The Esalen Catalog • January–June 2016

Transcription

®
The Esalen Catalog • Januar y– June 2016
With Gratitude
With gratitude, we celebrate the significant milestones of 2015 and look ahead to a new year of new
opportunities at Esalen.
We hope you will continue this journey with us. It is only through the commitment and dedication of our Friends
of Esalen and Campus Renewal Project donors that we, as a community, can ensure the Esalen legacy.
Thank you for being part of this exciting chapter in our history. As a non-profit organization, your generous
support is vital to our future.
Stay Connected
Learn more about the Esalen Fund at Esalen.org/give.
Campus Renewal Project updates available at Esalen.org/renewal.
Join us on Facebook for updates on our community.
2015:
The Renewal Begins
The following enhancements are nearly complete:
• The Lodge second floor addition with two new
meeting rooms
• The new Esalen kitchen
• A new café
• Maslow and Watts room renovations
About the Esalen Fund
Annual gifts to the Esalen Fund help sustain all aspects of the Esalen experience including workshops, the
baths, the grounds, the bodywork, and the farm and garden. Your donations to the Esalen Fund also support
scholarship and financial aid for workshop participants.
Esalen is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, charitable organization.
Ja n ua ry –Ju n e 2016
Volume 55, Number 1
contents
Friends of Esalen........................................... 2
Welcome to Esalen........................................ 3
Guide to Workshops..................................... 4
Continuing Education Programs............. 6
Faculty Spotlight.........................................10
Esalen Workshops......................................12
250-hour Esalen® Massage Cert. .......... 19
M arv Hoffm an
®
12th Annual Yoga Festival......................100
Faculty Index.............................................103
Work Study Program...............................104
Rates and Reservations............................110
Deep within humans dwell those slumbering powers; powers that
would astonish them, that they never dreamed of possessing; forces that
would revolutionize their lives if aroused and put into action.
— Or ison M ar den
I
recently attended a weeklong workshop and was personally and
deeply reminded of the revolutionary power that lies within our grasp if we
are willing to let go and be guided by Life. Even in the midst of our busy and
sometimes frenzied schedules, we can feel the nudge and hear that quiet voice
that is calling us to seek stillness, freedom, and joy.
Realizing our true nature is a life-long adventure that leads
us to action in transforming our world. And at every step
of the journey, Esalen is here to offer us an opportunity
to open our hearts, unleash our unlimited creativity, and
arouse our latent capacities.
As a non-profit organization, we rely on the generous
support of our greater community to meet our mission of
personal and social transformation. Contributions, including membership in our
Friends of Esalen, are vital to sustaining all that is uniquely Esalen – from the
experience of the land and waters to the quality of our faculty and workshops.
What’s more, the Friends of Esalen support scholarships that make it possible for
others to begin or continue their own journeys. You can learn more about our
Friends of Esalen on page 2.
Together, we are creating Esalen’s future right now. We feel the enthusiasm
building as we near the final renovation of our beloved Lodge and the natural
excitement that comes with a new year of workshops and world-class faculty.
I invite you to make time to come to Esalen in 2016 to awaken your slumbering
powers and be astonished by what you can achieve!
Esalen CEO
contact
Website: www.esalen.org
E-mail: [email protected]
Dear Friends,
Tricia McEntee
General Information for Your Visit.......112
Mailing Address: Esalen Institute,
55000 Highway 1, Big Sur, CA 93920
General Information: 831-667-3000
Reservations: 9 am–6 pm every day.
Preregistration is required for all Esalen
programs.
•Online: www.esalen.org/workshops/
reservations.html
•Phone: Toll-free US: 888-8-ESALEN
(888-837-2536)
International: +1 703-342-0500
•Fax: 831-667-2724
•Mail: See address above
Mail and fax reservations must include
a completed reservation form, available
online at www.esalen.org.
Share the magic of Esalen
by connecting with Esalen’s
Facebook community
at facebook.com/EsalenInstitute or on
Twitter at twitter.com/EsalenInstitute.
Support Esalen’s environmental sustainability efforts and reduce paper product
usage by viewing our catalog online. To
discontinue your print catalog subscription, please email [email protected]. Thank
you for saving our natural resources!
Become a Friend of Esalen y
If the only tool is a hammer, everything starts to
look like a nail. —Abraham Maslow
My toolbox is bigger because of Esalen, so I’m giving back
because of it. —Chip Conley, Esalen Trustee
Recognition levels are below.
$65
Friends of
Esalen
$25 discount on workshops
plus our biannual newsletter
$500
Sustainers
All of the above plus
invitations to special events
Who The Esalen Fund is made up of thousands
of people inspired to co-create a more humane, allembracing world. Workshop participants, faculty
leaders, and staff all make up our Friends of Esalen,
the Institute’s global community, which is joined
together by the spirit of giving back to the place that
has given them so much.
$1000
Benefactors
All of the above plus a day
pass for two people to Esalen
$5000
Founders
Circle
All of the above with 5 day
passes and advance news on
workshops and upcoming
initiatives
Why Gifts to the Esalen Fund matter! Our mis-
$10,000
Partners
All of the above plus special
guest services support
$25,000
Anniversary
Call to inquire
sion of serving human and social potential through
exceptional public and residential educational
programming relies on philanthropy. Scholarships,
the Center for Theory & Research, and guest room
refurbishments are all made possible by the Esalen
Fund. The Esalen Fund also gives the Institute the
flexibility to respond in a timely and efficient way
to new opportunities as well as emerging challenges
that may result from our remote location.
How Expanding Esalen’s broad base of unrestricted philanthropic support is vital for the future
of Esalen and our mission in the world. With your
contributions, we are creating Esalen’s future right
now by improving our buildings and facilities to
better serve you and all those who seek personal
and social transformation. To achieve this, we are
asking all Friends of Esalen to increase their philanthropic support and to be part of Esalen historyin-the-making. Participation is key and every dollar
makes a difference!
$50,000 Leadership
Call to inquire
Donors at the $500 level and above and Legacy
Circle donors are recognized in Esalen’s Donor
Honor Roll. Additional naming opportunities and
benefits are available for significant gifts to support
Esalen’s campus renewal.
Thank you for your support of Esalen. Together, we
are capable of the extraordinary!
To donate online: www.esalen.org/donate
Postal mail: Use the envelope attached in this catalog.
Questions? Contact Monique Baron, 831-250-1022
ext. 255.
Esalen Board of Trustees:
Sam Yau Chair
Chip Conley
Bill James
Mary Ellen Klee
Jeffrey Kripal
Nancy Lunney-Wheeler ex officio
Anisa Mehdi
Jay Ogilvy
Ben Tauber
Gordon Wheeler
Cofounder & Chair Emeritus:
Michael Murphy
Program Staff:
Cheryl Fraenzl, Director
Jerilyn Hesse, Programs Manager
Dawn Fielding, Programs Coordinator
Jennifer Jaffe, Scheduling Coordinator
John Larmour, Event Coordination
Stacy Carlson, Editor
Terry McGrath, Design and Production
Esalen Department Managers:
Gordon Wheeler, President
Tricia McEntee, CEO
Patrick Sheridan, Operations
Elizabeth Stacey, Institutional Advancement
Lori Putnam, Marketing/Communications
Jan Sinclair, Special Projects
Scott Stillinger, Human Resources
Phillip Burrus, Kitchen
Shellie Gainer, Finances
Shirley Ward, Farm and Garden
Deborah Medow, Healing Arts
Lori March, Housekeeping
Christina Dauenhauer, Grounds
Carolyn Shearer, Bookstore
Dan Eyde, Technology
The Esalen Catalog is published biannually by
Esalen Institute, Big Sur, CA 93920-9546.
Printed on recycled paper.
©2015 Esalen Institute. All rights reserved.
ISSN 1088-2782
front cover photo: Greg Shaw
Esalen Institute is a non-profit public charity corporation, exempt
from income tax under IRC section 501(c)(3). Contributions are
tax-deductible to the extent allowable by law.
Call For Esalen Photos
We know there are many talented people who take gorgeous
photos during their time at Esalen. How would you like to
see your photos in the Esalen Catalog or on our website?
If you have photos that are at least 240 dpi resolution, we’d
love to see them. Visit our call for photos web page for the
details. We look forward to hearing from you.
Jens Wa zel
Esalen.org/page/call-photos
2
Welcome to Esalen
S
ince 1962, The Esalen Institute has been
devoted to exploration of what Aldous
Huxley called the “human potential,” the
world of unrealized human capacities that lies
at the growing edge of consciousness. Esalen is
known for its blend of East/West philosophies,
experiential/didactic workshops, a steady influx
of expert teachers from around the world,
and its breathtaking grounds and natural hot
springs. Once home to a Native American tribe
called the Esselen, Esalen is situated on the
spectacular Big Sur coastline with the Santa
Lucia Mountains rising sharply behind.
There are many ways
to experience Esalen.
Workshops
Weekend, five- and seven-day workshops and
seminars range in subject matter from Gestalt to
visual art. The Guide to Workshops on pages 4–5
provides a list of all programs by subject, and
the Workshops section contains full descriptions of weekend, five-, and seven-day programs,
listed chronologically.
In addition to its structured
programs, Esalen has many
ongoing events and features
to enrich your stay.
Esalen® Massage and Bodywork
Esalen has long been known for its unique
massage and bodywork modalities, developed by
innovative practitioners at the baths overlooking
the Pacific, and offered to guests during their
stay. Esalen Massage incorporates long flowing
strokes over the whole body, and helps release
the stresses of everyday life, leaving the receiver
feeling integrated and deeply relaxed. Other
modalities often available at Esalen include
Cortical Field Reeducation®, Craniosacral
Work, Rolfing, Shiatsu, Thai Massage, and
Transformational Kinesiology. Massage and
bodywork reservations must be made and paid
for in advance through Esalen Reservations. If
you are coming to Esalen for a massage only,
please call 831-667-3002.
Hot Springs
Work Study programs provide an intensive
month-long course of study for those who want
to make a directed commitment to self-exploration, growth, and the Esalen community for a
longer period. See page 104 for a full description
of the Work Study program.
Esalen is the steward of a natural hot springs
overlooking the Pacific. The hot springs are a
source of relaxation and healing for those who
visit, and you may catch a glimpse into the life
of a sea otter, seal, or migratory whale while
you enjoy the baths. Swimsuits are optional,
and nudity common, in the hot springs and
massage areas.
Personal Retreats
Daily Movement Arts Classes
Personal Retreats offer the opportunity to
nourish body, mind, heart, and soul without
participating in a workshop. Those on Personal
Retreat structure their time at Esalen themselves,
and can participate in daily yoga and movement classes, enjoy the hot springs, meditate,
and explore Esalen’s beautiful land. See page 2
for details, and page 111 for Personal Retreat fee
information.
Every day, Esalen offers a schedule of free
classes open to everyone. Offerings can include
yoga, chanting, meditation, free-form dance,
and didjeridoo meditation at the baths. You
will receive a schedule when you arrive.
Work Study
Wednesday Evening Programs
Esalen hosts visiting scholars and teachers, who
interface with the rest of the Esalen community
in many ways. Usually there is a scheduled
program on Wednesday evenings for visiting
scholars, workshop leaders, or Esalen staff to
share their expertise with the larger Esalen
community.
Farm and Garden
Esalen’s five-acre farm and garden produces
hundreds of varieties of vegetables for the
kitchen. In addition to enjoying the farm and
garden’s bounty during mealtimes, guests may
wander among the fields, enjoy the flowers during spring and summer, participate in farm- and
permaculture-oriented workshops throughout
the year, and volunteer with the farm and garden crew during their stay.
Children and Families
Esalen welcomes families and offers a selection
of family-oriented workshops and child care.
See page 5 for a full listing of family-friendly
workshops. See page 111 for child care options.
Accommodations
Esalen offers several types of accommodations
including shared standard rooms, and private
premium rooms and Point Houses. For full
description and pricing, see page 110.
Friends of Esalen
Friends of Esalen are supporters whose
donations of $65 or more will benefit Esalen
programs and help build Esalen’s long-term
financial base. Please see page 2 for a description
of the many benefits of becoming a Friend.
Accreditation and
Continuing Education
Many educational institutions recognize Esalen
programs as eligible for credit in their curricula;
check with your university or college. Additional
information can be provided if needed. Esalen
provides continuing education (CE) credit for
psychologists, MFTs, LCSWs, nurses, bodyworkers, acupuncturists, and more. See page 6 for
details.
For additional details
about your stay at Esalen,
please see pages 110–112.
Esalen is a center for experimental education.
We offer neither psychotherapy nor assurances
of change.
3
V
Guide to Workshops
T
his is a guide to the workshops
offered in this catalog. Many of them
defy easy categorization and could
be cross-referenced across many disciplines;
most are listed in one or two main subject
areas.
SS
Arts
& Creativity
Creative Expression / Theater
Mar 13-18 • The MAX: Self-Expression
Mar 18-20 • Improv Inspiration
Apr 10-15 • Esalen Inspirational Film Festival
May 1-6 • Improv
Music / Rhythm
Feb 12-14 • Girish Chant Camp
Feb 21-26 • Songwriting: Catch and Release
Apr 3-8 • Sacred Sound, Meditation and Dance
Apr 22-24 • Spirit Songs: The Power of Gospel
Visual Arts
Jan 17-22 • Drawn from Nature, Shaped in Steel
Jan 24-29 • Drawing and Architectural Ironwork
Jan 31-Feb 5 • Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
Feb 21-26 • Mosaic: An Esalen Renewal Project
Mar 6-11 • The ArtLife Workshop
Mar 18-20 • Shared Adventures in Woodturning
Apr 3-8 • Art as a Spiritual Path: Painting
Apr 10-15 • Painting From the Source
Apr 24-29 • Painting Outer and Inner Landscape
May 8-13 • Awakening the Creative: Painting
May 15-20 • Intimacy and Exposure: Photography
May 22-27 • The Passion of Painting
June 5-10 • Plein Air Painting in Big Sur
June 12-17 • The Painting Process Rediscovered
Writing
Jan 3-8 • Straw Into Gold: Memoir
Apr 8-10 • The Writer’s Journey
Apr 17-22 • Deep Writing
May 6-8 • The Writing Life
May 29-June 3 • Liberate Your Writing!
June 3-5 • Sharing Your Life Story Page to Stage
June 5-10 • Sharing Your Life Story Page to Stage
June 12-17 • Wake Up and Write!
June 26-July 1 • Writers’ Camp
SS
Body
& Movement
Culinary Arts / Nutrition
Feb 19-21 • Delicious Meals in Minutes
Feb 21-26 • Improvisational Cooking
Mar 20-25 • Esalen Farm to Table
May 13-15 • Causative Nutrition
May 15-20 • Land of Milk and Honey: Farmstead Arts
Dance
Jan 8-10 • Brazilian Soul: Dance and Drumming
Jan 10-15 • 5Rhythms: Moving Meditation
Jan 15-17 • 5Rhythms and Mindfulness
Feb 5-7 • Soul Motion and Alchemical Art
4
Feb 21-26 • Soul Motion: Begin Again
Mar 6-11 • Re-Creation: Movement Medicine
Apr 3-8 • Soul Motion and Embodied Inquiry
Apr 10-15 • Dance of Oneness: Spiral of Love
Apr 17-22 • 5Rhythms: Heartbeat
Apr 24-29 • 5Rhythms: Grief and Loss
May 8-13 • Soul Motion: The Practice
June 3-5 • Soul Motion: Freedom to Soar
June 5-10 • God, Sex and the Body
June 24-26 • Waking Up, Together: Embodied Inquiry
Apr 15-17 • Fire in the Belly, Honey in the Heart
Apr 24-29 • Meditation, Yoga and Mindfulness
Apr 29-May 1 • Mindfulness and Yoga
May 1-6 • Prana and the Practices of Yoga
May 6-8 • Expand Your Vinyasa Flow Yoga Toolkit
May 8-13 • Yoga Journey through the Elements
May 27-29 • Mindfulness, Yoga and Conscious Dance
May 29-June 3 • Gravity and Grace
June 12-17 • Advanced Yoga for Everyone
June 19-24 • Esalen Yoga Festival
Healing Arts / Somatic Practices
Jan 22-24 • Self-care for Hospice Care Professionals
Jan 31-Feb 5 • Deep Bodywork in Esalen Massage
Feb 19-21 • Easing the Neck Bodywork Intensive
Feb 19-21 • Medical Qigong
Feb 21-26 • Advanced Bodywork Intensive
Feb 21-26 • Body-Centered Awareness
Mar 6-11 • Intro to Rolf Structural Integration
Mar 13-18 • The Yi Quan Qigong Intensive
Mar 25-27 • The Art of Seeing
Mar 27-Apr 1 • Mindfulness through Qigong
Apr 10-15 • Spinal Awareness (with Humor)
Apr 15-17 • Integral Transformative Practice
Apr 17-22 • Gyrokinesis
Apr 22-24 • The Posture Dance Connection
Apr 24-29 • Healing Art of Deep Bodywork: Psoas
May 1-6 • Gateway to Soul: Process Acupressure
May 1-6 • Developing Strength: Foundation Training
May 8-13 • Brilliant Body: Conquer Injury and Pain
May 15-20 • Beginning Integral Way Tai Chi
May 22-27 • Hanna Somatics
May 29-June 3 • IAHE: CranioSacral Therapy 1
June 5-10 • Qigong Empowerment and Healing
June 5-10 • New Self, New World: Healing Embodiment
June 10-12 • Guardian Qigong
June 12-17 • Inner Power Qigong
Massage
Jan 3-10 • Advanced Bodywork: Touching the Core
Jan 17-Feb 28 • 250-hour Esalen Massage Cert
Feb 5-7 • The Art of Esalen Massage
Mar 20-25 • Intro to Esalen Massage
Mar 27-Apr 1 • Esalen Massage: Access the Back Body
Apr 3-8 • Esalen Massage and Continuous Presence
Apr 8-10 • Esalen Massage: The Basics
May 15-20 • Intro to Esalen Massage
May 20-22 • Massage for Couples and Friends
June 17-19 • Esalen Massage for Couples
Yoga
Jan 15-17 • Yoga Practice: Body, Mind and Spirit
Jan 22-24 • Align Your Body, Awaken Your Heart
Jan 24-29 • The Art of Masterful Living
Jan 31-Feb 5 • Yoga and Zen
Mar 4-6 • The Dynamic Spine
Mar 11-13 • Yoga for Common Injuries
Mar 18-20 • Sacred Evolution: Yoga and Meditation
Mar 25-27 • Spring Equinox Regeneration Retreat
Mar 27-Apr 1 • The Practical Art of Living Flow
Apr 8-10 • The Yoga of Willpower and Intention
SS
Leadership
& Society
Business / Entrepreneurship
Jan 15-17 • Sacred Commerce
Feb 26-28 • Crafting Careers that Truly Fit
June 17-19 • Shapeshifting Yourself and the World
Leadership
Jan 17-22 • Leadership as a Path to Awakening
Mar 11-13 • Living and Working From Your Passion
SS
Meditation
& Spirituality
Contemplative / Spiritual Studies
Jan 10-15 • The Art of Dialogue as Social Meditation
Feb 5-7 • Evolutionary Relationships
Mar 18-20 • From Despair to Resilience
Mar 27-Apr 1 • Unshakable Presence
Well-being and Resiliency in
the Professional Realm
Many of us follow our hearts into
fulfilling and meaningful careers. But
what happens when a rigorous work life
depletes our health and sense of wellbeing? Over time, fast-paced, demanding
work can lead to extremely high rates
of burnout, resulting in many negative
feelings, such as grief and stress. Join us
for three unique courses designed for
professionals who seek a more conscious
way to thrive in work and life.
The Three Rs for Hospice and Palliative Care Health Professionals: Rest,
Reflect, Release with Charlea Massion.
January 22–24, p. 21.
From Stress and Anxiety to Mindfulness: Wellness Retreat for Lawyers with
Jeena Chow. February 26–28, p. 35.
The Good-hearted Physician: Flourishing as a Twenty-First Century Physician
with Jim Duffy and Alejandro Chaoul.
May 1–6, p. 71
May 13-15 • Exploring Fundamental Contentment
May 15-20 • EMDR: Advanced
May 15-20 • Liberating Your Essential Self
May 20-22 • Love Yourself and the Rest Will Follow
May 22-27 • Relational Gestalt Process
May 27-29 • Mind, Mood and Happiness
May 29-June 3 • Abandonment to Healing
June 3-5 • Getting Unblocked
June 12-17 • Gestalt Practice and CFR
June 17-19 • The Egoless Path to Self-Esteem
June 24-26 • Changes and Transitions
SS
Nature
& Sustainability
Ecology / Permaculture
Melina Me z a
Apr 22-24 • Organic Skin and Body Care
May 20-22 • Garden Herbalism
May 29-June 3 • Experience Esalen Farm and Garden
Apr 1-3 • Finding and Following an Authentic Life
Apr 3-8 • Falling in Love with Where You Are
Apr 8-10 • Vital Signs: Nature & Nurture of Passion
Apr 10-15 • Divine Tactics for a Spiritualized Life
May 1-6 • The Good-Hearted Physician
May 6-8 • The Way of Awareness
May 20-22 • Kabbalah and the Tree of Life
June 3-5 • Basic Sanity: Zen Wisdom for Daily Life
June 10-12 • Practical Intuition
Meditation / Mindfulness
Jan 3-8 • Kind Awareness: Buddhist Path of Awakening
Jan 24-29 • Wild Serenity in Love
Feb 26-28 • Wellness Retreat for Lawyers
Mar 4-6 • Being Present for Your Life
Mar 11-13 • Strengthening the Heart with Compassion
Mar 20-25 • Heart of Awareness: Meditation
Mar 25-27 • Enlivening Meditation Practice
Apr 1-3 • Mindfulness and Trauma
Apr 1-3 • Mindfulness Meditation and Yoga
Apr 8-10 • Enjoying Meditation
Apr 22-24 • Awake in the Wild: Meditation in Nature
Apr 24-29 • Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness
Apr 29-May 1 • Love Yourself—For Everyone Else’s Sake
Apr 29-May 1 • Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness
May 1-6 • In Touch with Your Inner Knowing
May 13-15 • Mindfulness in Deep Relationship
May 20-22 • Mindfulness and Heartfulness
June 10-12 • Lovingkindness Meditation
June 24-26 • Mindfulness and Self-Compassion
Myth / Ritual / Shamanism
Jan 22-24 • The Renaissance of Spirit
Feb 14-19 • Lead to Gold: Alchemical Healing
Mar 6-11 • Visionseeker: Shamanic Cosmology
Mar 13-18 • Romancing the World: Soulcraft
Mar 27-Apr 1 • Revisioning Your Hero’s Journey
May 1-6 • Dream Descent: Archetypal Dreamwork
June 5-10 • Visionseeker: The Shaman’s Path
Personal Reflection
May 13-15 • Experiencing Esalen
Sustainable Practices
Apr 3-8 • Mindful Living Revolution
Wilderness / Hiking
SS
Mind
& Psychology
Apr 17-22 • Big Sur Wilderness Experience
June 12-17 • Simply Wild: Experiencing Nature
June 17-19 • Fathers and Sons
Neuropsychology / Neuroscience
Jan 3-8 • Qigong for Health and Creativity
Jan 8-10 • How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci:
Feb 5-7 • Psychedelic Medicines and the Mind
Apr 22-24 • Transformation through Neuroscience
Philosophical / Scientific Inquiry
Jan 24-29 • Radical Thinkers Breakout!
Feb 28-Mar 4 • Nonduality in the Midst of Life
Mar 4-6 • Science and Spirituality: The Missing Link
Mar 11-13 • I Am the Word
Mar 11-13 • What’s Next? Revisioning Our Lives
Mar 13-18 • I Am the Word
Psychology / Transpersonal Psychology
Jan 10-15 • Plugging Into Body Intelligence
Jan 10-15 • Self-Compassion in Relationships
Jan 15-17 • Women Creating an Unimagined Life
Jan 17-22 • Self Leadership in Everyday Life Jan 24-29 • Love and Belonging
Feb 5-7 • Expanding the Practice of Sex Therapy
Feb 7-12 • Trauma, Memory, Restoration of Self
Feb 14-19 • Gestalt Approaches in a Field of Trauma
Feb 14-19 • Radical Aliveness: Core Energetics
Feb 19-21 • Nine Pillars of Resilience and Success
Feb 26-28 • Conscious Loving Ever After
Mar 4-6 • Getting the Love You Want: Couples
Mar 4-6 • Shadow Play: Reclaiming the Disowned Self
Mar 13-18 • Not For the Feint of Heart
Mar 18-20 • Arrive Already Loved
Apr 3-8 • Embodied Intimacy: Relational Sex Therapy
Apr 8-10 • Pathways to Intimacy Apr 10-15 • I- You- Us
Apr 15-17 • The Power of Emotional Connection
Apr 24-29 • Self-Acceptance: The Heart of Healing
Apr 29-May 1 • Sensory Awareness
May 6-8 • Play, Embodiment and Humor
May 8-13 • Exploring Fundamental Contentment
May 8-13 • The Path of Forgiveness: Returning to Love
May 13-15 • Overcoming the Fear of Love
SS
Relationship
& Self
Family
Mar 25-27 • The Magical Family May 6-8 • Mother’s Day Family Workshop
May 27-29 • Family Mindfulness Retreat
June 17-19 • Celebrating Fatherhood
Life Purpose / Visioning
Jan 3-8 • Born to Be Me: For Women
Jan 8-10 • Designing the Life You Want
Feb 26-28 • Fail Fast, Fail Often!
Apr 1-3 • Taking the Midlife Leap
May 13-15 • Unfinished Business
June 3-5 • Claiming Your Voice
June 24-26 • Come Alive in Your 9 to 5
Relationship / Communication
Jan 8-10 • New Year’s Retreat for Couples
Mar 18-20 • Kindred Spirit
Apr 10-15 • Tantra: Art of Conscious Loving May 22-27 • More Than a Communication Workshop
May 22-27 • Love, Sexuality, Relationship
May 27-29 • Couples’ Communication Retreat
June 24-26 • Hold Me Tight Workshop for Couples
Sexuality / Gender
Jan 3-8 • Gay Men’s LifeQuest
Jan 15-17 • Taoist Sexual Secrets
Jan 29-31 • WisdomWomen Visionary Gathering
Feb 7-12 • Women’s Sexual Stories
Feb 26-28 • Embracing the Wild Unknown: Women
Mar 20-25 • Beyond Tantra
Apr 15-17 • Emotional Mindfulness for Gay Men
Apr 22-24 • Women in Transition
Apr 24-29 • Retreat Restore Lead: Women’s Leadership
Apr 29-May 1 • Men as Sexual Beings
June 3-5 • Women’s Intimacy, Desire and Eroticism
June 10-12 • Gay Men Thriving in Love and Sex
5
Continuing Education Programs
E
©2015 Willia m R . Gl a ss. All Rights Reserved.
salen’s status as a provider of continuing education is approved
by the following boards:
• Psychologists and MFT/LCSW: Esalen Institute is approved by the
American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education
for psychologists. Esalen maintains responsibility for this program and
its content. (California psychologists are required to report their hours
to the MCEP Accrediting Agency.)
• Massage practitioners and bodyworkers; The National Certification
Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (provider number
043062-00) and the Bureau for Private Post-Secondary Education
(school code 2700571)
• RNs; California Board of Registered Nursing (Provider No. 01152)
• Registered Dietitians; Commission on Dietetic Registration*
• Acupuncturists; State of California Acupuncture Board (Provider No. 946)*
All approved weekend workshops qualify for 10 hours of CE units, and
approved five-day courses qualify for 26 hours of CE units. Please check
workshop listings online at www.esalen.org for any updates to CE credit
offered. In order to receive a certificate for continuing education units,
participants must meet the following requirements:
• Attend and sign the attendance sheet for all sessions (please see leader)
• Fill out the evaluation form distributed by the leader and turn it in to
the Esalen main office with a $25 processing fee
n
n
Jan 10-15
5Rhythms: Moving Meditation
n
Mar 27-Apr 1 Esalen Massage: The Back Body Jan 15-17
5Rhythms and Mindfulness
n
Apr 1-3
Mindfulness and Trauma
Jan 17-22
Self Leadership for Everyday Life
Apr 3-8
Soul Motion and Embodied Inquiry
Apr 3-8
Esalen Massage: Continuous Presence Apr 3-8
Neurobiological-Gestalt Training in Sex Therapy n n
Apr 8-10
Esalen Massage: The Basics n
n
n
n
n
Jan 17-Feb 28 250-hour Esalen Massage Cert. Jan 22-24
n
The Art of Seeing: Eyes, Brain, Body
Advanced Bodywork: Touching the Core
Self-Compassion in Relationships
n
n
Mar 25-27
Jan 3-10
Jan 10-15
Palliative Care Health Professionals n
n
Jan 31-Feb 5 Esalen Massage
n
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Acupuncturists
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May 8-13
The Path of Forgiveness
May 8-13
Brilliant Body: Conquering Injury and Pain
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May 13-15
Adult Attachment: Romantic Relationships
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May 13-15
Mindfulness in Deep Relationship
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May 13-15
Causative Nutrition: Maximize Your Health May 15-20
EMDR: Advanced
May 15-20
Beginning Integral Way Tai Chi n
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May 15-20
Intro to Esalen Massage
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May 20-22
Mindfulness and Heartfulness
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Acupuncturists
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**Acupuncture and dietitian workshops are approved on a case-by-case basis.
Please refer to the Esalen website prior to registration for updated CE status.
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Workshops for which CE credit has been approved are listed below and
also noted in the Workshops section. For questions regarding continuing
education, contact [email protected].
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Apr 10-15
Spinal Awareness (with Humor) Feb 5-7
Psychedelic Medicines and the Mind
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Apr 10-15
Pleasure, Intimacy and Connectedness
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May 20-22
Garden Herbalism
Feb 5-7
Soul Motion and Alchemical Art
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Apr 15-17
Emotional Mindfulness for Gay Men
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May 20-22
Massage for Couples or Friends
Feb 5-7
The Art of Esalen Massage Apr 17-22
5Rhythms: Heartbeat
May 22-27
More Than a Communication Workshop
Feb 7-12
Trauma, Memory and the Self
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Apr 22-24
Enhance Your Brain to Reach Your Potential Feb 14-19
Healing and Empowerment: Gestalt n
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Apr 24-29
5Rhythms: Grief, Loss Feb 19-21
Nine Pillars of Resilience
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Apr 24-29 Deep Bodywork: Deep Visceral Work™ Feb 19-21
Medical Qigong Apr 24-29
Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness
Feb 21-26
Body-Centered Awareness
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Apr 29-May 1 Men as Sexual Beings
Mar 4-6
Yoga for Low Back and Pelvic Pain
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Apr 29-May 1 Thriving in Uncertainty: Sensory Awareness
Mar 6-11
Intro to Rolf Structural Integration
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Apr 29-May 1 Love Yourself—For Everyone Else’s Sake
Mar 13-18
Yi Quan Qigong n
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Apr 29-May 1 Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness
Mar 20-25
Intro to Esalen Massage n
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May 1-6
Gateway to Soul: Process Acupressure
Mar 20-25
Heart of Awareness
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May 8-13
Awakening the Creative: Painting
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May 22-27
Hanna Somatics
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May 27-29
Mind, Mood and Happiness
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May 27-29
Couples’ Communication Retreat
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June 5-10
New Self, New World: Healing Embodiment n
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June 10-12
Mindfulness and Lovingkindness Meditation
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June 12-17
Inner Power Qigong n
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June 17-19
Esalen Massage Retreat for Couples
June 24-26
Waking Up, Together: Embodied Inquiry
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Expanding the Practice of Sex Therapy
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Feb 5-7
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May 29-June 3 IAHE: CranioSacral Therapy 1
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February 28–March 4
Explorations at the Intersection of Science and Spirit
Science and Nonduality (SAND) and
Esalen present a journey to your innermost
perceptions of reality. A stellar team of scholars and seekers will lead intimate dialogue
and guided experiential practices to unite
science and spirit in our everyday lives.
Rupert Spira is a
philosopher, author of The
Transparency of Things and
Presence volumes I and II,
and a studio potter.
Sally Kempton is the
author of Meditation for
the Love of It. Her teaching
combines Kashmir Shaiva
tantra and contemporary
psychology and integral
theory.
Peter Russell blends
scientific rationale, global
vision, and intuitive wisdom
to bring a sharp, critical
mind to the challenge of
self-awakening. He is the
author of numerous books.
Jeff Foster is a spiritual teacher who studied
astrophysics. His most
recent book is The Deepest
Acceptance.
Dorothy Hunt is
spiritual director of Moon
Mountain Sangha, founder
of the San Francisco Center
for Meditation and Psychotherapy, a psychotherapist,
and author.
Experience
the Evolution
of Gestalt
Ellen Emmet is a
psychotherapist and
authentic movement facilitator. Her dance-movement
therapy and transpersonal
psychology background is
influenced by a non-dual
understanding.
For the full program description, see
Continuous Awakening: Nonduality in the
Midst of Life on page 36.
E
salen has always been an incubator and launching pad for Gestalt
practices. In the late 1960s, German-born psychologist Fritz
Perls famously lived at Esalen. During that time, his Gestalt work
cross-pollinated with other emergent healing modalities, including
Esalen co-founder Richard Price’s Gestalt awareness practices. Soon
we began offering Gestalt sessions in-house, as well as public
seminars, Work Study programs, and conferences to explore Gestalt
work. Today, Gestalt is woven throughout our programming, and it
is recognized as the source model for many contemporary healing
methods around the world.
This February, we’re delighted to offer the sixth
workshop in our Evolution of Gestalt series. Join
Esalen President Gordon Wheeler and an exciting
and erudite faculty of psychologists and Gestalt
trainers for a five-day exploration of the Gestalt model
as it relates to healing trauma. Join us and be part of
the continuing evolution of a powerful Esalen tradition.
See Evolution of Gestalt Series No. 6: Healing and
Empowerment: Gestalt Approaches in a Field of Trauma,
February 14–19, page 29.
7
January 29–31
WisdomWomen
A Visionary Gathering at Esalen
T
here is a new way of leadership emerging. In radical co-creation, this new way brings forth purposeful,
innovative action to address the challenges of our time. WisdomWomen is a movement that advances this
new leadership model in service to the creation of a world where all beings thrive. “We are not asking whether
or not this can be done,” says WisdomWomen founder Michelle Stransky. “We claim that it is ours to do.”
Join WisdomWomen and Esalen for a property-wide gathering of women, and put your inner wisdom and
power to work. This revolutionary event is a call to action for women leaders to collectively fulfill their radical
visions for a life-affirming world.
Each woman will be both participant and leader during this time of connection, support, and new possibilities.
The event includes facilitated, action-oriented work in groups of 8-10, larger group activities, and restorative
elements including movement and meditation practices, yoga, and time in Esalen’s hot springs.
Marianne Williamson is an internationally acclaimed spiritual author and lecturer.
Marianne has been a popular guest on television programs such as Oprah, Larry King Live,
Good Morning America and Charlie Rose. Six of her eleven published books have been
New York Times Best Sellers.
Sally Kempton teaches applied non-dual wisdom. Author of Meditation for the Love
of It, Sally’s teachings combine Kashmir Shaiva tantra and the practical understandings of
contemporary psychology and integral theory.
Konda Mason is co-founder and CEO of Hub Oakland, a co-working space connecting
socially engaged changemakers and social entrepreneurs to bring their projects to life. A
human equity advocate, certified Kripalu yoga instructor, and meditation teacher, Konda’s
work is driven by the vision of realizing in her lifetime a genuinely just and sustainable world.
Michelle Stransky, founder of WisdomWomen, was the conference director at Wisdom
2.0, where she launched WisdomWomen in 2013. A former management consultant and
executive coach, she is now committed to co-creating a new world reality through the
journey of embodied wisdom. Michelle is a convener, producer, and collaborator.
Please see the full program description for A WisdomWomen Visionary Gathering, p. 23.
8
June 26–July 1
cheryl strayed’s 5th annual
Esalen Writers’ Camp
This summer, writers will take over the entire Esalen campus to generate new work,
deepen their craft, and gather inspiration from Cheryl Strayed and her team of
literary superstars. This event will ignite your passion for the stories you have to tell.
Cheryl Strayed is the bestselling author of four
books, including the memoir Wild, which was
made into a film starring Reese Witherspoon. Her
books have been translated into forty languages
around the world. She lives in Portland, Oregon.
Samantha Dunn Camp was a PEN Award finalist
Pam Houston is the author of 5 books of fiction
and nonfiction including Cowboys Are My Weakness
and Contents May Have Shifted. She is the director of creative writing at UC Davis and lives in
Colorado.
Alan Heathcock is the author of VOLT, which
was named as a New York Times Editors’ Choice,
and was a Barnes and Noble Discover Prize finalist.
He received a fellowship from the NEA and he is a
Literary Fellow for the state of Idaho.
Steve Almond is the author of 10 books of fiction
Faith Adiele is the author of two memoirs,
and non-fiction. His work has been published in
The Best American Short Stories, Pushcart Prize, The
New York Times Magazine, and elsewhere.
for her novel, Failing Paris. She has also authored
two memoirs. Her writing has been featured in
O the Oprah Magazine and Ms, among many others.
She teaches in the UCLA Writers Program.
including Meeting Faith, which won the PEN
Award. She’s the writer/narrator/subject of a
PBS documentary, and she teaches at California
College of the Arts, VONA/Voices, and The
San Francisco Writers Grotto.
Give Yourself Time to Reflect
Experience Esalen through one of our self-directed
immersion programs
A Time to Reflect is a special opportunity to spend unstructured time at Esalen
nourishing your body, mind, heart, and soul. Enjoy optional daily yoga and
movement classes, massage, time in the meditation center, evening programs, and
three beautifully prepared meals each day. Luxuriate in the natural hot springs,
and explore Esalen’s culture of deep learning and growth.
Doug Ellis
A Time to Reflect will be offered on the following dates. Please check Esalen’s
website for additional dates; we often add them throughout the year.
January 3–8
January 10–15
January 29–31
March 25–27
May 15–20
See page 13 for full program description.
9
faculty spotlight: A Closer Look
neurophysiological, emotional, and cultural aspects has only
increased throughout her career.
Jeff Foster
Jeff Foster’s journey has taken him
from suicidal depression and crippling self-hatred to spiritual awakening, self-love, and a sense of the sacred
in the ordinary.
Jeff studied astrophysics at Cambridge
University. In his midtwenties, to
seek an escape from depression and
physical illness, he became addicted
to the idea of “spiritual enlightenment” and embarked on an intensive spiritual quest for the
ultimate truth of existence.
The spiritual search came crashing down when Jeff realized
that there was nothing to seek, because the extraordinary was
already in the ordinary, and life was already complete. He was
left with a deep understanding of the root illusion behind
human suffering, and a love of the present moment. Jeff now
travels the world, inviting exhausted seekers to come to rest
in the present moment, to embrace their thoughts, and
fearlessly face their feelings and open their hearts to both the
joy and sorrow of existence. He helps people discover who
they really are. Jeff belongs to no tradition or lineage, and
makes his teaching accessible to all. He has published four
books. The latest is Falling in Love With Where You Are.
See Continuous Awakening: Nonduality in the Midst of Life,
Feb 28–March 4, and Falling in Love With Where You Are:
Finding the Mindful Calm in the Midst of Life’s Storm,
April 3–8.
Alexandra Katehakis
Alexandra Katehakis has long been
fascinated by what “healthy sexuality” really means. To define it, she
sought to understand and embody
her own sexuality and to test her
comprehension within a committed
relationship. Along the way she
confronted fundamental questions,
including “Is there a ‘normal’ sexuality?” and “What keeps sexual desire
alive?” Her interest in the varieties of sensuality and its
10
But more essential to her mission as founder and clinical
director of Center for Healthy Sex in Los Angeles, Calif., is
restoring people to healthy sexuality. When people deconstruct and de-fuse shame-based family or cultural messages
inhibiting eroticism and intimacy, they can accept their
unique sexuality, independent of societal prohibitions or
pressures. Such radical acceptance invites both the wise
choice of partners and the satisfying expression of desires.
Transpersonal psychology, sexology, and affective neuroscience inform her upcoming Esalen workshop, designed for
women only. Alexandra looks forward to facilitating dialogue
and experiential learning with women of all orientations
about their unique sexual lives.
See Womens’ Intimacy, Desire and Eroticism: The Triumvirate
of Sexual Pleasure, June 3–5.
Will Kabat-Zinn
In his mid twenties, Will Kabat-Zinn
experienced a period of mental
clarity that inspired him to begin his
own meditative inquiry and practice.
He spent much of that decade in and
out of silent retreat, primarily in the
insight meditation (vipassana)
tradition, first at the Insight Meditation Society and later with Sayadaw
U Pandita of Burma. He was deeply
influenced by his time with Chan Master Sheng-Yen, and has
practiced under a number of Chinese energy and internal
martial arts teachers.
Will’s teaching is infused with the lightness that comes from
not taking oneself or one’s own mind too seriously. In his
own words: “When we see deeply how conditioned, impersonal, and often inaccurate our own habitual thoughts are, we
can start to enjoy our own minds, laugh at ourselves, and be
more open-hearted in our relationships and in the world. I
am inspired that we cultivate present moment awareness,
deeply grounded in our bodies, and wake up within our lives
as they are right now. For me this practice and exploration
continues to be a great adventure.”
See The Way of Awareness, May 6–8.
Katie and Gay Hendricks
“We met and began
our journey together
thirty-five years ago,
at a time when there
were few resources or
role models for the
kind of juicy, enlivening relationship we
wanted to create,”
write Katie and Gay
Hendricks. “So, we decided to figure it out for ourselves, by
turning our own relationship into a living laboratory. All
along, we’ve explored one big question: How can we give and
receive more love every day? The answers we discovered
changed our lives profoundly and provided the foundation
for the work we’ve taught since 1980.
“It has been two decades since our book, Conscious Loving, was
published. Now, Hay House is publishing the sequel, devoted
to creating relationship magic in the second half of life:
Conscious Loving Ever After: Creating Thriving Relationships At
Midlife and Beyond. The new book covers many topics, but the
bottom line is this: from your 40s onward, love can just keep
getting better and better. During our Esalen workshop, we’ll
dive into the power of body intelligence in creating thriving
relationships. Including breathing, movement, and somatic
awareness, our workshop will focus on the most important
experiential practices to enhance lifelong love.”
See Conscious Loving Ever After, February 26–28 and Plugging
Into Body Intelligence: Love Your Life, Live Your Dreams And
Lead The Change
(Katie only) January 10–15.
Wilma Wyss and Carol Bevilacqua
2016 is a year
of transformation for
Esalen; we
will complete
our Campus
Renewal,
which centers
on the revitalization of our
iconic Lodge. The Lodge—along with the hot springs and our
amazing faculty—has always been at the heart of what Esalen
is all about. Now we invite you to co-create a permanent art
installation for this new community space.
This February, we’re offering a workshop for participants to
make a sixty-square-foot mosaic mural that will be perma-
nently installed in the new Lodge bathrooms. The mural will
depict the Big Sur land and sea, and be made of glass, ceramic,
tile, and other durable materials. Mosaic artists and sculptors
Wilma Wyss and Carol Bevilacqua are fired up to lead this
special workshop and help you be
a part of the Campus Renewal. As
artists and makers, their work
shares a similar sense of joy and
humor, and they’re excited to
bring that playfulness and fun to
Esalen. Whether you have art
experience or have never touched
a tile nipper, this workshop is the
perfect way to participate in—and
make a lasting mark upon—
Esalen’s new Lodge.
See Mosaic: An Esalen Renewal Project, February 21–26.
Menas C. Kafatos
Ever since his teenage years, Menas
C. Kafatos has been fascinated by the
vastness of space in the night sky of
his native Crete, and by questions
about the universe. As a result, he
decided to become a physicist. At
Cornell and MIT, he pursued computational and theoretical astrophysics
and quantum physics, and then
expanded his interests to other fields
including climate change, satellite remote sensing, natural
hazards, and the philosophical implications of quantum
mechanics. This led him to expand even further to study and
experience the practices of vedanta and Shaivism, as he
sought connections between science and spirituality. In 2008
he moved to California to serve as founding dean of the
Schmid College of Science and Technology at Chapman
University in Orange, California; as Fletcher Jones Endowed
Professor of Computational Physics, he has expanded his
work to make close connections between science and
spirituality, the nature of reality, and quantum implications
for everyday life.
He is author of 300+ research papers, and editor or author of
fifteen books including The Conscious Universe and recently
edited with Deepak Chopra, The Time Machine of Consciousness: Quantum Physics of Mind.
Menas’ Esalen workshop will explore how the findings of
modern quantum mechanics are actually very relevant to our
everyday lives.
See Science and Spirituality: The Missing Link, March 4–6.
11
Daniel Bianche t ta
Esalen Workshops
January 3–10
Advanced Bodywork:
Touching the Core
Char Pias & Jessica Fagan
In this massage-intensive workshop, we will
focus on the abdominal and pelvic regions
of the body, addressing both energetic and
structural dynamics. Often the abdomen is
treated superficially, when in fact it is our
center, our core, and the place of digestion
and assimilation of all life experiences. The
pelvic region is the “cradle,” or seat of power,
the bridge between the upper body and the
legs. The psoas muscles, considered the fight/
flight muscles of the human species, span
this bridge. During any emotional or physical
trauma, the psoas muscles contract to protect
the underbelly of the human animal. Chronic
12
psoas contraction and abdominal tension can
produce lumbar pain as well as cervical and
shoulder pain.
This week’s objectives are twofold: The first is
to provide a learning environment for practical methods to use with our clients, such as
a soft approach to deep tissue, active/passive
release, and joint mobilizations, addressing
the physical holding patterns in the muscles.
The second objective is to create a restorative
and reflective environment for personal wellbeing.
Jessica Fagan will share her wisdom and
knowledge of asana and pranayama practice
from yogic traditions, and Char Pias will introduce Trauma Releasing Exercises® (TRE),
a somatic self-care practice that releases
chronic deep muscular tension patterns with
a focus on the psoas muscles. Through these
various somatic experiences, you may gain
an inner sense of the body/mind connection,
learning methods to restore and maintain energetic and structural balance. This workshop
is especially useful for those in the helping
and healing professions in working with
their clients and patients.
Please note: Prior bodywork training is
required.
CE credit for massage; see page 6.
CE credit for nurses; see page 6.
Char Pias, a member of the Esalen massage staff
since 1980, teaches internationally, focusing on
bodywork’s energetic, emotional, and spiritual
aspect. She is a Reiki teacher, a Circle of Life facilitator/coach, and a licensed graduate of The Center
for Spiritual Healing. www.piasoma.com
Jessica Fagan, member of the Esalen massage
staff, is a dancer and performer who is deeply
immersed in the practice and teaching of Eastern
and Western somatic therapies as well as Vinyasa
yoga. www.jessicafagan.com
Register online at www.esalen.org or by calling 888-8-ESALEN (888-837-2536).
Week of January 3–8
Gay Men’s LifeQuest
Devarshi Steven Hartman
What venture and passion is calling you next?
In this safe and compassionate environment,
surrounded by the beauty of Esalen and a
community of men, the simple, experiential
LifeQuest tools offered in this retreat provide
the foundation for you to find your unique
path to greater fulfillment, freedom, and
fearlessness in the coming new year. And, as
always, wherever gay men gather, there will
be much fun, maybe some sweet tears, and
definitely real intimacy that will have you feel
seen, supported, and known, as you go forward. Come get a new dose of insight, energy,
clarity, inspiration, and camaraderie to charge
forward boldly with your most passionate life
inquiries.
Imagine beginning your new year by delving
into the powerful transformational tools
needed to live the next phase of your extraordinary life. Explore what challenges and life
quests that lay before you at this time. LifeQuest enhances integration, healing, or the
unwinding of previous limitations with ease
and grace. Now is the time for you to claim,
learn, explore, and act on what has been just
beyond your reach.
Devarshi Steven Hartman, ERYT 500, founded
Pranotthan Yoga School and was former dean
of Kripalu Schools. He is the creator of two bestselling audio series called The Essence of the
Bhagavad Gita and Satori. He has taught yoga
and yoga teachers around the world for 40 years.
www.stevenhartman.com
Qigong for Health, Creativity and
Empowerment
Michael Gelb & Roger Jahnke
“Qi cultivation strengthens your vitality,
and enhanced vitality is a key to liberating
creativity,” writes Michael J. Gelb in Creativity
On Demand: How to Ignite and Sustain the Fire
of Genius. Gelb explains, “The fire of genius
isn’t just a metaphor, it is qi.” In the research
for this book Gelb interviewed and studied
with many of the world’s leading qigong masters including Dr. Roger Jahnke, author of The
Healing Power of Qi. Jahnke writes, “The average human being has a longing to create but
is not necessarily well enough, or energized
enough, to fulfill it. For many people, qi culti-
vation provides a missing link in their quest
to realize their creative potential.” Jahnke
adds, “With greater vitality we are able to
think, feel, and act more creatively. And these
practices awaken the aspect of our self that is
completely unlimited and free of influence
from any bias or preconception—the eternal
self or spirit—thus summoning the transcendental energy of higher creativity.”
Noah Levine is the founder of the Against The
Stream Buddhist Meditation Society with centers
in Los Angeles and San Francisco, Calif. and
affiliated groups internationally. He created a
process of addiction recovery based on the teachings of the Buddha called Refuge Recovery. He
is the author of Dharma Punx and other books.
www.againstthestream.org
In this innovative program, Jahnke and Gelb
will guide you to summon, store, and utilize
this transcendental energy to experience an
empowerment of your wellness, vitality, and
creativity. No prior experience is required,
and this workshop is perfect for qigong, tai
chi, and yoga practitioners, as well as artists,
writers, performers, health professionals, students of traditional Chinese healing practices,
and all those who seek healing.
Born to Be Me: Creating an
Authentic Life of Passion and
Purpose for Women
Recommended reading: Gelb, Creativity On
Demand: How to Ignite and Sustain the Fire of
Creativity; Jahnke, The Healing Power of Qi.
Michael J. Gelb is the author of 14 books on
creativity and innovation including the international bestseller How to Think Like Leonardo
da Vinci. Gelb leads seminars and consults for
organizations worldwide including Genentech,
Microsoft, Nike, and YPO. www.michaelgelb.com
Roger Jahnke, OMD, has dedicated his professional life to sharing the powerful ancient healing
traditions of China. He is the director and chief
instructor of the Institute of Integral Qigong and
Tai Chi, in Santa Barbara, Calif., and a cofounder
and recent chairperson of the board of the National Qigong Association. www.feeltheqi.com
Kind Awareness: Meditations and
Reflections on the Buddhist Path
of Awakening
Noah Levine
Using a hybrid of mindfulness and lovingkindness meditation techniques, Noah will
offer an experience of the teachings and
practices of the Buddha. We will learn how to
develop a greater sense of care for ourselves
and for our world through these revolutionary spiritual teachings of the Buddha. The
workshop explores the way that true spiritual
practice is an engagement with life that goes
against the norms of our confused society
and is therefore an act of rebellion. This
ancient path of awakening our own deepest
wisdom and compassion is accessible to all
who choose it. Instructions in meditation
and guidance in the Buddhist path to liberation will be offered.
Karen Ely
If you’ve ever asked yourself, “What are my
dreams—or, did I ever have any?” or “What do
I really want to do with the rest of my life?”
then you are not alone. After a lifetime of
being everything to everyone else, there is
always a point where we poke our head out of
the hole of our sleepwalking life and begin
to ask ourselves, “Who am I besides the roles
I play?”
