores of the heart. Through understanding the relationship of the emotional polarities we come to respect and appreciate what we have been through. Without fear, we do not experience courage. Without anger, we cannot experience forgiveness. Without love, we cannot experience grief. Without loss we cannot experience or appreciate the full spectrum of joy. Without all of these qualities, we cannot know the true nature of compassion.
You are invited to join this journey of movement and awareness, focused on how emotions transform the heart. This map is Gabrielle Roth’s living wisdom. I am here to pass this gift on to you to be carried in your own bones and blood.
Each session will be primarily focused on the 5Rhythms® moving meditation. We will integrate each movement session with a seated meditation practice, focused on one of the Buddhist Heart Practices. Included in the group will be optional sharing and a question and answer period.
Recommended reading: Sweat Your Prayers and Maps To Ecstasy, by Gabrielle Roth
"We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
– Joseph Campbell, mythologist and Esalen instructor
Letting go of entrenched ideas – of who we are, of how the world works, of our place in it – is a challenge. It takes energy. Time. Space. Security. This growth asks us to delve into ourselves and to understand the depths of our connections. It’s the driver of change both personal and societal, and it’s always been at the core of Esalen.
The Rituals of Esalen program gives you and a partner two days of peace, space, and natural beauty so you can do the work of growth. Enjoy serenity for the mind, support for the body, stimulus for the spirit, and nourishment for all three. Direct your full energy to connecting with yourself, your partner, and the world around you while drawing on the best of Esalen’s rituals and practices:
During the days, be inspired by the rugged, wild Big Sur coastline. Use the tranquil evenings ideal for stargazing and contemplation, or spend time exploring the day’s insights with your partner. Unplug. Take advantage of the safety and respite, and rediscover who you are and what you bring to the world so you can return with renewed energy.
The upheavals that punctuate life are valuable opportunities for transformation, if we have the time and space to work through it. That’s the gift of Esalen: the expanse you need to distill your intentions and reawaken the change agent within.
Join us for an experiential training in more compassionate, wise, and embodied ways of being that will transform how you experience your life, family and work. What if attunement, relational intelligence, intuition and deep listening are the most essential qualities for leadership in today’s world? Discover how dramatically women can accelerate and deepen each other’s growth – while creating the conditions for this flourishing ongoing, in your own life.
In this time when everything is in flux, we are all called into leadership, each in our own way, and to act on behalf of what we love and the future we desire.
But we’ve inherited unconscious biases, that presume hierarchy in lieu of cooperation. These biases tend to value productivity over restoration, thinking over other forms of knowing and relating, and speed over slowing down. We can restore wholeness within ourselves and our world by reuniting the yin and yang, the receptive and expressive aspects of our nature, the lunar and solar, the deep elemental feminine and sacred masculine. This rebalancing is imperative for collective transformation.
This workshop includes meditation, relational mindfulness, conscious movement and dance, ritual, writing, and deep time in nature. The deep feminine does not refer to a gender archetype or support gender-binary perception. Rather, it refers to the receptive, and yin, rather than active and yang aspect of nature. These vital energies naturally co-exist in dynamic balance together.
This workshop is for women of all ages, colors, backgrounds and disciplines, at all phases of their life’s journey, who identify as female or as non-binary, including a wide realm of gender expression.
Discover your electric body, get in tune with the power of your voice, and liberate your human instrument in this experience of resonant embodiment!
Join Electric Health/Sound Therapy pioneer Eileen Day McKusick and internationally acclaimed musicians and musical facilitators the Brothers Koren for three powerfully transformative days to spark your creativity, connect to your inner harmony, and liberate your voice.
Practices and Experiences
Benefits
No prior singing or musical experience is necessary to participate and thrive in this playful and exploratory class. Come as you are, with a sense of curiosity about your body and your voice.