Ensconced in the wonder and stunning
beauty of Big Sur, the focus of this womenonly retreat will be on accessing and living
from your authentic self. From the moment
you arrive at the retreat until you leave, experienced facilitator Karen Ely will lead you
on an exploration to uncover and recognize
the amazing woman you already are. Over the
course of the retreat, you will be nurtured,
supported, and guided. You’ll learn how to
“see” with new eyes and find the tools needed
to move powerfully back into your life with
a deeper sense of yourself and an enlivened
sense of being.
is the founding director of A Woman’s
Way, one of the country’s premiere women’s
retreat programs, and the author of Daring to
Dream: Reflections on the Year I Found
Myself, A Retreat of My Own, Breathing
Space, and A Safe Place to Stand (forthcoming).
www.sedonawomensinstitute.com
Karen Ely
A Time to Reflect
This is a special opportunity for people to experience Esalen without taking a workshop.
During this period, we have a limited number
of spaces available for people who would like
to participate in the Esalen learning culture
in their own unstructured way. Deeply nourish your body, mind, heart, and soul through
beautifully prepared and healthy meals, daily
yoga and movement classes, the hot springs
and massages, time in the meditation center,
13
See pages 110 –111 for reservations, fees, accommodations, scholarship information, and discounts.
tea with new friends, or even an evening
program, lecture, or open workshop session,
when available. Space in the program is limited, so we recommend you register early. We recommend that you bring the following:
journal, digital camera, art supplies, hiking/
walking shoes, a good book, and a map of the
Big Sur coast. Special pricing applies. Please
contact Esalen Reservations for details. Straw Into Gold:
The Alchemy of Memoir
Katy Butler
Recommended reading: Butler, Knocking on
Heaven’s Door. Katy Butler is the author of Knocking on Heav-
en’s Door: The Path to a Better Way of Death
, a New York Times Notable Book of 2013. Her
award-winning personal essays have appeared in
the New Yorker, the NY Times Magazine, Best
American Essays, and Best Buddhist Writing.
www.katybutler.com
Weekend of January 8–10
How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci:
7 Steps to a Personal Renaissance
Michael Gelb
Anatomist, architect, botanist, city planner,
chef, engineer, inventor, geographer, geologist, musician, painter, philosopher, and
raconteur, Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519)
helped bring the Western world into the Renaissance. Now, his approach to optimizing
human potential is more relevant than ever.
This dynamic, interactive program brings da
Vinci’s genius to life through fascinating biographical and historical information, setting
the stage for an introduction to seven principles for thinking “a la Leonardo.” You will
be guided to apply the principles, through a
proven series of practical exercises designed
to enrich your life now.
Leonardo invented the parachute before anyone could fly. Imagine what you will accomplish with that kind of innovative thinking!
Robert Schl agal
Do you have a story you are longing to tell?
Take a great leap forward with a passionate teacher whose best-selling memoir was
named a NY Times Notable Book of the year.
In a spirit of spontaneous play, using prompts
and free-writing, we’ll first let the pen glide
rapidly over the paper in short bursts. Be
prepared to be surprised by what turns up,
and to draw deeply from wells unfamiliar
to you. Later, we’ll spin straw into gold,
refining first drafts into polished scenes and
stories that can electrify even strangers. This
workshop pays careful attention to craft,
voice, revision, and narrative structure. It is a
perfection-free zone. Although it is not a process group, writing your truth and unleashing your creativity can be joyful and, almost
by accident, therapeutic. You may tame your
inner critic, heal a bit of your heart, and take
home tools that deepen and enliven everything you write from now on. Be prepared for
a writing breakthrough. Suitable for beginning and experienced writers. Even if you
bring a laptop, please bring a notebook that
holds 250 pages of 8.5 x 11 inch lined paper,
a favorite passage of published memoir, and
plenty of smooth-flowing pens.
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Recommended reading: Gelb, How to Think
Like Leonardo da Vinci, How to Think Like
Leonardo da Vinci Workbook, and Brain Power:
Improve Your Mind as You Age.
Michael J. Gelb
bio on page 13.
Designing the Life You Want:
Self-Renewal in the New Year
Mark Nicolson
You have never been where you are today. You
have never been the age you are today, or had
the experience you have today. The river of
life flows and we find ourselves in places we
have never been before. At times, you must
pause and reflect: Have you created the life
you want? Are you going in the right direction? Are you who you want to be?
Rarely, however, do we allow ourselves the
time to stop and look at what is changing
and what will prepare us for the next phase.
Drawing on psychological principles and ancient wisdom traditions to guide us, we will
create a unique environment in which peers
can come together for a rare opportunity of
deep personal learning and exploration. Our
goal is renewing the self, and designing and
creating the year and the life we want.
You will develop a set of tools, practices,
and intentions as a foundation for the next
year and next stage of life. Together we will
create a supportive community to make this
experiential workshop safe, enlivening, and
nurturing.
Mark Nicolson is an organizational consultant
based in Silicon Valley, Calif. He specializes in
leadership development and in the effectiveness of
teams and organizations. He is also the co-founder
of Ventana Group, which works with visionary
social change leaders. www.nicolsongroup.com
The Brazilian Soul:
Dance and Drumming
Cida Vieira & Mestre Beiçola
Drumming inspires people to connect. Nationalities and individual agendas disappear;
what remains is the grounding presence of
our transformed selves—our spirits lightened
and empowered. Join Cida Vieira and Mestre
Beicola on this journey of joy straight into
the heart of Brazilian dance and music. This
hands-on (and “feet-on”) workshop explores
the instruments, rhythms, music, and the
samba dance jeitinho brasieliro (“of the Brazilian
way”) in an inclusive and safe environment.
Cida writes: “My teaching focuses more on
movement than on technical aspects, so that
participants can achieve a lively workout and,
most importantly, have fun.” This workshop is
for everyone aged 14 and up who enjoys and
wants to learn more about Brazilian dance
and music and its impact in their soul. Please
bring drums and/or any instruments (if you
have them), along with a significant item to
place on a communal altar as a way of sharing
your essence. Expect nothing and be ready for
everything! No previous dance or drumming
experience is necessary. Participants under 18
must be accompanied by an adult.
has choreographed and performed in
the US, South America, and Europe, with dance
groups and artists including Xuxa, Ray Charles,
Daniela Mercury, and Airto Moreira. Born at the
heart of the dance circles of Brazil, currently Cida
teaches in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Mestre Beiçola is a native of Brazil and 30-year
master of capoeira, an African-Brazilian martial
art and dance form. Now based in East Palo Alto,
Calif., Beiçola has taught capoeira, Brazilian
dance, percussion, and stringed instruments
at Stanford, UC Berkeley, and elsewhere.
www.brazivedas.com
Recommended reading: Vissell and Vissell,
Light in the Mirror.
is a masters-level nurse/psychotherapist who, with her husband Barry, founded the
Shared Heart Foundation dedicated to changing
the world one heart at a time. Together they write
a syndicated column for 80 periodicals worldwide.
www.sharedheart.org
Barry Vissell is a psychiatrist who, with his wife
Joyce, practices the medicine of unconditional love
worldwide. He and Joyce have coauthored many
books, including The Shared Heart, Models of
Love, Meant To Be, and A Mother’s Final Gift,
among others. www.sharedheart.org
Joyce Vissell
Cida Vieira
The Shared Heart New Year’s Retreat
for Couples
Joyce Vissell & Barry Vissell
Imagine your relationship expressing the
true depths of your love and commitment. If
you are in love, this retreat is an opportunity
to rise even higher in love. If you are in crisis,
it is an opportunity for healing on the deepest level. We all carry some degree of negative
programming from our past, and there are
loving and effective ways to transform this
programming into a positive and vibrant
celebration of our connection.
During this workshop you will experience
exercises and practices for you to do with each
other, therapeutic coaching of each couple by
the Vissells, the support of other couples, and
time for sharing after each practice.
Participants are given tools for deeper appreciation and communication building,
including healthy communication of feelings,
our partner as a mirror, understanding and
respecting each other’s differences, conflict resolution, healing past hurts, sexual
wellness, inner child/inner parent, taking
responsibility, and developing a true inner
connection. For more information, visit
www.SharedHeart.org.
Plugging Into Body Intelligence:
Love Your Life, Live Your Dreams
And Lead the Change
Katie Hendricks & Lamara Heartwell
Humans have the opportunity to make the
shift now from fear-focused, adrenalinefueled living to full-body-intelligent living.
Body intelligence expands our perspective
beyond fear to the rich, millennia-long wisdom we carry in our cells. Body intelligence
is the direct, consciously felt experience of
being alive, from the flow of blood and sensation to the feelings and mental shifts that
interweave with our responses to being in a
body, relationships, work, and the world.
If you’re ready to increase the level of energy,
joy, clarity, and connection in your life, this
seminar can help you discover your true
body intelligence, including the following
elements:
• Recognize your inner signals for yes and no
• Increase your band-width for receiving and
acting on the messages from your body
• Navigate the flow of your day with vitality
and balance
• Create more fun with work and more
pleasure in general
• Shift easily from stress and fear to creativity
and collaboration
• Expand your capacity for giving and
receiving love
• Heal our collective 2000+ year old myth
that the body is less intelligent than the
mind
CE credit for MFTs/LCSWs; please see leader.
See Faculty Spotlight on page 11.
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Katie Hendricks, PhD, BC-DMT, has been a
pioneer in the field of body-mind integration
for more than 40 years. She leads seminars and
trainings in the core skills of conscious living. Her
books include At the Speed of Life, Centering
and the Art of Intimacy, Conscious Loving,
The Conscious Heart, and Lasting Love.
www.hendricks.com
Lamara Heartwell is a body intelligence expert
who inspires women to claim their bodies as
an essential source of intelligence, power, and
pleasure. She is the founder of Santa Barbara
Dance Tribe, holds a coaching certification from
the Hendricks Institute, and completed counseling
training from the Interchange Institute.
www.lamaraheartwell.com
Self-Compassion in Inner and Outer
Relationships
Richard Schwartz
This five-day retreat is open to anyone—
currently in a relationship or not—who is
interested in exploring the idea that it is
possible and optimal to bring one’s full heart
to any important relationship. In a safe and
supportive environment, this experience will
offer ways to work with the parts of ourselves
that stand in the way of giving and receiving
love fully.
With the beauty of the Pacific coast to support and nurture their process, participants
have the opportunity to explore many aspects
of self-compassion, in the following ways:
• Learn about the Internal Family Systems
model of psychotherapy and gain skills that
make self-exploration engaging and deeply
satisfying
• Address the question, “Who am I in a
relationship?”
• Use tools to understand the nature of
relational burdens and let go of old ways of
relating
• Engage in deep personal work that can lead
to the development of new beliefs about
oneself
• Support and be supported with others on a
similar journey
• Increase courage to take new risks in
connecting
CE credit for MFTs and LCSWs; see page 6.
CE credit for psychologists; see page 6.
Richard Schwartz, PhD, is a systemic family
therapist and an academic. Dr. Schwartz developed
the Internal Family Systems model (IFS) and
founded the Center for Self Leadership. A featured
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speaker for national professional organizations, Dr.
Schwartz has published 5 books and more than 50
articles about IFS. www.selfleadership.org
5Rhythms® : Moving Meditation
Lucia Horan
In order to find peace in the chaos of life,
one must turn inwards. The body is the key
to unlocking inner freedom and liberation.
The 5Rhythms moving meditation teaches
mindful awareness of the body. During this
workshop, you will be taught how to track
energy as it moves through the body and
mind. This tricking can expand your capacity
to sustain present-time awareness. By learning this skill, you’ll have a method to take
home with you and practice in your daily life.
Inspiration and healing can be cultivated as
one surrenders to what is.
This workshop will include both sitting
and moving meditation. It is between these
two polarities that we see the dance of life
reflected back to us. As we experience being
mindful in both moving and stillness, we
open the door to becoming present and free.
This is an invitation to embody compassion
and to connect. No experience necessary.
All workshop hours contribute to 5Rhythms
Teachers Training prerequisites.
Recommended reading: Roth, Sweat Your
Prayers, Maps to Ecstasy, and Connections:
Threads of Intuitive Wisdom.
• Somatic Meditations. Beginning on
the silent level, you go through a series
of meditations to awaken somatic
intelligence–the finely tuned feedback
system that is every person’s birthright.
This brings greater attunement to our own
heart and enables us to open to a new depth
of intimacy with another
• Social Meditations: Working in dyads and
as a group, you can refine your listening
skills and learn how to give voice to your
experience in a centered way. Through this
process, we deepen our presence and allow
it to flower through the many ways that
meaning expresses itself • Applications and Implications. We explore
the mode of non-dual, social dialogue in its
use in psychotherapy, couples counseling,
and conflict resolution
This relational work empowers us to participate creatively and compassionately so we
no longer attempt to solve problems from
the same level of thought that created them.
CoPresencing enables us to evolve human
consciousness by transcending these incoherencies.
Risa Kaparo, PhD, author of Awakening
Somatic Intelligence, teaches Somatic Learning®, the evidence-based method she developed,
internationally, from MIT to China’s Dalian
Medical School. She practices somatic-psychotherapy in the California Bay Area and elsewhere.
A Time to Reflect
Lucia Horan was born into the family of the
For full description, see page 13.
5Rhythms® and raised at Esalen Institute. She
became a 5Rhythms® teacher in 1997, is now
internationally recognized, and a current faculty
member of Gabrielle Roth’s Moving Center
School, NY. www.luciahoran.com
CoPresencing:
The Art of Social Meditation
Risa Kaparo
The art of dialogue as social meditation helps
you develop a deep ecology of affect and the
capacity to embody an intimacy with what
is. Known as CoPresencing, this discipline is
practiced in social, professional, and psychotherapeutic contexts, or as a dialogue with
oneself. CoPresencing also has profound
implications for couples. This workshop
includes training in the following CoPresencing practices:
The 5Rhythms® and 4 Foundations
of Mindfulness
Lucia Horan & Vinny Ferraro
In order to understand the dance one must be still.
And in order to truly understand stillness one
must dance.
—Rumi
In this weekend of meditation and dance,
will we integrate the stillness of Buddhist
mindfulness meditation with the moving
meditations of the 5Rhythms. The Buddha
encouraged us to bring wise attention to every aspect of our lives. In sitting meditation,
Richard Tauber
we have the opportunity to observe the mind
and body at rest through silent introspection. In the practice of the 5Rhythms, we
engage in mindfulness while in motion. The
5Rhythms is a map that teaches how energy
moves. The two polarities of moving and
sitting meditation together mirror the dance
of life. In this journey, we are always moving
between these two spectrums. If one learns
to not cling or avoid, one can hold the place
of the silent witness and be with all that life
offers.
Vinny encourages meditation students to
practice mindful dancing in order to bring
balance and insight into their lives. Lucia invites dancers to engage in sitting meditation
in order to embody integration, balance, and
insight. Join them for the groundbreaking
union of these two deep and wise practices.
bio on page 16.
has been practicing meditation
since 1993. He has taught meditation to incarcerated youth and adults, and is the head trainer for
the Mind Body Awareness Project. He also is a
Spirit Rock Community Dharma teacher.
Lucia Horan
Vinny Ferraro
Yoga Practice: Refining and
Magnifying Body, Mind and Spirit
Thomas Michael Fortel & Karen Cook
One of the fundamental tenets of yoga philosophy is that every human being is, at the core,
an expression of divine light and love. The
yogis refer to this as the Supreme Self or Inner Self. Many of us glimpse this from time
to time, yet a primary focus of our journey is
to honestly address the physical, mental, and
emotional heaviness which covers up our inner luminosity. This is a necessary paradigm
shift as we move into a fuller expression of
our true nature.
Yoga practice is a double-edged sword requiring both effort and surrender. Effort is necessary as we purify, refine, and integrate body,
mind, emotion, and spirit. Surrender is critical in the face of alchemical transformation;
letting go leads us into the restoration and
edification of our true nature, divine light.
These principles unfold in the yoga room as
we place our bodies into postures (asanas),
focus our awareness on breath (pranayama),
and enter the sanctuary of the heart (meditation or dyana).
Everyone is welcome. Please have a minimum
of three months of recent yoga experience,
and bring a yoga mat.
is a longtime yoga
practitioner/teacher, influenced by the Iyengar,
Ashtanga, and Anusara styles of Hatha yoga, and
drawing from his devotional experience in Bhakti
yoga. He travels widely, sharing his love for yoga.
www.thomasfortel.com
Karen Cook is an acupuncturist with more than
25 years of experience in the movement arts. She
has been teaching Yoga since 1997, influenced by
Thomas Fortel Yoga and SpectorDance. Her love
of movement is her joy and invites all to open to
their divine light. www.cookswellness.com
Thomas Michael Fortel
Sacred Commerce: Business as a
Path of Awakening
Matthew Engelhart & Terces Engelhart
Are you engaged in relationships with staff,
co-workers, or business partners? Have you
experienced frustration in these relationships? What if awakening consciousness
was the context at your workplace? What
if conflicts in your work community were
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Doug Ellis
acknowledged as opportunities to heal
collective wounds? What if the mission of
your business was to usher in a sustainable,
spiritually fulfilling society? Sacred commerce is practicing presence in a commercial
environment.
Matthew and Terces Engelhart are the
owners of Café Gratitude, LLC, a school of
transformation in the setting of an organic
vegan restaurant chain in California. During this workshop, with their characteristic
humor and passion, the Engelharts will train
participants in the following areas.
• How to incorporate simple but profound
tools to help transform your working
environment
• How to re-create an organization so that
it appreciates in value while its workforce
collectively keeps its attention on the
successful flow of source and supply
• How to heal the split between “making a
living” and creating a self-realized, fulfilled,
and vital life
Activities include lectures, partner work,
coaching, and demonstrations.
Recommended reading: Engelhart and Engelhart, Sacred Commerce.
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is co-owner of Café
Gratitude. He has coauthored 3 books with Terces
Engelhart, and when they are not on the road
speaking or teaching, he and Terces live on “Be
Love” Organic Farm where they grow food for
their 7 restaurants. www.cafegratitude.com
Terces Engelhart is co-owner of Café Gratitude.
She has coauthored 3 books with Matthew Engelhart, and when they are not on the road speaking
or teaching, she and Matthew live on “Be Love”
Organic Farm where they grow food for their 7
restaurants. www.cafegratitude.com
Matthew Engelhart
A Future Unexpected: Women
Creating an Unimagined Life
Daphne Rose Kingma
Women growing into their forties—or fifties,
sixties, or seventies—are more than ever
finding themselves on a path they’d never
expected, either because of choices or out-ofthe-blue life changes.
In this workshop, we’ll explore who, how,
and what you’re supposed to be when you’ve
experienced unexpected setbacks and losses:
when your marriage ends, boyfriend leaves,
house burns down, children depart, or job
folds. When the person you thought you were
going to grow old with runs off, when the
partner you did get old with suddenly dies,
when the career that defined you dissolves,
when you realize it’s too late to have children,
or maybe even to fall in love.
With a community of women facing similar
circumstances, you’ll explore where you are
in life versus where you expected to be, and
the powerful role of women as a consequence
of the rise in feminine energy—the transformational power of our times. We will identify
steps you can take to create a life that can be
larger, happier, and more quintessentially
your own than the one you left behind.
Through sharing, meditation, exercises, and
emotional exploration, you will be lovingly
supported in creating a new and exciting version of your life.
Recommended Reading: Kingma, Coming
Apart and The Ten Things to Do When Your Life
Falls Apart.
Daphne Rose Kingma is the author of 12 best-selling books about love and relationships, including
Coming Apart, The Future of Love, and The
Ten Things to Do when Your Life Falls Apart.
She has been a psychotherapist, 6-time guest on
Oprah, partner in a publishing house, studio
painter, and poet. www.daphnekingma.com
Taoist Sexual Secrets: The Alchemy
of Energy and Ecstasy
offerings, please visit www.esalen.org/page/
esalen-massage-certification-programs-overview.
Lee Holden
This 250-hour massage certification course is
designed for those who plan to professionally
practice massage, or to combine Esalen Massage skills with another body-mind discipline. It will provide an in-depth experience
of bodywork as an aspect of transpersonal
growth, reflecting the rich history of the Esalen approach: an interweaving of disciplines
focused on the integration of body, mind,
and spirit. As students develop competence
during the course of this training in Esalen
Massage methodology, they will be also
be exposed to approaches such as Sensory
Awareness, Gestalt Process, yoga, and meditation—all practices focused on supporting the
embodiment of presence and awareness as
we touch. This six-week immersion is an indepth experience of Esalen Massage theory
and method, teaching students how to move
beyond technique and embrace this form as a
true healing art.
Within us is a wellspring of vitality known as
qi waiting to amplify every aspect of our lives.
Taoist practices embrace all aspects of the
self—physical, energetic, sexual, emotional,
and spiritual. Alchemy is the integration of
these layers of ourselves, and through this
process bliss and ecstatic experience blossom
from within.
Alchemy is described as the art of transforming lead into gold. In the context of this workshop, gold represents the qi that manifests as
vitality, passion, presence, and love. With the
guidance of senior Taoist teacher and qigong
instructor Lee Holden, we will explore
ancient Taoist practices to help us work with
this subtle energy for increased passion and
intimacy, improved health, emotional balance, and spiritual development.
Through a combination of lecture, qigong
movement, meditation, and partner exercises,
we can discover practical tools to improve
our everyday lives by learning to tap into the
power of our own qi, balance it within, and
feel connected to the divine.
The workshop also includes instruction in
Taoist sexual secrets for abundant vitality,
intimacy, and compassion. You will be taught
techniques for expanding orgasm, refining
sexual energy, and developing the alchemy
of love and gratitude. Open to couples and
individuals.
Recommended reading and listening:
Holden, 7 Minutes of Magic, Taoist Sexual Secrets
and Qi Gong for Health and Healing (CD).
Lee Holden is a senior teacher for Mantak Chia,
the Taoist master, and has edited several bestselling books on Taoist sexuality. He is a leading
qi gong instructor whose DVD series has been
featured on PBS and is the author of 7 Minutes
of Magic: Recharge Your Body Each Day with
Qi Gong. www.leeholden.com
January 17–February 28
250-hour Esalen® Massage
Certification Program
Deborah Anne Medow & Rob Wilks
Esalen offers numerous levels of basic massage certification. For an overview of these
Through lecture, demonstration, and visual
aids, students will study massage as a holistic
approach to optimal health and functioning.
The course offers 250 hours of comprehensive
core massage instruction, including relevant
anatomical and physiological exploration
directly linked to the practice of massage.
Students will have ample time for supervised
practice with each other, emphasizing body
mechanics, self-care, and innovation.
The massage curriculum includes centering
skills, Esalen long stroke methods effective
in whole-body integration, draping, detailed
structural work, passive joint movement and
stretches, and techniques that energetically
balance a massage. Students will also be
taught communication skills for interacting
with clients in a clear, compassionate manner, including education in difficult ethical
situations that sometimes arise in massage
practice.
This 250-hour certification training satisfies
the core requirements for CAMTC certification; all students seeking the California CMT
will need 250-hours of additional coursework
at Esalen or at another school. It is also open
to professionals seeking an immersion-style
course in this effective healing art. Beginners
are welcome, including those not necessarily
interested in professional massage practice,
but in a deeper experience of their own
embodiment.
Upon satisfactory completion, and after docu-
menting thirty additional massages at your
home site, a State-Approved Certificate of
Completion for 250 hours will be issued. The
certification fee is $115. Esalen is an approved
school by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (school code 2700571).
This is a professional training with limited
admission and is especially useful for those in
the healing professions in working with their
patients and clients. To request an application
form and tuition information, send e-mail to
[email protected] or call 831-667-3005.
Scholarship assistance may be available.
Tuition: Shared standard accommodations:
$7500; Shared bunk bed dorm: $5600.
(An additional $20 materials fee
is paid directly to the leader)
Deborah Anne Medow, longtime Esalen
workshop leader, yoga instructor, and bodywork
practitioner, teaches yoga, massage, creative movement, awareness practices, and related healing
disciplines throughout the US, Europe, and Japan.
She is also a certified nutrition educator, Zumba®
dance instructor, and manager of the Esalen Healing Arts Department.
Rob Wilks is a full-time bodywork practitioner
and yoga teacher at Esalen. He specializes in Deep
Bodywork®. He has taught experiential leadership
education in the US and Eastern Europe.
The I in the Storm: Bringing Self
Leadership to Everyday Life
Richard Schwartz
This workshop introduces the Internal Family
Systems (IFS) model of psychotherapy, and
teaches healing professionals and all who
are interested how to apply it to their own
countertransference. Richard Schwartz developed IFS over the past twenty-five years as he
learned to set aside his trained assumptions
and truly listen to his clients. IFS is a highly
efficient and effective way of guiding people to
a state of inner clarity and compassion (called
the Self) from which they know how to heal
themselves. From the Self, one can calm and
transform troubling inner voices, the critical
and anxious chatter, the compulsive distractions, and feelings of vulnerability, inadequacy,
and overwhelm. These parts of the psyche are
surprisingly responsive and resilient when
addressed with respect and patience.
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A therapist’s ability to remain steady, centered, and open-hearted in the face of their
clients’ extreme emotions or predicaments is
central to his or her effectiveness. By utilizing IFS, therapists and laypeople can hold
this Self state of loving kindness that allows
others to heal themselves. At the end of this workshop, participants
will have the tools to understand the role
of the Self, discuss the role of mindfulness
in self-awareness, recognize the essential
features of the IFS model, and understand the
ways therapists any anyone can help clients
achieve Self-Leadership. This workshop is for
everyone.
Richard Schwartz bio on page 16.
Patterns of Growth: Drawn from
Nature, Shaped in Steel
of the day are dedicated to physical movement that promotes strength, flexibility, and
awareness in space. Christy and Helmut will
share the more gentle movements from their
daily practice of the Brazilian art form capoeira. Accessible to all ages and fitness levels,
the emphasis is on conditioning the body so
that making art and ironwork becomes safer,
easier, and more fluid.
Alternating with the drawing periods will be
technical and creative sessions for working
with steel. You can learn and use techniques
such as cutting with a torch, bending and
hammering metal heated in the forge, and
joining elements together with the welder in
order to build artistic and utilitarian objects.
Participants will bring home experimental
or finished pieces such as light screens,
garden ornaments, or small sculptures that
incorporate observations on pattern from the
drawing sessions.
The workshop will spend roughly equal time
drawing and working with metal. No previous drawing or ironwork experience is necessary. Please wear long-sleeved cotton work
clothes with pants that go over the top of
sturdy leather boots. No synthetic clothing
materials please, because it may be flammable.
Safety gear is provided.
Short sessions in the morning and at the end
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A Time To Reflect
For full description, please see page 13.
($100 materials fee paid directly to the leaders)
Helmut Hillenkamp specializes in the sculptural
design of functional forms. A former Esalen
staff member, he built Esalen’s forge and pottery
kiln. He now lives in Santa Fe, NM, and
makes his living forging gates and railings.
www.iron-to-live-with.com
Christy Hengst ’s artwork involves sense of place,
and the potential of heightening perceptions.
Site-specific projects include bus stops, a sculpture
project in Ecuador, and the international traveling public installation “birds in the park.”
www.christyhengst.com
Helmut Hillenkamp & Christy Hengst
Growth in nature follows subtle rhythms, as
seen in spirals, veins, and distinctive sequences. For the drawing part of this workshop,
we will roam the Esalen property sketching
trees, weeds, water, and stone, always on the
lookout for patterns. Christy will guide participants in developing an open state of mind
for this process, as well as on actual drawing.
You may be surprised by what shows up on
the paper! Quiet attention connected to the
drawing hand can lead to beautiful and unexpected results.
January 20–22
Leadership as a Path to Awakening
“Leaders are stewards of the collective consciousness who steer the community toward
what is sacred,” write Terces and Matthew
Engelhart. “Leaders hold the seat of love even
when the stormy weather of doubt, fear, or
scarcity rolls through any entity. While the
collective shadow clings to appearances, the
leader-shaman uses his or her tools to distinguish and reveal the illusion disguising itself
as real. Somewhere in the community, someone has taken too much ‘separation medicine’
and the leader is the doctor on call.
“In this workshop, you will receive coaching to be the most transparent person in the
room. Your process and the demons you are
wrestling with will serve as inspiration for
others to reveal and work with their own
shadows. Ultimately you will be able to hone
your ability to never waver on the leadership path by holding space, listening, taking
100% responsibility, and humbly rousing
people from their resignation and cynicism.
Wherever you are, the awakening of love is
transpiring! Come take your seat for this
empowering course.”
Recommended reading: Engelhart and
Engelhart, Sacred Commerce and The Abounding River Logbook.
Matthew Engelhart
bio on page 18.
Terces Engelhart bio on page 18.
The Renaissance of Spirit: The Art and
Mystery of Making a Difference
Jean Houston & Peggy Rubin
“A Renaissance is a ‘rebirth’ that brings exciting new innovation, experimentation, exploration and discoveries,” writes Jean Houston.
“This course explores personal and spiritual
development as they relate to renaissance, or
radical renewal.
“We will embark on the most radical and yet
most intimate of journeys. We will follow
the story of your development from before
conception to your final times. As we do this,
we will unlock the codes that you carry that
can expand your traditional sense of identity
and give you a significant new perspective on
who you are, why you are so important, where
you have come from, what your gifts are, your
options for activating them, and the legacy
you will leave. This journey—a Renaissance
or Rebirth of Spirit—can lead to an extraordinary realization of your higher, more sacred
self, and its important role today.”
This seminar is designed to help you:
• Discover that you are richer, deeper, and
stronger than you know
• Enter the Mystery to recover your innate
capacities and return with powers to truly
make a difference
• Transcend weariness, move beyond
damaging traumas and fears, and enter into
a renewed gathering of skill and spirit
• Become part of a deep ecology of life
The seminar will also explore myths and
stories that provide templates for global and
personal transformation. These stories help
us discover the coded matrices of the next
steps in human development.
Jean Houstonis a philosopher mentored by
Margaret Mead. One of the principal founders of
the human potential movement, she has written
26 books and is known for her worldwide human
potential workshops. www.jeanhouston.org
Peggy Rubin is founding director of Sacred Theatre in Ashland, Ore. She leads workshops in Living Life as Sacred Theatre, and Sacred Studies of
the Divine Feminine. Since 1987 she has also been
the principal teaching associate of Jean Houston.
www.sacredtheatre.org
The “Three R’s” for Hospice and
Palliative Care Health Professionals:
Rest, Reflect, Release
Charlea Massion
This interdisciplinary workshop for health
professionals will focus on identifying,
exploring, and improving our own health and
self-care practices. We will evaluate our risks
for burnout and compassion fatigue, discuss
more effective strategies for work-life balance,
and share stories and reflections from our
challenging and gratifying work.
Charlea Massion, a family physician, is the medical director of Hospice of Santa Cruz County and
a hospital inpatient palliative care consultant in
Santa Cruz, Calif. She has taught Esalen workshops on self-care and work-life balance for health
care professionals since 1997.
Align Your Body and Awaken Your
Heart through Yoga
Todd Norian
The true path of yoga leads back home to
your heart, where you discover the unique
gifts only you can offer the world. Join Todd
Norian as he guides you on a journey of the
heart by interweaving healing alignment
techniques, positive heart virtues, and the
empowering teachings of Tantra. During
this weekend, you’ll have the opportunity
to:
• Enjoy precise alignment techniques that
can free your body of chronic pain
• Increase your strength, flexibility, and
balance
• Experience safe transformational asanas
including standing poses, hip openers,
backbends, hand balances, inversions,
forward bends, and twists
• Explore uplifting and empowering
philosophical teachings from the Tantra
tradition
• Deepen your integration through partner
work, mantras, and pranayama
You can leave with the foundation for an
at-home yoga practice that strengthens every
aspect of the Self–body, mind, spirit–and
facilitates the awakening of your heart.
Daniel Bianche t ta
We care deeply for others, but how about
ourselves? Health professionals (nurses,
physicians, chaplains, and social workers)
who work in hospice and palliative care have
the highest rates of burnout and compassion fatigue. Both in our training and our
everyday work, we focus on patients, families,
and their communities. Daily we encounter
people who are in pain, often intensely suffering at the interface of life and death. As
professionals, we are expected to not only
apply knowledge and technical expertise, but
also respond with empathy and compassion,
regardless of our own physical, emotional,
and spiritual difficulties. Often there are too
few opportunities to “metabolize” the grief,
sorrow, and discomfort we intimately experience in our work.
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Please bring a yoga mat, thick yoga block,
yoga belt with clasp, blanket or cushion to sit
on, and a journal and pen.
CE credit for yoga teachers through Yoga Alliance; see leader.
Todd Norian, E-RYT 500, is the founder of
Ashaya Yoga®. Todd combines precise, therapeutic
alignment with heart while holding the intention
to awaken others to their true nature–unlimited
joy. www.ashayayoga.com
the whole collection of premises upon which
Western society is built…several times during
dinner. Bateson and Watts were mischief
makers in the cultural metaphor, and this
workshop is a harkening of the treasures of
that time, brought into the conversations
of today. Nora Bateson and Mark Watts
will be your hosts for five days, presenting
their fathers’ archival lectures, and sharing
their own experiences of the great cultural
breakout. The format is non-didactic, and
although both Nora and Mark have a deep
knowledge of the concepts and history of
the ideas presented, this is an opportunity to
bring your own mischievous brilliance to the
conversation as together we will develop new
resonances for today’s contexts. The conversation between Gregory Bateson and Alan
Watts is one that stretches across decades
and disciplines of thought, and the workshop
offers a wonderful opportunity to once again
bring the old wise-guys into our dialogue.
Nora Bateson is president of the International
Bateson Institute, Sweden. She is a filmmaker,
lecturer, researcher, writer, and educator. Nora
wrote, directed, and produced the award-winning
documentary, An Ecology of Mind. She lectures
Inspired by Esalen: Drawing and
Architectural Ironwork
Helmut Hillenkamp & Christy Hengst
With major renovations underway at Esalen,
now is a great time to take a look at its built
environment, hear and exchange stories
of how some of the structures came to be,
and explore the philosophy behind their
design and Esalen’s unique “sense of place.”
Of course the natural setting is a large part
of what makes Esalen special, but the many
handmade art and architectural objects also
create a rich sense of place. Using drawing as
a medium, we will immerse ourselves in truly
seeing what is there, and during metalworking sessions, we’ll use our hands to make
ironwork pieces inspired by the ones that
decorate Esalen. A small shop will be set up at
the Art Barn to work with hot iron, and even
as a beginner, you’ll have the opportunity to
take 1-3 pieces home with you. For one of the
evenings there will be a talk about the art and
art history of Esalen.
The workshop will spend roughly equal time
drawing and working with metal. No previous experience in either medium is necessary. Please wear long-sleeved cotton work
clothes including pants that go over the top of
sturdy leather boots. No synthetic materials
please. Safety gear is provided.
Helmut Hillenkamp
bio on page 20.
Christy Hengst bio on page 20.
Radical Thinkers Breakout!
A Journey into the Archives
with Bateson and Watts
There was a time in Esalen’s history when
Gregory Bateson and Alan Watts were regulars, and it was perfectly “normal” to upturn
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Jens Wa zel
Nora Bateson & Mark Watts
and teaches internationally, and has advised for
EU policy makers, created curricula for schools,
and written for several journals.
Mark Watts is the son of philosopher Alan Watts.
He is a filmmaker and archivist, and currently
is growing the Alan Watts Mountain Center in
Pt. Reyes, north of San Francisco, Calif.
Wild Serenity in Love
Camille Maurine & Lorin Roche
Living and loving fully takes courage and
all the inner resources one can muster.
Embodied practices such as meditation and
movement bolster the heart and inspire the
expression of love in all its forms. Life is relationship—with the self, nature, creativity, and
one another. Meditation can be defined as intimacy with life. Through meditation we pay
attention to the current of vitality and love
flowing through us, and ride it inward to our
essences. This is an instinctive ability and we
all can do it. Nature is wild and serene, and so
too is our inner nature. In this approach, you
embrace the fullness of being—vastness and
vulnerability, sensuality, and surging power.
The course alternates sitting and moving
meditations that gently awaken the senses,
open flow in the body, and stretch the mind
in wonder and awe.
Drawing on four decades of teaching and
thirty years of relationship, authors Maurine and Roche share their experience with
humor and compassion. If you want to tap
into more joy and inspiration, if you long
for more intimacy with yourself and others,
then perhaps it’s time for Wild Serenity! This
course is also useful for those in the helping
professions.
The Art of Masterful Living:
Embodying the Five Elements
through Yoga
Todd Norian
We are all made of the five elements: earth,
water, fire, air, and sky. Masterful living is
achieved when these elements are balanced
within. When they’re out of balance, you
may feel contracted (too much earth), overwhelmed and emotionally stressed out (too
much water), unmotivated (not enough fire),
anxious and fearful (too much air), or ungrounded (too much sky). During this retreat,
you’ll have the opportunity to:
• Safely practice a variety of asanas using the
therapeutic techniques of Ashaya Yoga®
• Nurture and rejuvenate yourself with
restorative poses
• Transform negative beliefs through creative
journaling, contemplation, and group
process
• Raise your vibration through mantras,
pranayama, meditation, and kirtan chanting
• Connect with others in a supportive
community
Recommended reading: Benz-Chartrand, The
Delight of Love and Belonging.
The Ashaya Yoga practice brings about a
flowing integration of all five elements that
can leave you feeling strong, confident,
peaceful, openhearted, and ready to engage
with life wholeheartedly from a place of
worthiness.
Dyrian Benz-Chartrand, PsyD, is a mindfulness
and somatic psychology educator. A cofounder
of Hakomi, he conducts trainings in Relational
Constellations at the Constellation Institute of
California. He is a longtime Diamond Approach
student and co-author of Love and Belonging:
Making Love Successful.
www.relationalconstellations.com
JoAnne Chartrand-Benz has been a Europeantrained somatic psychology educator since 1979.
Her specialty is in somatic, transpersonal, relational psychology, and trauma work. She teaches
Family Constellation trainings. She is a Somatic
Experience practitioner, a student of the Diamond
Approach, and co-author of Love and Belonging.
www.ralationalconstellations.com
Please bring a yoga mat, 1-2 thick yoga blocks,
yoga belt with clasp, and a blanket or cushion
to sit on.
Recommended reading: Wallis, Tantra Illuminated; Judith, Wheels of Life.
A WisdomWomen Visionary Gathering
CE for yoga teachers through Yoga Alliance; see leader.
Please note: Wear comfortable clothes for
movement.
Todd Norian bio on page 22.
Recommended reading: Roche, Meditation
Made Easy and The Radiance Sutras; Maurine
and Roche, Meditation Secrets for Women.
Love and Belonging: Harvesting
the Power of Attachment, Intimacy
and Autonomy
is the author of Meditation
Secrets for Women and Meditation 24/7, both
written with her husband, Lorin Roche. Camille’s
work synthesizes meditation, movement, and
expression, with a keen passion for women’s
spiritual empowerment and embodiment.
www.camillemaurine.com
Lorin Roche, PhD, has practiced and taught
meditation since 1968. He earned his degree for
research in the language of meditation. He is the
author of The Radiance Sutras, and with his
wife Camille Maurine, Meditation Secrets for
Women. www.lorinroche.com
Dyrian Benz-Chartrand
& JoAnne Chartrand-Benz
Camille Maurine
love and respect to ourselves and our family,
then love can become a healing agent in all
aspects of our lives. We also explore personal
issues related to illness, split-off parts of the
self, growth, expansion, and creativity. Find
ways to get unstuck. Join us being together
with our creative life force and living more
consciously. Honor the past, cultivate more
presence, and build the future. A relational
constellation is a deeply educational and creative process that nurtures your heart, soul,
and creative life force. For more information
about Relational Constellations, visit www.
relationalconstellations.com.
Love and a sense of belonging are the cornerstones to fulfilling relationships throughout
life. When the flow of love and acceptance
is interrupted in life, the soul suffers. With
Relational Constellations, we uncover the
disruptions and entanglements so that we can
find strength, dignity, love, creativity, and a
sense of belonging. Love and appreciation are
the guiding principles used for finding good
resolutions. Profound healing of heart, body,
and soul are often the result. When we bring
Marianne Williamson, Michelle Stransky,
& Konda Mason
WisdomWomen invites you to the first
women-only, property-wide gathering on the
majestic grounds of Esalen. This revolutionary gathering is a call to action for women
leaders to collectively fulfill their radical
visions for a life-affirming world. We are not
asking whether or not this can be done. We
are claiming that it is ours to do. Our work
here as Women of Wisdom is not complete
until every being on this planet is safe and
free to thrive. We invite trailblazers, thought
and heart leaders, and paradigm shifters to
join us to create a cross-pollination of wisdom, experience, and knowledge. During our
time together, we will put our inner wisdom,
privilege, and power to work in a way that
honors our deepest values.
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This gathering will integrate nurturing and
restorative elements of retreat (movement
and meditation practices, ritual bathing, and
yoga) with inspirational sharing and collaborative circling for action (facilitated and
curated groups of 8-10 women). All women
will be asked to engage as both leaders and
participants. We believe that when we are
held in this container of connection, support,
and wisdom, new possibilities will emerge
beyond our wildest dreams. We hope you will
join us for this rare opportunity to manifest
our collective visions in one of the most glorious places on Mother Earth.
WisdomWomen is a growing movement to
advance new ways of leadership and collaboration in service to a world where all beings
thrive. We are also committed to creating a
safe space where individual and collective
shadow topics are explored with deep love
and compassion. For this gathering and
beyond, we welcome support in building a
field of awareness around topics such as race,
gender, class, and sexuality. The possibilities
we birth together at Esalen will be nurtured
by our ongoing support network, and program offerings that move our visions forward
as a collective.
Please note: WisdomWomen will be inviting
women into this gathering through an
application process. The application can be
found here: www.wisdom2women.com/
esalen.html. Once you have been accepted,
you will receive confirmation and the password for registration at Esalen. If you then
register online at www.esalen.org, please be
aware that you will not be immediately confirmed until your attendance and code word
are verified. You will know you are registered
when you receive an email confirmation.
When registering, please be sure to write
your code word in the appropriate space at
the bottom of the Secure Check Out page.
If you prefer to book via phone, please call
888-837-2536.
Scholarships: If you are a woman interested
in receiving financial assistance, you may
apply for a scholarship by visiting www.esalen
.org/page/scholarships-financial-aid.
See Spotlight on page 8.
is an internationally acclaimed spiritual author and lecturer. Marianne
has been a popular guest on television programs
such as Oprah, Larry King Live, Good Morning America and Charlie Rose. Six of her eleven
published books have been New York Times best
sellers.
Marianne Williamson
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Michelle Stransky, founder of WisdomWomen,
was the conference director at Wisdom 2.0, where
she launched WisdomWomen in 2013. A former
management consultant and executive coach,
she is now committed to co-creating a new world
reality through the journey of embodied wisdom.
Michelle is a convener, producer, and collaborator.
www.wisdom2women.com
Konda Mason is co-founder and CEO of Hub
Oakland, a co-working space connecting socially
engaged changemakers and social entrepreneurs
to bring their projects to life. A human equity
advocate, certified Kripalu yoga instructor, and
meditation teacher, Konda’s work is driven by the
vision of realizing in her lifetime a genuinely just
and sustainable world.
A Time to Reflect
Week of January 31–February 5
Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
Lynda Greenberg
For many, drawing seems to be a mysterious process reserved for the “talented” few.
Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain has
debunked this myth.
Welcoming students who are convinced
they have little talent for drawing and those
who wish to expand their current artistic
abilities, this workshop offers an intensive
combination of discussion and studio exercises. The class is designed to awaken the
perceptual skills for drawing with confidence.
Based on the pioneering work of Dr. Betty
Edwards, Drawing on the Right Side of the
Brain invites participants to see and think
differently by tapping into the non-verbal
(non-dominant) side of the brain. Set in
Esalen’s Art Barn on a cliff overlooking the
Pacific Ocean, this workshop will provide
students with a host of stunning views to
draw and contemplate. In a carefully sequenced process, participants will explore the
strategies of seeing that will enable them to
draw with a high degree of skill. By workshop’s end, participants will have finished
drawings and gained new thinking strategies
to help enhance their general problem-solving capacity.
Please register early; enrollment is limited
to twenty. A materials list will be sent upon
registration. All exercises will be preceded by
demonstrations and followed by assessments
of individual progress.
Recommended reading: Edwards, Drawing on
the Right Side of the Brain.
($15 materials fee paid directly to the leader)
Lynda Greenberg has been practicing art for 30
years and holds a Master of Fine Arts degree. She
teaches at Antelope Valley and Harbor colleges,
among others. She was trained by Dr. Betty Edwards, author of Drawing on the Right Side of
the Brain. www.lyndagreenberg.com
Yoga and Zen:
Entering The Bloodstream
Tias Little & Henry Shukman
One of the primary aims of yoga and zen
practice is to integrate them so deeply into
our lives that the practice flows through us
constantly, like blood in the bloodstream.
This course seeks the essence of what it
means to practice by investigating the
wakeful nature of prana (breath, or lifegiving force) in every cell of the body. Just
as the blood supports all living function, so
Buddha-nature is the reality of all experience. The aim of our yoga is to discover this
directly, not as a static, isolated event on
the meditation cushion or in asana, but in
the midst of everyday life. In this course,
we promote the fluid nature of true awareness not only in asana, but also in standing,
walking, sitting, and lying down. Like the
blood stream, we flow in the continuity of
awareness at all moments.
In addition we will undertake a fundamental self-inquiry: How do we create and
maintain our sense of self? Who do I think I
am? Who am I really? Why am I here? What
should I do? We will use the calming, opening, and energizing effects of asana practice,
and the invigorating expansive beauty of
Esalen’s natural landscape, to explore these
fundamental questions of a human life
during a week of deep healing and selfexploration.
combines Iyengar and Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga in his teaching practice. Also a licensed
massage therapist, he has been influenced by Ida
Rolf, Moshe Feldenkrais, and Thomas Hanna.
Tias is a longtime student of Tsoknyi Rinpoche
in the Dzogchen practice of Tibetan Buddhism.
www.tiaslittle.com
Henry Shukman, associate Zen master of Sanbo
Tias Little
Reuven Shelef
Zen, teaches at Mountain Cloud Zen Center in
Santa Fe, NM, and Sonnenhof in Schwarzwald,
Germany. He is also a prize-winning poet and
novelist, and frequent contributor to Tricycle and
the New York Times. www.mountaincloud.org
most effective techniques from each of our
basic classes. You will be shown how to blend
long, integrating strokes on the entire body
with effective pain-releasing methods on
the areas of specific focus requested by your
clients.
Beyond the Long Stroke:
The Integration of Deep Bodywork
in Esalen® Massage
We will also address the important issue of
working deeply without injuring ourselves
as we work. Learning to use proper body
mechanics, and aligning with the universal
force of gravity, will be important elements of
our learning.”
Perry Holloman & Johanna Holloman
“In our previous classes, we’ve focused on
teaching the practice of Deep Bodywork
for specific segments of the body,” write the
leaders. “In this seminar, we will focus on
giving a full body massage, and integrating
Deep Bodywork into the session as a whole.
We will show you how to apply deep work
on both sides of the body while maintaining
the flowing, integrative quality which is the
signature of Esalen Massage.
“Practitioners working in spas as well as in
private practice are quite familiar with requests for ‘deep work.’ How do we do this in
a manner so that we can both slow down—allowing tissues time to open and change—and
have time for a full-body massage? This class
will address that dilemma, and integrate the
This is an advanced level class. Previous
massage experience is necessary. This course
offers 32 continuing education credits for
massage. For more information, visit www.
deepbodywork.com.
Perry Holloman has been a teacher and practitioner of Esalen® Massage, Deep Bodywork, and
body-oriented approaches to Gestalt work for more
than 20 years. He teaches in the US, Asia, and
Europe, and makes his home in Big Sur, Calif.
www.deepbodywork.com
Johanna Holloman is a German-born clinical
psychologist, Diamond Approach® teacher, and
certified Esalen® Massage and Deep Bodywork
instructor, teaching at Esalen and internationally.
She is a yoga teacher (E-RYT 500) and created
the Esalen In-house Yoga training program.
www.deepbodywork.com
Weekend of February 5–7
Evolutionary Relationships:
Opening into the Great Heart
Sally Kempton & Marc Gafni
Relationship is one of the great pathways
to higher consciousness. The practices of
awakened relationship not only can engage
the heart, but also can become doorways into
higher awareness, love, and engagement. Not
just for couples, these practices can be the
basis for a new kind of evolutionary activism.
In this workshop, Sally and Marc introduce
a series of highly targeted insights and
practices for turning your encounters with
others into opportunities for awakening,
and deepening your connection to the Great
Heart. Through lectures, meditation, dyads,
and teachings based on Sally’s tradition of
non-dual tantra and Marc’s insight into Kabbalah, you’ll learn how to:
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Jens Wa zel
• Access the space of higher wisdom with
another person
• Discover powerful mutual awakening
practices
• Apply new skills to evolve through
relationship
teaches at the cutting edge of
contemporary tantra, and is known for her ability
to transmit deep meditative states through the
heart. A former monk and 40-year practitioner
of Shaiva yoga, Sally teaches internationally and
writes the “Wisdom” column for Yoga Journal.
www.sallykempton.com
Marc Gafni ’s teaching is marked by a deep
transmission of heart, love, and leading-edge
provocative wisdom. A visionary scholar, public
intellectual, and spiritual artist, he is the author
of 10 books, including the award-winning Your
Unique Self: The Radical Path to Personal
Enlightenment. www.iEvolve.org
Sally Kempton
Expanding the Practice of Sex
Therapy: A Training for Health
Professionals
Gina Ogden with Kamara McAndrews
Health, well-being, and intimate relationships
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are profoundly affected by sexual concerns.
Yet too many health professionals lack specific
training to help their clients overcome feelings
of sexual inadequacy and move beyond blocks
to desire and pleasure. This course looks
beyond physical performance goals to explore
underlying emotional and spiritual dynamics of sexual experience. Our interactive
model incorporates ritual, movement, concrete
structure, and the importance of boundaries.
We provide case consultation and encourage
personal awareness along with innovative
practices that offer engaging ways help clients
and students with the following processes:
• Identify the four energies that spark sexual
desire
• Reframe cultural messages that constrain
sexual attitudes
• Address hot-button issues such as gender
fluidity, porn use, and affairs
• Connect present sexual impasses to past
griefs and traumas—with strategies for
transforming the effects and outcomes.
This course is designed for physicians, nurses,
social workers, family therapists, sexuality
therapists, school counselors, and anyone
working with students or clients for whom
sexual issues may affect health, empowerment, or safety.
Recommended reading: Ogden, Expanding
the Practice of Sex Therapy, The Heart and Soul
of Sex, The Return of Desire, and Women Who
Love Sex.
Gina Ogden, PhD, LMFT, is a sex therapist,
researcher, and shamanic practitioner who leads
workshops internationally. She conducted the only
nationwide survey on sexuality and spirituality
(ISIS). Her latest books are Expanding the Practice of Sex Therapy, and The Return of Desire.
www.ExpandingSexTherapy.com
Psychedelic Medicines and the Mind
David Presti & Kristi Panik
Psychedelics are among the most powerful,
interesting, and poorly understood of all the
psychoactive substances. They produce a
variety of complex effects on the brain and
mind, including intensification of thoughts
and feelings, alterations of sensory perception, and loosening of psychological defenses.
As such, psychedelics probe the connection
between brain physiology and consciousness,
perhaps the most deeply mysterious arena
in contemporary science. In their plant and
fungal forms, psychedelics have been used
by humans for millennia for medicinal and
spiritual purposes. Scientific research with
psychedelics has taken place for more than
a century, and was one of the driving forces
in the early days of biological psychiatry.
The widespread popular use of some of these
substances in the 1960s contributed to legal
regulation that closed down human research.
Now, after 30 years of quiescence, human
clinical research with psychedelics has
returned to mainstream science. This workshop covers the history, botany, chemistry,
psychology, and sociology of psychedelics,
leading up to the re-emergence of contemporary research addressing the medicinal and
spiritual aspects of these substances.
David Presti teaches neurobiology, psychology,
and cognitive science at the University of California in Berkeley, and worked for many years
in the clinical treatment of addiction at the San
Francisco VA Medical Center.
Kristi Panik, MD, is a psychiatrist in private
practice and on the clinical staff of the University
Student Health Services at UC Berkeley, Calif.
The Moving Imagination:
Soul Motion™ and Alchemical Art
Zuza Engler & Felicia Matto-Shepard
Alchemy is a mystical process of experimentation in which something not yet fully
known or understood can be explored in a
creative engagement with imagination. In
this workshop, we employ the attitude of the
alchemist through the mediums of art and
movement. Participants bring a personal
question, dilemma, dream, or desire, thus
co-creating a field of transformative inquiry.
Guided through a variety of procedures, we
work with mixed media, including paint, texture, and ordinary and evocative images from
junk mail and magazines, to utilize in our
inner and outer unfolding. Then we move to
the dance floor and follow breath, sensation,
impulse, and inspiration.
This meeting of active imagination and Soul
Motion at the crossroads of intention and surrender allows the thinking mind to rest into
the Mystery, and a new direction, decision,
or possibility to emerge from the creative
unknown. In this experiential exploration
of the embodied soul through process art
and movement, we seek presence, awareness,
and surprise. Curiosity and willingness are
required, not artistic talent or dance experience.
assisted Esalen® Massage trainings, yoga
retreats, and Upledger Institute trainings.
www.esaleninstructor.com
Note: Please bring any images that appeal to
you for any reason, cut out from magazines,
junk mail, calendars, print ads, greeting cards,
etc.
Week of February 7–12
($25 art materials fee paid directly to the leader)
Trauma, Memory and the Restoration
of One’s Self
CE credit for MFTs and LCSWs; see leader.
Bessel van der Kolk & Licia Sky
has been on the spiral path of kinesthetic investigation into consciousness for close to
three decades, in motion, stillness, and process inquiry. She is a Soul Motion™ teacher and trainer,
designer of Embodied Inquiry, and a long-term
practitioner of Buddhism and Gestalt Practice.
www.transformativedance.com
Felicia Matto-Shepard dances at the intersection of art, the body, and archetype psychology. A
student of the unknowable, inquirer of the dreamworld, she practices as a Jungian psychotherapist
in Petaluma, Calif., and facilitates experiences in
creativity, embodied sexuality, and meaning.
The function of our brains is to take care of
us and to be in sync with the body’s systems.
Trauma changes the way the brain processes
information and the body engages with the
world. Trauma makes people afraid to know
what they know and feel what they feel. This is
expressed in heartbreak, and the state of being
out of sync with oneself and one’s surroundings. This course explores how, because of
altered biological systems, traumatized people
continue to be trapped by their history and
react to current experience in a myriad of ways
as a replay of the past, and shows ways to break
the cycles of re-enactment and suffering. This
workshop explores ways of representing and
befriending our inner experience.
Zuza Engler
The Art of Esalen® Massage
Daniela Urbassek & Robin Fann-Costanzo
This weekend offers the opportunity to
replenish spirit and reconnect to the healing
power of nature, while learning how to give
an effective and pleasurable Esalen Massage.
Through brief lectures and demonstrations,
the workshop will present essential tools and
information that can easily be applied. The
principle elements of bodywork, including
breath awareness, grounding, movement, and
quality of contact will also be introduced
and practiced, creating a firm foundation for
learning massage. Participants will have time
to enjoy the healing waters of the natural hot
springs and the magical beauty of the Esalen
grounds.
This workshop is especially useful for those
in the helping and healing professions in
working with their clients and patients.
is a longtime member of
the Esalen massage staff. Her work is strongly
influenced by her studies in craniosacral work,
movement, yoga, and dance.
Robin Fann-Costanzo has a lifelong background
in dance and movement. An Esalen® Massage
practitioner, CranioSacral practitioner, and
certified yoga instructor, she has taught and
Daniela Urbassek
Therapies that work all start from a basic
sense of calm and safety. The calmer we are,
the more we can allow ourselves to know
what we know, and to feel what we feel. We
will study and experience the capacity of
EMDR, yoga, Internal Family Systems, sensorimotor practices, theater work, and neurofeedback to help people overcome a traumatic
past and regain the capacity to be fully alive
in the present.
Recommended reading: van der Kolk, The
Body Keeps the Score.
Bessel van der Kolk, MD, is a clinical psychiatrist who has studied the impact and resolution of
trauma on children and adults since 1982. He is
professor of psychiatry at Boston University School
of Medicine and medical director of the Trauma
Center in Boston. He is author of The Body
Keeps the Score. www.traumacenter.org
Licia Sky, LMT, has more than 25 years of experience as a therapist and singer-songwriter who
leads therapeutic attunement, dynamic experiential exercises that integrate music, movement,
vocalizing, and touch, to foster safe, transformative, interpersonal connection. She has taught at
Kripalu and other national and international
venues.
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Women’s Sexual Stories: Healing the
Wounds, Celebrating the Joy
This amazing weekend features the following
activities and explorations:
Gina Ogden with Kamara McAndrews
• Mantras for healing, manifestation, and
awakening
• The devotional practice of stotrams (text
chants)
• Hanuman Chalisa, Gayatri Mantra, Chandi
Stotram, and Guru Gita music modules (no
musical experience necessary)
• Instrumental and vocal support for mantra
and Kirtan practice, including voice,
harmonium, and tabla
• The opportunity to experience leading
Kirtan
• Saturday night kirtan concert
• Live music and yoga classes with Girish
each day
• Pranayama: practice the 9 Healing Breaths
The route to sexual pleasure and intimacy is
like the route to any other of life’s mysteries.
It means exploring new emotional landscapes. It means opening your wild, precious,
vulnerable self to nature, divine presence, and
the profound wisdom of your body. It means
daring to know what you want.
During this workshop for women of all
ages and sexual and spiritual orientations,
we create a safe, confidential environment
where you can learn innovative ways to create
heart-to-heart communication, expand your
capacity for love, creativity, and compassion,
transcend guilt, shame, and “good-girls-don’t”
messages, and heal the wounds of violence,
abuse, and compulsivity. We merge the latest
research with women’s stories, shamanic journeying, and sacred ceremony in the Esalen
hot springs. Our work together is based on
the following three principles.
• The core power of sexual connection is its
ability to transform our lives—at any age,
with or without a partner
• Erotic satisfaction begins with self-esteem
• A supportive circle of women sharing
information about sex can be life changing
Please bring two objects to our first session—
one to represent an aspect of your sexual
story you want to keep, the other to represent
an aspect you want to move beyond. You’ll
introduce yourself with these objects, and
take them home with you.
Recommended reading: Ogden, Expanding
the Practice of Sex Therapy, The Heart and Soul
of Sex, The Return of Desire, and Women Who
Love Sex.
Gina Ogden bio on page 26.
Girish Chant Camp: Daily Live Music,
Yoga and Chant Practice
Girish
Join Girish for a weekend of chanting,
meditation, yoga, pranayama, and kirtan to
manifest and enhance divine love in your
life. Explore the meaning of and intentions
behind the chants, play the harmonium and
tablas, and utilize your newfound skills to lift
your voice in joyful song and prayer!
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The weekend will close with an intentionsetting workshop to help you apply your new
skills in the outside world, and in your life.
Note: Bring a notebook and a yoga mat. Bring
your harmonium or tablas if you have them.
Instruments will also be provided.
Girish is an accomplished musician of many
genres, and former monk infused in spiritual
practice, who sings traditional Sanskrit mantras
with a modern, funky, yet deeply devotional twist.
He has been featured in O, The Oprah Magazine.
• Identify what it takes to feel love in all its
physical, sexual, and spiritual splendor
• Explore the territory of the heart where
the deep connection of two becomes the
transcendent “one”
• Experience playfulness and passion
This workshop is designed for individuals
and couples.
Recommended reading: Bloom and Bloom,
101 Things I Wish I Knew When I Got Married:
Simple Lessons to Make Love Last and Secrets of
Great Marriages: Real Truth from Real Couples
about Lasting Love.
is an educator, therapist, and
seminar leader. He and his wife Linda are
cofounders of Bloomwork and coauthors of
Secrets of Great Marriages: Real Truth from
Real Couples about Lasting Love and 101 Things
I Wish I Knew When I Got Married. He has
facilitated workshops internationally since 1986.
www.bloomwork.com
Linda Bloom is a licensed clinical social worker
and educator. She and her husband Charlie are cofounders of Bloomwork and coauthors of Secrets
of Great Marriages: Real Truth from Real
Couples about Lasting Love and 101 Things I
Wish I Knew When I Got Married. They have
facilitated workshops internationally since 1986.
www.bloomwork.com
Charlie Bloom
Finding True Love
Love, Sex and Intimacy
Daphne Rose Kingma
Charlie Bloom & Linda Bloom
“Love is the experience of emotional and
spiritual awakening to the bliss that is the
true condition of the soul,” says Daphne Rose
Kingma. “Love is an essential human quest
and intimate romantic partnership is love’s
most luminous expression.” Join this bestselling author and expert on matters of the
heart for an immersion into the spiritual and
emotional preparations necessary to attract
love into your life. Focusing on the four keys
to true love—Faith, Intention, Trust, and Surrender—Daphne guides you on a step-by-step
journey to self-knowledge that can liberate
your heart.
For individuals and couples, intimacy is to
the soul as food is to the body. When the
longing for intimacy is satisfied, we experience wholeness and sufficiency, and we
can be at one with ourselves and the world.
In conjunction with a sexual connection,
intimacy can be exhilarating, inspiring, even
transcendent. The shadow side of connection
is fear of intimacy, which is actually the fear
of loss, rejection, shame, and humiliation.
These fears are common, even universal, yet
their presence need not prevent us from experiencing the joys of intimate contact. It is not
so much a matter of eliminating these concerns but of responding to them skillfully.
This workshop addresses how we can do that
and also accomplish the following:
• Maintain an open heart in the face of
powerful emotions
• Recognize and neutralize patterns that
limit deep connection
As you move through each process, including
resolving emotional issues from your past,
healing relationship wounds, examining your
myths about relationships, and identifying
your life theme (and discovering its effects
upon your past relationships), you can discover your own internal barriers to intimacy
and gradually release them.
This workshop is for people who are looking
for a love in the highest and deepest form,
for those who want to heal the pain of old
unresolved relationships, and for those who
can’t seem to bring themselves into alignment with the love that is already waiting to
approach them. Activities include meditation,
exercises, and group process.
Recommended reading: Kingma, Finding True
Love, The Future of Love, and Coming Apart.
Daphne Rose Kingma
bio on page 18.
Lead to Gold: An Introduction
to Alchemical Healing
Benjamin Fox & Lorie Eve Dechar
We invite you to join us in applying the
principles, attitudes, and practices drawn
from this ancient art to our modern lives.
Our goal is not a regression back to an old
way of being, but rather a reclamation of lost
and forgotten parts of ourselves in order to
re-infuse our souls, reinvigorate our imaginations, and guide us as we discover new
possibilities for our personal lives and for
the life of our planet. We work experientially
with the modalities we employ as alchemical
healers: Chinese medicine, astrology, Taoist
and European alchemy, dream work, and
archetypal psychology. Practices drawn from
these traditions create a vibrant community
laboratory. Together, we support one another
in transforming lead into gold by finding
ways to live more closely with our authentic
natures, destinies, and Tao.
Recommended reading: Dechar, Five Spirits:
Alchemical Acupuncture for Psychological and
Spiritual Healing; Johnson, Inner Work: Using
Dreams and Active Imagination for Personal
Growth; Forrest, The Inner Sky.
is the founding director of A New
Possibility, a community of individuals dedicated
to healing and education rooted in the ancient
wisdom of alchemy. He is a licensed massage
therapist, certified Zero Balancer, and Evolutionary astrologer. www.anewpossibility.com
Lorie Eve Dechar is the author of Five Spirits:
Alchemical Acupuncture for Psychological
and Spiritual Healing. Her work as an alchemical healer is supported by 30 years of Chinese medical practice and extensive training in Jungian
and Gestalt psychotherapy and Focusing-oriented
psychotherapy. www.anewpossibility.com
Benjamin Fox
Evolution of Gestalt Series No. 6:
Healing and Empowerment—Gestalt
Approaches in a Field of Trauma
Lena Axelsson, Michael Clemmens, Mark
Fairfield, Renee Jennings, Mary Ann Kraus
& Leanne O’Shea
As counselors, therapists, consultants, organizers, and activists, we confront traumatic
events and their consequences, both past and
present. As practitioners and organizers, we
do our best to support healing and restore
Angie Smith
The origin of the word alchemy comes from
the Arabic alkímiyá, meaning “black soil art.”
Rather than looking up in search of transcendence, alchemists dare to go down—to dig
deep into the soil of embodied life, to descend
into the personal and collective unconscious,
to cherish our “leaden” impasses—in the quest
for the true gold of a spiritually illuminated
life.
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empowerment, using the tools and narratives
of our various methods and disciplines, working at particular “levels of system” (individual,
family, community, organizational, societal/
political). Yet as we work, we may sense that
the way we define these narratives, as well as
our own roles in them, may block our view of
a deeper story: a story in which we ourselves
are part of a traumatized field, and trauma
can be seen as a normative—even supported—
condition of our society. In the absence
of an integrating narrative, even powerful
insights like this may only feel more isolating
and depleting, setting us further apart from
our wider communities of relationship and
practice.
Additional faculty will include Deborah
Ullman, Esalen President Gordon Wheeler,
numerous other afternoon workshop leaders,
and morning plenary team leaders to be announced.
Please note: There is an extra $15 tuition fee for
this workshop.
Lena Axelsson, PsyD, is a psychotherapist, trainer, and supervisor specializing in the treatment
of trauma, in private practice and public health/
social service settings. Focusing on the relational
dynamics of healing and empowerment, she draws
on the neuroscientific and somatic basis of contemporary Gestalt-based trauma and recovery work.
She co-authored (with Gordon Wheeler) the book
Gestalt Therapy.
Michael Craig Clemmens, PhD, is a psychologist and trainer in Pittsburgh, Pa. He is a faculty
member of the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland and
teaches at the Metanoia Institute in London, and
at Esalen. He is the author of Getting Beyond
Sobriety, and numerous articles on Gestalt
therapy, body process, and addiction.
Mark Fairfield, LCSW, BCD, is executive director of The Relational Center. Formerly the clinical
director for Common Ground in Santa Monica,
Calif., he has a private practice coaching and consulting a wide range of clients. Mark has presented
and trained internationally and has published in
journals and books. www.relationalcenter.org
Renee Jennings, LISW, is a therapist, trainer,
and consultant in Cleveland, Ohio. Her embodied
Richard Tauber
A Gestalt relational field model offers us tools
and support to begin to move flexibly and
systemically among all the systemic levels of
this pervasive cultural dynamic. During this
five-day course jointly sponsored by GestaltPress and Esalen Center for Theory and Research, join us as we build our own embodied
relational learning community. Our shared
goals include processes to:
• Articulate a new narrative that holds the
whole social field, without losing sight of
the individual;
• Build a creative community of support that
is open to other communities of activism
and practice, moving flexibly from one level
of social organization and belonging to
another;
• Incorporate the powerful new insights of
neuroscience to support and complexify
our perspective, without losing sight of the
social dynamics of brain patterning;
• Restore our own energy, creativity, and
empowerment through embodiment,
relationship, and new communities of
belonging.
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and relational approach to transformation
integrates body, mind, and spirit. Renee holds
a graduate degree in theology and is a certified
EMDR practitioner, clinical hypnotherapist,
and faculty at the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland.
www.reneejennings.com
Mary Ann Kraus, PsyD, is a clinical/community
psychologist and faculty member at the Gestalt
Institute of Cleveland. She has co-created and
co-chaired training programs in Working with
Individuals, Working with Couples, Working
with Groups, and the introductory Gestalt
Training Program.
Leanne O’Shea, DPsych, is a psychotherapist
based in Melbourne, Australia. She teaches
internationally and is a senior faculty Member
of Gestalt Therapy Australia.
Radical Aliveness:
A Core Energetics Workshop
Ann Bradney
Ann Bradney writes, “There is a state in which
you are fully alive, authentic, and spontaneous.
You are open to all of your feelings, connected
to your strength and your truth. You are not
afraid to know anything about yourself. I
call this radical aliveness. In this state you
embrace your creativity and see life in all its
possibilities.
“Standing in the way of radical aliveness are
chronic patterns formed in your past to survive. These live as frozen feelings and history
in your body and no longer serve you.
“Core Energetics is a powerful, body-based
system. It frees the frozen feelings and history in your body by working with the blocked
and held energy. It helps you reconnect with
deep parts of the self that you disconnected
from as a child. It uncovers the power and
goodness at the source of your most destructive patterns. It leads you to connection with
your deepest essence.
She studied under Core Energetics founder John
Pierrakos and teaches internationally. Ann’s
Radical Aliveness model expands Core beyond the
individual, to address community healing and
world issues. www.annbradney.com
Easing the Neck—Bodywork Intensive
Tom Myers
As a bodywork professional, you know that
many of your clients’ problems are accompanied by neck issues. During this intensive
weekend workshop, you can learn to access
and address the various myofascial layers
of the neck competently and sensitively.
Additionally, you can enhance your ability
to assess and treat the fascial “cylinders” of
the neck and the related areas of the jaw and
shoulder. Bring Tom’s forty years of experience to bear on your skills in this central,
delicate, yet oh-so-strong area of the body. By
making the neck feel better, you help people
to feel better all over. This course is open to
all licensed manual therapists.
Recommended reading: Myers, Anatomy
Trains, Myofascial Meridians, Fascial Release for
Structural Balance, and Bodycubed.
CE credit for massage practitioners; see leader.
Tom Myers directs Anatomy Trains, which runs
continuing education classes for manual therapists
and movement educators worldwide. He is the author of Anatomy Trains and co-author of Fascial
Release for Structural Balance. Tom studied
with Ida Rolf, Moshe Feldenkrais, and Buckminster Fuller, and has practiced integrative bodywork
since 1975. www.anatomytrains.com
The Path: Mastering the Nine Pillars
of Resilience and Success
“In this workshop, you will work individually
and in groups to understand, transform, and
release the past as you deeply explore, experience, and express your blocked and held
energy. You will work on your relationship
to yourself and explore relating to others in
radically alive ways. You will find what stands
in the way of your full potential for life.”
Stephen Sideroff
Please note: An interview is required for
admission. Please e-mail ann@radicalaliveness
.com.
The Path is a model of resilience based on
Stephen Sideroff’s forty years of research and
clinical work in helping people overcome personal blocks and achieve high levels of success, while optimizing personal health. Based
on how the brain and personality develop,
Ann Bradney is director of the Radical Aliveness/
Core Energetics Institute of Southern California.
Our stress and its symptoms are maintained
unconsciously as a distraction from emotional issues and harmful thinking. By addressing these issues, the body can let go, thereby
improving physical health and enhancing
performance and the ability feel joy.
The Path shows you the signposts and distills
the journey down to one question, “Am I on
The Path or off The Path?”
During this workshop, you’ll learn about
the connection among emotions, stress, and
physical symptoms. You’ll be shown relaxation and biofeedback practices, and learn
how to cope with destructive patterns such as
anger, depression, perfectionism, obsessions,
procrastination, and addictions.
Your body will be more resilient, and heal
and perform better. Discussion and experiential work, including hands-on use
of a biofeedback machine, will facilitate
self-awareness, emotional release and body
self-regulation. This program is especially
beneficial for healthcare professionals in their
work with clients and patients.
Recommended reading: Sideroff, The Path:
Mastering the Nine Pillars of Resilience and
Success; Lowen, Joy: The Surrender to the Body
and to Life.
CE credit for acupuncturists; see page 6.
Stephen Sideroff is a clinical psychologist and
peak performance consultant in Santa Monica,
Calif., assistant professor in the Department of
Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at UCLA’s
School of Medicine, and director of Moonview
Sanctuary. He also founded the Stress Strategies
Center at Santa Monica Hospital.
www.thirdwind.org
Medical Qigong—Preventative
Medicine and Self-Healing Through
Mind-Body Practices
Roger Jahnke
Qigong is medical by its very nature. Qigong
works by improving the practitioners’ immunity response, increasing self-healing
and self-recovery capabilities and enhancing
self-regeneration potential. Science has demonstrated that humans can prevent 70-80%
of the diseases for which they get treated.
Qigong practice serves both a preventive
and curative function. It is considered to be
effective in improving many chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, allergies,
asthma, arthritis, depression, anxiety, and
addiction. Qigong practice also can put the
body into a state of relaxation and regeneration. Learn about and practice the easy but
powerful components of qigong, including
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movement, breathing, meditation, mindfulness, and self-massage. You can learn simple
qigong to master stress and help prevent
disease, and benefit for your entire lifetime.
This workshop is based on Roger Jahnke’s
best-selling book, The Healer Within. This
retreat is suitable for all levels.
Recommended reading: Jahnke, The Healer
Within and The Healing Promise of Qi.
CE credit Pending for acupuncturists; see page 6.
Roger Jahnke bio on page 13.
Delicious Meals in Minutes Fresh
from the Esalen Garden
Leslie Cerier
In this hands-on, vegetarian cooking class,
gourmet organic chef, teacher, and cookbook
author Leslie Cerier presents delicious whole
foods that are quick, easy to prepare, health
enhancing, and nutritious. On Saturday, we
will prepare a feast for our lunch and dinner
by mixing and matching the fresh, organic,
and seasonal vegetables, fruits, herbs, and
edible flowers from the Esalen Garden with
quick-cooking beans, grains, eggs, cheese,
nuts, and seeds.
cookbooks specializing in local, seasonal, organic
vegetarian, and gluten-free cooking for health,
vitality, and pleasure. www.lesliecerier.com
Soul Motion™ : Begin Again
Vinn Arjuna Martí
“Each time we gather to dance,” says Vinn
Martí, “we are poised at an open portal to
divine presence. This presence takes notice
each time we use our body, heart, and mind
to shape and shift the forms and textures
of its creation. Each one of us occupies a
unique vessel in which this presence is able
to manifest and know itself. Our dance then
becomes a vehicle to place our bodies and our
souls in motion.”
Soul Motion is a movement ministry,
designed by Vinn Martí and devoted to the
mystery and passage in our everyday dance
from the known to the unknown. It pres-
ents method and strategy to relax into this
nameless dance. Each of us improvises steps
in a dance of self-awareness and unconditional acceptance of all things. The practices
promote open-minded, warmhearted, and
lithe body approaches to whatever is at hand.
Participants practice the dance above, below,
in front of, and behind the beat, and speak the
creative voice of the unfamiliar.
Says Vinn, “We will practice moving alone,
together, and in divine dialogue. We will allow the inherent wisdom and memory of the
body to speak through us as movement, stillness, and witness to the body-choir of dancers. We will nudge the voice of our hearts ‘after years of secret conversing to speak loudly
in the clear blue air.’ Through guided imagery
and relaxed induction techniques, we will
dive deep into the body of the unconscious
and resurface to ‘speak’ of our findings.”
All are invited. All are welcomed. The workshop meets for a total of 23.5 hours.
Vinn Arjuna Martí experienced freedom and
aliveness running in circles in the school yard
In the process of cooking, you can discover
time-saving strategies and ways to manage
every part of your cooking process effectively and efficiently, from setting up your
kitchen and chopping vegetables to shopping
seasonally. Leslie will cover other useful tips
for leftover management, enhancing flavor,
substituting ingredients, and using garnishes
to dress up the dining experience.
Expand your cooking repertoire with healthy
fats including hemp, coconut, olive, and more.
Boost Omega-3 fatty acids in delicious dishes
made from dark leafy greens, pasture-raised
eggs, walnuts, flax, hemp, chia, and sesame
seeds Add super foods like goji berries, maca,
and cacao. Engage your senses with quickcooking whole foods as a means of selfexpression. Those with a fast-paced life and
little time to cook will experience the bounty
of delicious meals cooked in minutes.
($25 ingredients fee paid directly to the leader)
CE credit for RD and DTR Pending; see page 6.
Leslie Cerier is an international chef, educator,
recipe developer, farm-to-table caterer, health
coach, TV guest chef/presenter, and author of 6
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Aroop Mukhar ji
Recommended reading: Cerier, Gluten-Free
Recipes for the Conscious Cook and Going Wild
in the Kitchen.
and dancing in the Bronx. Storytelling informed
him how to speak with presence, and working
with young children taught patience. Arjuna
created Soul Motion Conscious Dance Practice.
He offers freedom, aliveness, presence.
www.soulmotion.com
for cutting and shaping ceramic tile, glass,
and other durable materials in mosaics.
Known for their playful and energetic styles,
and their wide-reaching, creative mosaic
work, the leaders will work one-on-one with
participants while the group fabricates this
unique community art piece.
Opening the Breath:
Advanced Bodywork Intensive
This workshop is designed for adults who
may have some experience with mosaic, as
well as those who have never touched a tile
nipper. All materials are provided. The tool
fee is for each participant to have a set of tools
needed to work on the mural. Participants
may keep the tools so they can create their
own mosaics using the methods learned in
this class. If you already have your own tools,
the faculty may be able to waive part or all
of the materials fee. Please email Wilma at
[email protected] to discuss.
Tom Myers
Manual therapists can use Rolfing-based
structural integration techniques to create fascial freedom and build core support
through the abdomen, spine, and pelvic
floor for an integrated, complete breath.
There are as many theories of breath as there
are schools to teach them; in this course
we are open to them all without judgment.
Over these five days, the group will explore
anatomy and deep skills for opening the
breath, including fascial, myofascial, and
visceral release techniques for the ribs, sternum, spine, and psoas complex. Open to all
structural integrators and manual therapists
with at least five years of experience.
Please note: An application is required for this
workshop. To apply, please contact Stephanie
Stoy at [email protected].
Please note: There is an additional $281 tuition
for this program.
CE credit for massage practitioners; see leader.
Tom Myers
bio on page 31.
($75 tool fee paid directly to the leaders)
See Faculty Spotlight on page 11. Wilma Wyss is an award-winning sculptural collage and mosaic artist based in the San Francisco
Bay Area. Her artwork features unusual materials and nuanced colors and textures. Wilma is a
member of Society of American Mosaic Artists
(SAMA) and Berkeley Art Center. Her work has
been shown in more than 30 shows nationally.
www.wyssdesign.com
Carol Bevilacqua is an accomplished tile maker,
sculptor, and mosaic artist. She is an inspiring
instructor at the Institute of Mosaic Art in Berkeley and teaches community-based mosaic through
the Richmond Artists in Schools/Community
program.
Mosaic: An Esalen Renewal Project
Wilma Wyss & Carol Bevilacqua
Songwriting: Catch and Release
Esalen is a place where diverse elements come
together to create something new. Whether it
is self-transformation, a new form of massage,
or common ground between science and
spirit, Esalen is an ever-changing mosaic; at
any given moment it’s more than the sum of
its parts.
Cris Williamson
In celebration of Esalen’s campus renewal,
which includes a remodel of its iconic
Lodge, this workshop invites people to come
together to create a large mosaic mural. Artist
Wilma Wyss’ design for the piece was inspired by Esalen’s exceptional natural beauty,
and this is a unique opportunity to join in
its co-creation. Upon completion, the mosaic
will be installed on the wall in the new public
unisex restroom.
Wilma and Carol will demonstrate methods
“Everyone has songs living within, ready to
emerge,” Cris Williamson writes. “The mind
may say, ‘I cannot do this.’ The mind may say,
‘I’m not a musician.’ The mind may say, ‘I cannot sing.’ The mind may say, ‘I’m just too shy.’
These things don’t matter. What does matter
is coming here just as you are, and showing
up to write and cast your lines deep into the
stream of consciousness.
“If you’re a songwriter, you may already know
this and be eager to hone your skills, and fire
up your creativity. The mind may say, ‘This
sounds so interesting, but is it for me?’ Even
if you already are a songwriter, I assure you,
it’s interesting, it’s for you, it’s for everyone.
Beginner’s mind is a wonderful thing that
allows all of us, beginners and advanced, to
start fresh every moment, every day. At the
end of each day—sometimes working with
others, sometimes just by ourselves—we’ll
have made small, beautiful things called
songs. Songs are made things. It takes
practice, but practice is fun and we’ll do it
together. I’ve seen it happen time and again,
the making of nothing into something, sound
out of silence, songs out of Soul.”
Please bring whatever you prefer to write on
and with (journal/pen/computer/etc.); also
bring a dictionary, rhyming dictionary, thesaurus, works-in-progress, and an instrument
if you play one. A keyboard will be available.
Cris Williamson’s body of work includes more
than 30 albums. Recognized by Performing
Songwriter Magazine as one of the decade’s
most influential songwriters, her groundbreaking
record, The Changer and the Changed,
remains a best-selling independent record.
www.criswilliamson.com
Improvisational Cooking for Health
and Vitality
Leslie Cerier
In this hands-on vegetarian cooking class,
gourmet organic chef/teacher and cookbook
author Leslie Cerier presents whole foods that
are not just good for you, but also pleasurable
and delicious. Come cook and feast on exciting vegetarian dishes that will enhance your
immune system, give you energy, rejuvenate
your senses, keep your bones strong, and help
you maintain an active lifestyle.
During the workshop, you will be shown how
to:
• Stock a cornucopia of organic whole foods,
including beans, grains, sea vegetables, soy
foods, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables, and
cook them easily from scratch
• Expand your cooking repertoire and
boost nutrition with exotic ancient grains
like teff, quinoa, Bhutanese red rice, and
Chinese “forbidden” black rice
• Use herbs and spices to enhance flavor and
create international dishes
• Mix and match foods that are high in
antioxidants, calcium, and iron to invent
your own recipes
• Substitute ingredients by color, flavor,
seasonal availability, texture, cooking times,
and whim
Each day, morning sessions will be devoted to
cooking up a feast for our lunch.
During the afternoons we’ll have group dis33
cussion about creative cooking for health and
vitality, and improvise more in the kitchen.
Excite your palate with a treasure-trove of
healthy and taste-tempting recipes. This class
is guaranteed to delight the palate and inspire
home cooking. Leslie Cerier will show novice
and seasoned cooks how to make cooking and
eating deeply nourishing as we go through
our changing lives with grace and ease.
Recommended reading: Cerier, Gluten-Free
Recipes for the Conscious Cook and Going Wild
in the Kitchen.
($50 ingredient fee paid directly to the leader)
Leslie Cerier bio on page 32.
Practicing Presence through
Body-Centered Awareness
Patrice Hamilton
Our bodies are our greatest resource and
provide a direct path for exploring our unconscious, limiting beliefs, and the emotions
tied to them. The issues are in the tissues. By
increasing awareness of our bodies, we connect with the here-and-now, where change
and growth are possible. Habitual beliefs
and behaviors formed early in life lead to
habitual ways of responding that limit life
experience. When we learn to recognize the
ways we have organized ourselves around
these beliefs, we can discover that there are
other choices available. Through mindfulness, movement, and contact with others, we
can create new habits.
This experiential class blends the slow,
developmental movement of Cortical Field
Reeducation (CFR) with Gestalt Practice
and the Hakomi method. These awareness
practices can facilitate the release of physical
restrictions and suppressed emotions as well
as a greater understanding and felt experience of the connections between mind and
body. You can emerge from this workshop
feeling more grounded and comfortable in
your body, more empowered, and more able
to fully express yourself in the world. All you
need is willingness to explore with curiosity
and compassion. Join me as we explore what
is possible!
has worked in the fields of education and counseling for more than 20 years. She
holds an MEd in counseling, is a certified Cortical
Field Reeducation practitioner and teacher, a certified Hakomi Practitioner (The Refined Method),
and is trained in Esalen Massage.
Patrice Hamilton
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Conscious Loving Ever After
Katie Hendricks & Gay Hendricks
What does it take to keep love flowing and
growing in the second half of our lives?
Through experiential practices drawn from
their new book, Conscious Loving Ever After,
Gay and Katie will lead an exploration into
the key shifts and practices that can allow
you to feel a richer experience of love in the
years from 40 onward. New relationship
frontiers explored in the workshop include
the following:
• How to release old beliefs about what’s
possible in relationship at midlife and
beyond
• How to enjoy significantly better sex after
midlife than in the first half of your life
• How to move from conflict to co-creativity
• How to re-channel the energy of recycling
conflict into creative flow
Partners and love-mates for 35+ years, Gay and
Katie will open the living laboratory of their
relationship and share the most valuable keys
they use every day to savor and delight in
love’s infinite playground.
Recommended reading: Hendricks and Hendricks, Conscious Loving Ever After.
Join Renée Trudeau for quiet reflection, rest,
and renewal during this deeply restorative
retreat for women aged 40 and above. Explore
the transformative power of self-care in a
nurturing, empowering, and supportive environment. Nourish your body, mind, and soul,
and integrate self-renewal strategies into daily
life as you learn how to:
• Slow down and reconnect to your heart’s
desire and life purpose
• Experience self-care as spiritual practice
• Access self-compassion and self-acceptance
in mid-life and beyond
• Relax and connect with your needs, desires,
and the body’s natural rhythms
• Meditate to enhance peace, harmony, and
resiliency
• Learn to balance yin/yang energy and live
more sustainably
Enjoy authentic connection with like-minded
women as you explore new ways of being and
experience greater freedom and joy. Please
bring a yoga mat.
Renée Peterson Trudeau is an internationally
recognized life balance coach/speaker, author of
the award-winning The Mother’s Guide to
Self-Renewal, and president of Career Strategists.
Passionate about teaching women the art/science
of self-renewal, Renée has been creating transformational retreats for women for more than 20
years. www.reneetrudeau.com
CE credit for MFT/LCSW; see leader.
See Faculty Spotlight on page 11. Katie Hendricks bio on page 16.
Gay Hendricks, PhD, is a leader in the fields of
relationship transformation and bodymind therapies. He has written and co-authored 35 books,
and co-founded The Spiritual Cinema Circle and
the Hendricks Institute. Gay has offered seminars
worldwide and his work has appeared on Oprah!,
CNN, CNBC, 48 HOURS, and elsewhere.
www.hendricks.com
Embracing the Wild Unknown:
A Women’s Self-Renewal Retreat
Renée Trudeau
Self-care—the art of attuning and responding
to your needs and desires—is a moment-tomoment process. It’s not about adding something to your to-do list; it’s about cultivating
a kinder, gentler relationship with yourself.
Are you in transition, asking, “What’s next?”
Would you like to find deep reverence for
who and where you are right now? If so, this
workshop is for you.
Fail Fast, Fail Often! Creating a Life
of Passionate Action
Ryan Babineaux
Joyous and successful people spend less time
planning and more time acting. They get
out into the world and have fun exploring,
including making mistakes, and in so doing
benefit from unexpected experiences and
opportunities. Drawing from scholarship in
innovation, entrepreneurship, and positive
psychology, this workshop is designed to
show you how to follow your interests and
take action, even though you may be unsure
of your career plans, feel stuck in a rut, or be
apprehensive of failure.
The class shows you how to:
• Trust your enthusiasm and allow it to guide
you
• Break free from habitual behaviors and
initiate new adventures
• Act boldly with minimal preparation
• Leverage your creativity and strengths for
rapid change
Mike Goert z
Sessions will include role-playing and
mindfulness activities to promote a positive
attitude towards risk-taking and making mistakes, as well as the opportunity to interact
with the instructor and work in small groups
to form personal action plans. Regardless of
your age or experience, this workshop can
help you live more passionately and empower
you to embrace new possibilities in your life.
Recommended: Babineaux, Fail Fast, Fail
Often: How Losing Can Help You Win.
Ryan Babineaux, PhD, is a career counselor,
writer, and researcher in the area of purposeful
living. He is a lecturer at Stanford University,
and co-author of the book Fail Fast, Fail
Often: How Losing Can Help You Win.
www.happenstancecounseling.com
From Stress and Anxiety to
Mindfulness: Wellness Retreat
for Lawyers
Jeena Cho
Do you feel as though you’re constantly running on fumes, and always trying to catch up
with ever-increasing demands? What would
it be like if you could become fully present
to your life and lead from a place of care and
compassion? This is a retreat for lawyers to
focus on practicing mindfulness, meditation,
self-care, and wellness. No lectures! No CLEs!
It’s an invitation to unplug, reconnect with
self, and connect with other lawyers. Dive in
and practice being mindful through meditation and dialogue. We’ll talk about ways of
training our minds and bodies for optimal
performance. A lawyer’s mind is arguably his
or her most used and valued instrument, yet
we rarely think about maintaining a healthy,
happy mind. Through meditation and
mindfulness, we can become more familiar
with ourselves–both mind and body. We’ll
alternate periods of walking and sitting meditation, and engage in periods of conversations
around the difficulties of being a lawyer,
and focus on finding ways of being with and
working through those difficulties in a safe
and supportive environment. All lawyers are
welcomed. We especially encourage those
serving the underserved, working in public
interest, or non-profit to attend.
Recommended reading: Cho and Gifford, The
Anxious Lawyer.
Jeena Cho is a bankruptcy attorney with JC
Law Group PC. Jeena also teaches mindfulness
and meditation to lawyers. Her upcoming book,
The Anxious Lawyer (ABA) outlines an 8-week
program for lawyers to cultivate a happier, saner
law practice. www.theanxiouslawyer.com
Crafting Careers that Truly Fit:
How to Work From Within
Susan Bernstein
More than 50% of Americans are dissatisfied
with their jobs. Often, we stumble or fall into
careers that don’t fit, and then we feel stuck.
When we try to make a change we’re guided
to analytical approaches—including career
tests and assessments—to try to figure out a
new professional direction. Yet such structures, often lauded in the business world,
seldom help us get in touch with what deeply
energizes and moves us. Our conditioning
can make us feel like failures if we don’t get to
a speedy resolution. We rationalize away our
true desires and continue to make life-limiting compromises.
You can gain more clarity about your future
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Daniel Bianche t ta
life and livelihood by awakening a form of
intelligence we generally overlook: embodied intelligence. Our bodies know how to
navigate chaos and uncertainty, although
most of us have forgotten the innate wisdom
that has been with us since birth. When we
tap into this inner guidance, we know our
next steps.
Through movement, writing, and discussion, we will creatively listen to and learn to
trust our impulses and instincts as we allow
our true life energy to direct us. Both right
and left brain can feel satisfied as we create
compelling new visions of what work can be
for each of us. Please bring a notebook and
a pen.
Susan Bernstein helps people navigate transitions
by integrating their embodied intelligence. Her
transformational approaches blend left-brain logic
honed over 20 years in corporate America with
right-brain creative movement gleaned from
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pioneering research in mind-body psychology.
www.SensationalShift.com
While life expresses itself in continuous
flux of perceptions, feelings, thoughts, and
experience, how do we remember and know
ourselves as pure awareness?
Week of February 28–March 4
This retreat is offered in partnership with Science and Nonduality (SAND). Through talks,
intimate dialogues, guided meditations, and
movement, this retreat will offer the opportunity to pause from our busy lives and habitual
reactions, while finding home in the present
moment, where we are always free, infinite,
and undivided.
SAND Presents: Continuous
Awakening—Nonduality in the
Midst of Life
Sally Kempton, Jeff Foster, Rupert Spira,
Peter Russell, Dorothy Hunt & Ellen Emmet
Many of us have experienced some form of
realization and are beginning to recognize
ourselves as awareness. What does it take for
our understanding to fully penetrate body
and mind and to be lived as a permanent
reality, fully embodied in the world? Is there
a process of unfolding and stabilizing of our
nondual understanding? What is awakening
in the midst of daily life and relationships?
Note: Tuition for this program differs from
other five-day workshops by an additional
$35.
Sally Kempton bio on page 26.
writes and speaks about the journey
of healing and spiritual awakening, and invites
exhausted seekers around the world to come to
rest. He was voted #59 on Watkins Review’s 2014
Jeff Foster
list of the world’s Most Spiritually Influential
Living People. He has published 4 books in over 6
languages. www.lifewithoutacentre.com
Rupert Spira is the author of The Transparency of Things: Contemplating the Nature of
Experience and Presence volumes I and II. For
20 years, he studied the teachings of Ouspensky,
Krishnamurti, Rumi, Shankaracharya, Ramana
Maharshi, Nisargadatta, and Robert Adams,
until he met his teacher, Francis Lucille, in 2004.
www.rupertspira.com
Peter Russell blends scientific rationale, global
vision, and intuitive wisdom to bring a sharp,
critical mind to the challenge of self-awakening.
He has degrees in theoretical physics, experimental
psychology, and computer science, and his books
include From Science to God: A Physicist’s
Journey into the Mystery of Consciousness.
www.peterussell.com
Weekend of March 4–6
Getting the Love You Want:
A Workshop for Couples
Rick Brown
This workshop is designed to help couples
understand at a deeper level why they were
attracted to each other, why they get stuck in
endless power struggles, and how to safely
begin to work through those stuck places toward a safer and more satisfying relationship.
Couples share only with their partner and are
able to maintain privacy. Couples are shown:
• New communication skills to break
destructive cycles of relating
• How to channel the energy from arguments
to create passion and stability
• How the unconscious forces that attract
partners to each other are also the source of
conflict
• New tools for re-romanticizing their
relationship to reestablish the passion of
their early time together
• How to use their relationship for emotional
healing and spiritual evolution
Activities include lectures, written exercises,
guided imagery, and live demonstrations of
communication skills and processes. Rick
Brown has been offering this workshop for
more than twenty years, and has appeared on
Oprah. The methodology is based on Harville
Hendrix’s best-selling Getting the Love You Want.
For more information, visit www.rickbrown.org.
Please note: This workshop is for couples only.
Recommended reading: Brown, Imago Relationship Therapy; Hendrix, Getting the Love You
Want.
($20 materials fee for manuals paid directly to the leader)
Rick Brown is executive director for the Institute
for Relationship Therapy in Winter Park, Fla.
Rick was executive director for Harville Hendrix’s
Institute, and he lectures and gives workshops
across the country. He has been married since
1977. www.rickbrown.org
Being Present for Your Life:
Introduction to Mindfulness
Meditation
James Baraz
How much are you present for your own life?
Most of us spend more time in our own inner
world—worrying about the future, replaying
the past, or lost in fantasy—than experiencing
what life is offering to us right now. The present moment is where we can most directly
be intimate with our life—touched by beauty
and intimacy, while learning through the difficult lessons how to open our hearts.
Mindfulness—or vipassana—meditation is
the practice described by the Buddha for
developing wisdom, compassion, and peace
by learning to be mindful of what is actually
happening in the present moment. Using
the breath, body sensations, thoughts, and
emotions as objects of attention, we can learn
to be more fully awake. When we see directly
that the nature of reality is change, we begin
to let go of clinging to the pleasant or avoiding the unpleasant. We become more capable
of meeting each situation with spontaneity,
fearlessness, and love.
Participants will be introduced to this meditation practice and the principles on which it
is based. There will be periods of silent sitting
and walking meditation as well as discussion,
providing a foundation for applying mindfulness practice to everyday life.
Recommended Reading: Baraz and Alexander, Awakening Joy: 10 Steps that will Put You
on the Road to Real Happiness; Goldstein, The
Experience of Insight; Kornfield, A Path with
Heart.
James Baraz has been teaching meditation since
1978. He leads workshops internationally, is a
founding teacher of Spirit Rock Meditation Center
in Woodacre, Calif., and has taught his popular
online Awakening Joy course since 2003. James
coauthored Awakening Joy with Shoshana Alexander. www.awakeningjoy.info
Science and Spirituality:
The Missing Link
Menas Kafatos
Science and spirituality are usually thought
of as fundamentally opposite, yet there is
much more common to both than you might
realize. Both science and spirituality seek
unity, one by exploring the outer world, the
other by exploring the inner world. The missing link that is overlooked is the assumption
of unity in both. But what is this unity? It
must be what we experience all the time,
although we take it for granted: The missing
link between them is consciousness at all
levels, the common ground of both. In this
introductory workshop, we will explore how
the findings of modern quantum mechanics
are actually very relevant to our own everyday
lives. Practical exercises and sharing will be
carried out in a relaxed and fun-filled weekend. Science at our service!
Major topics for discussion include considering fundamental awareness as the underlying
total reality, and experience as the driving
force of the universe; exploring the idea that
we don’t have two worlds–science and everyday–only one: quantum; and the important
lessons to take away from quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity. Understanding the natural laws opens a universe of
possibilities, at our fingertips.
Menas Kafatos is professor of Computational
Physics and Director of Excellence at Chapman
University in Orange, Calif. He has worked
at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, and
authored numerous books, including The
Conscious Universe: Parts and Wholes in
Physical Reality.
The Dynamic Spine: Yoga for the
Prevention and Relief of Low Back
and Pelvic Dysfunction
Harvey Deutch
We live in a culture that extols constant
productivity. From sunrise to sunset, we
move at a breakneck pace in order to meet
the day’s demands. Is it any wonder that we
have distanced ourselves from the body’s
signals of discomfort? Such signals may
be a particular chronic ache or perhaps a
more abstract sensation of overall stiffness.
This path leads to decreased energy and an
inability to embrace each day with optimal
vitality.
37
But there is another path. First we must unlock the mysteries of why and how our bodies
hold onto unhealthy movement patterns.
Then we can address and correct our bodies’
biomechanical inefficiencies and so move
throughout our day with greater consciousness and fluidity, ultimately opening, healing,
and re-energizing ourselves.
Join Harvey Deutch, physical therapist and
yogi, for a weekend that focuses on spinal
awareness and mobility, with emphasis on
the lumbar spine and major joint systems of
the lower body. Through group discussion
and pranayama and Iyengar-influenced asana,
you can discover that sacred balance that
arises from the convergence of core strength,
flexibility, and the spiraling lines of energy
within the body.
In addition to a yoga mat, please bring your
curiosity and desire to share in the group experience, compassion for honoring your body
exactly as it is, and a sense of humor.
Harvey Deutch teaches yoga with a unique blend
of precise technical expertise and signature humor.
He has been a physical therapist and yogi since
1982. He is well known for making two-dimensional anatomy come to life, off the page and onto
the mat.
Shadow Play: Reclaiming the
Disowned Self
Linda Nicholls
Everyone carries a shadow, and the less it is
embodied in the individual’s conscious life, the
blacker and denser it is. At all counts, it forms
an unconscious snag, thwarting our most
well-meant intentions.
—C. G. Jung
The shadow is any part of ourselves that we
unconsciously repress or deny; it is everything about ourselves that we diminish,
discount, dismiss, distort, suppress, depress,
and repress. It is what we bury, what we want
to hide from the world. When we ignore the
shadow, our life narrows and we become
disconnected from ourselves and from others;
we are out of touch with our deeper nature,
our passion, and our potential. Mistakes,
misunderstandings, conflicts, addictions,
obsessions, compulsions, and depression are
often indications that the shadow is demanding our attention. This discontent is actually
vital energy awaiting transformation.
This transformation of consciousness is the
work of the soul. As we excavate our personal
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“dynamic ground,” we reclaim our wholeness
and awaken to the untapped potential and
possibilities within ourselves. To divine this
elusive shadow, we will use our imagination,
movement, breathwork, and play. Through
journaling, Gestalt, guided imagery, dialoguing, and psychodrama, we can learn how
to reclaim ownership and integrate those
dissociated aspects of the self; to experience
and rejoice in the light and dark treasure that
is you.
Linda Nicholls, DipC, PhD, is a dynamic facilita-
tor with an extensive background in group process.
Her direct yet compassionate approach establishes
a respectful foundation for discovering genuine
whole-person health and harmony. She has developed and taught energetically engaging workshops
on five continents. www.lindanicholls.ca
Week of March 6–11
Visionseeker: Shamanic Cosmology
Hank Wesselman
Over the past 35,000 years, indigenous
shamans developed a methodology to expand
awareness and explore the many dimensions
of reality, generating a rich body of knowledge about the nature and function of the
sacred realms. Unfortunately, ever-multiplying overlays of spiritual scripture and esoteric
literature have obscured our understanding
of these hidden worlds. Today, this confusion is being reversed as the methods of the
shaman are being reconsidered by non-tribal
Westerners seeking direct experience of the
transpersonal realms once again.
Hank Wesselman writes, “This workshop
will engage participants in investigative
shamanic fieldwork into the numinous regions of the spirit worlds where all mysteries
become known. We will deepen connection with our spirit helpers as well as our
oversoul and the elder spirits who serve as
master teachers on our Cosmic Committee.
We will hone our abilities in areas such as
divination and attempt to learn more about
those localities where the most creative
work of souls is accomplished. We will explore the nature of who and what we really
are, providing an expanded perspective on
the destiny of souls.”
Note: Bring a rattle, a drum, a notebook or
sketchpad, a set of oil or chalk pastels, a
bandanna or eyeshade, and a light blanket.
Please refrain from alcohol during the
workshop.
Recommended reading: Wesselman &
Kuykendall, Spirit Medicine; Wesselman, The
Journey to the Sacred Garden and The Spiritwalker Trilogy.
Hank Wesselman is the author of 8 books on
shamanism including the Spiritwalker Trilogy,
Awakening to the Spirit World (with Sandra
Ingerman), and The Bowl of Light. He
conducts anthropological research in Ethiopia
investigating the mystery of human origins.
www.sharedwisdom.com
Re-Creation: An Intensive Movement
Medicine Journey
Ya’Acov Darling Khan
How would your life be if the past were a
source of inspiration and energy?
During this early spring workshop, the focus
of our work will be Re-Creation. Re-Creation
is the capacity to take the circumstances of
our lives and transform our relationship to
them. From being the victim of life’s events,
we can choose to utilize our experiences in a
positive way.
In shamanic practice, the past is a storehouse
of potential energy that we can unlock to support us in being fully here in the present and
engage in the creative project of bringing our
dreams to earth. The SEER Process (Systemic
Essential Energy Retrieval), developed by
Ya’Acov, is a powerful tool for doing just that.
We will work with the Dancing Warrior,
the Wise Elder, and the Fool, the three core
archetypal energies for learning to “dance at
the center of your own circle.”
The workshop will include:
• A deepening of your relationship with the
creative power of the dancer inside you
• An introduction to the Movement
Medicine SEER Process
• A ten-hour-long dance ritual designed to
re-dedicate your life to what truly matters
to you
• Plentiful time to integrate this experiential
journey
Ya’Acov Darling Khan has been recognized by
elder shamans from the Sami (a European indigenous group), and Achuar and Sappara peoples of
the Amazon. He is the co-founder of Movement
Medicine and has led workshops around the world
since 1991.
An Introduction to Rolf Structural
Integration
Edward Maupin
This workshop is an introduction to the
principles of Rolf Structural Integration,
especially designed for body-therapy and
health professionals. Strongly influenced by
his research in Zen Buddhism, Ed Maupin
considers the Rolf Method a meditation
on physical presence as well as a physical
therapy. This approach, based on forty years
of Rolfing practice, strongly emphasizes
movement, balance in gravity, and receptive
touch. The workshop will combine regular
movement classes with hands-on instruction in the first three sessions of Ida Rolf’s
original ten-session series. Nonprofessionals
are also welcome.
Required reading: Maupin, A Dynamic Relation to Gravity (to order, please email edmaupin
@usa.net.The book also will be available in
the Esalen store). Please bring this book to
class.
Esalen scholar-in-residence from 1966 to 1970,
has practiced Rolfing since 1968, when he was
trained by Dr. Ida Rolf. His early research in Zen
Buddhism strongly influenced his approach to
the Rolf Method. www.edmaupin.com
The ArtLife Workshop
Nicholas Wilton
This workshop is a playful exploration of
the creative image-making process. Utilizing imagery inspired from our own personal
stories and life experience, we will engage
in a hands-on journey through fundamental
painting principles, and learn how to sustain
our own creative momentum. Throughout
the week, we will work on a series of small
paintings on wood panels, often working on
several pieces simultaneously, which leaves
little time to worry about success or failure.
We will also explore how themes of change
and spontaneity enable us to create our own
unique artwork, and illuminate life lessons
inherent in the creative process. We seek to
engage both sides of the brain, and invite in
mistakes, intuition, and spontaneity. We’ll
explore the six ArtLife Creativity Principles:
value, design, color, texture, risk, and soul.
Generous time will be given for experimentation with new tools, mediums, and techniques.
Join us as we celebrate a process of inspiration, reclamation, and the journey of selfdiscovery through painting. This workshop
is designed for people from a wide variety of
disciplines. All skill levels are welcome. No
artistic experience is necessary, only a willingness to play. This workshop is especially
useful for those in the healing and helping
professions in working with their patients
and clients.
($125 materials fee paid directly to the leader
includes everything needed for the course)
Nicholas Wilton is an artist whose paintings
are sold internationally. He is the founder of the
ArtLife Creativity workshops and classes, and he
established the Creative Visionary Mentoring Program, which offers artistic, business, and creative
coaching to artists. www.nicholaswilton.com
S te wart Cuble y
Edward Maupin, a psychologist who was an
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Awakening the Dream: Gestalt
Practice of Working with Dreams,
Symbols and Fantasies
Jim Kepner & Lourdes Quiroz Kepner
Therapists, coaches, and facilitators in human
development need to access resources and
insight that may not be readily available in
the client’s current awareness. The Gestalt
approach has unique and specific ways to develop and illuminate these hidden resources
by working with dreams, fantasies, stories,
and symbols–things that are part of everyone’s experience. These can be like tightly
packed treasure boxes that reveal jewels hidden in plain sight. The Gestalt approach offers many ways to unpack these rich sources
of meaning.
During this workshop for health and healing
professionals, we will blend didactic learning
about dream work, experiential exercises to
practice principles with one another, and
guided by the leaders, work as a group on
your dreams, fantasies, and symbols. Esalen
itself is a dreaming place, and there are opportunities to be dreamed by its spirit as well
as let it deepen your dreaming nature.
Lourdes brings twenty-five years of teaching
and developing training programs working
with dreams from Gestalt, Jungian, and other
perspectives. Jim brings his knowledge base
from working with embodiment and with
spiritual development. Together they foster a
warm and creative atmosphere for exploring
this exciting realm of insight. You don’t need
to remember your dreams to benefit from this
workshop because all of us are dreamers, and
the natural capacity we have to invest meaning in fantasies, symbols, and even ordinary
objects gives anyone an access point to selfexploration.
is a psychologist and the author of
Body Process and Healing Tasks. He teaches
internationally on the application of Gestalt Body
Process Psychotherapy to healing in trauma,
stress, and illness. Jim is the co-originator of
Nervous System Energy Work.
www.pathwaysforhealing.com
Lourdes Quiroz Kepner is a Gestalt therapist
and trainer who co-founded UPAD Gestalt institute in Guadalajara, Mexico, and was academic
director for Maestría en Desarrollo Humano at
ITESO, Universidad Jesuita de Guadalajara. She
teaches Gestalt Body Process Psychotherapy and is
certified in Nervous System Energy Work.
Jim Kepner
I Am the Word: The Energetics
of Consciousness
Paul Selig
Rebecc a Schoenenberger
In his breakthrough works of channeled
literature, I Am the Word and The Book of
Love and Creation, author and medium Paul
Selig recorded a program for personal and
planetary evolution as humankind awakens
to its own divine nature. Through a series of
lectures, attunements, and energy activations,
workshop participants will be introduced
to the frequency of the Word, which can be
described as the energy of “God in action.”
You will be shown exercises for healing the
self and others, along with practical techniques for developing and sustaining higher
levels of consciousness. You will also receive
individual instruction that will support you
in moving through the physical and emotional blocks that may be keeping you from
40
manifesting your own higher nature. You
can discover how realizing your own true potential is inexorably linked to the well-being
of others and our planet. Paul’s workshops
can be deeply transformative. The energy he
works with is palpable and loving, and those
attending will be supported in moving to the
next level of their own spiritual development.
Please see August 9-14 for a five-day version of
this course.
Recommended reading: Selig, I Am the Word:
A Guide to the Consciousness of Man’s Self in a
Transitioning Time, The Book of Love and Creation, and The Book of Knowing and Worth.
Paul Selig is a conscious channel, intuitive, and
empath. His books include I Am the Word, The
Book of Love and Creation, and The Book of
Knowing and Worth. Paul also directs the MFA
in Creative Writing program at Goddard College.
www.paulselig.com
What’s Next? Reviewing and
Revisioning Our Lives
Sam Keen
Periodically, we need to review and revision our lives. Every decade of the life-cycle
brings new challenges, goals, pleasures, and
horizons. Every change—divorce, illness,
tragedy, success, failure, retirement—requires
us to make a new beginning, take stock of
our past, and look for a new vision for the
future. If you’re ready to take a deep look into
your life—and to make some changes—this
workshop is for you.
Through talks, group work, and other experiential exercises, we’ll explore a variety of
questions, including the following:
• Where are you in your life cycle?
• What promise or purpose is waiting to be
realized?
• What hasn’t happened yet?
• What haven’t you done? Been? Experienced?
• What have you given? Whom have you
loved?
• What needs to be grieved, forgiven, and
forgotten?
• What will your legacy be?
Sam Keen is a provocative thinker, author,
and lecturer who encourages participants to
question assumptions and beliefs, and to go
beyond our perceived limitations. Mental
health professionals can apply these teachings in their work with clients who seek
purpose and direction.
is the author of numerous books,
including The Passionate Life, Faces of the
Enemy, Hymns to an Unknown God, and
Learning to Fly. www.samkeen.com
Sam Keen
Free Your Body: Yoga for Common
Injuries and Limitations
Amy Ippoliti
Do you identify yourself as an injured person
or see yourself as easily injured? Free your
body and open your energy channels through
yoga practices that provide therapeutic
relief for a wide variety of biomechanical
limitations, injuries, common disorders, and
maladies. This weekend workshop explores
how yoga can help you maintain function,
potentially reduce health care costs, and
navigate through uncomfortable conditions.
You’ll be shown how to:
• Align properly in chest and quad-opening,
standing, and hip and hamstring-opening
poses
• Address injuries in the lower back, sacrum,
hips, knees, feet, neck, rotator cuff, wrists,
and hands
• Deal with common issues such as
tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome,
hypermobility, and stiffness
Enjoy your yoga practice, know your limits,
and discover where you can challenge
yourself safely—all while having fun! Even
if you’re not dealing with specific injuries in
these areas, the tools offered in this program
can help open up your body like never before.
If you teach yoga or want to help others, this
workshop is full of great ideas and tools you
can take home to help serve your students
more fully. The workshop is designed for all
levels, including yoga teachers. Please bring a
yoga mat.
Knowing your purpose is a powerful key to a
life that is fulfilling and makes a meaningful
contribution to those around you. Devote a
weekend to uncovering your unique purpose
and developing the courage to act on it in
your life and work. Through conversation, visualization, and practical exercises, we’ll delve
into your life story to uncover compelling
themes that reveal your lifelong passions and
values. With support from other participants,
you’ll work to develop a purpose statement
that resonates deeply with you and inspires
you to act. When you embrace your purpose,
you open yourself to experiencing possibilities you have not yet dreamed of. Goals for
the workshop include a deeper understanding of your purpose, awakening to your
passions, clarity about your guiding values
for life and work, and commitments to taking
action and making a positive impact.
Recommended reading: Pressfield, The War
of Art.
is an executive coach and leadership trainer who works with leaders to become
catalysts for positive change in their organizations
and in the world. She cofounded Open A Door
Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated
to developing young women leaders in postconflict countries. www.ideatribe.com
Athena Katsaros
Strengthening the Heart
with Compassion
Leah Weiss
The Power of Purpose: Living and
Working From Your Passion
Experience a weekend immersion in compassion cultivation, based on the Stanford
Compassion Training program developed
by psychologists, scientists, and contemplative scholars at Stanford University. Explore
strategies for strengthening self-compassion,
connecting with others, finding peace in
difficult circumstances, and overcoming
compassion fatigue. This session will include
lecture, meditation, self-reflection, experiential exercises, and discussion. You will also
learn about the scientific research demonstrating the benefits of training compassion,
and strategies for sharing these practices with
others. To learn more about the Stanford
Compassion Training program, visit www.
ccare.stanford.edu.
Athena Katsaros
Leah Weiss, PhD, MSW, is a lecturer at Stanford
Purpose is life flowing through us; it exists
within each of us. What would your life be
like if you could clearly articulate your purpose and find the courage to live it?
Business School and senior teacher of the Stanford
Compassion Cultivation Program. She is also the
director of contemplative education and scholarship at HopeLab. Dr. Weiss has taught veterans
with PTSD at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Amy Ippoliti travels the globe helping people
bridge the gap between ancient yoga wisdom and
modern day life. She has appeared on the covers
of Yoga Journal and Fit Yoga Magazine, and
inside numerous publications nationally and
internationally. www.amyippoliti.com
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The MAX: Expanding the Limits of
Your Self-Expression
Paula Shaw
For more than twenty years, THE MAX has
held an honored status among the Esalen
staff and is considered by many to be an
essential rite of passage for community
members. The purpose of THE MAX is to
discover yourself beyond who you know
yourself to be. It is a voyage through your
own humanity—a journey to discover the
extent of your self-expressive power. Employing a variety of acting, communication,
and observation techniques, it’s designed to
expand your limits “to the max” and move
you into a new arena of personal creativity
and self-expression.
In THE MAX, participants undertake a
challenging exploration of the sources of
their emotional limitations. Working individually, “on stage,” each person is encouraged and supported to go at their own pace,
playing to and with other group members.
With strong guidance, people move through
lifelong fears of being “on the spot,” emerging into greater authenticity and enhanced
“presence.”
There are exercises that use raw emotion,
role-playing, and dress-up assignments. This
is an opportunity to experience yourself in
ways you may have dreamed about but never
thought possible. The course is for those committed and courageous in their process. And
it has been constructed with the understanding that this kind of risk requires a very safe
workspace. If your heart beats faster when
you think of taking THE MAX, it may be
just “the thing to do.” For details visit www.
themaxwithpaulashaw.com. Highly recommended: Please consider taking Paula Shaw’s
Improv inspiration weekend workshop
that immediately follows THE MAX. It is a
delicious dessert to top off an extraordinary
entrée, and is a very satisfying way to end this
transformational journey.
Please note: Due to the intense and sequential
nature of this workshop, attendance at all sessions is necessary.
Requirement: Bring a one- to three-minute
memorized piece—monologue, poem, song,
etc.
Paula Shaw, a professional actress and acting
teacher for more than 40 years, has conducted
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workshops for those interested in expanding
their self-expression, well-being, and creativity
in the US, Canada, Germany, and the UK.
www.themaxwithpaulashaw.com
I Am the Word: The Energetics
of Consciousness
Paul Selig
In his breakthrough works of channeled
literature, I Am the Word and The Book of
Love and Creation, author and medium Paul
Selig recorded a program for personal and
planetary evolution as humankind awakens
to its own divine nature. Through a series of
lectures, attunements, and energy activations,
workshop participants will be introduced
to the frequency of the Word, which can be
described as the energy of “God in action.”
You will be shown exercises for healing the
self and others, along with practical techniques for developing and sustaining higher
levels of consciousness. You will also receive
individual instruction that will support
you in moving through the physical and
emotional blocks that may be keeping you
from manifesting your own higher nature.
You can discover how realizing your own
true potential is inexorably linked to the
well-being of others and our planet. Paul’s
workshops can be deeply transformative.
The energy he works with is palpable and
loving, and those attending will be supported in moving to the next level of their own
spiritual development.
This five-day intensive will offer the opportunity for more individual work and a deeper
immersion in the higher energies. Please see
August 7-9 for a weekend version.
Recommended reading: Selig, I Am the Word:
A Guide to the Consciousness of Man’s Self in a
Transitioning Time, The Book of Love and Creation, and The Book of Knowing and Worth.
Paul Selig bio on page 41.
Regular practice makes the mind tranquil,
reduces stress, and deepens your connection
with nature.
In this program, you can learn the secrets of
one of the greatest qigong masters in Chinese
history: Wang Xiangzhai, who is equally
renowned as a healer, athlete, and spiritual
mentor. Wang’s Yi Quan style of qigong consists of healing exercises (quan) and meditations that open the mind (yi) to the energies
of the universe. This comprehensive system
teaches you, in exquisite detail, the principles
upon which all qigong is based. During this
workshop you will be shown:
• Standing and walking meditation to
improve posture, balance, grace, and vitality
• How to experiment with energy to awaken
the body’s energy channels
• Resilient energy training to increase
strength and prevent injuries
• The health dance: your own, improvised
qigong routine
• Taoist meditation and wisdom, including
inspiring stories of the old masters
Yi Quan is a highly enjoyable practice that,
with patience and dedication, leads to a more
fully alive body and mind.
Recommended reading: Cohen, The Way of
Qigong.
Kenneth Cohen, MA, a qigong master-level
teacher, is the author of The Way of Qigong and
best-selling Sounds True audio/video programs.
Dynamic and inspiring, with more than 40
years of experience, he is winner of the Lifetime
Achievement Award in Energy Medicine.
www.kennethcohen.com
Romancing the World: Soulcraft,
the Dreaming of Nature and the
Mytho-Poetic Imagination
Bill Plotkin & Geneen Marie Haugen
The Yi Quan Qigong Intensive:
Develop Health, Balance and
Inner Strength
Kenneth Cohen
Do you ever wonder why, despite the
miracles of modern medicine, more than 2.5
million Americans practice ancient healing
exercises from China? Qigong is one of the
world’s most popular and best-researched
methods to improve health and vitality.
Great visions and essential enactments of human potential emerge from that mysterious
place where the taproots of soul intertwine
with the dreams of Earth and cosmos. How
might we find the wild trail toward this
source of world-transforming revelation and
visionary action?
Approaching the waters, forest, gardens, and
creatures (human and other) at Esalen in the
way of a lover, we’ll explore how a romance
with the world awakens the mytho-poetic
Melina Me z a
imagination. We’ll engage in ceremony, deep
imagery journeys, solo wanderings, souloriented dreamwork, trance drumming, and
dancing. We’ll live the question, If Earth is
romancing us for her own purposes—the way
the nectar lust of bees serves the desires of
flowers—what wild child, what honey, will we
create from this joining?
Romancing the world is a way of falling
into the depths of soul. It’s a way to nourish
greater intimacy with the other-than-human
beings with whom we share the glorious
physical world and the terrain of psyche. It’s
a way of imaginative participation that shifts
perception and experience. In the depths of
the mytho-poetic imagination await visionary
seeds that long for expression in our troubled,
tender world—potent seeds for change agents,
tricksters, artists, poets, therapists, eco-politicians, and true leaders.
Bill Plotkin, founder of Colorado’s Animas Valley
Institute, is a depth psychologist, wilderness-based
soul guide, and agent of cultural evolution. Author
of Soulcraft, Nature and the Human Soul, and
Wild Mind, he has guided thousands of people
through initiatory passages in the underworld of
soul. www.animas.org
Geneen Marie Haugen is a writer, wilderness
wanderer, scholar prone to nature mysticism, and
guide to the intertwined mysteries of Earth and
psyche. Her writing appears in Spiritual Ecology: The Cry of the Earth, Ecopsychology,
Parabola, and Thomas Berry: Dreamer of the
Earth. www.animas.org
Not For the Feint of Heart:
Be Bold in Your Personal Growth
Mariah Fenton Gladis
If you’re “feint of heart,” you avoid confronting the emotional injuries or habits that
prevent you from enjoying life to the fullest.
You feint this way and that, preserving the
status quo instead of moving past obstacles.
This workshop is not for the feint of heart—
nor the faint of heart. It’s for people who
have a passionate commitment to creating
healthy relationships within healthy lives. It
offers opportunities to benefit from intensive
individual healing work, which may involve
emotional injuries rooted in the past, recurring themes or patterns of dysfunction, or
personal longings in the here and now. Whatever the content of your work, this workshop
can help you:
• Discover the issues that are immediately
obstructing the quality of your life
• Learn contact skills to authentically and
effectively express yourself and assure
healthy interaction with others
• Risk working deeply in an atmosphere of
trust and mutual support
• Expand your capacity for generosity and
compassion for yourself and others
The didactic and experiential sessions are
particularly helpful for human-relations professionals and those committed to a path of
personal betterment. Mariah Fenton Gladis,
known for her effective and innovative use
of music to enrich the workshop experience,
will blend individual and group Gestalt work
in an environment of trust, compassion,
and emotional generosity. A survivor of Lou
Gehrig’s Disease, Mariah speaks with what
she calls her “ALS accent,” which will be
translated.
Recommended Reading: Gladis, Tales of a
Wounded Healer.
Mariah Fenton Gladis, founder/director of the
Pennsylvania Gestalt Center for Psychotherapy
and Training for more than three decades, leads
workshops and trainings around the US and in
Europe. She is recognized for the sensitive and
creative way she practices the art of Gestalt.
www.gestaltcenter.com
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Jerry Ker mode
Improv Inspiration:
Wit and Wisdom in an Instant
Paula Shaw
This workshop is an adventure in releasing
programmed patterns and discovering the
delight of spontaneous creation. The joy of
playing improvisational theatre games comes
from surrendering to the process. Each game
has focus points that allow you to suspend
your accustomed automated and controlled
thinking. The liberation that follows fully
opens up your mind to imaginative freedom,
your voice to new and surprising sounds, verbal humor, eloquence, and flowing physical
grace in movement.
In this work, you are never alone. The easyto-follow instructions and coaching tune
you in with the other players, and when that
connection is made, instantaneous creativity
issues forth effortlessly. Once you’ve allowed
yourself to join in, each improvised piece
takes flight, with truly amazing results. As a
participant in these games, you go back and
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forth from being a player to being the audience. You play from both positions, and both
are filled with fun.
The program is an experience of how wonderfully well life can flow when you get out of
your own way, and the learning is what it
means to be able to do that. It is also full of
falling-down laughter.
All are welcome. This is an excellent entry
workshop for first-timers to this work. Prior
improv experience will be forgiven.
Paula Shaw
bio on page 42.
Shared Adventures in Woodturning
Jerry Kermode
Enjoy an opportunity to learn the ancient
craft of woodturning during this weekend of
hands-on instruction in technique and philosophy. Bring together the thrill of creating
with the sensuality of working with wood,
as you peel away the exterior to find the art
within. Deepen your understanding of how
the fibers lie within the wood and how the
chisel slices those fibers. Learn to make utili-
tarian items in which the spirit of the wood
and your own spirit commingle.
Jerry Kermode will assist you in using breath,
posture, and attitude to change fear into
curiosity. Learn the discipline of carving
on a lathe, turning carving mallets, lamps,
weed-pots, and more, while also discovering
the meditative state that turning takes you
to. The final project is turning a bowl; create
your own vessel, a symbol of both holding
and releasing.
In a relaxed, informative, and pragmatic style,
Jerry will share his love of trees and the beauty they hold within. His style of woodturning
is based on the ability to allow the wood to be
cut, rather than forcing it to the turner’s will.
All materials, including mini-lathes and
carving chisels, are supplied, with two people
sharing each lathe. The activities will be individual and shared, increasing the exchange of
ideas. Let your spirit soar with the shavings,
all in the Art Barn at the edge of the Pacific.
Jerry Kermode is a woodturning artist and teacher in Sebastopol, Calif. He is known as much for
his sense of humor and friendly manner as for his
ability with the chisel. He helps people understand
the subtle nuances of cutting wood without fear or
trepidation. www.jerrykermode.com
Kindred Spirit
The Kindred workshop is all about relationships: Are we going to use this relationship to
awaken together? What if love is a presence–
a state of mind? What if relationship is
awakening to this realization? What if life is
an inside job and what you are hoping that a
relationship can fulfill can only be attained
in your awareness?
During this workshop, we ask participants
to imagine a new context for their personal,
professional, and romantic relationships.
Imagine if this were the standard question
on a first date, a job interview, a tenant/landlord inquiry, or the blessing at the family’s
Thanksgiving dinner. Culturally, we keep
looking for the one, the perfect job, partner,
or circumstance to create our fulfillment. In
the Kindred Spirit workshop, you can discover how to generate your own love experience,
to say the hard things, to be transparent, and
to ultimately create unconditional love in all
your relations. This workshop is a mixture of
lecture and participation.
Recommended reading: Engelhart and Engelhart, Kindred Spirit.
bio on page 18.
Terces Engelhart bio on page 18.
Matthew Engelhart
From Despair to Resilience:
Transforming Our Relationship
to this Troubled World
James Baraz & Bob Doppelt
Life today is filled with anxiety and stress—
from ever-increasing pressure to produce
more with less, rising tensions over equity
and social injustice, and moral and spiritual
distress over environmental problems such
as climate change. More than ever before,
everyone can benefit from insights and
tools that help them move from despair to
resilience, hope, and transformation. This
workshop will teach participants essential
skills designed to build their psychological,
emotional, and spiritual resilience.
Through presentations as well as individual and group exercises, the weekend
will emphasize two fundamental resilience-
building practices. The first is “Presencing,”
which includes mindfulness, somatic, and
cognitive skills that help participants calm
their emotions and thoughts in the midst
of adversity and stress. The second practice
is “Purposing,” which includes skills to find
meaning, purpose, and hope in adversity, and
to make values-based decisions that enhance
both individual and collective well-being.
Participants will be taught how to cultivate
the following skills:
taking place in your body is a comfortable,
loving, compassionate, and enjoyable place
to be. It is a home to which you can always
turn to receive your own solace, support,
and unconditional acceptance. This prepares
your internal environment to accept love
from the outside, and prepares you to arrive
anywhere already loved. Remember, when
it comes to needing love, you cannot expect
more from someone else than you are able to
give to yourself.”
• Activate their parasympathetic nervous
system and calm their emotions when they
experience stress and adversity
• Regulate their amygdala—the brain’s “Fear
and Alarm Center”—by noticing but not
getting captured by their thoughts in the
midst of trauma and stress
• Build on their strengths to develop purpose,
hope, and joy in their lives and find ways to
maintain it through difficult times
• Use their sense of purpose and joy to make
choices that increase not only their own
well-being, but also the welfare of other
people, and the natural environment
Join Mariah as she blends her unique style
of individual and group Gestalt work with
her effective and innovative use of music to
enrich the workshop experience. This workshop helps you:
If you are interested in learning attitudes and
skills to calm your emotions and thoughts,
and use adversity to learn, grow, and thrive,
this workshop is for you.
Recommended reading: Doppelt, Transformational Resilience: How to Use Adversity to Learn,
Grow and Thrive (available January 2016);
Baraz, Awakening Joy: 10 Steps to Happiness.
bio on page 37.
is a counseling psychologist and
ecologist grounded in socially engaged Buddhism.
He integrates these fields into his work as a climate
and sustainability consultant, educator, researcher,
and writer. His most recent book is From Me to
We. www.theresourceinnovationgroup.org or
www.me-to-we.org
• Realize that what’s inside is outside; you can
attract what you are
• Understand thinking as a personal
conversation with yourself
• Develop an active and rich inner dialogue
• Create an abundance of emotional resources
• Turn your meditations away from
detachment and separation, and toward
intimate meditation, by exercising Sacred
Attachment
A survivor of Lou Gehrig’s Disease, Mariah
speaks with what she calls her “ALS accent,”
which will be translated.
Recommended Reading: Gladis, Tales of a
Wounded Healer.
bio on page 43.
James Baraz
Bob Doppelt
Arrive Already Loved: Creating
Sacred Attachment with Yourself
in the Here and Now
“Many people ask me how to have a fair
shot at developing a healthy relationship
with another human being,” writes Mariah
Fenton Gladis. “I advise them to arrive already loved. What does that mean? It means
the essential foundation of being loved is
to first love yourself. That doesn’t mean a
narcissistic pride, preoccupation with self,
or conceit. It does mean that the inner life
Sacred Evolution:
Yoga and Meditation
Charu Rachlis
“We are living in the most accelerated
time of change in history,” Charu Rachlis
writes. “The challenge each of us faces is
how to navigate these changes with wisdom,
creativity, and joy. Yoga as an ancient art
and science oriented toward reducing
suffering is the path that will guide us in
our time together. We will weave together
asanas (postures), meditation, pranayama
(conscious breath), and restorative poses. In
times like now, there are huge opportunities
for growth, which we can see as evolutionary gifts. Regardless of where we live, our
station in life, or the circumstances we face,
if we embrace what is unfolding before us as
an evolutionary gift, we will rise up in consciousness to a new pattern of life. The daily
practices during this workshop will support
us in opening to the new alignments that are
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available as long as we surrender and invite
ourselves to wholeness and deep connection with the earth and the cosmos. We will
embark on a beautiful inner/outer journey
that can prepare us to take on the joy and
responsibility to embrace sacred evolution.
Everyone is welcome.” Please bring a yoga
mat and a journal.
Charu Rachlis, born and raised in Brazil, has
been teaching yoga in San Francisco since 1997.
She teaches in a Bhakti lineage. She has a 20-year
history of Tibetan Buddhist meditation, and is
strongly influenced by Iyengar and Ashtanga
yoga. www.yoginicharu.com
Beyond Tantra: Integrating Science,
Spirit and Sexuality
Shauna Shapiro, Margo Anand
& Lorin Roche
Join internationally recognized teachers to
weave together ancient wisdom traditions of
Tantra and meditation with modern neuroscience. Think of Tantra as a loom–the framework for weaving together the threads of
body and soul, spirituality and sexuality, and
individuality and universality.
This workshop is designed to expand your
understanding of sexual energy to bring
about the deepest transformation, joy, and
healing. You will be taught simple yet
potent meditation and tantric practices to
experience the nature of ecstatic vibration
as an energy that can be channeled and
transformed to bring about greater states of
health, creativity, and vitality. You will also
learn about revolutionary research in neuroscience that offers this hopeful message:
We can change and reshape our brain to
live lives of greater energy, ecstasy, compassion, and joy. As a group, we will immerse
ourselves in the practice of being fully
present, re-training our minds, hearts, and
bodies toward pathways of greater sensual
aliveness, greater compassion, gratitude, and
joy. Esalen’s natural beauty will support us
as we engage in sunset meditations, listen
to the sounds of the ocean, walk through
the vibrant gardens, and open ourselves to
the wildness and wisdom of nature. This
workshop will deepen our connection with
ourselves, one another, and the larger web of
life. Be prepared for unexpected delight.
Please note: This is an experiential, fullyclothed workshop.
Shauna Shapiro, PhD, is a professor, internationally recognized expert in mindfulness, and
author of The Art and Science of Mindfulness.
She has been invited to lecture for the King of
Thailand, Danish Government, Andrew Weil’s
Integrative Medicine, and World Council Psychotherapy. www.scu.edu/ecppm/counseling
psychology/faculty/sshapiro.cfm
Margo Anand is a leading authority on integrating spirituality and sexuality. She is a best-selling
author, much-beloved teacher, and founder of
SkyDancing Tantra®. She has taught with
Deepak Chopra and Tony Robbins, and has
appeared on national and international TV and
radio. www.margoanand.com
Lorin Roche, PhD, has practiced and taught
meditation since 1968. He earned his degree for
research in the language of meditation. He is the
author of The Radiance Sutras, and with his
wife Camille Maurine, Meditation Secrets for
Women. www.lorinroche.com
Esalen Farm to Table:
Farmstead Traditions for the
Contemporary Kitchen
Phillip Burrus
“At Esalen, we’re blessed to be situated in a
culinary paradise,” writes Esalen chef Phillip
Burrus. “Our on-site farm and garden produces a bounty of fruits and vegetables year
round, and our local community is thick with
culinary treasures in every season.”
In this course, we’ll explore a broad range of
techniques—from the ancient to the modern—for making the most of local, seasonal
produce. Participants will receive handson experience in the crafts of preserving,
pickling, curing, sun drying, smoking, confit,
wild fermentation, and more.
Each day, the group will harvest fresh
produce from the Esalen garden and prepare
amazing meals together. Chef Phillip will
share his experiences teaching and cooking
at Esalen and in Big Sur, and draw inspiration
from his travels and explorations of culinary
traditions. Together, the group will practice
creative ways to transform simple ingredients
into dishes that inspire and tell a story. This is
a great week for cooks of all levels, and a must
for anyone who’s ever wondered what to do
with all of the abundance at the farmer’s market. Special pricing applies. Contact Esalen
Reservations for details.
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Phillip Burrus is the executive chef at Esalen
Institute. Each year, Esalen’s teaching kitchen
introduces hundreds of students, apprentices, and
volunteers to farm-to-table cooking and conscious
teamwork. Phillip graduated from the Culinary
Institute of America in New York, and has cooked
and taught in Big Sur since 2006.
An Introduction to Esalen® Massage:
The Art of Healing Touch
Brita Ostrom & Dean Marson
This workshop is a wonderful opportunity
for you to enjoy the beauty of Big Sur and
the healing waters of the Esalen hot springs,
while gaining a foundation in the art and
practice of Esalen Massage. During the week,
participants will be taught massage methods that address the whole body: Esalen’s
signature long, flowing strokes that support
feelings of wholeness, connection, and integration; passive joint movement; and a variety
of techniques to work with the major muscles
groups of the body. Each day will include
massage demonstrations and instruction in
various self-care methods, with plenty of time
to practice giving and receiving a massage.
The workshop leaders will work at the tables
with each participant to accommodate the
group’s different skill levels. Beginners will
be taught the basic tools and techniques that
will allow them to more skillfully massage
their partners, friends, and family. More
experienced practitioners will be taught techniques that can easily be integrated into their
massage sessions, inspiring and infusing
their work with a deep sense of presence and
flow. This workshop is also useful for those
working with their clients and patients. Join
us for a week of learning, healing, nurturing,
and play!
has led massage and somatic
workshops at Esalen and internationally for more
than 40 years. She is a founding member of the
Esalen Massage School, practices Gestalt awareness work, and participated in Esalen’s two-year
somatic education program. She is also a licensed
psychotherapist.
Dean Marson teaches Esalen® Massage and
Ocean Yoga. He integrates meditation, movement, and bodywork practices to assist people in
enlivening their bodies and their lives. He has led
than 20 years. www.beEnlivened.com
Brita Ostrom
Heart of Awareness: Joining
Embodiment and Meditation,
Discovering Healing and Compassion
Susan Aposhyan
Recommended reading: Aposhyan, Body-Mind
Psychotherapy and Natural Intelligence.
Susan Aposhyan trains professionals in her Body-
Mind Psychotherapy. She is the author of Natural
Intelligence: Body-Mind Integration and
Human Development and Body-Mind Psychotherapy. She has been practicing meditation and
body-mind disciplines for more than 30 years, and
integrates science with healing and meditative
experience. www.bodymindpsychotherapy.com
Fire and Flow: Spring Equinox
Regeneration Retreat
Shiva Rea
As the very flow of consciousness, you dance the
world into existence.
—Ksemaraja
“The spring equinox is the cosmic shift that
is also awakened in our cellular bodies as we
honor the renewal and rebirth of the light,”
Shiva Rea writes. “We will immerse ourselves in the ‘fire and flow’ of Prana Vinyasa
Flow yoga as we return to Esalen’s fertile
land and healing hot springs to thaw, rejuvenate, and awaken into the new cycle for
our body, life, and activation in the world.”
The Leonard Pavilion overlooking the sea
will be our sacred space for the following
activities:
• Fire and water sequences of Prana
Vinyasa Flow for stoking the inner fire for
awakening and regeneration
• Morning meditation overlooking the ocean
Jens Wa zel
Being a human is a complex task. In order
to make the most of our lives and cultivate
a peaceful and sustainable human culture,
most of us need to practice being present
and feeling our bodies. This workshop uses
embodiment practices, embodied meditation practice, embodied speech, embodied
listening, and embodied relationship as the
means to achieve personal and cultural peace
and creativity. Susan Aposhyan developed
these practices in the context of Body-Mind
psychotherapy. The fundamental question
of this workshop has to do with the role of
the human physical heart in this process,
and exploring the reasons that the heart rests
quietly at the center of all spiritual and healing work. How can we bring more awareness
to this process? What is the relationship between our brains and our hearts? And what if
spiritual work, healing, and creativity all stem
from the same basic energy? As a workshop
leader, Susan Aposhyan brings simple, clear
thinking, humor, and a great intention to
penetrate to the essence of things. Her experience includes more than thirty-five years as a
psychotherapist, teacher, bodyworker, mover,
meditater, spiritual counselor, Body-Mind
Centering practitioner and teacher, and aspiring adult. Her interest in neuroscience, physiology, and evolution bring some scientific
clarity to this messy human process. All are
welcome. This course is especially helpful for
those in the health and healing professions in
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• The ancient art of kalaripayatu (an Indian
martial art) to awaken the instinctual body
• Outdoor fire meditation-ritual for spring
equinox (weather permitting)
• Self-massage and ayurvedic abhyanga (oil
massage) for fluidity, detoxification, and
longevity
• Opportunity to join Shiva›s online spring
regeneration practice to integrate back into
daily life
Retreat participants should have experience
with the basic practice of sun salutations,
and be open to invigorating, balanced prac-
tice. Please bring a yoga mat.
The Magical Family Note: Participants are eligible for credit
toward Shiva’s Evolutionary Vinyasa Teacher
Training Program. Contact leader for details. Ivy Mayer Lavie
Recommended reading and viewing: Rea,
Tending Heart Fire: Living in Flow with the Pulse
of Life and Fluid Power (DVD).
Shiva Rea is a yogini firekeeper, sacred activist,
global adventurer, and innovator in the evolution
of vinyasa flow yoga that integrates the tantric
bhakti roots of yoga, Krishnamacharya’s teachings,
and a universal, quantum approach to the body.
www.shivarea.com
Enjoy the magic of Esalen with your family!
Get ready for a unique experience for you and
your child, including mindfulness practices
through visual, expressive, and sensory
awareness games. Other activity choices
include making projects in the art barn, playing at Gazebo Park School (for children up
to six years old), lighthearted dharma games,
hiking, and creating works of art in and from
the garden. This program aims to support
children in feeling truly at home within
themselves, and also to have their unique
gifts appreciated by the group. We invite all
participants to explore their inner impulse
for discovery and growth by providing an atmosphere of inspiration, joy, and attunement.
Parents will be invited to mindfully journey
along with their child, through brief guided
mediations and simple sharing practices and
rituals with their children in the magical
space that Esalen provides for families.
This workshop is open to children ages 4-13
(although children on the younger end need
to be comfortable being on their own, or have
a caregiver who can be with them during
all sessions). Children of other ages may be
admitted with permission of the leader. Special pricing applies to this workshop. Please
contact Esalen reservations for details.
Recommended reading: Louv, Last Child in
the Woods.
Ivy Mayer Lavie, MFT, is influenced by Somatic
Experiencing, the Hakomi Method, and her teaching experience, including for The Marin School,
The Moving Center School, Spirit Rock, and Yes!.
She offers Coming of Age programs, psychotherapy, trauma and resiliency work, and movement
workshops.
The Art of Seeing: Integrating
Our Eyes, Brain and Body for
Better Wellness
Sam Berne
Richard Tauber
Today, the fear of losing our eyesight is
escalating because of an increase in many
deteriorating visual conditions. Current allopathic medical approaches offer little hope.
In this workshop, you will be taught The
Berne Method®, an evidenced-based system
designed to reconnect us to the most important sense organ we have: our eyes.
Sam Berne has spent more than twenty-five
years developing his method, which teaches
48
that neuroplasticity exists within us. Topics
include:
• Primordial movements that relax the
reptilian response that is so ingrained in
how we use our eyes
• Vestibular-visual relationship as it relates to
orientation and balance
• Therapeutic lenses and prisms that can
enhance peripheral vision and depth
perception
• Color and light therapy that can balance our
visual system and improve function in the
endocrine, nervous, and fluid systems
• Medicinal essential oils that can strengthen
eye and general well-being
As we begin to match present consciousness
with present seeing, we can ignite our vitality
and awaken our creativity. Trusting the eyes
as a primary navigational system can release
body tension and give us a sense of freedom.
Recommended reading: Berne, I Sense: At Play
in the Field of Healing, Creating Your Personal
Vision (2011 edition) and Without Ritalin: A
Natural Approach to A.D.D.
Sam Berne, OD, is a pioneer in the field of vision
science and holistic health. He is a behavioral
optometrist, certified medicinal aromatherapist,
certified craniosacral therapist, and authorized
Continuum teacher. www.drsamberne.com
Enlivening Meditation Practice
Bill Morgan & Susan Morgan
Why do we struggle to meditate regularly?
Why does it feel like another “should?” Why
is it that we can experience a sense of wonder
immediately when we look at a sunset, but
feel only restlessness and a sense of failure
when we close our eyes to meditate? Why
is it so often a dry and cognitive exercise in
futility?
Meditation instructions were developed in
another culture, one that was more internally oriented, more embodied, less restless,
and steeped in faith regarding meditation.
Over many years of retreat practice, and by
studying in various traditions, Susan and
Bill Morgan have developed unorthodox
techniques to specifically help Westerners
enliven their meditation practices. During
this workshop, we will alternate between
presentation, instruction, and many unique
guided meditations. By identifying our personal strengths and natural inclinations, we
give ourselves permission to be creative and
find meaningful entry points for deepening
our practice. There will be an emphasis upon
quality of meditation. Engaging mindfulness
meditations and dyadic exercises will align
body, breath, heart, and mind, so that meditation becomes enjoyable and refreshing, and
an enriching activity that we actually look
forward to.
Bill Morgan, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist
specializing in couples psychotherapy. He has
practiced mindfulness meditation throughout
his adulthood, including more than 6 years of
silent retreats. He is a founding faculty member
of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy.
www.billandsusan.org
Susan Morgan, MSN, RN, CS, is a couples
psychotherapist in private practice and a faculty
member of the Institute for Meditation and
Psychotherapy. She emphasizes body awareness
and empathy in her teaching, and has co-led
retreats with William Morgan since 1999.
www.billandsusan.org
to retool the myths that shape one’s life—
though a sense of humor certainly helps.
Recall dreams, rekindle visions, deploy
mythmaking tools like drums and dance,
music and song, masks, medicine bags and
altars. Individual, small-group, and collective activities provide opportunities for
reflection and expression. Who were you?
What mise-en-scènes inspire your biographical saga? What treasures are banished to
your basement, secreted in your attic? Who
are you? What’s displayed in your home or
dangling from your rearview mirror? Who
do you aspire to be? What face do you envision in the mirror? What remains on your
bucket list? If you dare to revision yourself,
then join our springtime rituals of rebirth.
Please bring a meaningful but expendable
totem, an unsung story, or evocative song.
Further information: www.jcf.org.
Robert Walter, Joseph Campbell’s editor for a
decade, is president of the Joseph Campbell Foundation and a poet/playwright with several decades
of experience as group leader, teacher, publisher,
and theatrical producer/director/designer.
www.jcf.org
Unshakable Presence: Coming Home
to Who You Truly Are
A Time to Reflect
Miranda Macpherson
Imagine being deeply at rest, and held within
an unconditional love that offers total support for you to go within, let go, and address
the important themes of your life. In the core
of every human being lives indestructible
purity, love, intelligence, peace, and stillness,
unaffected by the difficulties of our histories
and the identifications we have formed. Yet
commonly we live on the surface of ourselves,
busy trying to control life to manifest our
desires and keep away our fears. This keeps us
seeking fulfillment but disconnected from it.
This group will journey through and beyond
the habits of mind that typically block access
to deeper dimensions of consciousness.
Week of March 27–April 1
Revisioning Your Hero’s Journey® :
A Mythological Toolbox (23rd ed., revised)
Robert Walter
For years, Joseph Campbell celebrated his
birthday (March 26th) at Esalen. Explaining why, he’d tell of Carl Jung’s wondering,
“What myth am I living by?” And how Jung,
realizing he didn’t know, wrote “I took it
upon myself to get to know ‘my’ myth, and
I regarded this as the task of tasks.” “That’s
what a birthday is for,” Campbell would conclude, “and what Esalen is about.” In March
1988, five months after Campbell’s death, his
friends again gathered at Esalen for “Campbell Week”—a tradition that endures. These
festivities morphed into this playshop, for
familiarity with Campbell is not needed
Miranda Macpherson teaches and transmits
a unique synthesis of holistic self-inquiry,
psychological wisdom, and devotional and
meditation practice in a tangible atmosphere
of unconditional love. The experiential
format includes exercises in pairs, meditations, chanting, open sessions, rich wisdom
teachings, and satsang (sacred community).
Hers is an integrated and feminine approach
to non-dual awakening oriented at facilitating
direct spiritual experience, while providing a
49
Reuven Shelef
practical foundation to unwind the patterns
that shape our lives. Additionally, Miranda
will share her map of awakening, drawn from
perennial truths at the heart of the world’s
mystical traditions, which encourages more
substantial access to presence.
Recommended reading: Holden, Boundless
Love.
Miranda Macpherson guides people into direct
experience of the sacred. Founder of the OneSpirit
Interfaith Foundation in London, the ‘Awakening
Love: Embodying Wisdom’ sangha in the Bay
Area, and author of Boundless Love, Miranda
draws from extensive study of the world’s
wisdom traditions, and more than 20 years
of experience teaching internationally.
www.mirandamacpherson.com
Mindfulness through Qigong:
Meditative Movement and Sound
Mingtong Gu
This healing workshop is designed to activate
your essential capacity to live with a clear
50
mind and open heart. Qigong movements are
both a moving meditation and a mindfulness
practice that accelerates and deepens all other
forms of meditation, and provides the skillful
means to enter into a mindful state with energetic aliveness and healing benefit. Qigong
sounds enable you to balance the emotional
energy of your body to embody more joy and
well-being.
Master Mingtong Gu will teach workshop
participants how to:
• Practice self-love and acceptance, and
cultivate unconditional love by keeping the
energy of your heart open, through qigong
methods
• Strengthen and connect the energy of the
five organs to transform fear, anger, sadness,
and worry to love and happiness through
qigong sound healing
• Enhance whole-body energy flow through
movement and other qigong practices to
a deep sense of cellular aliveness, joy, and
wholeness, in spite of life conditions
• Use qigong to work with stress in this busy
and stressful work place and life
CE credit for acupuncturists; see leader.
Mingtong Gu is an internationally recognized
teacher and healer who received his training
from a variety of Grandmasters in China and
at the world’s largest Qigong hospital.
www.chicenter.com
The Practical Art of Living Flow:
A Spring Regeneration Retreat
Shiva Rea
Dive into a regenerative yoga retreat and
align yourself with the emergence of spring.
Reconnect with the rhythms of nature
through the fluid yoga of Prana Vinyasa and
the ancient art of kalarippayatu (an Indian
martial art). The healing ground of Esalen
and the Leonard Pavilion will become a “living flow ashram” in which you can choose
your daily rhythm in a transformative cycle
to align yourself with the emergence of
spring, including the following activities:
• Morning tantric-based meditation and yoga
with Demetri Velisarius
• Daily regenerative Prana Vinyasa Flow
sequences for fluid strength, flexibility,
unwinding of tensions, and creative flow
• Special sessions in the fluid art of
Kalarippayatu–an exploration of one of
the oldest martial arts in the world, with a
teacher from CVN Kalari, of Kerala India.
This fluid form has roots in ayurveda and
yoga and has been a great influence on
Prana Vinyasa’s movement meditations
and instinctual yoga
• Daily prananadi self-massage techniques
as well as some basic Kalari massage with
ayurvedic abhyanga (oil massage) for flexibility, longevity, and embodied consciousness
• Special sweat lodge (weather permitting) to
honor the spring equniox
• Evening session of “melting into motion—
sahaja yoga trance dance”
As we immerse in the power of Esalen’s healing waters, our living flow rhythm will offer
ways to connect with our regenerative fluid
nature. Please bring a yoga mat.
Note: Participants are eligible for credit
toward Shiva’s Evolutionary Vinyasa Teacher
Training Program. Contact leader for details.
Recommended reading and viewing: Rea,
Tending Heart Fire: Living in Flow with the Pulse
of Life and Fluid Power (DVD).
Shiva Rea bio on page 48.
Esalen® Massage: Accessing the
Back Body from the Front
Daniela Urbassek & Nora Matten
This workshop is ideal for practitioners who
would like to learn how to apply the principles
of Esalen Massage while keeping the client in
the supine position throughout the session. At
times, we encounter clients who are unable to
lie in a prone position (on the stomach), due
to personal preference or illness, yet we still
want to be able to touch and work with the
whole body. During these five days, we will be
taught the principles of Esalen Massage: the
long flowing strokes, passive movement, and
quality of touch and contact, while focusing on
learning how to access the back body with the
client lying supine. We will explore how to use
passive joint movement and the movement of
limbs to access the back body from the front.
We will also learn how to work with our hands
underneath the body, which allows us to use
our client’s body weight and gravity to achieve
the proper depth. Working with these tools
will allow us to do a complete massage in the
supine position, a beautiful addition to our
massage repertoire and a wonderful gift for
people who are unable to lie comfortably in a
prone position.
bio on page 27.
is a member of the Esalen Massage
crew and an Esalen® Massage teacher. As part
of the Esalen Movement staff, she teaches dance
and yoga. Her work draws on Forrest yoga, Soul
Motion, vipassana meditation, Gestalt Awareness
Practice, and the Diamond Approach, among
others. www.noramatten.com
Daniela Urbassek
Nora Matten
Weekend of April 1–3
Callings: Finding and Following
an Authentic Life
Gregg Levoy
Callings are urgings and imperatives from
the deep self that tell us what it will take to
make our lives “come true.” They point us
toward awakenings, course corrections, and
powerful authenticity.
This hands-on retreat takes a creative approach to striking up a deep dialogue with
our own lives. Through writing, storytelling,
myth, improvisation, meditation, reflection,
and nature, participants explore the psychological, spiritual, and practical processes we
encounter in finding and following our callings, whether calls to do something (become
self-employed, go back to school, leave or start
a relationship, move to the country) or calls to
be something (more creative, less judgmental,
more loving, less fearful). You will have the
opportunity to learn how to:
• Clarify your callings
• Discern whether a call is true
• Work creatively with resistance and conflict
• Reconnect with your powers and gifts
• Gain a renewed sense of possibilities
Recommended reading: Levoy, Callings: Finding and Following an Authentic Life.
Gregg Levoy, author of Callings: Finding and
Following an Authentic Life and Vital Signs:
The Nature and Nurture of Passion, is a former
behavioral specialist at USA Today, regular
blogger at Psychology Today, and has presented
at the Smithsonian Institute, Microsoft, National
Conference on Positive Aging, and American
Counseling Association. www.gregglevoy.com
Taking the Midlife Leap,
One Step at a Time
Jett Psaris
If you are between 40 and 65 years old, you
are undoubtedly attempting to navigate
the emotional, psychological, and spiritual
dimensions of your midlife passage. What
makes this an experience unlike any other
is that it requires the death of who you have
known yourself to be and promises the birth
of who you could possibly become. Far too
many people “die” in their fifties and are not
buried until their eighties, because they did
not take the full journey possible at midlife.
The whole point of midlife is to allow the
construct of who you are and the life you have
created to fail. It’s not just an opportunity for
a fresh start; it’s a mandate for one.
Come step beyond the coordinates of the
known and discover how to place the
struggles you are sure to encounter during
your middle years within a greater framework
that can guide you to rediscover your soulful
individuality, which lies buried below your
first-half-of-life’s obligations and definitions.
A detailed course outline is available online.
Please visit http://midlifeleap.com/the-course/.
Please bring a pen and a journal.
Jett Psaris, author of Undefended Love and
Taking the Midlife Leap, teaches others to use
intimate relationship and the midlife journey as
catalysts for psycho/spiritual transformation. She
has been teaching workshops about how to inhabit
the full spectrum of one’s humanity for the past 25
years. www.midlifeleap.com
Being Present in the Body: Using
Mindfulness to Work with Trauma
Pawan Bareja
Our desire to be happy is our most basic urge,
but physical or emotional trauma can get in
the way. Traumatic responses, especially from
old painful unresolved experiences, are embedded in our body and in our behavior, and
have the ability to blindside us and sabotage
our happiness. These responses often produce
stress that no longer serves us in our present
day-to-day life. Is it possible to recognize
the traumatic responses in your body? How
can you recognize the non-verbal traumatic
responses in your reptilian brain? How do
you work with old emotional and physical
51
wounds to free up your frozen, survival-based
energy, so that you may feel more settled,
grounded, and calm in your everyday life?
Expect a weekend of teachings that facilitate
an exploration of your traumatic responses
in your animal body, experiential exercises
to free up energy, and ways to recognize the
felt-sense of being grounded and settled. The
workshop will emphasize movement and
mindfulness meditation practice.
Recommended reading: Moffitt, Emotional
Chaos to Clarity; Levine, Waking the Tiger.
Pawan Bareja, PhD, teaches Mindfulness and
Trauma classes in the San Francisco Bay Area and
at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. She has trained
professional care providers in India. In her private
practice as Trauma Resolution Practitioner, she
works with a diverse population of clients.
www.MindfulnessAndTrauma.com
Liberate the Body and Stretch the Mind:
Mindfulness Meditation and Yoga
Wes “Scoop” Nisker & Katchie Ananda
Oh wondrous creatures,
by what strange miracle
do you so often not smile?
—Hafiz
Many of us are amazed when we read the
latest scientific discovery about the size of the
cosmos or the workings of biological evolution, but few of us know how to bring that
sense of wonder and delight into our lives.
In this workshop, we will make creative use
of classic Buddhist meditation practices and
Anusara Yoga to help us embody the amazement of being alive and human.
This workshop combines the traditional
practice of Buddhist mindfulness meditation
with sessions based on Anusara Yoga. Periods
of meditation will alternate with yoga, allowing the techniques to support each other and
create a sense of mind-body connection, vitality, and well-being. The weekend will provide
ample time for discussion and interviews,
as well as attention to individual challenges.
There will also be talks, an exploration of
Buddhist and yogic philosophy, as well as
plenty of poetry and good humor.
The workshop is appropriate for both experienced and beginning students of either
mindfulness meditation or yoga. Please bring
a yoga mat.
is a Buddhist meditation teacher,
radio commentator, and performer. His books
Wes Nisker
52
include Essential Crazy Wisdom, Buddha’s
Nature, and Crazy Wisdom Saves the World
Again! Wes teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation
Center in Woodacre, Calif. He founded and
co-edits the journal Inquiring Mind.
www.wesnisker.com
Katchie Ananda is an internationally recognized
yoga and dharma teacher whose leadership in
yoga and social change prompted Yoga Journal
to name her one of 5 top yoga teachers making
change in the world. www.katchieananda.com
Week of April 3–8
week is designed to introduce the possibility that you are an artist, and that the artist
path is one of joy, insight, and awareness.
It’s amazing that in just a few days, you can
finish a colorful painting that reveals many
of the deep inner patterns that connect you
with your soul. After seeing mandalas made
during Paul’s workshop, Eckhart Tolle commented, “These paintings carry a healing
presence.” Deepak Chopra said, “These paintings are archetypal manifestations of higher
consciousness.” After the workshop, you will
have the foundation for painting sacred art
and mandalas at home, as you continue on
this path of self-discovery and the newfound
relationship to art and your soul.
Falling in Love with Where You Are:
Finding the Mindful Calm in the
Midst of Life’s Storm
Recommended reading: Heussenstamm,
Divine Forces: Art that Awakens the Soul.
Jeff Foster
Paul Heussenstamm comes from a family immersed in art and spirituality. At 35, he began
painting in earnest after a single art class expanded into a consuming passion, a new profession,
and a new perspective on life. He understands
mandalas as psychic maps and symbols of wholeness. www.mandalas.com
What happens when–even for a moment–you
stop trying to fix or improve yourself, and
embrace yourself exactly as you are? How can
you stop running away from your fears, grief,
exhaustion, and doubts, and see the sacredness in your imperfections? How can you
trust and love more deeply, and stay present
and truthful even in the midst of intimate
human relationships?
With compassion and plenty of humor, Jeff
Foster invites the exhausted seeker in you to
finally come to rest in the present moment.
Through a combination of heartfelt talks,
intimate dialogues, guided meditations,
and restful silences, Jeff guides you in his
unique way through the journey of spiritual awakening, making ancient non-dual
teachings simple and relevant to your life. He
creates a safe, healing space where even the
most intense energies can be acknowledged,
honored, and released. Whether you are
struggling with your life and are looking for
peace and space amidst the chaos, or you are a
healer or therapist interested in meeting your
clients in a new way, this retreat is for you.
See Spotlights on pages 7 and 10.
Jeff Foster
bio on page 36.
Art as a Spiritual Path:
Paintings that Awaken the Soul
Paul Heussenstamm
The practice of painting is healing and
meditative. No experience is necessary as we
transform our everyday consciousness into
the inner artist that lives in each of us. The
Mindful Living Revolution:
How to Live Sustainably and
Thrive from the Inside Out
Deborah Eden Tull
The way we treat our selves and the way we
treat our world are one and the same. This restorative retreat integrates wisdom from Zen
Buddhism, deep ecology, sustainable design,
and mindfulness practice, and can support
you in transforming your relationship with
self, others, and the world. This workshop offers a framework for how to use every aspect
of our lives as an opportunity to create a
kinder, more balanced, and more sustainable
world—from the inside out.
Mindful Living Revolution embraces the
powerful connections between mindfulness
and sustainability, and between our personal
healing and the healing of our planet. Enter
the practice of engaged interconnection: a
way to do the inner work and outer work at
the same time, in the spirit of celebration
and grace. The work involves meditation
and mindful inquiry, deep time in nature,
writing, transformative group work, guided
imagery, dharma talks, and facilitated group
discussion. We will also have time for mindful eating and gardening in the beautiful
organic gardens of Esalen, and we’ll explore
Richard Tauber
the lessons that the natural world offers us in
personal sustainability.
This retreat presents a fresh, emerging
paradigm: Only by deepening our internal
awareness through daily practice can we create
long-term external change, and the process
itself is empowering, joyful, and life-changing.
Deborah Eden Tull, founder of Mindful Living
Revolution, is a Zen meditation and mindfulness
teacher, author, activist, and sustainability consultant who teaches the integration of compassionate
awareness and interconnection into every aspect
of our lives.
Present–Open–Awake: Soul Motion™
and Embodied Inquiry
Zuza Engler & Scott Engler
With our body we are in the presence of a force that is
filled with wisdom, loving, flawlessly reliable, and,
strange to say, worthy of our deepest devotion.
—Reginald Ray
Are you, like many of us, living suspended
between the yearning for self-expression and
the fear of being too much –– or not enough?
Do you know both your tendency to hide and
your deep desire to offer something of value
to the world? Are you confused by the apparent conflict between the truth of spiritual
unity and the complexity of human interactions?
Explore these paradoxes of human existence
with us through a blend of somatic practices
that allow a simultaneous deep dive into
the body and dissolution into Presence.
Experimenting with expressive aliveness,
students practice skills for presence, contact,
and awareness through body-based inquiries
of Gestalt Practice and ancient meditative
traditions. We dance to eclectic music and
the great sound of silence, traveling alone
and together through the landscapes of Soul
Motion, using art and writing as portals of
creative inquiry. The workshop is open to any
body willing to leap—or stick their toe—into
the mystery of embodiment, creativity, community, and devotion. Beginners are always
especially welcome.
Recommended reading: Chodron, The Wisdom of No Escape.
Zuza Engler
bio on page 27.
a longtime student of presence and
healing, supports adults, children, and infants
through Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy and
workshops in trauma resolution for the family. He
holds a second-degree black belt in aikido.
Scott Engler,
Sacred Sound, Meditation and Dance
to Change Your Brain and Transform
Your Life
Yuval Ron
Experience introspective and ecstatic practices of four ancient spiritual paths: Zen Buddhism, Kabbalistic Judaism, early contemplative Christianity, and Sufi-Islam. This unique
experiential seminar will journey deep into
sacred music chanting, movement, and spiritual mindfulness practices, drawing from the
hidden wisdom of the traditions of the East.
These practices have been shown to alter the
structure and function of the brain in ways
that enhance memory, cognition, and social
awareness. These practices also overcome
the neural mechanisms that generate stress,
anxiety, depression, and anger.
Each day the group will focus on a different
tradition, and sessions will demonstrate the
53
deep commonality and love for life and humanity reflected in these spiritual practices.
The activities are based on Yuval Ron’s work
with master spiritual teachers of the East and
neuroscientists of the West. Through this
incredible journey to your inner world, you
will have a rare perspective into the worlds
of Zen Buddhist masters, mystic Sufi leaders,
Kabbalistic rabbis, leading neuroscientists,
and scholars of the mysticism of Christianity. This seminar is experiential, and will not
be lecture-based. The focus is on providing a
deep spiritual healing experience, including
walking, sacred movement, ecstatic chanting
meditations, storytelling, and poetry.
Esalen® Massage. His background includes training in Gestalt Practice, neurolinguistic programming, intuitive work, and meditation.
Peggy Horan has been practicing and teaching
massage at Esalen for more than 40 years. She has
also been involved in childbirth education and
practiced midwifery in Big Sur for 15 years. Peggy
is the author of the book Connecting Through
Touch.
Yuval Ron is a musician, educator, and composer
for film, television, dance and theater. He worked
with the Dalai Lama, Sufi leader Pir Zia Iniyat
Khan, Sufi master Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Zen
Buddhist priest Hirokazu Kosaka, neuroscientists
Mark Waldman, Andrew Goodman, and others.
In 2006, he won an Oscar® for West Bank Story.
www.yuvalronmusic.com
As therapists, our effectiveness depends on our
own continuing aliveness and growth, particu-
Embodied Intimacy:
A Neurobiological-Gestalt Training
in Relational Sex Therapy
Stella Resnick
larly in interpersonal relationships. This seminar, for psychotherapists, sex therapists, and
other health professionals, integrates cuttingedge research in attachment, neuroscience,
and sexology with Gestalt somatic-experiential
methodology and breath work, to enhance the
capacity for emotional and sexual intimacy
in our own lives. This work shows how these
same processes—especially attention to
nonverbal inner experience and to the subtle
behavioral cues in others—are critical skills in
enriching clinical sensitivity, perceptiveness,
and creativity in our work.
This training is primarily experiential with
didactic interludes, and explores these areas
of personal, interpersonal, and professional
development:
Esalen® Massage and the Art of
Continuous Presence
Oliver Bailey & Peggy Horan
Esalen Massage is a moving meditation, a
practice in presence and mindfulness, and
a loving healing art. When practiced with
focused attention, massage comes from a
deep, quiet place that resides inside each of
us. The practice of meditation can help access
the parasympathetic nervous system, where
healing originates. As we give a massage, this
healing state of mind can permeate the field
that practitioner and receiver create together.
Beginners as well as seasoned practitioners
are welcome for this week to explore Esalen
Massage and meditation, while enjoying the
natural beauty of the Esalen grounds. This
workshop is especially useful for those in the
helping and healing professions in working
with their clients and patients.
Oliver Bailey
54
is a practitioner and instructor of
Melina Me z a
In guided sessions, we will explore the
practice of sitting meditation to prepare
and quiet our minds, walking meditation to
bring awareness to our movement, and the
fundamentals of Esalen Massage as a meditative practice in giving. There will be time
for supervised practice each day, as students
exchange massages, with the support of their
experienced teachers, Peggy and Oliver.
• The Attachment-Sexuality Spectrum: from
early family bonding and attachment style
to romantic love, libido, and expansive
sexual pleasures
• The Cognitive-Somatic Spectrum: from
a left-brain cognitive focus that reframes
problems as opportunities to the healing
potentials in the nonverbal, empathic,
intersubjective right brain and body
attunement
• The Experiential-Behavioral Spectrum:
from present-centered Gestalt processing,
imagery, felt-sense, and breath awareness to
affect-regulation, setting and realizing goals,
and developing new skills
• The Pain-Pleasure Spectrum: from selflimiting painful habits to healing old
wounds and trauma, to reactivating areas
of arrested development, to the joys of play,
humor, creativity, and exuberance
Join us for an unforgettable learning experience!
Note: All participants must first register and
pay for this program at http://www.drstella
resnick.com/programs-for-professionals. Only
after registration and payment of tuition
will you be able to reserve accommodations
at Esalen (this will be an extra cost). Course
fees and accommodations are separate. Please
see accommodations costs under “Pricing for
Partner Programs” at http://www.esalen.org/
page/partner-program-pricing.
Recommended reading: Resnick, The Heart of
Desire: Keys to the Pleasures of Love.
CE for AASECT; please see leader
Stella Resnick, PhD, psychologist, Gestalt thera-
pist, and certified sex therapist in Beverly Hills,
Calif., trains and supervises therapists in her
full-spectrum approach to psychotherapy and
sex therapy. Her latest book is The Heart of
Desire: Keys to the Pleasures of Love.
www.drstellaresnick.com
Vital Signs: The Nature and Nurture
of Passion
Gregg Levoy
What inspires passion in your life, and what
defeats it? How do you lose it, and get it back?
In this supportive, hands-on workshop, we’ll
explore how to cultivate passion as a life-
skill–a stance–that helps bring vitality to all
your engagements, including work, creativity,
relationships, and spiritual life. You’ll identify
where you lose passion, including which
routines, relationships, involvements, or
beliefs drain your energies, and how you can
revitalize it. You can learn to identify what
choices take you toward, rather than away,
from your vitality. Through writing, discussion, small group work, improvisation, ritual,
and reflection, you’ll examine the endless yet
endlessly fruitful tug-of-war between passion
and security in your life. You’ll explore the
following aspects of passion:
• Passion breeds passion, and disinterest
breeds disinterest
• If you lack passion in your own life, your
other relationships will be denied that
energy
• Passion is more than exuberance; it’s
endurance
• Passion is intimately related to health. If
passion is vitality, honoring your passions
enhances your vitality.
Please bring pen and paper for writing.
Recommended reading: Levoy, Vital Signs:
The Nature and Nurture of Passion and Callings:
Finding and Following an Authentic Life.
Gregg Levoy, author of Callings: Finding and
Following an Authentic Life and Vital Signs:
The Nature and Nurture of Passion, is a former
behavioral specialist at USA Today, regular
blogger at Psychology Today, and has presented
at the Smithsonian Institute, Microsoft, National
Conference on Positive Aging, and American
Counseling Association. www.gregglevoy.com
The Writer’s Journey:
Crafting Personal Stories That
Are Vivid, Compelling and True
Laura Davis
Many of us hold a deep dream of writing. We
want to write so we can understand ourselves
more deeply and so that we can be seen. We
sense that there are stories living inside of
us that need to be told, but in our busy lives,
we have not been able to create the time,
space, or circumstances in which to do so.
This workshop will give you that time. In our
hours together, we will create a vibrant, supportive writing community. Through creative
exercises, guided meditations, and evocative
writing prompts, you will learn to transform
scraps of memory into a rich written legacy.
You can walk away with a myriad of strate-
gies for writing with fresh immediacy about
events that happened years ago. We will alternate periods of writing with listening to each
other—not from a place of judgment or analysis—but from a place of focused attention
and deep acceptance. Both new and seasoned
writers are welcome to attend. Please bring a
notebook and several fast-flowing pens.
Recommended reading: Goldberg, Writing
Down the Bones.
Laura Davis is the author of seven best-selling
books, including The Courage to Heal and I
Thought We’d Never Speak Again. Founder of
The Writer’s Journey, she leads retreats worldwide
and specializes in the use of writing as a transformational tool. www.lauradavis.net
Pathways to Intimacy Anne Watts
What if you could create more love and deeper
and more connected relationships in your life?
Pathways to Intimacy offers a lively combination of carefully crafted exercises designed to
provide powerful tools for clear communication, and move you to a deeper understanding of intimacy. In a caring, supportive, and
confidential environment, you will have full
choice as you learn how to be more open, close,
and safe with others, including family, friends,
significant others, and co-workers. You will
have the opportunity to go beyond your barriers to love. During this weekend you can:
• Discover the power in opening up to others
and sharing yourself
• Be more in touch with your feelings
• Learn new perspectives on asking for what
you want
• Learn powerful tools of communication
• Let go of judgments and fears
• Examine and shed limiting notions of love
and intimacy
• Practice saying no and yes, and clearly
setting your own boundaries
• Increase clarity, honesty, and trust in
relationships
• Increase self-esteem
Regardless of your age (participants eighteen and above are welcome), experience, or
sexual orientation—whether you are single
or in a committed relationship—come and
directly experience your real beauty, your real
power, your love for yourself, and the love
others have for you. Pathways to Intimacy is
a powerful workshop created by The Human
55
Awareness Institute (www.hai.org). See what’s
possible in just a weekend!
Enjoying Meditation:
Returning to Ease
Anne Watts was deeply influenced by her father,
Peter Russell
the pioneering philosopher Alan Watts. She leads
workshops on 4 continents, teaching adults to have
more loving, fulfilling relationships. Anne has
been leading Love, Intimacy and Sexuality workshops since 1985. www.annewatts.com
Discover how something as simple as surrendering all resistance in meditation can open
us to the peace and joy that lie within. For
thousands of years, spiritual traditions have
taught meditation as a way to awaken to our
true nature. Yet many people find meditation
tedious and difficult, a never-ending struggle
to quiet the mind or focus the attention. This
has led to the popular misconception that
meditation requires great discipline and years
of practice.
The Yoga of Willpower and Intention™ :
A Journey to Self Mastery
Tracee Stanley
Are you living to your fullest potential? Many
times in life we may feel like a rudderless
ship: aimless, stuck, or having so many projects that our energy is dispersed and nothing
ever gets accomplished. At other times, we
just don’t know what our purpose is, and if we
do have a sense of our dharma, it can be hard
to actualize it with all the other responsibilities that we have in life. This immersion
offers a chance to journey into the lotus of
the heart, uncover our heart’s deepest desire,
and align with our soul’s unique purpose.
Sourced from the teachings in Rod Stryker’s
book, The Four Desires, we access the deepest
parts of ourselves through yoga, meditation,
visualization, deep relaxation, and writing
exercises. During this workshop, you can
gain tools to activate willpower, manifest intentions, and release negative habits. Through
this process of self-study and deep listening,
we come into effortless alignment with who
we truly are meant to be and access the doorway to our infinite potential. Other goals of
the workshop include the following:
• Develop a personal practice to reduce
lethargy, procrastination, and other negative
habits
• Learn deep relaxation techniques to
enhance rejuvenation, memory, and clarity
• Access meditations to cultivate intuition
and increase shakti (empowerment)
• Uncover and diminish the shadow energy
that keeps you from achieving goals
Recommended reading: Stryker, The Four
Desires: Creating a Life of Purpose, Happiness,
Prosperity, and Freedom.
Tracee Stanley, ERYT, is a yoga and meditation
teacher who specializes in Tantric teachings and
practices in the Para yoga style. She has appeared
in many international magazines and is featured
in Yoga Journal’s “Yoga as Medicine” by Dr. Timothy McCall. She leads workshops, trainings, and
retreats internationally. www.traceeyoga.com 56
The key is giving up all trying and effort. The
mind in its natural relaxed state is already
at ease. Nothing needs to be “done” to find
inner peace, we simply need to let go of the
various thoughts that keep our minds busy
and tense. The beauty of this approach is that
nothing needs to be changed or eliminated.
We simply surrender to the fullness of the
present moment.
In this workshop, we can:
• Let our minds fully relax and settle down
into a state of profound ease
• Learn basic principles of letting go
• Find greater contentment in the present
moment
• Use our inner knowing to guide us during
meditation
• Learn how to integrate these approaches
in our lives, finding greater ease in daily
activity
The workshop includes guided meditations,
talks, group discussions, and periods of
silence and inner reflection. It is suitable for
both beginners and experienced meditators.
Peter Russell bio on page 37.
Both teachers have shared this grounding,
loving practice with many different people,
and know the joy and healing that this form
of calming and revitalizing touch can bring
to many diverse cultures and personalities.
During this weekend retreat, through brief
demonstrations, one-on-one guidance, and
plenty of practice time, you will have the
opportunity to awaken your own talent and
resources to easily and safely give and receive
the basic elements of an Esalen Massage. To
support you in your massage learning experience, centering, grounding and self-care
exercises are also included in the workshop
presentation. There is also plenty of time to
breath in the beauty of the Big Sur Coast.
This course offers foundation skills for the
newcomer, a fresh approach for the experienced practitioner, and is especially useful for
those in the helping and healing professions
in working with their clients and patients.
has led massage and somatic
than 40 years. She is a founding member of the
Esalen Massage School, practices Gestalt awareness work, and participated in Esalen’s two-year
somatic education program. She is also a licensed
psychotherapist.
Laurie Lioness Parizek graduated from the
Montreal General Hospital School of Nursing, McGill University. She studied and teaches
hands-on interactive and energy healing, and is a
longtime teacher of Esalen bodywork.
Brita Ostrom
Week of April 10–15
Dance of Oneness® : Spiral of Love
Banafsheh Sayyad
Esalen Massage: The Basics
®
During an Esalen Massage, we experience
a remarkable web of interdependence: a
listening touch, a deepening breath, and
our nervous system soothed in connection
with another. When we receive a massage we
remember an easier time and “come home.”
“How would you like to delve into movement
as spiritual practice, and gain tools to dance
through the cycles of birth, life, and death
with grace?” asks Banafsheh Sayyad. “Whether your passion is dance or not, whether you
can or can’t dance, movement heals and leads
us to who we truly are: embodied souls. In
Rumi’s words, ‘Taste for a moment a piece of
the whole and understand who you are.’
Esalen Massage seeks the interface between
form and energy, physical structure and the
soul, you and I. The long, integrative strokes
build a sense of presence, while deeper focused work evokes release of tension patterns.
“Dance in the spiral of love. Ignite your whole
being with its fire and reinvent yourself
through the play of the active and the receptive. Explore love’s lucid ecstasy through
grounding, centering movement. Dance your
Brita Ostrom & Laurie Lioness Parizek
heart through and beyond limited perceptions with soft power. Dance of Oneness® is
falling in love with love, loving your body,
your self, and living as a messenger of love.
Based in Sufism, gnostic Christianity, Goddess wisdom, tai chi, Persian and Middle Eastern dance, and flamenco, Dance of Oneness
is a foundation for creative flight. Tony and I
will lead a nurturing weave of structured and
free dance, whirling, music, chanting, meditation, and laughter. We dance with whatever is
going on inside and outside of us. Open to all,
dancers and non-dancers alike.”
Recommended reading: Rumi and ed. Barks,
The Big Red Book.
Banafsheh Sayyad, MFA, LAc, is a Persian
Corinne Bourdeau & Mary Elizabeth Murphy
Cinema can enlighten, inspire, and uplift
the human spirit. Examples of these transformative films include What the Bleep Do We
Know?, The Celestine Prophecy, What Dreams
May Come, Field of Dreams, and The Cove. Films
like these can truly make a difference in how
people live and express their creativity.
During the fourth annual Esalen Inspirational Film Festival, participants will enjoy a
vibrant mix of films, panel discussions, and
thought-provoking dialogue with filmmakers. Our intention for the week is to build an
engaging and supportive community of film
enthusiasts whose common goal is to enrich
and uplift the human spirit. The festival is
open to everyone, and will be of particular
interest to artists, filmmakers, and those who
have a passion for social justice, environmen-
tal issues, personal growth exploration, and
spiritual themes.
Discussion topics include the following:
• The exploration of positive psychology in
film
• The landscape of independent films
dedicated to transformation
• The power of entertainment to create social
change and activism
• The art of mythology and powerful
storytelling
Featured guests for the 2016 festival include
Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Lucy
Walker (Waste Land, Crash Reel), Author
and leading international script consultant
Dara Marks (Inside Story), and other special
guests. Note: Due to the flexible nature of
filmmaking and production schedules, the
week’s schedule is subject to change.
is president and founder of
360 Degree Communications, an agency special-
Corinne Bourdeau
Bill Ja mes
sacred dance artist, transformational teacher,
and licensed acupuncturist. She is the founder of
the pioneering synthesis of embodied spirituality
known as Dance of Oneness® which beckons ALL
to exalt. She teaches and performs worldwide.
www.banafsheh.org
Esalen Inspirational Film Festival:
Films that Empower and Enrich the
Human Spirit
57
Angie Smith
izing in films that celebrate and enrich the human
spirit through social change. Bourdeau’s portfolio
includes Academy Award®-winning documentaries such as The Cove, Samsara, The Way, and
Way of the Peaceful Warrior.
Mary Elizabeth Murphy is an expert at creating
innovative grassroots campaigns for independent
films that target niche markets. She has worked
on the Academy Award®-winning film The Cove,
and other indie hits such as Pina, Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Buck, and The Way.
The use of joy and humor will be the undertone of this time together. Real freedom in
the body is also freedom of spirit and fun.
Lessons adapted from Indonesian Silat originating from the monasteries of China and
Tibet will be shared which greatly expand the
scope and effectiveness of each session. The
concepts of grounding, extending, generating,
protecting, circulating, and efficiently using
our energies will be experienced.
Patrick Douce
Safe, non-invasive touch lessons will be used
to help in the understanding of our spines, as
well as to loosen and improve each person in
the workshop. Fun partner lessons will add to
the learning and the freedom to be experienced in our bodies.
Spinal awareness is a combination of the
Feldenkrais Method®, Taoist energetic science, and the Esalen experience. In this
workshop, participants will experience movements that help bring new awareness as well
as maintain health and assist in the rehabilitation of pain, tension, stiffness, limitation,
and injury.
By increasing awareness and fluidity in the
spine, students will find new ways of being
sensitive to and improving their work with
patients and clients, in their own yoga practice
and teachings. Those persons with chronic or
acute tension, stress, stiffness, or pain will find
tools specific to their needs that will help in
their improvement and often healing.
Spinal Awareness (with Humor):
The Essence of Feldenkrais® and
Energy Work
58
Patrick Douce, one of Moshe Feldenkrais’s first
American students, has been associated with
Esalen since 1972. Since 1986 he has lived some
months of each year in Bali, developing programs
with Indonesian Silat martial-arts-for-health
schools. www.spinalawareness.com
Tantra: The Art of Conscious Loving Charles Muir & Caroline Muir
This is a “reset point” for couples who want to
dramatically improve the quality of sex and
intimacy in their love lives and open up to
more ecstatic pleasure and spiritual connection in their relationship.
Few of us have been blessed with healthy
childhood conditioning and education
regarding the mysteries of sexual love and
relationship. This can leave individuals less
successful and conscious in their sexuality
than they are in other aspects of their lives.
Tantra transforms sex into a loving medita-
tion, putting more consciousness, energy,
intimacy, joy, and love into sexual exchanges.
It is time to study sex as an art form. Sexual
loving is a vital meditative skill, and sexual
energy is a sacrament, that can bring great
harmony and joy into one’s relationship so
that love continues to grow over the course of
a lifetime.
Practices include ways to deepen intimacy,
free female sexual orgasm, and methods to
increase pleasure for both partners. Esoteric
practices of kiss, movement, and touch are
introduced in class and then practiced in the
privacy of your own room. Discover tantric
wisdom presented with insight, gentleness,
humor, and love.
The workshop is open to couples only and is
not designed for same-sex couples. For more
information, media reviews and an instruction video, visit www.Sourcetantra.com.
($5 fee for course booklet paid directly to the leaders)
Recommended reading: Muir and Muir,
Tantra: The Art of Conscious Loving (available at
www.Sourcetantra.com).
has been a professional yoga teacher
since 1967. Director of the Source School of Tantra
Yoga, he is quoted in 125 books in print on Tantra,
relationship, sex, and yoga. He is co-author of
Tantra: the Art of Conscious Loving, which is
printed in 9 languages. www.sourcetantra.com
Caroline Muir is a leader in the work of the
Divine Feminine Awakening, and creator of
www.divine-feminine.com. She has led many
Esalen weekends for women in past years, as
well as teaching couples and singles the transformative work of Tantra Yoga since 1990.
www.sourcetantra.com
Charles Muir
Living through the Heart: Divine
Tactics for a Spiritualized Life
Jonathan Goldman
Everything you need to live a grounded,
prosperous, love-filled, spiritually authentic
life is already built into your greatest gift;
your body. Your body has many energetic
layers. Each quality that you have identified as “you”—your strengths, your talents,
your weakness, your lessons, your joys and
your sorrows-has its assigned place in your
energetic field. Compassion, faith, forgiveness and joy each have their actual place in
your heart chakra. Becoming a conscious,
empowered spiritual person is in part
learning to consciously access these in-built
qualities; manifesting the ones you want
to live by, and transforming the ones that
no longer serve you. This can be done. It
does not involve a magic wand. It requires
conscious work. Spiritual awakening is not
an event. It is a path. To walk that life-path
you need tools. Because on the way to that
empowered state of open-hearted clarity,
we have to see, embrace and transform the
denser energies that also have their places
in us. Anger, fear, resentment and pain can
be transformed in Light to provide fuel for
our spiritual awakening. In this experiential
workshop, you will be taught some of the
divine tactics—body centered exercises and
meditations, and most importantly, the discernment of the heart—to walk an authentic,
useful spiritualized life.
Jonathan Goldman is an acupuncture, energy
medicine, and spiritual healing practitioner. He is
principle director at the Essential Light Institute,
developer of Transformational Energy Healing,
and the originator of the Chakra Map method
of observing and helping the Human Energy
Vehicle. www.essentiallight.org
I-You-Us: Pleasure, Intimacy and the
Search for Connectedness Terry Hunt
This workshop is about healthy relationships—in love, in friendship, in daily life. The
focus is on how to nurture our own vitality in
situations where we long for connections that
are more real, more safe, or more rewarding.
Pleasure is essential for healthy relationships.
Add the erotic element and the potential for
pleasure grows exponentially. But whether
in love or friendship, in same- or oppositegender relationships, the reality of sustaining
delight in one another is often a mystery
and a struggle. We substitute old avoidance
patterns for intimacy as we play out the Good
Girl and Super Guy roles we developed during traumatic childhoods and adolescences.
Or we repeatedly act out of fear, sadness, or
rage, keeping our relationships locked in the
“cultural missionary position.” Giving up
carefully honed pain-avoidant habits releases
new energies for the pursuit of personal
fulfillment in relationships.
This workshop is designed to help you
identify myths that block the flow of joy.
Terry Hunt writes, “Together we will redefine
the role of pleasure in our lives and create
updated images of our sexual and sensual
selves. We will explore new language that
more honestly communicates our desires. We
will encourage each other to approach our
gender gaps with intention rather than fear,
assertion rather than suspicion. We will follow our instincts for pleasure into moments
of wholeness.”
Come alone or with an intimate.
Recommended reading: Hunt & PaineGernée, Emotional Healing and Secrets to Tell,
Secrets to Keep.
Terry Hunt is a licensed psychologist, bioenergetic
therapist, and longtime Esalen instructor. Specializing in body-centered psychotherapy, he works with
individuals, couples, and people struggling with
trauma and addictive behaviors. He also consults
nationally with families in intergenerational transitions. www.marketstreethealth.com
Painting From the Source:
Awaken Your Artist Soul
Aviva Gold
“If you’ve considered painting but never
thought you could, or if you’re trained in the
arts and would like to explore your source of
creativity, this retreat is for you,” writes Aviva
Gold. “As children, we naturally paint in a
powerful, intuitive way, purely for the joy of
expression. This freedom can be regained.
“You face the empty paper and the rich,
vibrant colors; you choose a color, you move
your brush on the paper. The process deepens. You may hesitate, and emotions may surface. In a warm, supportive atmosphere, you
begin to paint not from the intellect but from
the ever-present, bottomless creative well
of personal and universal images. Soon the
movement of the colors, the brush, and the
water is hypnotic—you get lost in it. Yet you
are awake, allowing whatever needs to happen
to happen. Meaningful and satisfying images
emerge. You don’t have to be trained to experience this, it’s your birthright—the possibility of reconnecting is always there. To feel the
sensuousness of painting, to let yourself play,
to go through whatever blocks you need to go
through—this ritual of creating soul-touching
art is a natural way to stay balanced, healthy,
and vital, a spiritual practice that will connect
you to your inner wisdom source.”
Please note: This workshop has an extended
schedule and requires a commitment to
group process and inner growth. No alcohol
or nonprescription drugs are permitted during the workshop.
Required reading: Gold, The Complete Painting
59
From The Source: Re-Enchantment of People and
Planet Through Art (available at www.paintingfromthesource.com).
Aviva Gold, has taught art and trained teachers
for more than 30 years. Her background includes
psychoanalytic, Jungian, and Gestalt psychotherapy. She is author of Painting From The Source:
Awakening The Artists Soul In Everyone
and Source Art in the World: How Your
Authentic Creativity Heals the Planet.
www.paintingfromthesource.com
Integral Transformative Practice® :
The Essential Esalen Experience
Pam Kramer & Barry Robbins
What changes do you envision for yourself?
Discover what wants to happen next on your
journey of transformation through visioning
exercises, meditative movement, powerful
affirmations, and the encouragement of a
warm-hearted community. In this experiential workshop, you can discover your infinite
capacity for personal evolution and take
home a daily practice for ongoing integration
of body, mind, heart, and soul.
Integral Transformative Practice (ITP) was
created by Esalen co-founder Michael Murphy and President Emeritus George Leonard,
and is a synthesis of their 40 years of experience at Esalen. This workshop utilizes Leonard Energy Training exercises to enhance
your sense of well-being and solve everyday
challenges by tapping into the vital flow of
energy of the body. You can discover new
capacities that you may have only dreamed
were possible, and gain practices designed for
living life to the fullest, including:
• ITP Kata, a 40-minute integration of
physical, mental, and spiritual exercises
• Affirmations for manifesting powerful,
positive changes
• Exercises for balancing and revitalizing
your entire being
• Effective and peaceful communication
skills with yourself and others
• The power of intentionality, deep relaxation,
and presence
This workshop involves physical movement
but it is not strenuous. All that’s needed is a
generous heart and a willingness to participate.
60
Recommended reading: Leonard and Murphy, The Life We Are Given.
is a career specialist, executive coach,
and human potential expert. She is president of
ITP International, stewarding the work of Esalen
co-founder Michael Murphy and George Leonard,
author and visionary. Pam is a frequent Esalen
workshop leader. www.unfinbiz.com
Barry Robbins is a long-term Esalen teacher and
former nationally-ranked athlete who has used
affirmations for peak performance. A student
of Michael Murphy and George Leonard, Barry
continues their ground-breaking work in Integral
Transformative Practice (ITP), created from
decades of collective experience at Esalen. He
is the vice-president of ITP International.
www.itp-international.org
Pam Kramer
Emotional Mindfulness, Connection
and Healing for Gay Men
Ron Frederick & Timothy Beyer
Why is it so hard for us as gay men to feel
present in our lives and closer to those we
love? For many, the main reason is fear;
we’re afraid of being emotionally present
with ourselves and with others. It’s this fear,
often outside of our awareness, that keeps us
from learning how to tap into our emotional
experience. We avoid our feelings and end up
stuck, detached from the wisdom and power
inside us. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
Grounded in contemporary neuroscience and
drawn from a variety of healing and growth
models, this highly experiential workshop
teaches a proven approach to cultivating
“emotional mindfulness” that will help you:
• Recognize the ways you unknowingly cut
yourself off from your emotional power
• Tame anxiety and fear and feel more in
control
• Connect with your true emotions, make use
of their inherent resources, and heal
• Authentically and comfortably express
yourself and feel more connected and
receptive to others
You will return home with tools that can help
you break free from old patterns, open your
heart, and transform your life. Clinicians will
be taught an approach to emotional mindfulness that can be integrated into their work
with clients.
Recommended reading: Frederick, Living Like
You Mean It: Use the Wisdom and Power of Your
Emotions to Get the Life You Really Want.
Ronald J. Frederick, PhD, is a psychologist and
author of the award-winning book Living Like
You Mean It: Use the Wisdom and Power
of Your Emotions to Get the Life You Really
Want. He lectures and facilitates workshops
nationally. www.cfcliving.com
Timothy J. Beyer, PhD, is a psychologist and
co-founder of the Center for Courageous Living in
Beverly Hills, Calif. In practice for more than 16
years, his passion lies in helping others clarify and
achieve their personal goals and realize their best
life. www.cfcliving.com
Fire in the Belly, Honey in the Heart:
Spring Detox
Micheline Berry
Join us for a spring detox immersion into
the healing depths of your own yoga practice, contemplative meditation, live music
and percussion, ecstatic dance, and Esalen’s
famous hot springs and healing farm-totable cuisine. A detox retreat is a powerful
time to release pent-up toxins physically,
emotionally, and mentally, while renewing
your vital energies and recharging creatively.
Through a daily practice of yoga, meditation, and ecstatic dance combined with
live music and ecstatic percussion by Joey
Lugassy, Craig Kohland/Shaman’s Dream,
Christo Pellani, Domonic Dean Breaux and
Collective, you can cultivate peak states of
embodied creativity and nourished vitality
which will remain with you long after you
return to your urban lives.
Fire in the Belly, Honey in the Heart is a
dynamic, Core Detox Vinyasa yoga practice
open to all levels, and designed by Micheline
Berry to ignite manipura chakra, the center
of our digestive fire, and anahata chakra, the
center of fearless compassion and unconditional love. The heated core detox practice
includes transformational core work, bandha
work, dancing surya namaskars, kriyas, heated vinyasa kramas, and deep twisting leading
to back bends and inversions. Some sessions
will be followed by sesame oil self-massage.
Come prepared to sweat, burn, and bloom!
Open to all levels of yoga, meditation, art, and
dance experience. Please bring a yoga mat.
Micheline Berry’s work catalyzes healing and
transformation through a cohesive fusion of
vinyasa flow yoga, world beat music, somatic arts,
and meditation. Based at Exhale in Venice, Calif.,
Micheline leads Liquid Asana™ teacher trainings,
yoga workshops, and retreats internationally.
www.michelineberry.com
The One Thing Holding You Back:
Unleashing the Power of Emotional
Connection
Raphael Cushnir
Do you have an unrealized dream? Are you
still waiting to tap your full potential?
“Almost always, what prevents us from manifesting our greatest life vision is a reservoir of
unfelt emotion,” writes Raphael Cushnir. “Resisting this emotion is what sabotages prayer,
affirmations, or any other personal-growth
technique. Finding and feeling this emotion
is what infuses our mission with Spirit and
makes us truly unstoppable. It’s simple, but
most of us never learn precisely how—not at
home, school, or even in therapy.”
Raphael Cushnir has written 6 books, including
The One Thing Holding You Back and Setting Your Heart on Fire. He lectures worldwide
and contributes to O, The Oprah Magazine,
Psychology Today, and the Huffington Post.
His heart opened through profound grief.
www.cushnir.com
Big Sur Wilderness Experience:
Springtime
Steven Harper with Stacy Carlson
Esalen is the trailhead to one of the most
spectacular mountainous coastlines in the
world. With the Big Sur wilderness as the
primary teacher, participants will explore
the beauty of this alive and wild coast,
from ancient redwood-forested canyons to
dramatic coastal beaches, from rugged rocky
mountains to the soft grassy slopes of the Big
Sur hills. Drawing from nature and various
experiential awareness practices, individuals
will be encouraged to open both to the natural world and to the landscapes of their inner
world. It is said that Big Sur is not just a place
but a state of mind. This wilderness experience seeks to merge mind and place, then to
embody what is learned.
Participants in this week-long workshop will
venture out into the emerging springtime
magnificence of Big Sur on day-hikes, 4-10
miles in length. The leader will draw from a
wide range of contemporary and age-old wisdom traditions, borrowing from psychology,
meditation, aikido, and the natural sciences
to weave together a holistic experience of self
and the natural world. Each hike begins after
breakfast and concludes in time to enjoy the
hot springs and dinner at Esalen. Evening
sessions include informal sharing, basic
awareness practices, and useful outdoor skills,
with attention given to incorporating what is
learned during the week into our daily lives.
All levels of experience are welcome. Be prepared for the invigorating challenge of physical activity and the opportunity to simply sit
Daniel Bianche t ta
Raphael has pioneered a method of emotional connection that virtually anybody can
master, and that can be learned in just one
weekend. It is grounded in both contemporary neuroscience and the great wisdom traditions. He has shared it with immediate and
lasting results all around the world. You can
use this emotional connection to overcome
lifelong struggles with career, family, relationships, weight, self-esteem, and addiction. This
workshop is designed to help you fall in love
with every moment of your life. It can lead to
the kind of personal accomplishment you’ve
longed for, and also help you serve the world.
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still in quiet reflection. More information
and a waiver will be sent upon registration.
For an equipment list and frequently asked
questions about Steven’s workshops, visit
www.stevenkharper.com/faqs.html.
($30 permit and park-entrance fees
paid directly to the leader)
Steven Harper is a wilderness guide, author,
artist, and Big Sur resident. He has led both traditional and experimental wilderness expeditions
internationally for more than 35 years. He has
an MA in psychology and his work focuses
on wild nature as a vehicle for awakening.
www.stevenkharper.com
5Rhythms® : Heartbeat
Lucia Horan
terrain of life without getting stuck, holding
on, or pushing away.
We will explore how the body has been shaped
by our emotions and track when the heart is
open and when it is closed. As waves of feeling
move us, we learn how to express emotion in a
healthy and creative way. Through the embodiment of the 5Rhythms practice, you will be
shown skills and techniques to take home
and apply in your daily life. This workshop is
designed for everyone, of every age, and shape.
No experience is required.
All workshop hours contribute to 5Rhythms®
teacher training prerequisites.
Recommended reading: Roth, Maps of Ecstasy,
Sweat Your Prayers, and Connections.
Love is not a mood, but a dynamic way of being.
—Gabrielle Roth
bio on page 16.
Deep Writing
Eric Maisel
Eric Maisel’s Deep Writing workshops are
simple in structure and powerful in effect. The
group creates a genuinely safe environment
Recommended reading: Maisel, Coaching the
Artist Within, The Van Gogh Blues, and Life
Purpose Boot Camp.
Eric Maisel, PhD, is a leading creativity coach and
author of more than 40 books, including Fearless
Creating, Coaching the Artist Within, The
Van Gogh Blues, The Creativity Book, A
Writer’s Space, Life Purpose Boot Camp and
The Future of Mental Health.
Jens Wa zel
The spontaneous heart is one that knows how
to love and be loved. The Heartbeat map is
a guide to how our emotional energy moves
and morphs. In this practice we embody the
art of being a fluid emotional athlete. This
map teaches us how to navigate the emotional
Lucia Horan
because participants’ writing is neither shared
nor critiqued. Rather, the group receives
permission to spend time connecting with and
falling back in love with their own writing.
Each writing session begins with a core lesson.
You explore the unique challenges that writers
face around committing, planning, and doing;
how to generate mental energy, achieve a centered presence, master anxiety, and maintain a
writing life. The workshop is ideal for writers
of every level of experience, from published
authors to writers who have yet to begin. It is
ideal for writers who want to discover what
they intend to write, who are longing to get
back to a project, or who are already immersed
in a current project. Give yourself the gift of a
week in the embrace of your own writing.
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Gyrokinesis®
Juergen Bamberger
Gyrokinesis is a movement method based
on circular and spiraling body motion. It
uses the natural movement capabilities of
the spine to increase the circulation of vital
energies. Gentle undulations, spirals, and
waves stimulate and activate all systems and
tissues within the body. Through rhythm and
synchronized breathing, an internal massage
effect is created. The circular movements
open all joints systematically and strengthen
their surrounding structures. They stretch
and strengthen major muscle groups through
full-body coordination. Taking this journey
through your entire body opens your awareness to your energetic and physical structures. Each day starts with the awakening
of your body, followed by a full Gyrokinesis
class, and ends with meditation. Through
this process you explore the interconnection
between movement, breath, sound vibration,
and subtle energy flows. The workshop is
open to all levels. Participants will become
familiar with the exercise sequences and
concepts of this method. Just like Yoga, Gyrokinesis is a practice that requires continuity
and mental focus. Weather and fire season
permitting, a sweat lodge may be offered, for
which participants will be asked to make a
small donation. Please bring something to
scrub with, like luffa gloves, wash cloth, or
towel.
Juergen Bamberger is a Gyrotonic® master
trainer who has been educating and certifying
instructors worldwide for more than 20 years.
Originally a professional dancer with a degree
in dance education, Juergen has studied many modalities of movement arts, bodywork, and human
anatomy. [email protected]
Organic Skin and Body Care
from the Garden
Rachel Berry
Discover how make your own high quality
organic skin care, individually customized
to best match your individual needs and
preferences. Using fresh ingredients from
the beautiful Esalen gardens, learn how to
infuse the healing properties of herbs into
therapeutic oils, skin creams, lip balm, facial
toners and more. This is an essential skill
for those who want high-quality skin and
body care without chemical additives, and for
those who wish to become more self-reliant
by using organic, whole ingredients to make
their own. Indulge in a series of herbal skin
treatments, made fresh from the garden, and
take home your own customized set of herbal
skin and body care, including a nourishing
and reparative face cream, body cream, facial
scrub, and tinted lip moisturizer. After completing the class, you will have a set of organic
herbal skin care products to take home, the
recipes and know-how to make them again
on your own, and the ability to make unique,
customized gifts for friends and family.
Rachel Berry, MA, blends her expertise in
community health, medicinal herbs, and
sustainable living practices to inspire and promote
home-scale herbalism. She owns and operates
Sierra Botanica, offering localized herbal care
products and herbal home-care classes.
www.SierraBotanica.com
Recommended reading: Simpkins and
Simpkins, Neuroscience for Clinicians, The Dao
of Neuroscience and The Yoga and Mindfulness
Therapy Workbook.
CE credit for clinical hypnotherapy; see leaders.
Annellen Simpkins, PhD, is a psychologist in pri-
vate practice who, with her husband C. Alexander
Simpkins, specializes in research and practice of
hypnosis, neuroscience, and meditation. Together
they teach widely and have written 28 books,
including Neuroscience for Clinicians,
Tao of Bipolar, and Neuro-Hypnosis.
simpkins.radiantdolphinpress.com
C. Alexander Simpkins, PhD, is a psychologist
in private practice who, with his wife Annellen
Simpkins, specializes in research and practice of
hypnosis, neuroscience, and meditation. Together
they teach widely and have written 28 books,
including Neuro-Hypnosis, Neuroscience for
Clinicians, Meditation and Yoga in Psychotherapy, and Self-Hypnosis for Women, with
CD. simpkins.radiantdolphinpress.com
Transformation through Neuroscience:
Enhance Your Brain to Reach Your
Potential
The Posture Dance Connection
Annellen Simpkins & C. Alexander Simpkins
Esther Gokhale
Neuroscience is the new frontier. As more is
understood about how the mind is intimately
involved with the brain, we now know that
you can literally rewire your brain for the
better by what you think, feel, and do. You
resonate with others through your mirror
neurons, and can enhance your relationships
by activating these special areas of the brain.
Balancing your nervous system lowers stress
and allows you to handle your emotions
better.
Dance is an unusually rich avenue for
improving strength, flexibility, circulation,
posture, mood, and connection. During this
workshop, students will be introduced to
Gokhale Method posture principles as they
learn Brazilian, Latin, and African dance
moves. This workshop is suitable for people
of all ages and abilities. No dance experience
is required.
This workshop activates your brain resources
so that you may become your personal best.
Have fun as you gain a felt understanding of
key nervous system structures, functions, and
pathways that demystify the complexities of
brain science. Experience brain-enhancing
methods to overcome stress and foster
well-being and renewal. Experiment with
different strategies to initiate your transformation, including conscious, unconscious,
and bodywork methods. Apply neuroscience
principles to build your own techniques for
creative individualizing. Through humor,
experiential exercises, take-home methods,
and helpful handouts, you can find yourself
feeling present, alert, motivated, and relaxed
as you activate your brain in positive ways.
The Gokhale Method is based on historical,
anthropological, and medical research on
populations who have virtually no musculoskeletal pain. Interwoven intellectual, visual,
kinesthetic, and aesthetic cues make the
Gokhale Method a remarkably efficient and
effective way to reach a new level of wellness
in your body. Join Esther Gokhale for this
transformative and empowering weekend
experience.
Recommended reading: Gokhale, 8 Steps to a
Pain-Free Back.
Esther Gokhale, LAc, author of 8 Steps to a PainFree Back, was educated at Harvard, Princeton,
SFCAOM (in Chinese medicine), and by people
in non-industrial cultures worldwide. She and
other certified Gokhale Method instructors offer
instruction online and all around the world.
www.gokhalemethod.com
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Awake in the Wild—Meditation in
Nature
Mark Coleman
Following ancient spiritual traditions that
value the transformative power of nature,
this experiential workshop will be spent
meditating outdoors in the natural beauty
and mystery of Esalen. Whether it is during a
sunset meditation, listening to the soothing
sounds of the ocean, or sitting graced in the
stillness of cypress trees, we will open to the
profound serenity and wisdom of nature. We
will learn about the practice of mindfulnessthe capacity to be present to ourselves and
our environment, and then learn how to
apply this receptivity to developing a contemplative relationship with nature. We can
discover how meditative time outdoors 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
nature-based meditations, individual and
group exercises, and talks on meditation
and nature. There will be time to relish the
silence outdoors and ample opportunity to
explore and discuss the art of meditation
in nature. 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.
Mark Coleman is author of Awake in the Wild.
He has studied Buddhist meditation since 1984.
He is a Spirit Rock meditation teacher and has
led wilderness meditation retreats from Alaska
to Peru. Mark is also a coach and therapist.
www.awakeinthewild.com
Women in Transition: Climbing into
Your Authentic Self
Jnana Gowan & Suze Allen
Your house is on fire. Your boat is sinking.
What do you want take with you? What are
you happy to watch sink or go up in flames?
This workshop will help you make these
decisions so you can navigate change and
rediscover your most authentic self. In your
authenticity, choose what you desire rather
than what you think you’re supposed to do or
what others want from you. Turbulent times
are a call to adventure. Embark on a mythic
journey with a transformational blend of rig64
orous and restorative Hatha yoga, purposeful
writing, deep relaxation, and guided meditation and ritual. Women in Transition gives
you the time, space, and tools to ride the wave
of change. You’ll learn strategies and rituals
for embracing a deeper connection to your
higher self. Come spend the weekend in the
beauty of Big Sur, interweaving nature, ceremony, and a healthy dose of humor into the
fabric of who you are. The yoga and writing
is for all levels. Please bring a yoga mat and
bolster if you have one, a journal and an item
that symbolizes your deepest, most authentic
self. We will create an altar for the weekend
(and the item will return home with you).
Jnana Gowan, a yoga instructor since 1999 and
an “urban ceremonialist,” is the director of Powerhouse Education, a company dedicated to health
and well-being. She integrates ceremony and
ritual from the Pachakuti Mesa Tradition (from
Peru) into her teachings. www.powerhed.com
Suze Allen is a writer, editor, and coach. She is
the owner of Manuscript Mentor and director
of education and resident playwright at 3Girls
Theatre. Suze is coauthor of The Time-Starved
Woman’s Guide to Emotional Wellbeing, with
SD Shanti. www.timestarvedwoman.com
Spirit Songs: Freeing Your Voice
through the Power of Gospel
Vernon Bush
Do you want to feel musical and spiritual
freedom in every cell of your body? Connecting to your spirit through song, gospel
rhythms, and spontaneity is what this lively,
heart-opening workshop is all about. You can
experience in-the-moment expression, and
strengthen and explore the way you communicate in the world from the powerful sound
you carry within. We will explore gospel,
inspirational, and soul-filled music, powerful
breathing techniques, song arrangement, improvisation, and harmony, and we will learn
that moving sound heals and can bring us
into our own full self-expression. Get ready to
dive into rhythm, singing, and dancing from
a joyful, spiritual place as you discover how to
truly hear and free the voice that is uniquely
yours. A willingness to sing is all that is
needed. All levels are welcomed.
Vernon Bush is a singer/songwriter, recording art-
ist, musical director, and educator who has taught
the power of reclaiming your voice through singing for more than 20 years to many individuals
around the world. He also is a featured vocalist at
Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco, Calif.
www.voice-church.com
Self-Acceptance: The Heart of Healing
Joe Cavanaugh
The heart has reasons which reason knows
nothing of.
—Blaise Pascal
We commonly hear the axiom, Love is letting
go of fear. There is, however, another possibility: Love means loving ourselves even when
we are afraid. This applies to all so-called
negative emotions: fear, anger, doubt, jealousy,
and so on. We simply cannot be who we are
not. Accepting who we are allows healing to
begin. Judging ourselves, we lose sight of the
deeper message our feelings bring to us, reinforcing the very negativity we are attempting
to dissolve.
“Through personal and interpersonal processes,” Joe Cavanaugh writes, “we will see
how our judgments, beliefs, and attitudes
can undermine our self-esteem and personal
effectiveness. We will create a space to heal
our wounds from the past while enhancing
our capacity for greater love and compassion.
In a context of mutual support and safety, we
will learn to accept ourselves for who we are
in the present moment. We will then discover
how these so-called negative emotions were
in fact angels in disguise, guiding us toward
our Authentic Self.”
This workshop is designed for all those
wishing to enrich the quality of their lives
and increase their capacity for empathy and
compassion for themselves and others.
Prerequisite: Be willing to attend all sessions
and abstain from alcohol and non-prescription drugs for the duration of the workshop.
Recommended reading: Cavanaugh, Who
Am I, Really? How Our Wounds Can Lead to
Healing.
Joseph Cavanaugh is a licensed psychotherapist
in private practice in the Sierra foothills and a
psychology instructor at a local community college.
He has facilitated personal-growth workshops
throughout California for the past 45 years.
5Rhythms® : Grief, Loss, and the
Body in Motion
Lucia Horan & Peter Selwyn
Have you experienced loss and the natural
emotions of sadness, anger, fear, and love? We
all experience loss, but we don’t always know
Daniel Bianche t ta
how to grieve. How do you grieve, process
your losses, and move through your life? Unfortunately, many of us have not found safe
and effective ways of expressing these emotions, and we can feel stuck, both emotionally
and at times physically, with the cumulative
burden of our unfinished business. Using the
tools of the 5Rhythms movement practice
and a process of grief-work that is grounded
in emotional presence, non-judgment, and
supportive witnessing, participants will join
together in a safe space to help heal mind,
body, and spirit.
Lucia will facilitate the 5Rhythms as a method to experientially access a wide spectrum
of feelings and their expression through the
body and movement. Peter, a physician with
many years of experience in HIV/AIDS and
palliative care, will facilitate story-sharing,
unconditional presence, and the releasing
of unexpressed emotions. Other workshop
elements include discussion of natural and
distorted responses to grief, caregiving vs.
caretaking, curing vs. healing, legacy and
leave-taking, and other topics. Participants
will have a unique opportunity to explore,
feel, grieve, witness, share, move, dance, and
heal.
Please bring photos or other mementos of
anyone whose memory you would like to
bring into the workshop. This workshop
is especially useful for health and healing
practitioners in their work with patients and
clients.
Lucia Horan
bio on page 16.
Peter Selwyn, MD, MPH, is chairman of the
Department of Family and Social Medicine
and director of the Palliative Care Program at
Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, NY.
He facilitates workshops on grief and loss, and is
the author of Surviving the Fall: The Personal
Journey of an AIDS Doctor.
Painting the Outer and
Inner Landscape
Adam Wolpert
Painting can be a profound experience—one
that engages all of our senses, our minds,
and our spirits. It brings together observation with introspection, contemplation, and
healing. One of the most rewarding ways to
explore painting is by painting outside. Faced
with nature’s dynamic forces, we develop
visual sensitivity, flexibility, and resilience.
We come into deeper relationship with nature and with ourselves. We begin to see the
world as never before, and our paintings give
evidence of that new vision.
This workshop invites both beginners and
experienced painters to immerse themselves
in the practice of oil painting. Daily sessions
will be devoted to painting out of doors as
well as doing exercises in the studio. Basic
oil technique, instruction in setting up a
palette, mixing colors, and brushwork will be
balanced with slide presentations. Workshop participants will learn from individual
instruction and each other as they share their
paintings and experiences in a supportive environment. The spectacular beauty of Esalen,
with its radiant gardens, flowing waters, and
rugged coastline, provides the perfect setting
to explore this exciting practice.
You may supply your own materials (material list provided upon registration) or course
materials can be provided for you with a $125
materials fee paid directly to the leader.
Adam Wolpert is a painter, facilitator, teacher,
and art program director at the Occidental Arts
and Ecology Center (www.oaec.org) in Sonoma
65
Jens Wa zel
County, Calif. He has offered workshops and
exhibited extensively throughout California.
www.adamwolpert.com
release the psoas; and massaging the abdominal viscera slowly and deeply. The role of the
psoas in chronic pain of the back and hip will
also be discussed.
Healing Art of Deep Bodywork:
An Introduction to the Psoas, Deep
Visceral Work™ and Healing Knees
This program is designed as an advanced
course of study for those wanting to integrate
deep tissue skills into their work. Prerequisite for this seminar is prior experience as a
massage practitioner or the equivalent of 150
hours of massage training. This course offers
32 continuing education credits for massage.
For further information, visit www.deepbody
work.com.
Perry Holloman & Johanna Holloman
Because demand for practitioners with
Deep Bodywork skills is growing, Perry
and Johanna Holloman have developed a
series of seminars designed to teach massage
practitioners this healing art. Each seminar
has a specific focus in terms of the physical
structures touched and their related functions. An overall emphasis is placed on how
to integrate this work into the format of a
flowing massage.
This seminar will focus on understanding the
structure and function of the knee, the psoas
muscle, and the importance of deep, sensitive
touch in supporting the overall functioning
of the abdominal viscera. Subjects of specific
focus will be the role of the thigh and hip
muscles in supporting the knee; how to work
on the iliotibial band; learning to palpate and
66
Perry Holloman
bio on page 25.
bio on page 25.
Johanna Holloman
Training: A Professional Course
Jean Kristeller & Andrea Lieberstein
Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training (MB-EAT), developed by Jean Kristeller,
is an intervention program that addresses
mindless eating, stress-related eating, disordered eating patterns, and obesity through
the application of mindfulness meditation.
This workshop for health care professionals
provides intensive training in applying MBEAT in a range of clinical settings. Informed
by Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness-Based
Stress Reduction work and the principles
of food intake regulation, MB-EAT employs
mindfulness meditation, experiential eating
exercises, didactic instruction, and self-reflection to cultivate mindful awareness and a
more balanced, positive relationship to eating
and weight.
To date, MB-EAT, as supported by NIHfunded research, has demonstrated effectiveness in addressing issues with obesity
and compulsive over-eating. Throughout
this training, we use demonstration, roleplay, simulated exercises, and discussion to
cover the themes, material, and exercises in
the MB-EAT program. We also deepen our
own mindfulness practice through daily
meditation practice, eating meditations, body
awareness and movement meditations, and a
half-day silent retreat. For those with a professional background treating eating issues and
a substantive background in mindfulness
meditation practice, this program provides
the foundational skills for delivery of the MBEAT program. For those with less experience
in either of these areas, it provides an introduction to the issues and skills involved.
Jean Kristeller, PhD, a clinical psychologist,
has used mindfulness-based interventions for
eating-related issues for over 25 years. She receives
NIH-funding, co-founded The Center for Mindful Eating, and has held faculty appointments
at Harvard Medical School, U. Mass. Medical
School, and Indiana State University.
Andrea Lieberstein, MPH, RD, RYT,
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and mindful
eating instructor and coach, leads mindfulness
meditation retreats and mindful eating
trainings internationally. Andrea was a leader
in developing and implementing mindfulness
and mind-body programs at Kaiser Permanente
Northern California for over 20 years.
www.mindfuleatingtraining.com
Deepening Your Life Experience:
Meditation, Yoga and Mindfulness
Mehrad Nazari & Michele Hébert
The ancient spiritual discipline of meditation,
the core of many wisdom traditions, has integrated itself into modern life and become an
increasingly familiar word in our vocabulary.
Physicians, psychologists, and neuroscientists endorse meditation as a powerful tool
for relieving stress, maintaining health, and
promoting creativity and vitality.
During this workshop, you will be guided in
pre-breakfast morning meditation practices
from different wisdom traditions: Raja Yoga,
Buddhism (Vipassana, Zen, and Tibetan), and
practices of Judeo-Christian mysticism that
can lead to higher states of consciousness. A
late morning yoga practice will give attention
to the physical body, and an afternoon session
will combine discourse with mindfulness
practices. Experience a variety of traditional
methods that can help you achieve a peaceful state of being, greater mental clarity, and
mindful awareness. If you are a practicing
yogi and/or meditator, the retreat can serve
to deepen your practice. If you are a new
practitioner, it provides a solid base and a
time-tested tradition from which to grow.
Experience the power and simplicity of yoga
and meditation to master your mind, breath,
and well-being through simple but profound
practices.
Recommended reading: Hébert, The Tenth
Door: An Adventure through the Jungle of Enlightenment; Smith, The World’s Religions.
Mehrad Nazari is the author of Enlightened
Negotiation: The 8 Spiritual Laws of Negotiation. Professor of business negotiation at US
International University in San Diego, Calif.,
and co-founder of Raja Yoga Institute, his work
empowers participants in applying the ancient
spiritual wisdom in professional and personal life.
www.rajayogis.net
Michele Hébert, E RYT-500, co-founder of the
Raja Yoga Institute, has been teaching yoga and
meditation since 1977 in private practice, yoga
teacher trainings, and group retreats. She is the
author of The Tenth Door: An Adventure
through the Jungles of Enlightenment.
www.rajayogis.net
Retreat Restore Lead:
A Women’s Leadership Retreat
Kerena Saltzman & Terry Gargiulo
There is a groundswell in women’s lives like
never before. We are finding our voices, accessing more power, redefining success on
our own terms, and cultivating a nurturing
web of female leaders to create something
powerful and feminine. The conversation
is emergent and unfolding in a networked,
global way. There has never been a time
like this in our history…ever. The access to
resources and channels for our expression is
unprecedented and we are jumping in!
Whether you’re working for an organization, leading a family, starting a business, or
managing a team, your leadership involves
deciding what matters most to you and
designing a life aligned with those values.
This workshop is a weekend for bright and
driven women who want to take a breath, get
real about what they want most, and explore
what it truly means to lead an empowered,
authentic life.
You can come away with a clearer vision for
what you want, potential next steps in your
leadership, and connection to a dynamic community of like-minded women. There will be
time to walk, meditate, journal, and connect
with other women, as well as time to do the
deeper inner exploration and restoration to
feed your soul.
Kerena Gordhamer Saltzman, LCSW, is a
presenter, trainer, coach, and Gestalt therapist. She
specializes in authentic leadership. She has clients
who work for Google, LinkedIn, and NASA Space
Center. Kerena has presented at Wisdom 2.0,
Emerging Women, and Omega Institute.
www.kerenasaltzman.com
Tery Gargiulo facilitates leadership programs
to organizations around the country, including Wharton, MIT, and West Point. She also
leads women’s empowerment circles locally and
virtually. Tery is a senior consultant with The
Authentic Leadership Institute and has an MA in
Counseling in Psychology. www.authleadership
.com/about-ali/people/tery-gargiulo-seniorconsultant
Weekend of April 29–May 1
Cultivating Meaning and Happiness
through Mindfulness and Yoga
Ira Israel
Many of us would benefit from learning how
to dis-identify with the mental chatter in our
heads and cultivate equanimity and non-reactivity. These qualities help us make healthy,
long-term decisions and engender loving,
positive, secure, and supportive attachments
to other people. We must learn to transcend
any blunt tools we developed over the years—
negative self-talk, over-reactions, judgments,
facades, fears, expectations, passive-aggressive
behavior—and replace them with precise
tools such as authentic communications,
loving relationships, balanced lifestyles, commitments to personal integrity, and yoga and/
or meditation practices.
In this workshop we will explore specific
practices that bode favorably for creating
meaning and happiness in our lives. We will
determine our long-term goals and the skills
we should cultivate to realize them. There
will be all-level vinyasa flow yoga classes
as well as restorative yoga classes, and we
will practice myriad mindfulness meditations to cultivate non-reactivity in order to
reduce drama and de-escalate conflicts. Most
importantly, we will learn how to replace
the resentments that our minds create with
gratitude. Please bring a yoga mat.
Ira Israel, LPCC, LMFT, E-RYT 500, is a psycho-
therapist, certified yoga therapist, and the author
of several books, including Mindfulness Meditations for Anxiety. He has graduate degrees in
psychology, philosophy, and religious studies,
has taught mindfulness to thousands of fellow
therapists, and writes about mindfulness and
yoga exclusively for the Huffington Post.
www.IraIsrael.com
67
Men as Sexual Beings: Pleasure,
Shame, Pride and Intimacy
Matt Englar-Carlson & Mark Stevens
For many men, sexual energy occupies a tremendous amount space in our way of knowing ourselves and relating to others. Though
sex is around all of us, often so little time is
spent talking about and better understanding
our sexual desires, worries, and experiences.
This workshop offers men an opportunity
to create a safe and trusting environment
in which to share the personal stories that
have shaped who we are as sexual beings and
what we want for our future. The group will
become an arena for trusting our internal
guides, appreciating the present, and making
solid connections with others. Through experiential exercises, this workshop provides
tools for participants to explore with themselves and others the nuances associated with
their male sexual development and journey.
Participants who are psychologists/mental
health professionals will be able to use the
tools used in this workshop in their own
work with male clients. This experience is for
men of all ages and backgrounds. The facilitators have known each other for decades and
have experienced and taught workshops for
men at Esalen together for many years.
is a professor of counseling and co-director and founder of the Center for
Boys and Men at California State University,
Fullerton. A fellow of the American Psychological
Association, he specializes in educating helping
professionals about the mental-health needs of
men.
Mark Stevens is a psychologist and director of
University Counseling Services at California State
University, Northridge. Mark has been facilitating men’s groups and workshops since 1982. He
is the past-president of Division 51 Psychological
Study of Men and Masculinity of APA.
Matt Englar-Carlson
Thriving in Uncertainty:
A Workshop in Sensory Awareness
Lee Lesser
Life is uncertain. As much as we try to create stability and predictability, each moment
brings its own surprise and its own unique
offering. The more we can show up for each
moment of our life just as it is, the more
we can thrive in the midst of uncertainty.
Our sensations are wonderful allies in this
process. As we pay attention to our sensory
68
experience, the more connected we become
to what is actually happening. Charlotte
Selver, the founder of Sensory Awareness
in the United States, used to say, “Every moment is a moment. Every moment makes a
certain request of us. The question is how we
answer it.”
practices that create a profound physiological
well-being, plus the heartfulness to transform emotional states and unleash the great
potential for deep healing of the body. The
goal is to learn how to use the awareness and
mindfulness practices to experience your
own love in a peaceful, healthy body.
This workshop focuses on tools that help
us to be present, that are antidotes to the
busyness in our heads. So much energy is
dispersed and lost as we fight against what
scares us, or what is uncomfortable. In this
workshop, we have a laboratory to explore
and practice, and to apply these tools. By simplifying our activities, we can connect with
our sensations. This experiencing reveals
our habits and the possibility that can unfold
when we get out of our own way and find
freedom in the midst of any experience. For
more information about Sensory Awareness,
visit www.returntooursenses.com.
According to Mark Abramson’s studies, this
work has been shown to create an increasing experience of gentleness, kindness, and
respect for oneself and others. While the
practices are especially helpful for people
experiencing emotional or physical concerns,
the universality of the experience makes
this program valuable for all. It is especially
useful for psychologists and others in the
with their patients and clients.
Recommended reading: Littlewood and
Roche, Waking Up: The Work of Charlotte
Selver; Masters, Finding Freedom; Chodron,
Practicing Peace in Times of War.
CE credit for massage; see leader.
Lee Klinger Lesser led Sensory Awareness
workshops with Charlotte Selver. She has taught
workshops in English and Spanish for more
than 34 years. She also leads diversity and equity
trainings, and has been developing a program
to support returning veterans through sharing
mindfulness and meditation practices.
www.returntooursenses.com
Love Yourself—For Everyone Else’s Sake
Mark Abramson
This workshop directly challenges the
confusion surrounding the issue of self-love.
Self-love is the most altruistic of all practices.
When you are free to be kind and loving to
yourself, the world and all the people in your
life are touched. This workshop is an experience of two trainings taught at Stanford
University Medical Center. As director of
Stanford’s Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program, Dr. Mark Abramson has modeled his work after Jon Kabat-Zinn’s program
(featured on Bill Moyers’ PBS series Healing
and the Mind). He has also established a new
program at Stanford called “Love Yourself—
For Everyone Else’s Sake.”
Incorporating the latest research on mind/
body medicine, this workshop introduces
Recommended reading: Kabat-Zinn, Full
Catastrophe Living; Ricard, Happiness.
Mark Abramson is part of the Stanford Center
for Integrative Medicine and heads Stanford’s
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program.
He teaches at Stanford’s School of Medicine
and is on staff at Stanford Hospital.
www.drtmjsleepapnea.com
Retreat
Jean Kristeller & Andrea Lieberstein
Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training (MB-EAT), developed by Jean Kristeller,
addresses the mindless eating so prevalent in
our culture—the type of eating that can lead
to weight gain, obesity, disordered eating patterns, and stress-related eating.
In this highly participatory weekend, you
can experience a new approach to eating, supported by NIH-funded research,
that helps you cultivate your inner wisdom through a variety of mindful eating
practices and guided meditations. You will
be shown how to eat in a way that is more
attuned to your body’s needs, how to experience the full pleasure and taste of food
without overeating, and how to release the
guilt and struggle so often associated with
eating. Outer wisdom—making personal use
of current, scientifically-based nutrition and
exercise guidelines—will also be explored.
These tools can help you make informed,
balanced, healthy choices in your life and be
truly nourished by your food.
In addition to learning specific approaches to
mindful eating, the workshop includes daily
sitting meditations and gentle movement
to bring awareness and deepen your understanding of mindfulness as it supports more
balanced living.
No previous mindfulness meditation experience is required.
CE credit for RD and DTR; see page 6.
Jean Kristeller bio on page 67.
Andrea Lieberstein bio on page 67.
Week of May 1–6
A Matrix of Light: Prana and the
Practices of Yoga
This is the theme and focus for our week of
yoga retreat. Our mornings will begin with
meditation and pranayama, which will lead
into mid-morning active yoga practice. We’ll
gather in the afternoons at various places on
the Esalen property for the spiritual practice
of lying on the lawn and observing the natural forces of nature. Then once again we’ll
return to the yoga room for twists, forward
bends, and restorative poses.
Please have a minimum of 3 months yoga
experience, and bring your yoga mat.
bio on page 17.
Gateway to Soul: Process Acupressure
Laurie Cahoon & Paul Sibcy
Would you like to find wise inner guidance
from all parts of yourself? From your body’s
internal promptings, your heart’s intelligence,
your mind’s clearest insight, and even your
own soul’s wisdom? Would you like to get
all of yourself together in an integrated way?
Process Acupressure teaches you how to gain
a holistic perspective on your life directions
and general health. And it teaches the skills
of how to uncover the wise guidance that lies
at your own unique center.
This class teaches a combination of body/
mind skills, including hands-on work to
the body (fully clothed), movement, meditation, and dialogue. The acupressure protocol
strengthens and balances the body’s vital energy (chi) flow that opens to soul consciousness and the Infinite Source. Psychological
and spiritual process skills facilitate more
awareness in body, emotions, and thought.
This combination of bodywork and conscious
processing reveals the whole person and
facilitates individual organic growth.
Daniel Bianche t ta
Just as a plexus of nerves (many criss-crossing
at the same place) in the body emits a stronger
force of energy, the practitioners of yoga, by
virtue of ongoing practice, have developed
a high level of pranic force within the body
and nervous system. We could say that the
prana is an invisible or metaphysical force of
energy, yet flows through and illuminates the
physical body and being of the practitioner.
We students of yoga engage conscious breathing as a way to connect to alternative states of
consciousness. Through the practices of yoga,
we develop a relationship with the formless
dimension of being even as we are living in
the physical world of material reality. 69
The skills can be applied with health care
clients, family, or on oneself alone. PA is helpful for bodyworkers who want to know more
about processing psychological material, and
for psychological helpers who want to learn
more about the body. It is valuable for anyone
who wants to understand more about integrative development.
Recommended reading: Raheem, Soul Return:
Integrating Body, Psyche, and Spirit and Soul
Lightning: Awakening Soul Consciousness; Mindell, Working with the Dreaming Body.
Laurie Cahoon is a licensed acupuncturist, Zero
Balancer, and advanced Process Acupressure
practitioner in private practice in Petaluma, Calif.
She is a certified teacher of Process Acupressure 1
Gateway To Soul and Inner Child Healing.
Paul Sibcy is a founding faculty member of
Process Acupressure who has been teaching and
practicing since 1984. A founder of Palo Alto’s
Integrated Healing Arts and Pathways to Self
Healing, he is the author of Healing Your Rift
with God. www.paulsibcy.com
Developing Strength and
Long-term Pain Relief with
Daily Foundation Training
Each day of this workshop will teach you
powerful movement and breathing skills to
improve the overall strength of your whole
body. You will be shown the basic principles
of Foundation Training, Decompression, and
Anchoring, as we diligently progress through
poses, discussions, lectures, and walks.
Esalen Institute provides an ideal setting
with healthy food, open spaces, and natural
hot springs to nourish the changes we make
and the physical challenges we will work to
overcome. The skills you learn in this workshop can lead you toward improved health
and physical confidence throughout many
avenues of your life. Come learn to blend
Foundation Training into your lifestyle.
Foundation Training is a method of integrated exercises that empowers you with the
ability to identify and correct the postural
imbalances created by modern society. This
transformative method of movement corrects
the fundamental flaw in current human
movement patterns—the inability to hinge at
the hips—through exercises that access the
deepest postural muscles, reactivating the
dormant chains needed for proper move70
Doug Ellis
Eric Goodman
ment and offering a counterbalance to our
degenerative lifestyles. Ideal for chronic or
acute back, shoulder, hip, and knee pain,
and for athletes looking to improve their
performance, Foundation Training has
helped thousands of people move from pain
to performance.
Eric Goodman, DC, is the creator of Foundation
Training and author of Foundation: Redefine
Your Core, Conquer Back Pain, and Move
with Confidence. Foundation Training has
helped thousands of people control chronic
pain and experience a new way of life.
www.foundationtraining.com
Improv: Expand Yourself with Laughter
Dixie Cox & Clifford Henderson
Activate your imagination, creativity, and
spontaneity. Just as muscles can tighten with
stress and age, so can notions about ourselves.
One antidote to this natural process is improvisational workouts. Children stretch their
sense of self through the powerful medium
of play. Adults often don’t, finding it too scary
or foolish. This unwillingness prevents them
from experiencing this potent learning tool,
which includes the permission to try new
ways of being without the serious consequences of real life. In this positive workshop,
participants are guided through simple
improv exercises aimed at personal expansion. Using the tenets of improv, such as trust
and spontaneity, participants are encouraged
to say “Yes” to situations offered to them by
the group. This workshop also explores one
of improv’s most compelling tools: status, the
human pecking order. Participants familiarize themselves with the subtle clues they send
and receive defining their status, and have a
chance to try new body language and status
choices. Rejuvenate your spirit through experiential play and laughter. Past participants
have said, “By stretching myself, I’ve become
more of me” and “It’s more fun than a ride on
a fire truck!”
Dixie Cox, cofounder of the Fun Institute in Santa
Cruz, Calif., has been teaching people to re-create
themselves through improvisational acting classes
since 1993. She performs regularly with the
improv troupes Loose Cannon Theater and Crash
Test. www.funinstitute.com
Clifford Henderson is cofounder of the Fun Institute in Santa Cruz, Calif., a school of improv and
solo performance. She’s had numerous plays and
sketch comedies produced in the SF Bay Area. Her
published works include The Middle of Somewhere, Spanking New, and Maye’s Request.
www.cliffordhenderson.net
The Good-Hearted Physician:
Flourishing as a Twenty-First Century
Physician
Jim Duffy & Alejandro Chaoul
The practice of medicine has never been easy.
However, the twenty-first-century physician
faces extraordinary challenges. Rapid and
uncertain changes in the healthcare system
combined with an avalanche of scientific data
and shifting patient expectations are reshaping the practice of medicine. The impact of
these changes upon physician well-being is
reflected in increasing rates of professional
dissatisfaction, burnout, depression, and even
suicide among physicians. Although current
medical education prepares physicians to
manage the science of medicine, it does very
little to prepare physicians for the personal
and spiritual challenges inherent to the work
of healing.
This workshop aims to provide physicians
with skills that will enhance their own capacities for resilience, and to flourish despite all
the challenges they face. This “CPR” program
(Creating Professional Resiliency) combines
the wisdom of ancient healing traditions with
contemporary scientific findings in positive
psychology and contemplative neuroscience.
Participants will have an opportunity to
explore their own Healer’s Journey and will
be shown specific practices that can be incorporated into their personal and professional
lives. The workshop provides a doorway to
reconnect to the passion that first brought
us into medicine, as well as opportunities for
rest, reflection, and fun.
Please bring three items to the workshop: one
that reflects personal life, one that reflects
professional life, and one that reflects spiritual life.
is a clinical professor of psychiatry
at UCSF and is board certified in psychiatry,
psychosomatic medicine, medical acupuncture and
integrative medicine. He is an elected Fellow of
the American Neuropsychiatric Association and
the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative
Medicine.
Alejandro Chaoul, PhD, has studied with
eminent teachers of Tibetan Buddhism and Bon
for more than 20 years, including Lopon Tenzin
Namdak and Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. He
teaches internationally through the Ligmincha
Institute and is assistant professor at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
www.ligminchatexas.org
Jim Duffy
In Touch with Your Inner Knowing:
Opening Your Heart and Whole Body
to Intimacy
John Prendergast & Kelly Boys
What does it mean to be intimately in touch
with yourself and others? How may the
subtle cues of your heart and whole body
guide you to navigate the mysteries of love
and life? In this retreat, we will explore how
to tune in to our deeper self through the feltsense of the body. Our bodies have a natural
sense of the truth—we can feel authenticity in
ourselves and others. However, our conditioning, including limiting beliefs, reactive feelings, and other contractions, veil our deeper
truth and obstruct our natural self-trust and
sense of intimacy.
Through dialogues, dyadic exercises,
meditation, body sensing, and spontaneous
movement, we will explore what it means to
open the heart and whole body and live from
love and authenticity. We can also learn how
to stay present with difficult feelings and
question the beliefs that we use to defend our
hearts and reinforce a separate sense of self.
Together we will inquire, share, and play as
we explore our edges to opening to our true
nature and the authenticity and intimacy that
emerges. Please bring a journal.
Recommended reading: Prendergast, In
Touch: How to Tune into the Inner Guidance of
Your Body and Trust Yourself.
John J. Prendergast, PhD, is the author of In
Touch: How to Tune into the Inner Guidance
of Your Body and Trust Yourself, a practicing
psychotherapist, and a recently retired professor of
psychology at the California Institute of Integral
Studies. www.listeningfromsilence.com
Kelly Boys is a certified iRest® Yoga Nidra teacher
and is the former director of operations for the
Integrative Restoration Institute. She has taught
iRest to veterans with PTSD, the incarcerated,
cancer survivors, and those with substance abuse
addictions. She works for the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute. www.kellyboys.org
Dream Descent: Journey to the Soul
and the Promise of Archetypal
Dreamwork
Christa Lancaster & Marc Bregman
Every night, dreams come to help us know
love in a very real way—in our bodies, hearts,
and lives. With great compassion, exquisite
tenderness, and crystal clarity, they reveal the
particular ways we are stuck in recurring patterns of relationship, and they offer the key to
unlock those patterns so we can experience
both inner and outer love.
In the tradition of group process and gestalt
work pioneered at Esalen by Fritz Perls and
others, Archetypal Dreamwork reveals the
obstacles and openings to living in the fullness of our souls.
Beyond the work of the psyche lies the work
of the soul. This requires a descent into the
darkness to encounter our core trauma from
past lives and the deep feelings we all instinctively avoid. As Carl Jung describes in The
Red Book, it is only through this descent that
we can be reunited with the elemental girl/
boy soul who knows divine love.
Join North of Eden Archetypal Dreamwork
cofounders Christa Lancaster and Marc
Bregman, who will be joined by analysts Ben
Newman and Ellen Leonard, for an intensive
descent into the archetypal realm of dreams
through a powerful group enactment process.
Encounter the journey that has always been
waiting for you in the depths.
is cofounder of North of Eden
Archetypal Dreamwork, a master dream analyst,
Christa Lancaster
71
and a master teacher at the Center for Archetypal Dreamwork. Her books include Flesh Off
the Bone: Dream Descent through Past Life
Trauma and Sex, Trauma and Conjunctio.
www.northofeden.com
Marc Bregman is the founder of Archetypal
Dreamwork, cofounder of North of Eden, and
a master teacher at the Center for Archetypal
Dreamwork. His books include Flesh Off the
Bone: Dream Descent through Past Life
Trauma, and Sex, Trauma and Conjunctio.
potential for increased range of movement
and help align the spine with the limbs. As
in any art form, a tool is just a tool unless
one fully understands how to use it with
some degree of mastery. As we expand our
yoga toolkit to include rollers, straps, movement practices, pressure points, mudras, and
creative use of blocks, we simultaneously can
learn techniques to open the body lovingly
and kindly. The intention for this protocol is
to incorporate ease and freedom in our practice, and to enable greater flow and connection in the transition from asana to asana. Weekend of May 6–8
Our approach is to embrace difficult poses
as a way to learn how to consciously move
through challenges and resistance, and use
the appropriate tools and techniques for a
breakthrough in our yoga practices. After
all, what is more powerful than being able
to move through our stuck places and find
our flow? This workshop is for all levels of
yoga practitioner with a minimum of three
months of practice. Please bring a yoga mat
and any props you have, including a roller if
you have one.
The Way of Awareness
Will Kabat-Zinn
“During this retreat, we’ll take a deep dive
into our hearts and minds, cultivating meditative stillness of mind and body and looking
deeply into the nature of our own experience,” Will Kabat-Zinn writes. “There will be
an emphasis on learning how to inhabit our
bodies (in whatever condition they might be),
and bring a fresh, kind, and spacious awareness to everything that arises. By cultivating
intimacy with our own experience, we let life
itself become the curriculum. There will be
an emphasis on developing mindfulness in
all daily activities to foster a seamless continuity of life and practice.”
This retreat will include a systematic unfolding of meditation instructions; periods of
formal sitting and walking meditation; mindful qigong; and formal dharma teachings and
periods of conversation and dialogue about
our unfolding experiences.
Please note: The weekend will be in the form
of an intensive retreat that goes beyond the
normal Esalen schedule and will include
early morning practice beginning at 6 am.
Will Kabat-Zinn brings mindfulness and meditation to diverse populations, from neuroscientists to
incarcerated youth. He co-developed a mindfulness
curriculum for parents at UCSF. He leads retreats
at Spirit Rock and at meditation centers around
the country. He is a member of the Spirit Rock
Teacher’s Council.
Expand Your Vinyasa Flow Yoga Toolkit
Ulrika Engman
There are many tools in yoga that greatly
enhance, support, and liberate the body’s full
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Ulrika Engman, E-RYT 500, is an Anusara-
certified yoga teacher and Halprin Life-Art
practitioner. Ulrika’s unique style blends the
transformative power of yoga with movement and
the expressive arts. She leads yoga workshops and
retreats worldwide. www.yoga-journeys.com
The Writing Life
Ellen Bass
There is a vitality, a life-force, an energy, a
quickening that is translated through you into
action. And because there is only one of you in all
time, this expression is unique. And if you block it,
it will never exist through any other medium,
and be lost. The world will not have it. It is not
your business to determine how good it is, nor
how valuable, nor how it compares with other
expressions. It is your business to keep it yours
clearly and directly, to keep the channel open.
—Martha Graham
“This workshop,” writes Ellen Bass, “will allow us to leave the rush of our busy lives and
be still enough to hear the stories and poems
that gestate within us. We’ll write, share our
writing, and hear what our work touches
in others. We’ll help each other to become
clearer, go deeper, take new risks. With the
safety, support and inspiration of this gathering, you will have the opportunity to create
writing that is more vivid, more true, more
complex and powerful than you’ve been able
to do before.”
Whether you are interested in poetry, fiction,
nonfiction, memoir, or journal writing, this
weekend will provide a rich opportunity
to immerse yourself in the writing life.
Both beginners and experienced writers are
welcome.
Recommended reading: Bass, Like a Beggar;
eds. Addonizio and Laux, The Poet’s Companion; Gornick, The Situation and the Story.
Ellen Bass has supported and inspired writers
for 45 years. Her books include Like A Beggar,
The Human Line, and Mules of Love (poetry),
and the best-selling The Courage to Heal. She
teaches at Pacific University’s low-residency MFA
program. www.ellenbass.com
Mother’s Day Family Workshop
Joanna Claassen & Sean Brennan
This Mother’s Day weekend, celebrate and
nourish yourself and your family. Esalen is
a magical place for adults and children alike.
Together with the Gazebo School teachers, we
will create a community of families focused
on fun, laughter, renewal, and friendship.
This will be a memorable weekend of exploration, connection, creative expression, and
play. We will build on the group’s interests
and offer opportunities for families to work
and play together and apart. We will use the
Gazebo School Park, designed for children to
climb, bike, garden, make music, dance, and
care for Esalen’s farm animals, as well as the
Art Barn for relaxing, connecting, reflecting,
and creating.
Saturday night, we will offer a program for
the children, during which adults will be free
to enjoy Esalen alone or spend time with one
another. All are invited to explore and experience Esalen during this fun and supportive
weekend workshop. All ages are welcome,
including parents with small children. All
children must be accompanied by a parent or
guardian.
Note: Fees for children under 10 enrolled in
Esalen family workshops are $100 for weekend workshops and $250 for 5-day workshops.
Parents/guardians pay regular accommodations fees.
has been an outdoor and early
childhood educator since 2000. She runs Early
Ecology, an outdoor educational program for children and families in the Bay Area, and is a former
director of Esalen Institute’s Gazebo Park School.
Joanna is inspired by the natural world, human
kindness, and the power of play.
Joanna Claassen
S te wart Cuble y
is an early childhood educator who
specializes in sharing smiles, laughter, and the
bliss of life. He has worked with injured children
at Shriner’s Hospital as a play therapist and is a
former teacher at Gazebo Park School. His passions include surfing, freediving, yoga, meditation,
and poetry.
Sean Brennan
A Different Perspective: Reframe
Your Life Using Play, Embodiment
and Humor
Ann Randolph & Michael Clemmens
It is all too easy to stay stuck in a rut, unable
to see or do things differently even when we
know we want to change. Join storyteller Ann
Randolph and somatic psychologist Michael
Clemmens for a weekend of new insights and
creative, fun practices designed to jump start
change in your life. This is a bold, alternative
approach that supports deep process and joyful exploration.
During this workshop, we will begin from
the premise that if we change our “embodiment” (physical expression) and our basic
stance in the world, we rewire our perspective
and can then evolve differently if we choose.
Through improvisation and movement exercises, the participant plays with a variety of
expressions and expands their creative range.
In addition, participants will put the pen
to the page and literally let the body speak
on the page. The body does not lie and the
improv/writing exercises inform us of where
we are stuck and how we can move through
to a new perspective.
Both Ann and Michael work from creative,
warm, and innovative styles that enable
participants to find the optimal and safe path
into better awareness of themselves and ways
to move forward. This experience is for those
who are interested in shifting their lens on
life through experimenting with how we
mentally and emotionally organize the world.
Through humor, play, improvisation, small
and large group discussions, and various oneon-one exercises, you’ll have the opportunity
to reframe life in order to tell new stories
about the future.
Ann Randolph is an award-winning writer,
performer, and educator. Her Off-Broadway
hit, Squeezebox, was produced by Mel Brooks,
and her current show, Loveland, just received
Best Solo Show awards in Los Angeles and San
Francisco. Her personal essays have aired on NPR,
BBC, and the Moth. www.annrandolph.com
Michael Craig Clemmens bio on page 30.
Week of May 8–13
Awakening the Creative:
The Painting Experience
Stewart Cubley
Explore the world of spontaneous creation,
an unpredictable territory beyond the expected where no rules apply. In a respectful
and nurturing studio environment, you’ll
receive individual attention and gentle guidance to help you open to inspiration, creativity, growth, and change. Using the powerful
tool of “process arts,” you’ll be supportively
invited to:
• Discover a creative voice that’s entirely your
own
• Trust your intuitive perception, not the
mind’s critical chatter
• Follow your energy rather than what looks
good or makes sense
• Overcome blocks by embracing their
hidden message
• Experience your imagination as
intelligent–a doorway to deeper knowing
• Explore process painting as a genuine path
to spiritual awakening
73
In The Painting Experience, everyone is a
beginner; people from all levels of experience are welcome, including those who have
never picked up a paintbrush. The Painting
Experience is about your creative process,
not technique or training. There will be no
judgment of your work or comparison with
others. Instead, you are given the opportunity
to embrace your own creative voice and confidently follow it. All materials are supplied–all
you have to bring is you!
Recommended reading: Cassou and Cubley,
Life, Paint & Passion.
CE credit for nurses; see leader.
Ulrika Engman
Every part and system of the body has an
elegant and intelligent design behind it, supporting its meaning and purpose. The Earth
and Water elements enter our bodies through
the digestive system, and then flow into the
blood stream, building and maintaining the
delicate balance of our bones, vital organs,
and soft tissues. The Air we breathe brings
life to the sacred Fire within, and somehow
Space becomes form.
During this yoga journey, every part of the
body is honored and treasured through yoga
practices that emphasize conscious connection with the systems and organs behind each
element: Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Ether/ Space.
With pranayama and meditation integrated
into the asana practice, all groups of postures
are specifically taught to enhance awareness
of the inner workings and flow of energy
within. Our shoulders, hips, spine, feet, and
hands get their fair share of attention as well,
with sequences that reach into places of need,
clear out the debris, and facilitate the goal of
optimal vitality and energy flow. Please bring
a yoga mat and any props that you need for
your practice.
Ulrika Engman bio on page 72.
The Path of Forgiveness:
Returning to Love
Eileen Barker & Michael Gelbart
Forgiveness is essential for anyone seeking
psychological freedom, emotional transformation, more fulfilling intimacy, and
spiritual growth. Forgiveness is a field of consciousness that can be accessed via specific
stages, exercises, and practices that help us
break down and clear limiting stories, beliefs,
and barriers, as well as shame and blame
tendencies that are often instilled generationally. Ultimately, the path of forgiveness is
a journey back to our authentic self, to the
embodiment of more love.
Richard Tauber
Stewart Cubley has traveled the world for nearly
40 years, working with individuals and groups
to access the potential within the human heart
and imagination. He has conducted seminars
at learning-based organizations, corporations,
monasteries, prisons, and other public forums.
www.processarts.com
Anchoring into Our Body and Breath:
A Yoga Journey through the Elements
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In this retreat, we will show you how to
access the field of forgiveness and guide you
step-by-step through a powerful, researchbased forgiveness process that can be used to
heal any type of conflict or painful situation.
Intended for anyone seeking to forgive or
learn about forgiveness, the class will work
with both forgiveness of others and forgiveness of self. Attention will be given to mindbody methods and integration to ensure
lasting results. Bring your greatest challenges
and move toward more resourcefulness, love,
connection, and inner peace than ever before.
This program is foundational for psychologists, social workers, mediators, coaches,
caregivers, and others who wish to help
clients forgive and/or incorporate forgiveness therapy into their practices. We’ll work
with somatic, affective/emotional, cognitive,
interpersonal, and spiritual dimensions of
forgiveness.
is a forgiveness teacher and author
of The Forgiveness Workbook and Forgiveness Meditaton CD. In addition to leading
retreats and workshops, she is a forgiveness coach
and lawyer/mediator with a private practice in
San Rafael, Calif.
Michael Gelbart, LCSW, is an integrative psychotherapist offering mindfulness-based, somatic,
pragmatic, depth work, and relational coaching
in Berkeley and San Leandro, Calif. He facilitates
intimacy work by deepening capacities to regulate
physiology and communicate with compassion
and integrity.
Eileen Barker
fundamentals, you can shed pain and tension
and go home with a healthy regimen that
easily and timelessly integrates into everyday
life. Simple yet profound changes will give
you a new relationship with your body—one
you used to have as a child. This course will
bust many exercise, health, and pain myths of
our time. Each participant receives individualized understanding of his or her specific
vulnerabilities in the back and joints through
hands-on adjustments, and photographic and
video feedback. What you learn about your
patterns in these fundamental activities can
be applied to your physical activities of choice
and make you a stronger, more efficient,
longer-lasting human machine. Join us and
never look back. Spinefulness directly helps
nurses understand alignment mechanics of
their bodies so they can prevent and recover
more quickly from injury as well as become
more efficient in the physical component in
working for and with clients/patients.
Recommended reading: Iyengar, Sparks of
Divinity; Sawyer, Put Your Back at Ease.
Jean Couch, originally known for her classic
Runner’s Yoga Book, has shown thousands of
people of all ages how to improve their health.
She most recently taught 50 physicians and their
spouses, one of whom wrote, “I now have hope for
me and my patients.” www.balancecenter.com
Jenn Sherer is a certified Balance Instructor, and
she co-owns and co-directs the Balance Center, in
Palo Alto, Calif. www.BalanceCenter.com
Soul Motion™ : The Practice
Brilliant Body: Fundamentals of
Conquering Injury and Pain
Jean Couch & Jenn Sherer
Do chronic tension, stress, or aches and pains
plague you? Are you fit, but injured? Do you
feel tight all the time? In our cultural love
affair with muscles, we have overlooked a key
component of wellness: our skeleton. Whether you are a high-performance athlete or sit in
a chair all day, making your bones work for
you instead of against you can put you on a
path of unimaginable wellness and efficiency.
Spineful healing begins with an understanding of alignment patterns that cause premature aging, tension, pain, and/or injury. This
course will re-examine alignment patterns
of everyday activities including sitting,
standing, bending, sleeping, and walking.
With new Spineful patterns for these daily
Michael Molin-Skelton
“Soul Motion is a movement practice during
which we cultivate our capacity for listening
to the deep wisdom of the body and the silent
whisperings of the soul,” says Michael. “We
spiral with curiosity at the crossroads of our
past and our possibilities. When body meets
soul, and movement meets moment, we can
experience a dissolution into spirit. This is
the dance of the soul-in-motion.
“This immersion is for both the seasoned
Soul Motion veterans and those just beginning. It is a dive into the architecture that
supports the Soul Motion ministry, with
emphasis on pause presence, orbit orientation, and echo inspiration. Michael will be
teaching to invite, inspire, incite, and ignite
the deep dance within each of us. Inquiries,
structures, and points of view will be offered
to facilitate this step-by step journey across
the four landscapes of Soul Motion: dance intimate (solo), dance communion (duet), dance
community (ensemble), and dance infinite
(ritual space). The group will investigate relationships between energy, motion, and space,
moving to an eclectic mix of music from classical to experimental, including sacred chant,
rap, jazz, contemporary electronica, and the
great sound of silence.”
This immersion is open to all. It is a base requirement (pre-requisite) for the Soul Motion
Leadership Program.
Michael Molin-Skelton holds many things sacred,
including the love of his life anneli, the miracle
they named jaylan, friends that cherish and challenge him, dancing alone, and dancing with you.
Michael is a senior faculty member of the Soul
Motion™ school. www.spiritweaves.com
Exploring Fundamental Contentment
through Emotional Intelligence
Daniel Cordaro & Robin Stern
“At the deepest core of human wellness is a
sense of profound completeness called fundamental contentment, and uncovering it for
yourself is your birthright,” write the leaders.
“Contentment is a central theme in some of
the most influential spiritual, philosophical,
and theoretical texts in ancient and modern
history; it is what many–or dare we say most–
people really mean when they talk about
true ‘happiness.’ There are countless ways
that positive psychology suggests that we can
maximize our happiness, but why is it that
in this pursuit, happiness always seems to be
just beyond our grasp?
“Through the science of Emotional Intelligence and self-awareness practice, you are
invited to explore the radical perspective that
fundamental contentment already resides
within you. Led by experts from the Yale
Center for Emotional Intelligence, this offering unites more than 4,000 years of philosophical wisdom with scientifically grounded
approaches to finding sustainable wellness.
Through tested Emotional Intelligence practices, you can learn to recognize, experience,
manage, and let go of powerful emotions and
thoughts that can block the experience of
fundamental contentment in your day-to-day
lives. We will also spend significant time
identifying and customizing personal contentment and life-simplifying practices based
on individual needs and experiences. This
gathering is our most advanced and in-depth
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offering for those who are actively intending
to cultivate sustainable well-being in everyday
life. The extended timeframe of this workshop allows for a more in-depth and personal
immersion into the integration of emotional
wellness into the human experience.”
Daniel Cordaro, PhD, directed the Universal
Expression Project, the most extensive research
program to date that decoded the nonverbal language of human emotion in 11 radically different
cultures. Daniel now leads the Contentment Lab
at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, a
group dedicated to the science of sustainable wellness around the world.
Robin Stern, PhD, is the associate director for
the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. She
is a licensed psychoanalyst, educator, and author
of The Gaslight Effect. Robin is co-developer
of RULER, an emotional intelligence program
that has transformed the lives of over a million
children and adults in schools worldwide.
Weekend of May 13–15
Overcoming the Fear of Love: Adult
Attachment in Romantic Relationships
Lisa Firestone & Joyce Catlett
What prevents most people from being able
to sustain romantic, meaningful relationships
that satisfy their needs and desires? What
determines whether partners will end up
experiencing fulfillment in their relationship
or suffering pain and distress? This workshop
helps answer these questions by providing participants with a theoretical model
integrating psychodynamic, existential, and
family systems frameworks in a manner that
can increase our understanding of and ability
to develop and maintain intimacy in relationships.
The psychological defenses that individuals bring to their relationship are often at
the root of the deepest conflict or distress
between couples, regardless of external
forces. Similarly, insecure attachment patterns formed early in life also have a negative impact on our romantic relationships.
This workshop will provide individuals
and health and healing professionals with
effective interventions for addressing the
underlying issues that contribute to distress
in an intimate relationship. Helping couples
modify their attachment patterns can lead
to lasting change. Through lecture, discussion, experiential exercises, and role-playing
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of techniques, participants can learn how to
challenge defensive behaviors that interfere
with closeness and intimacy.
state-of-the-art video storytelling and computer
assessment technology with dynamic workshop
processes. www.unfinbiz.com
Recommended reading: Firestone and Catlett,
Fear of Intimacy; Firestone and Firestone, Sex
and Love in Intimate Relationships.
Mindfulness in Deep Relationship:
Savoring the Sources of Nourishment
is a clinical psychologist, Director
of Research and Education at the Glendon Association, and the Senior Editor of Psychalive.org.
Dr. Firestone is the co-author of The Self Under
Siege, Sex and Love in Intimate Relationships, and Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice.
www.glendon.org
Joyce Catlett, MA , has collaborated with Dr.
Robert Firestone in writing 13 books including
Fear of Intimacy; Creating a Life of Meaning
and Compassion; The Ethics of Interpersonal
Relationships, and The Self Under Siege. She
is co-producer of Glendon Associations 45 training
video programs. www.glendon.org
Lisa Firestone
Unfinished Business: Creating your
Next Steps in Life from the Inside Out
Pam Kramer & Steve Edelman
Is your life an expression of who you really
are at the core? Perhaps you have already
succeeded brilliantly at what you wanted
to do, or gone as far as you can go. Is now
the time for you to get a clear view of what’s
next? Unfinished Business is about clarifying
your deepest values, and seeing clearly where
you are now and where you need to go to
realize your full potential. You will begin to
create a path to wholeness through personal
vision, concrete planning, and commitment
to deeper satisfaction. Through experiential
processes, group interaction, inspiring videos,
and meditative exercises, you can see what
you need to do now and take the first steps
to get there. Hear moving, inspirational, and
instructive stories of people who have faced
the need to change, overcome barriers, and
successfully moved in new directions. Dynamic processes and small group interactions
will give you a clear vision of the best you,
and mindful movement and deep relaxation
practices will support your journey.
bio on page 60.
Steve Edelman, JD, is a veteran of many career
changes: law, television broadcasting, entrepreneur, and creator of a multi-million-dollar
television production company. He co-developed
the Unfinished Business workshop by blending
Pam Kramer
Jerome Front
This retreat invites participants to open to
their most elemental relationship, that which
exists between the body, mind, and the natural world as it manifests through eating, food,
and our senses. This awareness then widens
to include the deep nourishment we receive
from being in mindful relationship with each
other. “Individually, we all know the hungers
and longings that coexist at emotional, spiritual, bodily, and relational levels,” says Jerome
Front. “Fortunately, these basic needs also
form our common human ground. Opening
to these primal shared areas with a loving
awareness can create profoundly satisfying
aspects of deep relationship. These nourishing and transformative relational experiences
include understanding and being understood,
a sense of increased personal presence, and
the soothing and integrating experience of
being known in another’s accepting, warm
presence.”
Participants will experience sensory work,
silent meals, music, ritual, and instruction
on mindfulness meditation. Teachings and
activities will alternate with periods of intentional silence. Open to everyone, this retreat
is an especially rich resource for helping
professionals, teachers, and nurses.
Jerome Front teaches at Pepperdine University and across the US, and has written about
mindfulness, contemplative living, and mindful
approaches to relationships. He leads retreats and
clinical and corporate trainings, and is an LMFT
in private practice. www.jeromefront.com
Causative Nutrition: How to Maximize
Your Health With Food
Julienna Hever
“In a society with an unquenchable thirst
for the ideal diet, a feverish search ensues,”
Julieanna Hever writes. “Amidst the fog of
confusion, empty promises, and emotional
roller coaster rides, there is a solution backed
with decades of solid science, sustainability,
and simplicity. This solution is a whole food,
plant-based diet. Plant-based eaters have
lower body-mass indexes and less body fat,
lower overall mortality, and decreased risks
for high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol,
cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and
several types of cancers. In fact, a whole food,
plant-based diet is the only diet ever shown
to reverse disease (ischemic heart disease and
type 2 diabetes).
“Eating plants elucidates Hippocrates’ famous
decree to ‘let thy food be thy medicine and
thy medicine be thy food.’ This workshop
will dive into the myriad benefits of eating
whole plants, define where nutrient requirements can easily be met, explore mindful approaches to connecting with food at a deeper
level, and empower students with skills for
optimal, thoughtful eating in today’s world.”
Julieanna Hever, RD, CPT, is a registered dietitian and the host of the talk show series What
Would Julieanna Do? Author of The Vegiterranean Diet and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to
Plant-Based Nutrition, her work has appeared
widely on television and other media. She has
a private practice in Los Angeles, Calif.
www.plantbaseddietitian.com
Exploring Fundamental Contentment
through Emotional Intelligence
Daniel Cordaro & Robin Stern
“At the deepest core of human wellness is a
sense of profound completeness called fundamental contentment, and uncovering it for
yourself is your birthright,” write the leaders.
“Contentment is a central theme in some of
the most influential spiritual, philosophical,
and theoretical texts in ancient and modern
history; it is what many–or dare we say most–
people really mean when they talk about
true ‘happiness.’ There are countless ways
that positive psychology suggests that we can
maximize our happiness, but why is it that
in this pursuit, happiness always seems to be
just beyond our grasp?”
Through the science of Emotional Intelligence and self-awareness practice, you are
invited to explore the radical perspective that
fundamental contentment already resides
within you. Led by experts from the Yale
Center for Emotional Intelligence, this offering unites more than 4,000 years of philosophical wisdom with scientifically grounded
approaches to finding sustainable wellness.
Through tested Emotional Intelligence practices, you can learn to recognize, experience,
manage, and let go of powerful emotions and
thoughts that can block the experience of
fundamental contentment in your day-to-day
lives. We will also spend significant time
identifying and customizing personal contentment and life-simplifying practices based
on individual needs and experiences.
Daniel Cordaro bio on page 76.
Robin Stern bio on page 76.
Bill Ja mes
Recommended reading: Hever, The Vegiterranean Diet; Oppenlander, Food Choice and
Sustainability: Why Buying Local, Eating Less
Meat, and Taking Baby Steps Won’t Work; Joy,
Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows: An
Introduction to Carnism.
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Daniel Bianche t ta
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Experiencing Esalen
Deborah Anne Medow
We must answer anew the old questions. “What
are the limits of human ability, the boundaries of
the human experience? What does it mean to be
a human being?”
—From the 1965 Esalen Catalog
Experiencing Esalen is a workshop that
introduces participants to some of the transformational practices of Esalen. Designed
for first-time participants or those renewing
their acquaintance with Esalen, the emphasis
is on finding those approaches to personal
growth that work most effectively for each
participant. Sessions may include: meditation,
sensory awareness, Gestalt Practice, group
process, art, movement, and massage. There
will also be time to explore the magnificence
of the Big Sur coast.
Deborah Anne Medow bio on page 19.
Week of May 15–20
Transforming Trauma with EMDR: Advanced Clinical Workshop and
Refresher Course (Part 3) Laurel Parnell
Refresh your technique and review EMDR
(Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) protocols and procedures, consult on
your difficult cases, watch demonstrations,
and practice EMDR in small, supervised
groups. Instruction will focus on using
EMDR with complex cases, resource development and installation, target development,
and interweaves.
This EMDR course is for participants who
have completed either part 2 training or an
equivalent EMDRIA-approved course.
Required Reading: Parnell, A Therapist’s Guide
to EMDR.
Recommended reading: Parnell, Attachmentfocused EMDR: Healing Relational Trauma, Tapping In and EMDR in the Treatment of Adults
Abused as Children.
($20 materials fee paid directly to leader
for manual and handouts)
Laurel Parnell is a psychologist, author, consul-
tant, and EMDR trainer who has trained thousands of clinicians internationally. The author
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of numerous books, including the forthcoming
Attachment-Focused EMDR: Healing Relational Trauma, she maintains a private practice
in San Rafael, Calif. www.emdrinfo.com
bread making, beekeeping, food preservation,
and small-scale animal husbandry all are
appealing and relevant to those who thrive on
food independence, artisan techniques, and
self-sufficiency.
Liberating Your Essential Self:
The Alchemy of Love and Aliveness
In today’s society, many people have lost the
knowledge that humans used for thousands
of years both to connect with nature and
feed themselves. This hands-on workshop
is an introduction to and celebration of the
farmstead arts that actually are alive and well
all around us. Join Charlie Cascio and Liam
McDermott as they share their knowledge
of the art of home cheese making, including
recipes for hard and soft cheeses, and cheese
molding and pressing. Bake sour dough and
yeasted breads, and explore basic beekeeping and honey extraction at the Esalen bee
hives. Food preservation methods include
dehydration, fermentation, and root cellar
cold storage.
Karishma Darby
There is a deep desire in all of us to know
ourselves, to live and love from our most
essential nature. For most of us, painful
and frightening experiences have caused us
to withdraw from living fully. We can feel
undernourished, disconnected from our
lives and from those closest to us. We want to
experience our full aliveness, but we have become too anxious, depressed, or numb. This
yearning to love, to experience more freedom
and joy, is an invitation to slow down and
discover your true self, your essential nature.
In this workshop, we will embark on an
odyssey of self-discovery, exploring the play,
pauses, and natural pulses of the body, and
finding out that barriers and blocks can
simply melt away. Through our senses, we can
be carried into a deep relationship with our
true essence. As we quiet the mind and listen
to the body, we can discover our own organic
ways of responding that heal our inner pain,
and help us rediscover the richness of life. We
will use deep listening and awareness exercises to uncover the treasures of our unique
body wisdom. Through dance and movement,
silent and dynamic meditations, healing practices, and group processes, we can come alive
to our inner topography, and with our new
inner awareness move into relationship with
others. We can discover how to live and share
our joy. Join us for an opportunity to nourish
your deep aliveness, and to fall in love with
your life.
Karishma Darby is a licensed psychotherapist in
private practice in the Sierra Foothills, Calif. Her
passion is awakening consciousness within and
in relationship with others. She facilitates workshops, active and silent mediation, and relationally centered psychotherapy groups.
www.relationalsomatics.com
Land of Milk and Honey:
An Introduction to Farmstead Arts
Charlie Cascio & Liam McDermott
Would you like to reconnect with farmstead
traditions and develop your ability to produce
and prepare your own food? Cheese and
There also is a field trip to Sweetwater Farm,
a small goat dairy in the Big Sur Mountains,
where participants will observe an active
dairy and cheese-making operation. Experience the alchemical processes by which milk
is transformed into an extraordinary diversity of cheeses; flower nectar yields different
varietals of honey; and flour, water, and yeast
join to become bread.
Please note: Bring a heavy, long-sleeved shirt
and denim-type pants for bee work.
($50 supplemental food fee paid directly to the leaders)
Charlie Cascio is founder of Sweetwater Farm
in Carmel, Calif., a self-sustaining organic farm
specializing in goat and poultry husbandry, cheese
making, beekeeping, olive and fruit orchards, and
vegetable gardening. A chef since 1968, Charlie has
taught internationally and was the head chef and
kitchen manager at Esalen from 1998 to 2004 .
Liam McDermott is a permaculture activist,
massage therapist, and professionally trained
chef with a degree in literature from Stanford
University. He leads workshops and caters at
several hot springs in central California: Esalen
Institute, Tassajara Zen Monastery, and Wilbur
Hot Springs.
Beginning Integral Way Tai Chi™ :
Walking on Clouds
Kenn Chase & Victoria Chase
Tai chi is the ancient art of moving meditation. Based on the integration of the principles of yin and yang, tai chi is practiced in
a slow, sequential manner which develops
the healing aspects of chi energy, slows the
Reuven Shelef
central nervous system, reduces stress, and
improves focus.
Integral Way Tai Chi incorporates the fundamental principles of traditional Yang style tai
chi, and enhances the learning process with
Feldenkrais Method® Awareness through
Movement®, qi gong, and meditation. Integral Way was developed by Kenn Chase, a
Guild Certified Feldenkrais practitioner and
the only person who teaches this combined
method.
In a culture where we are constantly “connecting” with others through media, many
have become disconnected from themselves.
This workshop offers the opportunity to
reconnect and deepen your inner sense of
grace, balance, and flow. Through this transformational approach to tai chi, participants
may integrate their physical, mental, and
spiritual beings while allowing for increased
freedom of movement, joy, and peace. Participants will also enjoy an excursion to the
New Camoldi Hermitage in Big Sur for group
meditation, and to Sand Dollar Beach for tai
chi by the sea.
This level one workshop is open to everyone.
An intermediate class will be offered in
autumn of 2016. This workshop is especially
useful for health care and healing professionals in working with their patients and clients.
Kenn Chase,
founder of Integral Way Tai Chi™,
has taught Yang-style tai chi since 1969. He is a
certified Feldenkrais practitioner and integrates
Awareness through Movement® into his unique
teaching approach. Teaching locally and internationally, he consults with corporations, hospitals,
and privately. www.integralwaytaichi.com
Victoria Chase, RN, has been a clinical nurse
and health educator for more than 35 years. She
teaches in medical and community-based settings,
and she integrates alternative healing methods
into traditional venues. She has practiced and
taught tai chi and stress management with
her husband Kenn Chase since 1981.
www.integralwaytaichi.com
to the ways in which the camera can help
us experience truer connection and even
transcendence. In a time of virtual and hyper
connectivity, how can we bring a deeper
awareness to the photographic process to
enrich our art and lives?
At every step, photography is a balancing of
relationships (light and shadow, time and
space, subject and object, seen and unseen),
the union of which brings forth a still
moment and new creation. In this way, the
camera becomes an alchemical tool for both
distilling and dissolving duality.
Andy Abrahams Wilson
This workshop is a dive into the natural
beauty of Esalen and Big Sur, and offers the
opportunity for hands-on creativity while
challenging basic assumptions about how
we see and engage with our environment.
Daily photo assignments and group feedback encourage deeper intimacy with place
and people, and highlight our unconscious
personal patterns. In fact, the principles we
discover through photography are metaphors
and guides for living.
Photography is a profound exchange of light
energy. Yet in this age of unprecedented
picture taking and sharing, we’re often blind
This workshop is best suited for people with
at least a beginner’s understanding of photography, but all levels can find a comfortable fit.
Intimacy and Exposure:
The Alchemy of Photography
81
Bring your own digital SLR camera and photo
editing software like iPhoto. Or, if you’d like
to experiment with your iPhone or iPad camera, that’s okay too. Enrollment is limited for
an optimal and intimate group experience.
Andy Abrahams Wilson is an award-winning,
Oscar®-shortlisted filmmaker and photographer.
President of Open Eye Pictures, Andy emphasizes
using the camera as a way to bridge—and heal—
disparate parts and people, and to connect to
nature, ourselves, and each other.
www.openeyepictures.com
An Introduction to Esalen® Massage:
The Art of Healing Touch
Carl Swanson & Nora Matten
Come prepared to enjoy the healing waters
of the natural hot springs and the magical
beauty of the Esalen grounds. All levels of
experience are welcome.
is a full-time Esalen® Massage
practitioner/instructor and a yoga instructor. In
addition to being a member of the Esalen massage
crew, he has been teaching weekly yoga classes in
the Esalen Movement Program since 2004. He
teaches massage and yoga workshops at Esalen
and abroad.
Nora Matten bio on page 51.
Carl Swanson
A Time to Reflect
Kabbalah and the Tree of Life:
Unlocking the Secrets of Ancient
Mystical Traditions
Gahl Sasson with Bianca Sapetto
What is Kabbalah? Why did people from
different cultural traditions risk their lives
to study it? How can it help us improve our
lives today? In Kabbalah it is believed that
God used the ten spheres of the Tree of Life
as a blueprint to create the universe. By following this same blueprint, we too can create
miracles in our own lives.
This in-depth, fun, and experiential workshop will not only allow us to tap into the
Daniel Bianche t ta
This workshop will introduce the core
concepts of Esalen Massage. Through brief
lectures and demonstrations, and with
plenty of personal supervision of hands-on
work, the workshop will present essential
tools and information, including the long,
balancing strokes and gentle stretches that
are the foundation of Esalen massage. The
principle elements of bodywork, including
breath and sensory awareness practices,
grounding, movement, and quality of contact will also be introduced and practiced,
creating a firm foundation for learning
massage. This workshop is also useful for
those in the helping and healing professions in working with their clients and
patients.
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richness of this ancient spiritual technology,
but also it will help us apply it to our everyday
lives. Using comparative mysticism, guided
meditations, entertaining movie clips, and
symbolism, we will be shown how to connect
to the ten archetypes of the Tree of Life as
well as how to use these energies to foster
spiritual, emotional, and material growth.
Join the ranks of the spiritual warriors who
have basked in this wonderful mystical tradition of light. No prior knowledge of Kabbalah
is necessary.
Recommended reading: Sasson and Winstein, A Wish Can Change Your Life; Sasson,
Cosmic Navigator; The Old Testament.
Gahl Sasson has been teaching workshops on
mythology, Kabbalah, and mysticism for more
than a decade. His books have been translated
into multiple languages and are endorsed by HH
the Dalai Lama, Laura Day, and John Edward.
www.CosmicNavigator.com
Mindfulness and Heartfulness:
The Healing and Transformation
of Mind and Body
Mark Abramson
This program is designed to integrate the
practice of mindful awareness with directed
heartfulness to facilitate growth, healing, and
change. It is based on Mark Abramson’s work
as the director of Stanford’s MindfulnessBased Stress Reduction Program which he
founded 20 years ago. The workshop introduces the practical application of techniques
of mindfulness and heartfulness to transform
emotional states and unleash the great potential for deep healing of the body. The goal is
to learn new ways of relating to experience
that allow greater opening, understanding,
and the possibility of transformation.
“This work,” writes the leader,”creates an increasing experience of gentleness, kindness,
and respect for oneself and others as well as
the beneficial effects on health that a kind
mind brings to the body.” The program offers
guided practice in mindfulness meditation,
body movement, breathing practices, and
heart opening, interspersed with lecture and
interactive discussion. While the practices
are especially helpful for people who are
experiencing emotional or physical concerns,
the universality of the experience makes
this program valuable for all. It is especially
useful for psychologists, nurses, and others in
the healing professions in working with their
patients and clients.
Recommended reading: Kabat-Zinn, Full
Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your
Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness;
Ricard, Happiness.
Mark Abramson
bio on page 68.
Love Yourself and the Rest Will Follow
Mike Robbins
Self-love is one of those things that many of us
know is important on our personal journey, yet
can be challenging to embody and experience
in an authentic way. This workshop explores
why it can be hard for us to genuinely love
ourselves—the familial, cultural, and personal
influences, the thoughts and fears that lead
us to believe that we are not good enough and
that self-love is arrogant or narcissistic, and
the difficulty we may have practicing true
loving kindness towards ourselves. With fun
and vulnerability, we delve deeply into some
specific and powerful ways to experience love
towards ourselves, which in turn impacts our
relationships, work, personal growth practices,
and lives in a profound way. The ideas and
exercises laid out in this interactive program
give you specific practices to:
• Make peace with and forgive yourself
• Accept and appreciate all of who you are
• Care for and nurture yourself in an
authentic way
• Experience and express your authentic self
• Deepen your capacity to love others
Recommended reading: Robbins, Focus on the
Good Stuff, Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Already
Taken, and Nothing Changes Until You Do.
Mike Robbins is the author of Focus on the
Good Stuff, Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Already Taken, and Nothing Changes Until You
Do. He delivers seminars around the world, his
books are translated into 14 different languages,
and he writes for The Huffington Post.
Garden Herbalism
Darren Huckle
The plant world holds many tools for supporting peace, resiliency, and vitality for those of
us who live intense or busy lives. This interactive and sensory-oriented workshop will
explore amazing herbal allies that powerfully
promote the health of our body, mind, and
energy. Our special focus will be on herbs
that moderate stress response, vitalize energy,
promote healthy sleep, and support an overall
sense of flow and well-being.
We will spend part of the class in the Esalen
garden, where we’ll see, taste, and feel medicinal plants. In the classroom, we’ll experience
a multitude of dried herbs, and in the kitchen
we’ll make a custom herbal tea and tincture
blend for each participant to bring home.
Darren Huckle, LAc, DAOM, has a private practice as an herbalist and acupuncturist in Santa
Cruz, Calif. He teaches holistic health modalities
including herbal medicine, nutrition, acupuncture, and qi gong at Five Branches University and
University of California, Santa Cruz.
Massage for Couples, Friends or
Family Members
Laurie Lioness Parizek & Oliver Bailey
This workshop is designed for loving partners
who wish to bring the nurturing practice of
massage into their daily lives and spend a special weekend together cradled in the beauty
and intensity of the Big Sur coast. It is also for
couples who want to deepen already existing
skills and for those who want to create more
time in their lives for healing and intimacy.
This weekend intensive will focus on teaching couples to give and receive a pleasurable
full-body massage. It will also address issues
such as keeping love, touch, and a healing interchange alive at home during busy or stressful times, touching with care and sensitivity,
asking for what you need, and reciprocity so
that both partners feel nurtured and loved.
Sessions will include both demonstrations
and hands-on instruction with plenty of
practice time.
Although our emphasis will be on loving
touch and communication between couples,
the massage techniques presented are useful
for relaxation, pain, and stress, and can often
increase vital energy. The techniques may
also be used with sensitivity with children as
well as friends and family, providing a useful
tool for health and well-being.
This workshop is also useful for those in the
bio on page 56.
bio on page 54.
Laurie Lioness Parizek
Oliver Bailey
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Week of May 22–27
The Passion of Painting—
Get In, Get Out, and Get On With It!
Erin Gafill
How much more could you create if you
weren’t second-guessing yourself, or walking
away from the easel too soon? During this
workshop, you can learn tricks and practices
to bring you back, including working in a
series, setting a timer, and working with
house-painting brushes and torn paper collage. Experiment and have fun with exercises
that take twenty minutes or less. By utilizing
short blocks of focus and surprising methods, you can awaken creative thinking and
move into perceiving and expressing instead
of overanalyzing. Artist-teachers Erin Lee
Gafill and Tom Birmingham will offer ample
demonstrations of technique, feedback, and
encouragement. Known for their nurturing
teaching styles and dedication to creating a
caring classroom, Tom and Erin have traveled all over the US, Japan, Italy, and Mexico
bringing creativity and painting techniques
to students of all ages. This workshop is
designed for the skilled artist looking for a
creative breakthrough, as well as those who
have never touched a brush.
($50 materials fee for artist-quality paper, paints,
and brushes, paid directly to the leader)
Erin Gafill is an award-winning painter, writer,
and teacher with deep roots in California’s art
history. She is co-founder of the nonprofit Big Sur
Arts Initiative, founding member of the Monterey
Bay Plein Air Painters Association, and author of
Drinking from a Cold Spring, A Little Book
of Hope. www.eringafill.com
• A language of compassion towards self and
others
By learning NVC, we can help liberate ourselves from judging self and others; taking
things personally; and acting and reacting
from fear, duty, obligation, guilt, anger, and
depression. Applying NVC in our daily lives
supports us in:
• Creating new strategies to meet core needs
• Expressing ourselves honestly without
blame, shame, or criticism
• Becoming more effective at everything we do
Martine and Jean bring more than thirty
years of experience sharing this supportive and engaging process, and in 2016 are
celebrating their 13th year at Esalen. The
workshop includes two three-hour sessions
per day using a variety of learning and experiential modalities ranging from serious to
playful and thoughtful to spontaneous. Enjoy
time for self-reflection, journaling, and individual coaching from our experienced team.
($20 material fee paid directly to the leaders)
Recommended reading: Rosenberg, Nonviolent Communication.
Jean Morrison, MA, has been a certified NVC
trainer since 1989. She also is an author and materials designer with a background in psychology
and counseling. In all of her work, she emphasizes
whole-brain learning and thinking, and holistic
health. www.groktheworld.com
Martine Amita Algier is a certified trainer with
The Center for Nonviolent Communication and
a founding member of the West Marin Community Mediation Board, teaching and consulting
with families, business groups, schools, and other
organizations in California and Europe since the
1960s. www.martinealgier.com
More Than a Communication Workshop
Jean Morrison & Martine Amita Algier
Whether you are looking for change in your
close relationships, your work environment, or
your wider world, the principles and practices
of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) offer
a lifetime of support for living your highest
values, and navigating your daily experiences.
NVC has been described in the following
ways:
• A powerful tool for leadership development
and conflict resolution
• A personal practice for clarifying and living
one’s values
• A guide for interpersonal communication
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Relational Gestalt Process:
The Transformative Power of Emotion
Dorothy Charles
In order to become whole, we must engage in
the ongoing process of discovering our own
personal truth. This truth may challenge us,
may even be painful, before it gives us new
freedom and expands our horizons. When we
choose to remain content with intellectual
wisdom only, we limit ourselves and limit
our relationships. When we integrate the full
breadth of our emotional wisdom, we open the
path toward becoming whole.
Experiencing and expressing emotions are
integral to being alive. Learning to fully expe-
rience feelings and express them in healthy
ways enables us to have more pleasurable and
fulfilling relationships. We cannot change the
past. We can change what we have come to believe about our capacity for love and belonging.
Relational Gestalt process is a holistic,
process-oriented, dialogical, phenomenological, existential, and field theoretical approach
to human change with the centrality of contact, awareness, and personal responsiveness
and responsibility. Primacy is given to the
uniqueness of the individual. In this way of
working, people are viewed as an integrated
whole with the innate potential of growth
and mature self-expression.
This experiential and didactic workshop will
blend individual and group Relational Gestalt
work with the intention of finding individual
truths through our felt and expressed emotions, and exploring how these truths will
help strengthen our relationships to self and
others. We will experiment with tracking
emotions as sensations and learn to recognize
them as signals calling for awareness and attention, rather than problems to be avoided.
Dorothy Charles has been a student and teacher
at Esalen since 1982. A student of Esalen cofounder Richard Price, she combines Esalen bodycentered Gestalt with relational Gestalt theory,
and leads workshops in Asia, Europe, and the US.
www.dorothycharles.com
Hanna Somatics: Freeing the Wisdom
of Your Somatic Self
Eleanor Criswell Hanna
Hanna Somatics is a mind-body technique
developed by Thomas Hanna that enables us
to move toward greater mind-body integration, ease of movement, and freedom. This
workshop introduces the somatic self, somatic theory, and exercises for assessing and
somatically transforming ourselves.
Chronic muscle contraction patterns created
by past experiences are unconsciously maintained. Thomas Hanna named this tendency
sensory-motor amnesia (SMA). Hanna Somatics enables us to use our brains to overcome
SMA and the negative effects of stress, trauma,
and aging. It enables us to hear more clearly
the wisdom of our bodies. Hanna Somatics
also enhances performance and well-being.
Through guided somatic exercises, dyad work,
and hands-on demonstrations, this workshop
explores the neuromuscular responses to
emotional states and the wisdom and joy that
come from the body’s renewed awareness and
freedom. The workshop presents:
• How to assess basic postural reflex patterns
that are habituated
• How muscle contraction patterns
affect your somatic disclosures (somatic
communications to others) and somatic
perception of experiences
• How emotions create muscular contraction
patterns
• How to use the daily maintenance exercise
series and other Somatic Exercises to
maintain comfort, ease of movement, and
receive wisdom from your somatic self
• How to teach the somatic exercises to
individuals and groups
This advanced workshop is designed for mental health professionals, physical therapists,
nurses, bodyworkers, and others seeking
to bring the somatic dimension into their
work, as well as individuals seeking further
personal growth. People with prior Hanna
Somatics experience will find this workshop
the next step in their somatic development.
Participants who successfully complete this
workshop will be qualified to teach the basic
Hanna Somatics Exercises.
Recommended reading: Hanna, Somatics,
The Body of Life and Bodies in Revolt; Criswell
Hanna, Biofeedback and Somatics.
Eleanor Criswell Hanna, director of the Novato
Institute for Somatic Research and Training and
an emeritus professor of psychology at Sonoma
State University, is editor of Somatics, and author
of How Yoga Works and Biofeedback and
Somatics. www.somaticsed.com
Love, Sexuality, Relationship and
the Will of Your Heart
Siegmar Gerken & Cornelia Gerken
Love is resonance with the flow of life. It connects us with all existence. We are able to direct this energy and make this love personal in
the expression “I love you.” When we commit
to a relationship, we expand this love onto the
personal and social level with the expression
“I want to experience life with you.” Why is it
then so difficult to keep a relationship alive?
© Patrice Ward
On the level of personality and social interactions, love can become distorted in many
ways. We may romanticize, sexualize, and
idealize love and attach our beliefs, desires,
needs, and hopes to it, thus limiting our
capacity to give and receive love.
In this workshop for individuals and couples,
participants can discover a state of emotional and physical well-being that derives
from rhythmic harmony. Core Evolution®
addresses body-emotion-mind-consciousness
as a unity. The experience of love unifies all
these aspects. A person in love and sexual
harmony communicates and creates from a
place of well-being, peace, joy, and a sense of
fulfillment.
Participants will learn how to identify and
differentiate the nature and main elements
of love, sexuality, and relationship, and their
intention, motivation, needs, and wants in
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Richard Tauber
their relationship with themselves and others, including the nature of triggers, causes of
unhappiness, and the possibilities for change.
Cornelia and Siegmar create a safe space to
look at one’s important topics in life, while
offering dynamic exploration, creative movement, and expression and mindful centering.
For an eight-page magazine interview with
Siegmar Gerken on Love, Sexuality, and
Relationship, please e-mail mail@Core
Evolution.com.
Siegmar Gerken, PhD, has pioneered body-ori-
ented and heart-centered therapy and humanistic psychology since 1971. He is the founder of
Core Evolution® and the Energy & Consciousness Programs™. He teaches at SBGI, conducts
mindfulness-based trainings, and has a private
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practice in Mendocino and the Bay Area, Calif.
www.coreevolution.com
Cornelia Gerken integrates a spectrum of
psychosomatic and healing approaches. With her
husband Siegmar, she cofounded and codirects the
International Institute of Core Evolution. She is the
founder of CoreSoma. www.coreevolution.com.
Mind, Mood and Happiness:
Transforming the Self
Ronald Alexander
Studies in the fields of health psychology, neuroscience, and learned optimism confirm that
people can learn to change their thinking and
behavior in ways that enhance happiness and
well-being. For 2,500 years, the wisdom teachings of the East have utilized what their texts
refer to as “skillful methods” for the study and
transformation of the mind/body. These meditation and visualization practices help cultivate
self-regulation through awareness, concentration, mindfulness, and other attention skills.
This leads to clarity of mind, spaciousness of
self, and greater compassion.
Using techniques from modern positive psychology, mindfulness practices, neuroscience,
creative thinking and non-dual teachings,
participants will be taught skills to calm
the mind, develop a mindful brain, regulate
mind/body states, develop trust with the
unconscious, and explore inner resources for
activating creativity, vitality, and well-being.
Methods include:
• Meditating and practicing psychological
skills to promote insight as well as create
new neural pathways for healthy and
creative brain development
• Exploring natural mind/body healing
rhythms (yogic exercises and somatic
breathing methods)
• Exploring Mindfulness & yogic practice
and somatic expressive methods for
amplification, containment, and release of
affect (feeling states)
• Discovering practices that promote lovingkindness (metta)
These skills are especially applicable for both
self-healing practices and for health care professionals in their work with patients.
Recommended reading: Alexander, Wise Mind
Open Mind: Finding Purpose and Meaning in
Times of Crisis, Loss and Change; Fryba, The Art
of Happiness: Teachings of Buddhist Psychology;
Suzuki, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind.
Ronald Alexander, PhD, is the director of the
Open Mind Training Institute, and leads trainings internationally in mindfulness, mind-body
therapies, and transformational leadership.
He is the author of Wise Mind Open Mind.
www.ronaldalexander.com
Couples’ Communication Retreat
Warren Farrell
Our inability to handle personal criticism
from loved ones is a common Achilles’ heel.
The more deeply we love, the more fragile
we feel. Soon, couples feel they are walking
on eggshells, unable to express themselves
honestly, and their love fades. Raising
children and money magnify the problems
even as they become the reason couples
stay together. The result? Couples often
remain legally married but psychologically
divorced—in a minimum-security-prison
marriage. The biggest culprit? Defensiveness. Active listening, a good solution, is
rarely used. When Warren Farrell discovered that active listeners often said the right
thing, but did not feel safe on the inside, he
developed a method of transforming the
internal defensiveness into feeling loved. To
enhance the love, couples also are taught an
“art and discipline of love” to be practiced
throughout the week. After the workshop,
free on-going group conference calls with
Dr. Farrell allow the group to continually
grow with each other. This workshop is
for couples–two people with a history who
desire a future (e.g., parents, married or divorced; newlyweds; parent-child; siblings).
Recommended reading: Farrell, Women Can’t
Hear What Men Don’t Say and Father and Child
Reunion.
Warren Farrell, PhD, has been a pioneer in both
the women’s and men’s movements. His books are
published in 17 languages. His workshops and
books, including Women Can’t Hear What
Men Don’t Say, train couples and therapists to
handle personal criticism without feeling defensive. www.warrenfarrell.com/
Fully Alive: Unveil yourself through
Mindfulness, Yoga and Conscious Dance
Jovinna Chan
Who am I? What is my purpose? What is the
most importing thing right now in my life?
Have you asked yourself these questions?
According to the Bhagavad Gita, an ancient
yogic scripture, it is better to live your own
dharma (calling) imperfectly, than to live
someone else’s dharma perfectly. Sometimes,
however, the greatest challenge is recognizing
your dharma. The Gita and your own body
offer guidance.
In this experiential program, cultivate your
authentic self through the transformative
practices of yoga and free-form movement. If
you’re feeling stuck, if you’re ready to pursue
your calling, or if you simply love yoga and
dance, this program invites you to come alive.
Through conscious movement, build the
courage to listen to your inner calling. Once
you experience the physical and felt sense
of being in alignment–breath flowing, body
free, full engagement–you can draw on this
embodied knowing to discern your passions
and dharma. Return home with simple principles drawn from yoga and Soul Motion™ to
transform your everyday life. No experience
required. Please bring a journal.
Recommended reading: Easwaran, tr., The
Bhagavad Gita.
Jovinna Chan, E-RYT 500, is a life mentor and
co-founder of Shakti Initiation, and leads transformational programs around the world. She is
a faculty member of Pranotthan School of Yoga,
served as the assistant dean, 200- and 500-hour
teacher trainer for the Kripalu School of Yoga, and
she’s also certified in LetYourYogaDance and Soul
Motion™. www.jovinna.com
Family Mindfulness Retreat
Ivy Mayer Lavie & Shai Lavie
Imagine a beautiful and protected space that
supports you to mindfully turn within and
find greater ease, and gives you space to play
and just be with your family—all held in the
dramatic natural surroundings of Esalen.
This family retreat offers time to unplug from
the busyness of life and find meaningful
reconnection within and without. We will
have time together as a group, and time when
adults and children meet separately. Adult
meditations will support quieting the mind,
opening the heart, and being present to the
beauty and challenge of life. Within this we’ll
include time for discussion about making our
family life an integral part of our spiritual
practice. The children’s meetings will utilize
Esalen’s beautiful natural setting (including
the Gazebo Park School with its animals and
gardens), and games to introduce mindfulness and kindness in enjoyable, age-appropriate ways. This program is open to families of
any configuration or spiritual background,
with children ages 3-13. Children of different
ages may be allowed with the permission of
instructors. Please contact ivymayer@yahoo.
com with any questions. A portion of the
proceeds from this workshop will benefit the
Gazebo Park School, an open air school for
infants and children on the Esalen grounds.
Join us for fun, play, and connection as we
learn to be more present with our families
and with ourselves.
Ivy Mayer Lavie, MFT, is influenced by Somatic
Experiencing, the Hakomi Method, and her teaching experience, including for The Marin School,
The Moving Center School, Spirit Rock, and Yes!.
She offers Coming of Age programs, psychotherapy, trauma and resiliency work, and movement
workshops.
Shai Lavie, MA, MFT, is a certified Hakomi
therapist and Somatic Experiencing practitioner with a private practice in San Rafael, Calif.
Shai teaches mindfulness-centered psychotherapy
through the Hakomi Institute of California, the
Marin Mindfulness Institute, and as an adjunct
professor at Sofia University. www.shailavie.com
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Week of May 29–June 3
The Upledger Institute International’s
CranioSacral Therapy 1
Melinda Naye
CranioSacral therapy is a gentle, noninvasive,
hands-on technique to help detect and correct imbalances in the craniosacral system
that may cause sensory, motor, or intellectual
dysfunction. It is used to treat a myriad of
health problems, including headaches, neck
and back pain, TMJ dysfunction, chronic
fatigue, motor coordination difficulties, eye
problems, endogenous depression, hyperactivity, and central nervous system disorders.
Participants will learn the detailed anatomy
and physiology of the craniosacral system, its
functions in health, and its relationship to the
disease processes. Half of the class time will
be hands-on, developing the sensitive palpatory skills needed to detect subtle stimuli in
the human body.
Class material will concentrate on palpation
and its potential as an evaluative and therapeutic process; fascial and soft-tissue release
methods; and the pressurestat model, which
explains the mechanism of the craniosacral
system. Participants will learn a ten-step
protocol for evaluation and treatment of the
entire body. By the end of this intensive program, participants will be able to identify and
localize significant restrictions and imbalances in the craniosacral system.
Note: Registration for this workshop is
through the International Alliance of
Healthcare Educators (IAHE) only. IAHE is
a coalition of curriculum developers united
to advance innovative therapies through high
quality continuing education programs. To
register, please call 1-800-311-9204. Only
after you have registered with IAHE and paid
tuition fees will you be able to reserve accommodations at Esalen. For accommodations
pricing chart, see http://www.esalen.org/page/
partner-program-pricing.
Recommended reading: Upledger and Vredevoogd, CranioSacral Therapy (chapters 1-6);
Upledger, Your Inner Physician and You.
CE credit for acupuncturists; see leader.
CE credit for CA PT; see leader.
Melinda Naye is an instructor with the Upledger
Institute who teaches CranioSacral Therapy
(CST) worldwide. She is passionate about the CST
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paradigm that asserts the body can heal itself. She
lives and practices in Auburn, Calif.
Abandonment to Healing: Overcoming
Your Self-Defeating Patterns
Susan Anderson
Abandonment is a primal human fear and the
underlying cause of emotional distress and
dysfunction. Susan Anderson, psychotherapist and author of Taming Your Outer Child
and Journey from Abandonment to Healing, will
share powerful tools of emotional and spiritual healing to help you reverse abandonment’s
universal wound. You will be taught exercises
for each of the five stages of abandonment:
shattering, withdrawal, internalizing, rage,
and lifting; how to conquer “abandoholism”
and other outer child behaviors; how to
make new connections; and steps for healing
abandonment. Whether you’re experiencing
a recent breakup, a lingering wound from the
past, or struggling to overcome self-defeating
patterns, the tools will propel your growth,
help restore your sense of self, and increase
your capacity for love.
Recommended reading: Anderson, Taming
Your Outer Child, Journey from Abandonment to
Healing, and Black Swan: 12 Lessons of Abandonment Recovery.
Susan Anderson is a psychotherapist who has
spent 30 years of research, scholarship, and clinical
experience working with victims of abandonment
trauma and loss. Founder of “Abandonment
Recovery,” she is author of Taming Your Outer
Child, Journey from Abandonment to
Healing, Black Swan, and others.
www.abandonment.net
Liberate Your Writing!
Sarah McLean
For many, writing is a spiritual practice that
leads to a profound experience of timelessness. A single moment of inspiration can take
you on an imaginative journey beyond time
and space. The same is true of meditation and
mindfulness practices, which can transform
you physically, spiritually, and emotionally
as they lift the veil of distraction so you can
commune with your true nature. During this
workshop, best-selling author and meditation
teacher Sarah McLean leads you into provocative mindfulness practices, deep meditations,
and expansive writing exercises. She’ll show
you how to listen to and trust your creative
soul, explore your imagination, transcend
your inner critic, and spontaneously express
yourself from a place of deep creativity. You’ll
write, deeply listen to yourself, and be heard,
perhaps for the very first time. You don’t have
to be especially artistic, poetic, or clear to
write deeply. You simply need a desire delve
into self-awareness, and a willingness to
express yourself in writing, even if only for a
week.
Bring your favorite journal, writing instrument, and meditation cushion if you have
one.
Recommended reading: Goldberg, Writing
Down the Bones; McLean, Soul-Centered: Transform Your Life in 8 Weeks with Meditation.
Sarah McLean is a contemporary mindfulness
and meditation teacher and best-selling author.
She’s taught thousands of people to be more
present, live with more self-awareness, and meet
their own minds with meditation. She directs the
McLean Meditation Institute in Sedona, Ariz.,
known for its international teacher certification
program. www.McLeanMeditation.com
Gravity and Grace: Yoga for Rewiring
the Subtle Body
Peter Sterios
“Your mind is a powerful tool of attention,
where everything is temporary and nothing
is impossible,” Peter Sterios writes. “Using
gravity creatively as a catalyst for movement,
and grace as a byproduct of surrender, you
can experience the gentle rewiring of the
neural circuits responsible for effortless motion, healing, and infinite possibility.”
With an experienced guide and twice-daily
yoga practices, this program can help you
uncover refined levels of attention and focus,
which are natural outcomes of conscious action. It all starts with the understanding that
our bodies possess many ‘minds’ including
the mind in our brain, the mind in our spine,
the mind in our heart, and the mind in our
gut, to name a few. Each yoga pose has been
developed to encourage greater sensitivity
in these seats of mind, through movement
and exercises designed to build flexibility,
strength, and stillness. This five-day program
will include unique yoga-related movement
and guided meditations suitable for those
with any level of experience, from any style of
yoga. Instruction will be given with lighthanded guidance and accompanied by mystical live music.
Recommended reading: Blakeslee and
Angie Smith
Blakeslee, The Body has a Mind of its Own;
Roach & McNally, How Yoga Works.
Peter Sterios is an internationally recognized
yoga instructor. His DVD, Gravity & Grace,
placed in the top 15 yoga videos of all time by
Yoga Journal (2010). From 2011-2013, he was
invited to the White House to teach yoga for
Michelle Obama’s anti-obesity initiatives.
www.petersterios.com
Experiencing the Esalen Farm
and Garden
Christopher La Rose & Jessica Spain
For more than forty years, the Esalen Farm
and Garden has provided a holistic model of
food security and sustainability—producing
food that sustains, heals, and educates the
community. Growing one’s own food is a
powerful form of activism and a deep source
of spiritual experience. The Esalen Farm and
Garden staff strives to cultivate soil, plants,
and people while honoring the spirit of the
land and its ancestors.
This dynamic workshop experience provides
the opportunity to immerse yourself in the
Farm and Garden alongside our talented and
experienced staff. This week will introduce
you to the practical and experiential knowledge needed to start or refine your own garden,
as well as a chance to revel in the beauty and
power of the Esalen land. You will gain handson experience with topics including seed
starting, harvesting, cultivation, transplanting,
composting, seed saving, flowers, and herbs.
We invite you to explore working on the land
as a physical, emotional and spiritual experience. As an Esalen work tradition, Gestalt
awareness practice is integrated into our time
together, to support our growth processes
and group relationships. Each morning after
harvest, we gather in a sharing circle to connect with ourselves and each other before
the day of learning and working. We ground
and connect with the land through mindful
and playful activities and rituals. The week
culminates with a farm-to-table dinner that
we prepare and share in gratitude together on
the beautiful farm.
Christopher LaRose combines a background
in counseling and Gestalt practice with a love of
horticulture and farming in his role as teacher
and land steward. He is the former Esalen Garden
supervisor, and has taught at the UCSC Center
for Agroecology.
Jessica Spain has a passion for teaching others to
grow food. She has 14 years of diverse agricultural
experiences, from raising milk goats in California
to working on a barley farm in Iceland. She is the
former Esalen Farm Supervisor.
Weekend of June 3–5
Soul Motion™ : Freedom to Soar
Vinn Arjuna Martí
“Are you ready to rediscover your body
relaxed and restored to its natural birthright
of flexibility, ease, and wonder?” asks Vinn
Martí. “Then join us to create dances of
spacious teaching and learning of creativity,
relationships, and sacred prayer. In our time
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together we will open the portals of unity
and meet the curious player and the prayer
within. With a light touch and deep inquiry
we’ll dance the dance of relaxed liberation,
and cultivate the power to soar high above
the tensions and constrictions that hold us in
freeze frame. Together we will look beyond
limitations in the body and anxieties of the
mind to embrace the openness of the heart
and jump feet first into our dance. The dance
we are meant to do. The dance we must do.
“Soul Motion is a conscious dance practice
that utilizes facilitated and unscripted movement, recorded music from all genres, and
stillness practice to access creativity, cultivate
healthy relationships, and dialogue with that
divine spark that animates all living things.
I welcome you to come and experience the
excitement, the energy, and the enlivened
presence which dances all of us as we come
together to dance and move body and soul.
Soul Motion is for every body.”
bio on page 32.
Ann Weiser Cornell
Do you sabotage yourself? Is there something
you really need to get done but you just don’t
do it? Are there parts of your life that stay
stuck no matter how hard you try? Do you
have to force yourself to do what you need to
do—and even that doesn’t work?
Inspired by what she learned while releasing
her own writer’s block, Ann Weiser Cornell
created a step-by-step program to help you
get unblocked and find your forward-flowing
action. It’s based on Inner Relationship
Focusing, a body-based method for listening
deeply to yourself.
Learn how to create a climate of acceptance
and welcome within, so that you can hear
your blocking and pushing parts without getting caught up in the struggle. Discover the
myths and patterns of action blocks and why
the harder you try, the less you get done.
In a safe and supportive atmosphere that
respects your inner sense of rightness, you
start with a blocked life issue of your choice
and follow it through a series of exercises
to release what’s been holding the block in
place. You can take home skills to use over
and over whenever life gets stuck. Helping
professionals can learn powerful tools for
working with clients.
Ann Weiser Cornell is the best-selling author
of The Power of Focusing and The Radical
Acceptance of Everything. She teaches her
popular workshops in Inner Relationship
Focusing and Getting Unblocked internationally,
both in person and by telephone bridge line.
www.focusingresources.com
Women’s Intimacy, Desire and
Eroticism: The Triumvirate of
Sexual Pleasure
Alexandra Katehakis
Do you know the difference between intimacy, desire, and eroticism? Do you find yourself
Daniel Bianche t ta
Vinn Arjuna Martí
Getting Unblocked
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churning through lovers because your sexual
desire drops off over time? This in-depth
workshop for women will assist in revealing
the answers to these questions, which reside
in past sexual experiences and in sexual
fantasies. When we deconstruct shameful
family of origin and cultural messages about
what “good girls” do and don’t do sexually, we
can honestly admit our most ardent sexual
desires to ourselves. Taking ownership of our
adult sexuality frees us to make better relationship choices, communicate what we want
and need to an intimate lover, and be more
capable of creating and keeping an exciting
sexual relationship over time. This workshop,
open to women of all sexual orientations,
will examine peak sexual experiences and
sexual fantasies in order to pluck out your hedonic goals. Mindful body awareness, group
interaction, and juicy conversations will
allow your unique erotic map to emerge, thus
increasing your erotic intelligence. Alexandra
Katehakis takes a psycho/spiritual/sexual
approach to sexuality and defines erotic intelligence as the “deliberate seeking of pleasure
coupled with the skilled use of reason.” Please
bring a journal.
Recommended reading: Katehakis and Bliss,
Mirror of Intimacy: Daily Meditations on Emotional and Erotic Intelligence.
Alexandra Katehakis, MFT, is founder/clini-
cal director of the Center for Healthy Sex in Los
Angeles, Calif., co-author of Mirror of Intimacy:
Daily Reflections on Emotional and Erotic
Intelligence, and author of Erotic Intelligence:
Igniting Hot Healthy Sex While in Recovery
From Sex Addiction.
Sharing Your Life Story from
the Page to the Stage
Ann Randolph
Writing from your deepest source, gain
insight and self-understanding that can bring
peace and healing. You will then make your
words leap from the page to the stage, sharing
them orally to uncover the power of story
to transform your life and your listeners.
Through improvisation, writing exercises,
and group discussion, you will find your
authentic voice, along with an honest, organic
way to express your truth.
Ann Randolph creates a supportive, fun, and
dynamic space in which to create. All levels
are welcome. This is a workshop for those
seeking to explore personal essay, memoir,
solo performance, or the sacred practice of
journaling.
Topics include:
• Writing exercises to stimulate memory
• Learning to structure the narrative in a
compelling way
• Discovering ways to create spontaneously
• Overcoming performance anxiety
• Utilizing tools to release yourself from the
inner critic
• Transforming your ideas/stories into
performance
Recommended reading: Pressfield, War of Art.
Ann Randolph
bio on page 73.
Basic Sanity: Zen Wisdom for Daily Life
Jody Greene & Linda Galijan
In this workshop, we’ll study core principles
from the Zen tradition that can help us bring
greater sanity, presence, and ease to our daily
living. While Zen is often associated with
black-clad monks in deep meditation staring
at a wall, Zen is also a remarkably flexible
and enlivening toolbox for learning how to
be present to our everyday experience, real
with our emotions, and honest with both
ourselves and others. It offers simple, invaluable guidance for such life skills as gathering
our lifeforce, cutting down on resistance to
what’s happening now, diminishing reactivity and projection in our relationships with
others, and facing the reality of change in our
lives. Both Linda and Jody have experience
with monastic practice, and Linda currently
directs the oldest Zen monastery in America,
Tassajara. Together they are committed to
bringing the living wisdom of Zen to a wider
audience that may find these principles transformative, both in reducing suffering and
increasing life energy and joy.
Recommended reading: Suzuki, Zen Mind,
Beginner’s Mind; Trungpa, Smile at Fear.
has been practicing Zen Buddhism
and Yoga since 2001, and has taught yoga and
meditation both privately and at Yoga Tree in San
Francisco, Esalen Institute, and Tassajara Zen
Mountain Center.
Linda Galijan, PhD, was ordained by Sojun Mel
Weitsman in 2004 and received dharma transmission from him in 2012. She has been a professional
musician, a massage therapist, and a licensed
clinical psychologist, and has practiced yoga for
over 20 years. She currently serves as director of
Tassajara.
Jody Greene
Claiming Your Voice
Meredith Haberfeld
Some of the greatest leaps in personal development come when we stop believing that
others have more access to deep wisdom than
we do, have superior opinions to ours, or hold
sway over us—when we finally know at the
end of the day that we can trust ourselves.
This workshop will address many aspects
of claiming your voice—in writing, in vocal
work, and, most importantly, in daily life
through the choices you make in it. The
program will help you gain access to your
many inner voices as well as different aspects
of your character, many of which you suppress and ignore, but which can each provide
important insights and wisdom in your
everyday life. Finally you can get comfortable
in your own skin.
You will deepen the ability to hear yourself—
and all that there is to hear. What does your
body say about how you feel right now? What
do your emotions have to tell you? What feelings and messages have you been resisting?
This workshop will teach you to allow them
to surface so you can come deeper into your
own power.
The days of being guided by pleasing others
and trying to fix yourself are over. This program is for anyone of any age ready to sink into
the experience of being and trusting yourself.
Meredith Haberfeld is acclaimed for her work
with individuals, couples, and families. She participated in the creation of the life coaching program at MIT, and her advice has been included
in Forbes, Woman’s Day, and Yoga Journal
magazines. www.meredithhaberfeld.com
Week of June 5–10
Qigong Empowerment and
Healing Intensive
Robert Peng
As a boy in China, Robert Peng apprenticed
secretly under the legendary Buddhist monk
Xiao Yao, who trained him in the martial
and healing arts. As part of his training,
Peng spent 100 days meditating and fasting
in a dark, underground chamber deep in the
mountains of the Chinese countryside. Xiao
Yao visited him daily and instructed him in
advanced practices to accelerate his spiritual
development.
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Now, Peng offers a distillation of his training in the form of Qigong Empowerments.
During the week, you will be shown fundamentals of qigong to awaken, empower, and
integrate three important energy centers,
called Dantians, which regulate wisdom, love,
and vitality. When these three qualities are
activated and harmonized, you can transform
your energy and improve your relationships
and the quality of your life.
You will be shown the following:
• Hologram palm to empower your three
Dantians
• Breathing empowerment of the central
meridian
• Three treasures standing meditation to
strengthen your willpower
• Four golden wheels movement exercise to
make your body more supple
• Lotus meditation to open your heart to
divine energies
During the week, Peng will conduct powerful group healing energy through breathing
and visualization. He will also lead chanting to organize the group’s energy field into
a harmonious pattern, so that all organs
flow smoothly and exude radiant healthy
light.
Recommended reading: Peng with Nasser,
The Master Key: Qigong Secrets for Vitality, Love,
and Wisdom.
Robert Peng is a qigong master and teacher who
has trained 150,000 students throughout the
world. From the age of 8, he apprenticed under
Xiao Yao. The distillation of his training is reflected in The Master Key: Qigong Secrets for
Vitality, Love, and Wisdom book and CD/DVD
series. www.robertpeng.com
God, Sex and the Body
Jonathan Horan
God, Sex and the Body is and always will be a
profound and integral part of the 5Rhythms®
curriculum. It has personally informed my way of
being, my teaching style, and, most deeply, my
acceptance of who I am and who I am not.
–Gabrielle Roth
“In the series of maps that comprise the
dancing path of the 5Rhythms movement
practice, God, Sex and the Body is an initiation into being an embodied soul,” Jonathan
Horan writes. “It is a deeply personal journey,
a celebration like no other, and a ritual for the
hot and holy you.
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“This journey is a call to stretch our imaginations with a long-forgotten innocence and
move through a spectrum of feminine and
masculine archetypes; to dress up these
characters through ritual theater, get inside
them, and give them expression. No one else
can be a man or woman exactly like you. No
one else can embody your soul, project your
magic, or embody your specific curiosity.
Part lover, part artist, part god, we were born
to rock the world and feel our way into each
other’s hearts.
“Grounded in the 5Rhythms movement practice, this workshop can liberate and inspire
us to emerge a bit more fascinated with one
another and the mystery of our experience in
the world.”
Jonathan Horan is Gabrielle Roth’s son and closest
collaborator. He is on the core faculty of her international institute, The Moving Center. Jonathan
has been immersed in the 5Rhythms® practice
throughout his life and continues to be a key catalyst in its evolution. www.gabrielleroth.com
Visionseeker: The Shaman’s Path
into Illumination
Hank Wesselman
Bring drums and rattles, a notebook, sketchpad, a small set of oil or chalk pastels, a bandana or eyeshade, and a light blanket. Please
refrain from alcohol during the workshop.
Recommended reading: Ingerman & Wesselman, Awakening to the Spirit World; Wesselman, The Bowl of Light and Journey to the Sacred
Garden.
Hank Wesselman
bio on page 38.
Sharing Your Life Story from
the Page to the Stage
Ann Randolph
This is an invitation for you to discover your
own unique and powerful story and the
profound transformation that occurs when
you speak it out loud. You’ll learn how to trust
your creative impulses, thus embracing all of
who you are. By becoming the author of your
own life and learning how to tell your own
story, you will not only learn to craft your experience into a compelling narrative, but you
will also unleash a sense of purpose in your
own life that you never thought possible.
Through improvisation, writing exercises,
and group discussion, you can cultivate a
fearlessness in speaking your truth.
The rediscovery of shamanism has emerged
as a major thrust in the spiritual reawakening of the Western world. The techniques of
traditional shamans provide an extraordinary
method for accessing hidden dimensions of
reality and connecting with inner sources of
power and wisdom.
Ann Randolph creates a supportive, fun, and
dynamic space in which to create. All levels
are welcome. This is a workshop for those
seeking to explore personal essay, memoir,
solo performance, or the sacred practice of
journaling.
Hank Wesselman writes, “We will rediscover
our indigenous heart through the classic
shamanic journey, reestablishing connections with our spirit helpers, teachers, and
ancestors, as we engage in visionary fieldwork
and examine the nature of health, illness, and
healing from the perspective of spirit medicine.” The workshop offers a clear introduction for those new to the shaman’s path, and,
for the more experienced, provides unique
material on the soul cluster from the Hawaiian kahuna perspective.
• Writing exercises to stimulate memory
• Learning to structure the narrative in a
compelling way
• Discovering ways to create spontaneously
• Utilizing tools to release yourself from the
inner critic
• Transforming your ideas/stories into
performance
Wesselman has worked for more than
thirty years with scientists investigating the
mystery of human origins in East Africa, and
has spent much of his life with indigenous
people. In the 1970s, doing fieldwork in Ethiopia, he began to have spontaneous visionary
experiences strikingly like those of traditional shamans. His wife, Jill Kuykendall, is a
physical therapist and transpersonal medical
practitioner, specializing in soul retrieval.
Topics include:
Recommended reading: Pressfield, War of Art.
Ann Randolph
bio on page 73.
New Self, New World: A Healing
Embodiment of Consciousness
Philip Shepherd
“Here’s a little-known fact: 8,000 years ago
our ancestors experienced their thinking in
the belly,” proposes Philip Shepherd. “They
relied on that thinking because it allowed
them to consciously ‘be,’ feeling the life of the
world around them. As we became a culture
of ‘doers’ who farmed, erected buildings, and
rode horses, our center of thinking began to
rise and change. When it migrated into the
head, we turned away from the Mother of
earthly abundance and gave our allegiance to
male gods of the sky. Our evolving consciousness has arrived at the limit of that trajectory.
We can all feel this in the anxiety, disconnection, and imbalances around and within
us. We now face a new trajectory: a healing
embodiment of consciousness that reunites
us with the genius of our “being within the
belly,” and harmonizes it with the familiar
intelligence of the head.”
Philip Shepherd is the author of New Self, New
World: Recovering Our Senses in the TwentyFirst Century, which shows how our relationship
with the body has changed over history, and serves
as the template for all our relationships.
www.philipshepherd.com
Plein Air Painting in Big Sur
Jennifer McChristian
Join award-winning painter Jennifer McChristian for a five-day intensive workshop
for all levels of artists who want to learn the
time-honored joy of painting en plein air.
Painting en plein air is a term made popular
by the French Impressionists and translates as “painting in the open air.” The deep
spiritual connection to nature derived from
this form of intense observation has made it
a lasting tradition which is especially needed
in these modern times.
The aim is to learn to interpret nature in
terms of paint, using light and color to cre-
ate form. Color relationships, design and
composition, simplifying, and the benefits
of painting outdoors are discussed, as well as
how to design and build a painting that carries an emotional impact. Students focus on
values, shapes, edges, and color as they relate
to painting.
There are brief demonstrations each day and
one-on-one advice in the field. Exercises include creating small 6x8” color sketches, where
students will paint color block-ins and value
studies prior to working on larger canvases.
In the event of inclement weather, students
must bring with them several reference photographs of landscapes.
Recommended reading: Payne, Composition
of Outdoor Painting; Carlson, Carlson’s Guide to
Landscape Painting; Goerschner & Lehrman,
Oil Painting, The Workshop Experience.
Jennifer McChristian is an award-winning artist
who was born and raised in Montreal, Canada.
In 1986, she moved to California, where she was
an animation artist for Disney and Nickelodeon,
among other studios. She has studied under Robert Blue, Karl Dempwolf, and Steve Huston, and
leads painting and drawing workshops internationally. www.jennifermcchristian.com
Daniel Bianche t ta
In this intimate workshop, Philip guides you
through a series of simple and yet profound
experiences that provide the insights, skills,
and practices to carry you into that harmony
and its attunement to the present. This is not
a matter of listening to the body, as though it
were divided from the mind by a wall; it is the
wholeness of listening to the world through
the body. When that happens, we find that we
are not merely living in the present; we find
the present living in us.
Recommended reading: Shepherd, New
Self, New World: Recovering Our Senses in the
Twenty-First Century.
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Mindfulness and Lovingkindness
Meditation
Shauna Shapiro
Come learn how to rest in the heart of
joy, ease and loving presence. Drawing on
practices of mindfulness and lovingkindness
as well as revolutionary research in neuroscience, we will explore the transformational
power of meditation. We will discover how
the weaving together of lovingkindness and
mindfulness supports us in healing and living a joyful, vital and compassionate life.
In this workshop, you’ll be taught simple
yet potent meditation practices, including
loving-kindness practices, mindfulness
meditation, mindful movement, and yoga.
We will also learn about new research in neuroscience that offers this hopeful message:
We can change and reshape our brain to live
healthier, happier lives. We will become familiar with specific practices and techniques
for cultivating greater joy, ease, presence,
and genuine compassion, and explore how
to integrate these effortlessly into our daily
lives. We will immerse ourselves in the striking natural beauty of Esalen, allowing the
sounds and vistas of the ocean, the exquisite
coastline, and bountiful gardens to nourish
and support our practice.
This workshop is appropriate for anyone curious about meditation and how to deepen our
connection with the beauty and mystery of
life. Be prepared for unexpected delight. This
workshop is suitable for all health care and
education professionals.
Recommended reading: Shapiro and Carlson,
The Art and Science of Mindfulness; Salzberg,
Lovingkindness.
Shauna Shapiro bio on page 46.
Guardian Qigong: Boost Your
Inner Power
Robert Peng
When our internal organs are strong and
healthy, we radiate an energy field called
Guardian Qi that protects the body from
the environment. Strong Guardian Qi also
enhances the immune system. Some qigong
masters meditate outdoors in wintertime
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for hours by generating internal heat. They
are covered by an invisible blanket of warm
Guardian Qi and don’t catch cold. Guardian
Qi acts like a bulletproof vest that also can
protect from mental and emotional stress.
The connection between health and stress is
well known, and in qigong that connection
depends on the condition of our Guardian Qi.
In this workshop, we focus on working on
certain vertebra to strengthen the internal
organs through Seasonal Empowerment and
by practicing a special exercise known as 4
Cycles that originates from the fabled Shaolin
Temple. Using these methods, we strengthen
our Guardian Qi. Robert Peng will also conduct powerful group healing by inviting in
vast universal energy so that all of our organs
may flow smoothly and exude radiant healthy
light. This workshop is open to everyone.
Recommended reading: Peng with Nasser,
The Master Key: Qigong Secrets for Vitality, Love,
and Wisdom.
Robert Peng
bio on page 91.
Gay Men Thriving in Love and Sex
through Mindfulness
Rik Isensee & James Guay
Gay men have been at the forefront of sexual
liberation, countering homophobia, and
expanding the boundaries of sexuality and
intimacy. Yet, many gay men sense there
is something missing in their sexual and
emotional relationships. How do we create or
maintain the aliveness of a thriving sexuality,
while at the same time being conscious of our
choices, mindful of their effects, and kind to
each other in the process? We may not associate passion and sensuality with mindfulness;
however, being in deeper connection with
ourselves in the present moment allows for
greater connection with others, too. This is
not a “hands-on” erotic workshop, but it is
a safe space for gay men to talk about our
desires, practice mindfulness, and get in
touch with our own true values. Come join us
as we explore how mindfulness can actually
expand our sense of choice in both sexual
desire and emotional intimacy.
Recommended reading: Isensee, Shift Your
Mood; Goldstein, Mindfulness.
Rik Isensee, LCSW, practices psychotherapy in
San Francisco. He is the author of 3 self-help books
for gay men, plus the mindfulness guide, Shift
Your Mood. He is enrolled in the Mindfulness
Professional Teacher Training certification
program through The Mindfulness Institute.
www.GayMenThriving.com
James Guay, MFT, is a psychotherapist in West
Hollywood, Calif. He guides his clients using
mindfulness and compassion to break free from
unhealthy limitations. James is the author of the
e-book, The Gay Man’s Guide to Authentic
Living. www.LivingMoreFully.com
Practical Intuition: Full Effectiveness
Living
Laura Day
You cannot divide the material and the spiritual world. We are all part of one energy, and
yet we often revere the spirit without valuing
the material “self” too. We create a lot of
inspiration but little material manifestation
here on earth. The evidence of evolved humanity and spirituality is the ability to make
an effective impact on the physical world.
You are already doing heavy lifting every day
in the countless acts and challenges of being
human. However, injury to ego development
in childhood can impair your ability to use
intuitive and healing energy to create the life
that you want. Pure spirit is not the goal of
life—effective humanity is. This workshop
can repair the ego so that you can channel the
infinite power that belongs to each of us.
In this experiential weekend intensive, we
will be using intuition, healing, meditation,
ego retrieval, ritual, group channeling, and
other practices to actualize your goals, and
experience life in all of its complexity with
more joy and mastery. Come work as a community of intuitives and healers to re-create
our lives together. Please bring a blindfold, a
journal, and a folder for handouts
Note: During this workshop you will be
exploring the healing capacities of directed
intuition; part of this includes participating in and conducting intuitive readings.
Intuition lends itself to direct, clear insight.
This workshop can be very confrontational
and sometimes uncomfortable. Please be
sure you are able to approach this work
with that in mind, and are willing to push
your boundaries (and have your boundaries
pushed). Please refer to required reading for
more information.
Required reading: Day, The Circle: How The
Power of a Single Wish Can Change Your Life
and How to Rule the World from Your Couch.
Laura Day has taught at Esalen Insitute for more
than 2 decades. A New York Times best-selling
Jenna Kripal
author of 6 books on intuition in business, love,
and healing, Laura travels the world creating
communities of intuitives and healers.
www.practicalintuition.com
Week of June 12–17
The Painting Process Rediscovered:
The Magic of Spontaneous Expression
Michele Cassou
For many of us, it is difficult to simply let go
and create. Programmed to fear being judged,
we set narrow boundaries on our creativity. The “dragons” of product, meaning, and
control limit our choices of subjects, colors,
and forms. However, once we find Point Zero,
the ground from which creation springs, we
can push these fears aside and recapture the
magic of spontaneous creation. This work offers practical ways to dissolve creative blocks
and find inspiration so that, in a state of infinite possibility, art becomes not a means to an
end but a place we inhabit, a place to explore
our true selves and the mystery of our lives.
Michele Cassou has created an original approach to painting as a tool for self-discovery
and spiritual exploration, guiding students
for more than twenty years. This workshop
is five days of painting, support, stimulation,
free play, and self-realization for artists and
seekers of all stripes, educators, counselors,
meditators—anyone with a thirst to revitalize
the creative juices. No experience is necessary, just the desire to unleash your spontaneous self-expression. All you need to bring is
a painting apron and comfortable shoes. All
other materials will be provided by the leader.
For more information visit www.michele
cassou.com.
Recommended reading, viewing, and listening: All materials are available at www.michelecassou.com. Books: Cassou, Point Zero: Creativity Without Limits, Life, Paint and Passion,
Questions: To Awaken Your Creative Power to the
Fullest, Kids Play: Igniting Children’s Creativity,
The Buddhist Art Doctor, and Teachers that Dare.
DVDs: Cassou, Birth of a Process, Point Zero, The
Flowering of Children’s Creativity, and Awakening of the Mystic. CDs: Cassou, Creativity With-
out Limits, Creativity Rediscovered, and Spiritual
Aspects of Creativity (6 volumes).
Michele Cassou, artist and teacher, developed the
Point Zero Painting Method, using painting for
self-discovery and for exploring the spiritual dimensions of the creative process. She teaches across
the US and Europe, at Zen centers and other
venues. www.michelecassou.com
Wake Up and Write!
(Writing as a Path to Awakening)
Albert Flynn DeSilver
Are you ready to experience, and then write
forth, the truth of who you really are? Writing is an exploration of consciousness, a
practice toward deeper self-awareness, and it
moves us along the path of awakening to our
true nature. Many of our greatest spiritual
teachers from around the world were, and
are, writers. From Sappho and Rumi to Pema
Chodron, Thomas Merton, Jack Kornfield,
and the Dalai Lama—the written word has the
power not only to inspire, but also to awaken
the very best in the human heart.
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Reuven Shelef
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Join us for this exciting week exploring your
inner and outer creativity. The days will
include periods of sitting meditation, writing
exercises, readings, standing meditation, creative visualization, Q&A, sharing, and discussion. Come be inspired by your own innate
creativity, and experience deeper levels of
awareness through the practice of meditation,
inquiry, writing, and listening to words. You
will be shown innovative writing prompts
and techniques, ways to free yourself of writing blocks, and how to access deeper levels
of creativity. You can leave with stronger
writing skills, an expanded sense of your own
divine being, and an extensive understanding of the connection between creativity and
consciousness.
This workshop is ideal for both seasoned and
new writers—journal writers, memoirists,
novelists, poets, and others seeking to explore
the written word with an open heart and
imaginative mind.
Recommended reading: Kabat-Zinn, Where
Ever You Go There You Are; Lamott, Bird by
Bird; Milosz ed., A Book of Luminous Things.
Albert Flynn DeSilver is a poet, author, teacher,
and speaker. His latest book is Beamish Boy
(I Am Not My Story): A Memoir of Recovery
& Awakening. Albert teaches at The Omega
Institute, Spirit Rock, and at numerous writing
conferences. He has been meditating, writing,
and teaching for almost 20 years.
www.albertflynndesilver.com
Simply Wild: Experiencing Nature
Steven Harper with Adam Rumack
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through
the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done.
—Mary Oliver
The week is simple. We stroll through
the wilds of Big Sur on hikes, soak in the
natural mineral hot springs, eat good wholesome food, and commune with ourselves,
others, and nature. With the bare attention
of awareness and wilderness as our teacher,
we show up for our life as it unfolds moment to moment. We make inquiry into the
process of getting out of our own way—doing less and being more. Cultivating silence,
space, and simplicity, we come into intimate
contact with the raw beauty of this mysterious world.
The group ventures out each day on hikes
4–8 miles in length, exploring the unique
natural diversity at the meeting of mountain
and sea. From ocean beach to deep canyon to
open ridgeline, Big Sur in summer offers an
invitation to be fully alive. Simple practices
that encourage awareness and contemplation
(“how to be idle and blessed”) are shared with
the group, as well as the wonders of the rich
natural history of Big Sur.
No previous experience in simplicity or
nature is required. More information and a
waiver will be sent upon registration. For an
equipment list and frequently asked questions about Steven’s workshops, visit www
.stevenkharper.com/faqs.html.
($30 permit and park entrance fees
paid directly to the leader)
Steven Harper
bio on page 62.
Inner Power Qigong: The 9 Phases of
Qi Cultivation and Mastery
Roger Jahnke
Health, well-being, and longevity can be
achieved through cultivating and mastering
qi. Every style of qigong–including tai chi
and yoga–shares a basis in essential principles. During this workshop, you will have
the opportunity to awaken and refine natural
healing and intuitive abilities associated with
the most mysterious and neglected aspect of
being: the eternal nature, or universal self.
Starting with the ancient Three Treasures,
and his awareness of qi, Roger Jahnke will
support you in revealing your natural inner
power to yourself, through the 9 Phases of
Cultivation and Mastery of Qi: Discover,
Gather, Circulate, Purify, Direct, Conserve,
Store, Transform, and Dissolve.
Whether your focus is to heal yourself,
help others, merge with nature, maximize
intuition and creativity, or work toward inner
peace, these nine phases, with their roots in
ancient tradition, are tools with extraordinary
power to release your inner potential.
The 9 Phases Qigong is distilled from Dr.
Jahnke’s book, The Healing Promise of Qi,
Chinese medical theory, and philosophies of
Taoism and Buddhism.
Recommended reading: Jahnke, The Healing
Promise of Qi and The Healer Within.
CE credit pending for acupuncturists; see page 6.
Roger Jahnke bio on page 13.
The Promise: Advanced Yoga
for Everyone
Mark Whitwell
Yoga is not a linear process. It is direct intimacy with life, and it is available to everyone.
This week, Mark Whitwell offers yoga’s
advanced practices in a way that you can
integrate and make your own, whether you
are just beginning to practice or have years
of experience. The workshop involves an
interwoven promise: You promise to practice
yoga, and in return you receive the promise of
yoga’s gifts, including health, intimacy, wellbeing, and joy. In order to experience these
benefits, your yoga practice must be adapted
to you, not you to yoga. Mark’s skillful and
heartfelt guidance will help you:
• Explore the five principles of advanced
personal practice
• Dive into asana, pranayama, and meditation
as a seamless process
• Discover how yoga transforms life into an
intimate celebration with everything
• Experience the nurturing principle as a
constant in your life from now on
• Return home with understanding and the
embodied felt sense of your own joyful
practice
This program is a regenerative and joyful event that will continue to reverberate
through your daily life in very practical ways.
For all levels; no prior yoga experience is
needed. Please bring a yoga mat.
Recommended reading: Whitwell, Yoga of
Heart and The Promise of Love, Sex, and Intimacy; Desikachar, The Heart of Yoga.
Mark Whitwell has enjoyed a lifelong relationship
with the teachings of Krishnamacharya through
his students T.K.V. Desikachar and Srivatsa
Ramaswami. He travels the world teaching yoga
and is the author of Yoga of Heart: The Healing
Power of Intimate Connection and The Promise of Love, Sex and Intimacy.
Gestalt Practice and Cortical Field
Re-Education: Developing Emotional
and Somatic Resources
Dorothy Charles & Patrice Hamilton
Increasing awareness of our somatic sense
of self provides new options for developing
more effective psychological and physical patterns. This experiential workshop blends the
slow, developmental movement of Cortical
Field Reeducation with individual and group
97
Gestalt work to address how habitual, unconscious beliefs and behaviors formed early in
life lead to habitual ways of responding that
limit life experience.
Through mindfulness, explorations of forgotten movement patterns, and Gestalt Awareness Practice, we contact the here-and-now,
where change and growth are possible. As we
become more present in our bodies, we may
discover an inability to identify what we are
feeling, or that—because of painful memories, and difficulty in experiencing feelings
directly—we have been avoiding them.
This is a relational process. Working in an
empathic, supportive group setting creates
a container in which new ways of moving
and being can be expressed and explored.
This workshop provides the experience of
making contact with people who are present
and accepting, making it possible to develop
a greater capacity for feelings. We can then
learn to use our feelings as guides that help us
live more authentically, moving beyond habits of being and relating that no longer serve
us. In addition, changes in habitual muscular
holding patterns result in a body that is better
able to support changes made on any level—
emotional, physical, or psychological.
Recommended reading: Perls, Gestalt Therapy
Verbatim; Feldenkrais, The Potent Self.
and ravaging the earth) into a ‘Life Economy’
(ending pollution and hunger and developing
new forms of communications, energy, transportation, and business). You will experience
approaches taught by experts of sustainable
transformation from the Amazon, Andes,
Himalayas, and Asian Steppes. Be inspired
through powerful shamanic journeys and a
Mayan fire ceremony (weather permitting) to
realize your true dream, manifest your highest purpose, and create real prosperity.
This is a workshop for people who want to
elevate consciousness and change the world.”
is a leading authority on shamanism and transformation, advisor to the UN,
World Bank, CEOs, and many governments, and
New York Times best-selling author of 9 books
including Shapeshifting and The New Confessions
of an Economic Hit Man. He teaches internationally, co-founded The Pachamama Alliance, and
founded DreamChange. www.johnperkins.org
Sara Vetter is the business development director
at the Soul of Money Institute. She leads trips
to the Amazon rainforest for The Pachamama
Alliance, a non-profit organization that links
indigenous people of the Amazon with committed
people worldwide to create a socially just human
presence on this planet. She also works closely with
the Nobel Women Peace Prize Laureates.
John Perkins
Dorothy Charles bio on page 84.
Celebrating Fatherhood
Patrice Hamilton bio on page 34.
Joanna Claassen & Sean Brennan
Revolution: Shapeshifting Yourself
and the World
John Perkins & Sara Vetter
“We have entered the greatest revolution in
history: the birth of a new era in which we
create a Life Economy for a Living Earth,”
write John Perkins and Sara Vetter.
“During this experiential workshop, we’ll
help you open to your passions and co-create
this revolution–a Consciousness Revolution
prophesied by the Maya of Central America,
the Quechua of the Andes, Himalayan Buddhists, desert Bedouins, and other cultures,
and now recognized by cutting-edge modern
thinkers. John and Sara will share their combined experiences with business and government leaders and indigenous shapeshifting
teachers to empower your role in transforming the ‘Death Economy’ (militarizing people
98
Inspired by Big Sur’s wild nature and the
heartfelt path of fatherhood, this family workshop will be a weekend of laughter, exploration, and connection. There will be stories
around the campfire, games, discussion,
and time for all to be nourished by Esalen’s
healing land and waters. We will use Esalen’s
Gazebo Park School, designed for children to
climb, bike, garden, make music, dance, and
care for farm animals, as well as the art barn
and Esalen’s extraordinary and expansive
grounds. Whether you have been coming to
Esalen for decades or are a first-timer, join us
for this special Father’s Day experience. On
Saturday afternoon, we will offer a children’s
program during which adults will be free to
book a massage, enjoy some solitude, or spend
time with one another. This program is ideal
for families with young children up to age 10.
All children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Joanna Claassen
bio on page 72.
Sean Brennan bio on page 73.
Fathers and Sons: Celebrating Father’s
Day in the Tradition of the Old Ways
Steven Harper, Kes Harper & Kai Harper
It is a wise child that knows his own father.
—Homer
It is a wise father that knows his own child.
—William Shakespeare
Over the ages, fathers and sons have journeyed together into the wilds of nature,
traveling light, living simply, and stepping together on the path of what is known and what
is unknown as students and teachers for one
another. This weekend is a time for fathers
and sons to come together as individuals,
family, and community to explore the natural
wild areas of Big Sur and the relationship of
father and son in a community of men.
“Our time together is simple,” says Steven.
“Participants will be introduced to basic
contemplative and awareness practices from
various wisdom traditions. Our time outdoors during the weekend will be spent on a
day hikes (four to six miles in length) into the
rugged beauty of Big Sur and on the Esalen
grounds. Much of our time will be in silence,
quiet dialog, and reflective exercises that
invite participants to pay attention to that
which has heart and meaning. During indoor
sessions, we will share experience, stories of
the path, and poems of inspiration…with a
touch of creative humor to add balance.”
Longtime Esalen leader Steven Harper and
two sons, Kai and Kes, will lead the weekend. This father-and-son team, along with
the group, will weave together an eclectic
mix that draws from collective life experience and training. All levels of experience
are welcome; however, the group is limited
to participants fourteen years and older.
More information and a waiver will be sent
upon registration. For an equipment list and
frequently asked questions about Steven’s
workshops, visit www.stevenkharper.com/faqs
.html.
($10 park-entrance fees paid directly to the leaders)
bio on page 62.
is a native Big Sur local, a graduate
of Esalen’s Gazebo School, and a full-time student
at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He
and his brother have spent their entire lives train-
Steven Harper
Kes Harper
Jens Wa zel
ing their father Steven in the ways of innovative
parenting.
Kai Harper is a Big Sur local and a graduate of
Esalen’s Gazebo School and the University of California, Santa Barbara, with a degree in psychology. He works full time as an assistant resident
director at UCSB with an interest in fostering
student self-actualization, positive group dynamics, and social justice education.
The Egoless Path to Self-Esteem
and Generous Love
David Richo
“Our ego is healthy when it helps us fulfill
our life goals,” David Richo writes. “When
an ego becomes too big for its britches, it becomes egotism, the main obstacle to healthy
relating. We may find egotistical behavior
objectionable and unjustified. Our style in
this workshop, however, is not to demean
egotists. We get it that the swagger is based
on self-doubt, fear, and shame. So we can still
feel compassion for what led to ego-armoring
in the first place. We work gently with this
scared part of ourselves and others. We do not
abandon our own ego; we rehabilitate it.
“Spirituality is continual surrender of ego
rather than looking for ways to endorse,
fortify, or reinforce it. Egolessness is in us all
and when we find it we embark on the path to
true self-esteem and generous love for others
and ourselves.
“Our program will consist of lecture,
discussion, and suggestions for practices of
mindfulness and lovingkindness as well as
building self-trust.”
Recommended reading: Richo, You Are Not
What You Think: The Egoless Path to Self-Esteem
and Generous Love.
David Richo, PhD, MFT, is psychotherapist,
author, and workshop leader. He shares his time
between Santa Barbara and San Francisco, Calif.
Dave has taught at Esalen annually since 1994.
He combines psychological and spiritual perspectives in his work, especially from Jung and Buddhism. www.davericho.com
Touching Essence: Esalen® Massage
Retreat for Couples
Carl Swanson & Ellen Watson
This program is specifically designed to
enhance the quality and experience in loving
relationships through the sense of touch.
Remaining aware of self while giving attention to another is a foundational practice for
all sustainable relationships, and especially
important in giving and receiving Esalen
Massage.
Learning the Esalen approach to healing
through touch can be a powerful skill for
deepening connection in all relationships.
Esalen’s stunning natural beauty and the
natural hot springs baths provide an ideal
setting for heightening sensory awareness
and cradling yourselves in love’s embrace. Ellen and Carl will share and demonstrate the
essential elements of an Esalen Massage practice as well as specific massage techniques for
relieving the stresses of daily life. In addition
to enhancing intimacy and communication
in primary relationships, these tools learned
can be shared with children, family, and
friends.
This workshop is open to all couples, partners, family members and friends who love
each other and want to touch with love, care,
presence, and skill.
This workshop is also useful for those in the
Recommended reading and viewing: Horan,
Connecting Through Touch; Steindl-Rast, The
Listening Heart; Watson, The Art of Essential
Touch: Volume II DVD.
Carl Swanson bio on page 82.
travels extensively, sharing the
essence of her 26 years at Esalen. Ellen founded
MovingVentures, whose mission is vocational
education in the fields of breathwork, and somatic
and movement arts. Since 1998, she has focused
on supporting the people of Bali, Indonesia.
www.movingventures.org
Ellen Watson
99
esa len’s 12th annua l yoga festi va l
Kodiak Greenwood
Summer Solstice Sadhana
Week of June 19–24
Janet Stone, Sianna Sherman &
Saul David Raye, with Jason Nemer
S
ince ancient times, solstices
and equinoxes have been essential and
sacred points in the year to honor the
flow of life on earth. They are times for us to
come back into balance and harmony. Right
now it is more important than ever to come
together to amplify the positive and healing
energies. Now is the time to reconnect to
the light within ourselves. This light is the
essence of our being, and each one of us can
share that light with the world.
As the Earth moves through its cycles of darkness into light and back again, our souls move
through a parallel journey. When the Sun
rises to the highest point in the sky, we can
be reminded of our own radiance, strength,
and power to ascend to our fullest potential.
During this week of yoga, we’ll embark on a
journey from darkness to light, contraction
to expansion, and discover ways to access the
light that is already emanating from us and
bring it more fully into the world. This festival
is a rare opportunity to study with innovative
yoga teachers from various traditions in an
intimate environment where your deepest
being can be nourished on every level.
100
Immersed in the natural splendor of Esalen,
we’ll experience yoga asana, pranayama,
kirtan, meditation, dance, and satsang. The
festival begins on Sunday evening with an
opening gathering for everyone to come
together in community to set our collective
intention for the week. Each morning will be
open for rest, taking a meditative walk around
the grounds, joining in a sunrise yoga class,
or spending time in the Esalen baths. After
breakfast, there will be offerings of asana
classes from Janet Stone, Saul David Raye, and
Sianna Sherman, including one “workshop”
each day that explores the different ways we
can support our practice of living yoga. Jason
Nemer, founder of acro yoga, also joins this
year’s lineup. Live music will be offered every
day in the Leonard Pavilion, inviting us to
step deeper into the soul’s awakening rhythm.
After a nourishing lunch, we’ll be free to
receive massages, soak in the baths overlooking the Pacific, rest, recharge, and connect
with other companions on this journey. Afternoon sessions will include partner Thai yoga,
restorative practice, tantric philosophy for our
modern lives, and meditation. Evenings will
include kirtan, rituals, and the final evening
will be a celebration and a reflection of our
week spent together. Weather and fire season
permitting, a sweat lodge may be offered, for
which participants will be asked to pay a $20
fee. Sweat lodges are an intimate experience
and space may be limited.
Join us for this annual gathering as we
celebrate the rhythms and passage of life on
the summer solstice at Esalen. Each year we
return and offer ourselves to the land, sea and
each other. Please bring a yoga mat.
Please note: There is an additional $101 tuition
fee for this program.
u
Janet Stone began
studying meditation at
age seventeen under the
guidance of Prem Rawat.
His reverence for finding
simplicity and joy in the
rise and fall of life live on in
her practice and teaching
today. In 1996, she traveled to India, the birthplace
of her grandfather, and became dedicated to the
path of yoga. Janet blends the alchemy of her own
practice with decades of study. She aspires not to
teach but to allow the practice to emanate from
her, letting awareness blend with movement and
breath. Based in Bali and San Francisco, she leads
immersions, retreats, workshops, and more. www.
janetstoneyoga.com
Sianna Sherman is an
internationally celebrated
yoga teacher, evocative
storyteller, and passionate
speaker at conferences and
festivals throughout the
world. She is the founder
of Mythic Yoga Flow® and
the co-founder of Urban Priestess, a modern-day
mystery school for women. Sianna leads 200 +
300-hour teacher trainings around the globe, and
contributes to Mantra, Yoga Journal, Origin Magazine, and Elephant Journal. She co-created the
Goddess Yoga Project with Yoga Journal, an online
program to help women step into their power and
use it to serve the world. Sianna is committed to
helping ignite the alchemy of yoga for a lifetime of
sustainable practice and transformation. www.
siannasherman.com
Saul David Raye is an
internationally acclaimed
teacher, healer, and mystic
known for his empowering and transformational
approach to yoga, healing,
and spirituality. Saul’s
teaching draws on the
depth of the yoga tradition and all forms of universal light, love, and wisdom. Since his teenage years
he has traveled to Asia, India, and throughout the
US studying yoga, Thai massage, pranic healing,
and meditation with masters of various spiritual
and healing traditions. Through the grace of his
teachers and guides he is able to bring alive the
essence of ancient wisdom teachings for modern
seekers, in a way that allows students to connect
deeply with their own authentic power and spirit.
www.SaulDavidRaye.com
is the founder of acro yoga and has
been blessed with many great teachers on his path.
During his teenage years he trained with some of
the top Russian and Bulgarian acrobatic masters.
Currently he travels to teach, study, and bring communities together. www.acroyoga.org
Jason Nemer
Hold Me Tight Workshop for Couples
Sam Jinich & Michelle Gannon
The Hold Me Tight Workshop for Couples is
based on practices drawn from Emotionally
Focused Therapy (EFT), attachment theory,
and Sue Johnson’s best-selling book, Hold
Me Tight. The work will be designed around
seven conversations that have been shown
to be essential to successful relationships.
Relationships can be a cause of stress and
pain or a source of comfort and joy. Couples
will learn how to understand and improve
their relationships via presentations, private
exercises, conversations with relationship
partners, and by watching video demonstrations. By utilizing exercises drawn from
EFT, Sam Jinich and Michelle Gannon help
couples learn how to deal with their feelings
together, reach towards each other, be responsive in more loving and positive ways, and
move from isolation and frustration to security, emotional safety, and lasting relationship
satisfaction. The Hold Me Tight Workshop
welcomes all couples.
Recommended reading: Johnson, Hold Me
Tight; Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love
and Love Sense: The Revolutionary New Science
of Romantic Relationships.
Sam Jinich, PhD, is a San Francisco-based
clinical psychologist, relationship expert, and
Hold Me Tight workshop leader for couples.
He is a certified trainer, supervisor, and therapist
in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and
co-founder of the Northern California Community of Emotionally Focused Therapy.
www.HoldMeTightWorkshop.com
Michelle Gannon, PhD, is a San Francisco-based
clinical psychologist, relationship expert, and
Hold Me Tight workshop leader for couples.
She is a certified supervisor and therapist in
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). Michelle
has co-led more than 125 couples’ workshops.
www.HoldMeTightWorkshop.com
Come Alive in Your 9 to 5: Building a
Meaningful Career in Your Twenties
Adam Smiley Poswolsky
As 20- and 30-somethings, information
overload and too much social media can
spiral us into career confusion. During this
workshop, learn how to go from overdosing
on Facebook-induced FOMO to finding work
that pays the bills and makes your heart sing.
Join Adam Smiley Poswolsky, best-selling
author of The Quarter-Life Breakthrough, to
build a career worth having! Tap your creative
potential, create a purpose-driven career, and
come alive inside and outside of the workplace so you make the most of your twenties
and thirties.
Through interactive sessions designed to
encourage vulnerability and accountability, as
well as visual exercises and writing prompts,
you can gain clarity on what meaningful
work is for you and how to make a purposedriven career change. Identify the roadblocks
and fears holding you back, and develop your
career-success road map. Explore how to
incorporate the self-love rituals you need to
succeed, take action towards your goals, and
build a supportive community that will help
you find meaning beyond “what you do.” Career exploration should be invigorating and
fulfilling, not draining and intimidating.
Recommended reading: Pressfield, The War of
Art; Newport, So Good They Can’t Ignore You.
Adam Smiley Poswolsky is the author of
The Quarter-Life Breakthrough. He has
inspired professionals to find meaningful work
through speaking internationally at Fortune
500 companies and conferences, and leading
workshops at Hive, The Bold Academy, The
Passion Co., CIIS, and General Assembly.
www.thequarterlifebreakthrough.com
Changes and Transitions in Your 30s
and 40s: How to Stay True to Yourself
Phillip Moffitt
Your 30s and 40s are a transitional time in
life. For most people, these decades are a
time to make unique choices about how you
want your life to be, and to find and step into
your power. Yet these years can be fraught
with questions, concerns, and fears. How do
I know what will make me happy? What is
meaningful? How can I be more authentic?
Who am I, anyway…and how do I make big
decisions? This workshop offers tools, practices, and principles that can help you answer
these questions.
The program will explore topics including
intimacy, self-esteem, fulfillment in work,
money, doubts and insecurities, and life
balance. Each day there will be teachings,
small group discussions, personal inquiry,
and participatory exercises. You’ll have the
opportunity to assess the issues in your life,
develop options, and create a plan for making
decisions. Each day there will also be some
form of movement practice and a meditation
experience. The workshop will emphasize
making wise choices through clarification of
your values. Additionally, there will be written assignments to allow you to get clearer
on where you are presently in life and also
create a vision for yourself. This retreat will
specifically focus on looking within versus
dwelling on external circumstances. Expect a
weekend of self-exploration, self-inquiry, and
ultimately, self-knowing for people in their
30s and 40s.
Recommended reading: Moffitt, Emotional
Chaos to Clarity: How to Live More Skillfully,
Make Better Decisions, and Find Purpose in Life
and Dancing with Life: Buddhist Insights for
Finding Meaning and Joy in the Face of Suffering.
Phillip Moffitt, former CEO and editor-inchief of Esquire magazine, is the founder and
president of the Life Balance Institute. He is also
co-guiding teacher of Spirit Rock Meditation
Center. Phillip is the author of 2 books: Emotional Chaos to Clarity and Dancing with
Life. www.lifebalance.org
Waking Up, Together: An Excursion
into Embodied Inquiry
Zuza Engler & Scott Engler
What if one day, you woke up smack in the
midst of the human condition with absolutely no need to fix, deny, solve, or transcend
anything? What if you knew how to offer
your friends, family, co-workers, children,
clients, patients, or students (and yourself!) a
spacious, centered presence that could meet
every feeling, ache, joy…and impermanence
itself?
Step through the portals of conscious movement and embodied exploration into a direct
experience of this messy, mysterious, and
magnificent human life. Let the inquiries of
Soul Motion™, Gestalt Practice, and bodybased meditation take you on a wild ride
into the heart of creativity, community, and
connection.
Warning! Common side-effects include
increased enthusiasm for being present;
spontaneous relaxation of body and mind; the
re-opening of curious eyes, ears, and heart;
and sustained moments of genuine contact
with yourself and others. This is just a beginning, not another quick
fix–mainly because there’s nothing to
fix. Ours is a journey with no destination,
101
Daniel Bianche t ta
a whimsical dancing path into a more fully
embodied experience of life. All are welcome.
Zuza Engler
ticing insight meditation for more than 25 years.
She co-authored A Clinician’s Guide to Teaching
Mindfulness. www.christianewolf.com
bio on page 27.
Scott Engler bio on page 53.
Week of June 26–July 1
Mindfulness and Self-Compassion:
We Need Two Wings to Fly
Christiane Wolf
Are you curious about mindfulness and
self-compassion and about their transformative potential for you? Join us for a weekend
of practicing and learning together. While
mindfulness teaches us to pay attention
to what is happening inside and out, selfcompassion changes the way we pay attention. Just as a bird needs two wings to fly,
mindfulness and compassion support and
strengthen each other in a beautiful way. Let
the gorgeous setting of Esalen support you
in exploring new ways of being. In a safe and
supportive environment, we’ll practice new
ways to engage with the fullness of life to be
more real, more joyful, and more alive. This
workshop is for people new or relatively new
to mindfulness and/or self-compassion practice, and those who want to freshen up their
knowledge and understanding.
Please bring a mediation cushion or bench
and mat.
Christiane Wolf, MD, PhD, is a physician turned
mindfulness and Mindulness Based Stress Reduction teacher, author, and speaker. She has been prac102
Writers’ Camp
Cheryl Strayed, Pam Houston, Steve Almond,
Samantha Dunn Camp, Alan Heathcock &
Faith Adiele
Writers take over the entire Esalen campus
during this annual workshop organized by
best-selling author, Cheryl Strayed. In sessions led by each of the five distinguished faculty members, you’ll hear lectures, do writing
exercises, discuss the art and craft of prose
writing, and have the opportunity to share
your work in a nurturing environment that
engages and challenges writers of all levels,
from the novice to the advanced. Because the
focus of the workshop is on generating new
writing rather than critiquing manuscripts,
you simply begin where you are. This is a fun,
creative, inspiring week designed to ignite
and re-ignite your passion for the stories you
have to tell. Please note: There is an additional $40 tuition
charge for this event.
Cheryl Strayed is the bestselling author of four
books, including the memoir Wild, which was
made into a film starring Reese Witherspoon. Her
books have been translated into forty languages
around the world. She lives in Portland, Ore.
www.cherylstrayed.com
Pam Houston is the author of 5 books of fiction
and nonfiction including Cowboys Are My
Weakness and Contents May Have Shifted.
She is the director of creative writing at UC Davis
and lives in Colorado near the headwaters of the
Rio Grande.
Steve Almond is the author of 10 books of fiction
and non-fiction. His work has been published in
The Best American Short Stories, Pushcart
Prize, The New York Times Magazine, and
elsewhere. www.stevealmondjoy.com
Samantha Dunn Camp was a PEN Award
finalist for her novel, Failing Paris. She has
also authored 2 memoirs. Her essays are widely
anthologized, and her writing has been featured
in many publications, including O the Oprah
Magazine and Ms. She teaches in the UCLA
Writers Program. www.samanthadunn.net
Alan Heathcock is the author of VOLT, which
was named as a New York Times Editor’s Choice,
and was a Barnes and Noble Discover Prize finalist. Heathcock received a fellowship from the NEA
and he is a literary fellow for the state of Idaho.
Faith Adiele is the author of two memoirs,
including Meeting Faith, which won the PEN
Award. She’s the writer/narrator/subject of a PBS
documentary and co-editor of an international
multicultural anthology. She teaches at California
College of the Arts, VONA/Voices, and The San
Francisco Writers Grotto.
Faculty Index
Mark Abramson 68, 83
Faith Adiele 9, 102
Ronald Alexander 86
Martine Amita Algier 84
Suze Allen 64
Steve Almond 9, 102
Margo Anand 46
Katchie Ananda 52
Susan Anderson 88
Susan Aposhyan 47
Lena Axelsson 29
B
Ryan Babineaux 34
Oliver Bailey 54, 83
Juergen Bamberger 63
James Baraz 37, 45
Pawan Bareja 51
Eileen Barker 74
Ellen Bass 72
Nora Bateson 22
Mestre Beiçola 15
Dyrian Benz-Chartrand
23
Sam Berne 48, 106
Susan Bernstein 35
Micheline Berry 60
Rachel Berry 63
Carol Bevilacqua 11, 33
Timothy Beyer 60
Charlie Bloom 28
Linda Bloom 28
Corinne Bourdeau 57
Kelly Boys 71
Ann Bradney 31
Marc Bregman 71
Sean Brennan 72, 98
Rick Brown 37
Phillip Burrus 46
Vernon Bush 64
Katy Butler 14
C
Laurie Cahoon 69
Samantha Dunn Camp
9,102
Charlie Cascio 80
Michele Cassou 95
Joyce Catlett 76
Joe Cavanaugh 64
Leslie Cerier 32, 33
Jovinna Chan 87
Alejandro Chaoul 71
Dorothy Charles 84, 97
JoAnne Chartrand-Benz
23
Kenn Chase 80, 105
Victoria Chase 80, 105
Jeena Cho 35
Joanna Claassen 72, 98
Michael Clemmens 29,
73, 107, 108
Kenneth Cohen 42
Mark Coleman 64
Karen Cook 17
Daniel Cordaro 75, 77
Ann Weiser Cornell 90
Jean Couch 75
Dixie Cox 70
Stewart Cubley 73
Raphael Cushnir 61
D
Karishma Darby 80
Laura Davis 55
Laura Day 94
Lorie Eve Dechar 29
Albert Flynn DeSilver 95
Harvey Deutch 37
Bob Doppelt 45
Patrick Douce 58
Jim Duffy 71
E
Steve Edelman 76
Karen Ely 13
Ellen Emmet 7, 36
Matthew Engelhart 17,
20, 45
Terces Engelhart 17,
20, 45
Matt Englar-Carlson 68
Scott Engler 53, 101
Zuza Engler 27, 53, 101
Ulrika Engman 72, 74
F
Jessica Fagan 12
Mark Fairfield 29
Robin Fann-Costanzo 27
Warren Farrell 87
Vinny Ferraro 16, 108
Lisa Firestone 76
17, 69
Jeff Foster 7, 10, 36, 52
Benjamin Fox 29
Ron Frederick 60
Jerome Front 76
G
Erin Gafill 84
Marc Gafni 25
Linda Galijan 91
Michelle Gannon 101
Terry Gargiulo 67
Michael Gelb 13, 14
Michael Gelbart 74
Cornelia Gerken 85
Siegmar Gerken 85
Girish 28
43, 45
Esther Gokhale 63
Aviva Gold 59
Jonathan Goldman 59
Eric Goodman 70
Jnana Gowan 64
Lynda Greenberg 24
Jody Greene 91
Mingtong Gu 50
James Guay 94
H
Meredith Haberfeld 91
Patrice Hamilton 34, 97
Eleanor Criswell Hanna
84
Kai Harper 98
Kes Harper 98
Steven Harper 61, 97, 98
Devarshi Steven Hartman 13
Geneen Marie Haugen 42
Lamara Heartwell 15
Alan Heathcock 9, 102
Michele Hébert 67
Clifford Henderson 70
Gay Hendricks 11, 34
Katie Hendricks 11, 15, 34
Christy Hengst 20, 22
Paul Heussenstamm 52
Julienna Hever 76
Helmut Hillenkamp
20, 22
Lee Holden 19
Johanna Holloman 25, 66
Perry Holloman 25, 66
Jonathan Horan 92
Lucia Horan 16, 62, 64
Peggy Horan 54
Jean Houston 20
Pam Houston 9, 102
Darren Huckle 83
Dorothy Hunt 7, 36
Terry Hunt 59
I
Amy Ippoliti 41
Rik Isensee 94
Ira Israel 67
J
Roger Jahnke 13, 31, 97
Renee Jennings 29
Sam Jinich 101
Johnsmith 105
K
Will Kabat-Zinn 10, 72
Menas Kafatos 11, 37,
Risa Kaparo 16
Alexandra Katehakis
10, 90
Athena Katsaros 41
Sam Keen 41
Sally Kempton 7, 25, 36
Jim Kepner 40
Lourdes Quiroz Kepner
40
Jerry Kermode 44
Ya’Acov Darling Khan 38
Daphne Rose Kingma
18, 28
Bessel van der Kolk 27
Pam Kramer 60, 76
Mary Ann Kraus 29
Jean Kristeller 66, 68
bill ja mes
A
L
O
Christopher La Rose 89
Christa Lancaster 71
Ivy Mayer Lavie 48, 87
Shai Lavie 87
Lee Lesser 68
Noah Levine 13, 108
Gregg Levoy 51, 55
Bradley Lewis 108
Andrea Lieberstein 66, 68
Tias Little 24
Leanne O’Shea 29
Gina Ogden 26, 28
Brita Ostrom 46, 56
M
Miranda Macpherson 49
Eric Maisel 62
Dean Marson 46
Vinn Arjuna Martí 32, 89
Konda Mason 8, 23
Charlea Massion 21
Nora Matten 51, 82
Felicia Matto-Shepard 27
Edward Maupin 39
Camille Maurine 23
Jennifer McChristian 93
Liam McDermott 80
Sarah McLean 88
Deborah Anne Medow
19, 80
Phillip Moffitt 101
Michael Molin-Skelton
75
Bill Morgan 49, 106
Susan Morgan 49, 106
Jean Morrison 84, 108
Eric Moya 107
Caroline Muir 58
Charles Muir 58
Mary Elizabeth Murphy
57
Tom Myers 31, 33
N
Melinda Naye 88
Mehrad Nazari 67
Jason Nemer 100
Linda Nicholls 38,105
Mark Nicolson 15
Wes “Scoop” Nisker 52
Todd Norian 21, 23
P
Kristi Panik 26
Laurie Lioness Parizek
56, 83
Laurel Parnell 80
Robert Peng 91, 94
John Perkins 98
Char Pias 12
Bill Plotkin 42
Adam Smiley Poswolsky
101
John Prendergast 71
David Presti 26
George Protos 107
Jett Psaris 51
R
Charu Rachlis 45
Ann Randolph 73, 91,
92, 107
Saul David Raye 100
Shiva Rea 47, 50
Stella Resnick 54
David Richo 99
Barry Robbins 60
Mike Robbins 83
Lorin Roche 23, 46
Yuval Ron 53
Peggy Rubin 20
Peter Russell 7, 36, 56
S
Kerena Saltzman 67
Gahl Sasson 82
Banafsheh Sayyad 56
Richard Schwartz 16, 19
Paul Selig 40, 42
Peter Selwyn 64
Shauna Shapiro 46, 94
Paula Shaw 42, 44
Philip Shepherd 92
Jenn Sherer 75
Sianna Sherman 100
Henry Shukman 24
Paul Sibcy 69
Stephen Sideroff 31
Annellen Simpkins 63
C. Alexander Simpkins
63
Licia Sky 27
Jessica Spain 89
Rupert Spira 7, 36
Tracee Stanley 56
Peter Sterios 88
Robin Stern 75
Mark Stevens 68
Janet Stone 100
Michelle Stransky 8, 23
Cheryl Strayed 9, 102
Carl Swanson 82, 99
T
Renée Trudeau 34
Deborah Eden Tull 52
U, V
Daniela Urbassek 27, 51
Sara Vetter 98
Cida Vieira 15
Barry Vissell 15
Joyce Vissell 15
W
Robert Walter 49
Ellen Watson 99, 106
Anne Watts 55
Mark Watts 22
Leah Weiss 41
Hank Wesselman 38, 92
Mark Whitwell 97
Rob Wilks 19, 108
Cris Williamson 33
Marianne Williamson
8, 23
Andy Abrahams Wilson
81
Nicholas Wilton 39
Christiane Wolf 102
Adam Wolpert 65, 108
Wilma Wyss 11, 33
103
Work Study Program
At the heart of the Work Study experience
are the evening sessions. During these
meetings, which occur four to five evenings
per week, workscholars in each discipline
meet together for core studies. The group
leader or leaders for each discipline are
highly experienced teachers who coordinate the course of study and guide scholars
throughout the month. As a complement
to their studies, workscholars participate in
Esalen’s daily operations by volunteering 32
hours per week, usually in the housekeeping
department or the kitchen, in exchange for
their housing and meal costs. Contemplative
and transformative practices are woven into
the work environment at Esalen, so each day
there are valuable opportunities for self and
group exploration, including group process
and check-in.
The Legacy Program is a second type of
twenty-eight day work study experience
at Esalen. With class sessions meeting just
twice a week, with one intensive day of
classes during the month, Legacy workscholars have more flexibility in their
schedules to attend residential education
classes (regularly occurring learning events
designed for Esalen staff) and daily movement arts programs. Legacy programs are
usually a mix of workscholars and Esalen
staff. Legacy workscholars also volunteer 32
hours per week with an Esalen department,
and the tuition for Legacy is the same as the
traditional Work Study program.
Workscholars are selected by application
only. After applications have been accepted,
participants may register for the program.
Some of the work can be physically challenging, including lifting, bending, and
repetitive movements. Please be sure you are
104
T
his summer, Esalen offers its second annual Integral Leadership Program
(ILP) Summer Leadership Series. ILP is the focus for the June, July, and
August Work Study months, which showcase the talents of leaders across a variety
of disciplines. Esalen’s ILP provides students with the opportunity to supplement
university learning with an unparalleled immersion into the Esalen experience. We
hold the firm belief that everyone is capable of the extraordinary, and that each of
us is using only a small part of our innate, creative human potential in everyday
life. In our experience, profound and transformational change is sparked through
development of all dimensions of our natural human capacities: mind, body, spirit,
heart, and community.
The ILP curriculum integrates those dimensions and focuses on critical skills for
leaders: emotional intelligence, self-expression, compassion, ecological awareness,
conflict resolution, and cross-cultural communication. Esalen’s integral, living-andlearning educational model combines classroom experiences and transformative
practices with communal work and living, guided by the idea that the mental and
physical dimensions of the self, other, and land are inextricably linked. Esalen’s
ILP is open to university-enrolled, college-bound, “gap-year” students and recent
graduates. Participants will receive a certificate upon completion and may be
eligible to receive college credit. Many schools offer credit for ILP. Speak to your
professor or external studies department to see if you qualify. For details, contact
[email protected] or visit www.esalen.org/integralleadership.
Daniel Bianche t ta
T
he Work Study program is
a twenty-eight day immersion in
Esalen’s integrative approach to personal and social development. The program
combines a rigorous course of study in one
area of transformative practice with the
opportunity for deep relationship with the
Esalen land and community. Work Study
is a rich and challenging way to embody
the idea that mental, physical, emotional,
spiritual, and social dimensions of the self
are inextricably connected. Please see the
following pages for descriptions of Work
Study courses.
capable of the work you may be assigned.
Workscholars are assigned to departments
on the basis of community need, so please
be ready to jump in anywhere.
The Work Study application is on page 109.
Please note: The Work Study program is
designed to explore and apply human values
and potentials. It is not intended as a substitute
for therapy or as a “cure.” Esalen encourages
workscholars to refrain from alcohol use during
their stay. No pets, drugs, or violence allowed.
We cannot accommodate children.
Commitment to the Work Study program is
from 4 pm of the first Sunday to 7:30 pm of
the final Sunday. Do not plan to take regu-
larly scheduled catalog workshops during
your stay.
Fees: A deposit of $400 in US currency
is required with your application. Fees
will not be processed until your place in a
program is secured and you have accepted.
The workscholar fee is $1,150 for the month.
Fees are subject to change and are due upon
your arrival. Workscholars may be invited
to remain for a second month depending on
space and community needs. Occasionally
it is possible to stay for a longer period as an
extended student.
Food and Housing: Accommodations are
shared (occasionally co-ed), with up to four
people to a room. Some workscholars stay at
South Coast Center, a staff complex located
1.5 miles north of Esalen. Housing and meals
are provided in exchange for 32 hours of
volunteer work.
Cancellation Policy: If you choose to cancel,
you will be charged the following amount:
15+ days prior to start, $100; 8–14 days, $200;
3–7 days, $300; 0–2 days, $400.
Please mail the application form, personal
statement, and deposit to:
Work Study Program
Esalen Institute
55000 Hwy 1, Big Sur, CA 93920
or
Email: [email protected]
Fax: 888-214-8216
If you email or fax us, don’t forget to
mail your deposit check at the time of
application.
We will contact you to confirm that we
received your application within 14 days
of receiving it. We will inform applicants
of admission three months prior to the
program’s start date. After that time, there are
generally wait lists for Work Study programs.
Kenn Chase’s unique Integral Way practice,
which incorporates Feldenkrais Awareness
through Movement™, chi gung, and meditation practices. Didactic sessions will be
included to enhance the understanding of
medical, philosophical, and psychological
applications.
Integral Way Tai Chi is an organic, evolving
process of consciousness — a special domain
in which people enhance and deepen their
sense of self. This synchronistic interplay of
mind-body awareness leads ultimately to a
more comprehensive and complete experience. It is a moment-by-moment meditation
of who we are and how we live.
Tai chi moves are based on nature; therefore,
practicing tai chi at Esalen enhances the
experience. As we tune into the subtle moves
inherent in the natural world, we become
increasingly tuned into the peace, beauty, and
balance our natural world offers us.
During this program we will take an excursion to New Camaldoli Hermitage for group
meditation in their sacred chapel, and a trip
to the spectacular Sand Dollar Beach for Tai
Chi by the Sea. No experience necessary and
experienced practitioners welcome. This
workshop is appropriate for health care professionals wishing to incorporate tai chi and/
or stress management techniques into their
professional practice.
Kenn Chase bio on page 81.
Work Study Programs
January–june 2016
Victoria Chase bio on page 81.
Legacy Program: Songsmithing:
Opening the Creative Channel
Johnsmith
Month of January 17–
February 14
Integral Way Tai Chi®
Kenn Chase & Victoria Chase
Regular practice of tai chi ch’uan can have
profound effects on our neuro-biology, and it
produces many health benefits. Through the
centuries, the Chinese have utilized tai chi
ch’uan as a healing art. We now have current
medical research to confirm the power of tai
chi as an optimal preventive as well as restorative healing technique.
During this program taught by Kenn Chase
and Vicki Chase, participants will be taught
traditional Yang style tai chi ch’uan through
If your life was a song, what would that song
be? If you told the story of your heart, what
story would you tell? Discover your authentic singing and songwriting voice through
creative exercises, prompts, and assignments.
We will focus on opening the creative heart
and bringing forth the music and stories that
dwell there. All are welcome; no prior songwriting experience is needed.
With a mindful and playful attitude, we
will invite the stunning natural beauty of
the Big Sur coast, its healing waters, and
the spirit of Esalen to work its magic on us
as we immerse ourselves into creative flow.
Within the safe container of the group, everyone will be invited to delve into the deep
work that only creative play allows.
Johnsmith has led work scholar programs
and workshops at Esalen since 2006. His
transformational offerings help students
reach deeply inward to bring forth their truth
and story in well-crafted songs. Johnsmith
always brings along his infectious, curious,
fun-loving otter spirit to his work...or play,
one might say.
We will use journaling, movement, meditation,
co-writing, solo and group singing, impromptu
jams, and performance—for ourselves and the
Esalen community. Playing a musical instrument is not necessary, but you are welcome
to bring one if you play. We will cultivate a
fun, dynamic, and safe place to experience our
creative selves. John will also be inviting guest
artists and staff to assist during the month.
Johnsmith has been writing heartfelt songs for
more than 30 years. He’s won national awards
and contests, was a staff songwriter in Nashville,
and has recorded 6 CDs. He’s taught songwriting
workshops nationwide, and has been featured on
NPR’s “New Dimensions.”
Month of February 14–
March 13
The Art and Science of Living Well,
Together
Linda Nicholls
We are all interwoven within a dynamic,
complex web of interdependent relationships. Whether we notice it or not, we are not
separate from our engagement with others.
Ironically, despite our multiple intelligences,
tech smarts, mindfulness development, and
brilliant systems, getting along with one
another in everyday life remains one of the
most challenging endeavors humans undertake. Linda Nicholls is a senior faculty of The
Haven, an international personal and professional development center in Canada. The
Haven specializes in methods to integrate
multiple east/west disciplines, including wisdom from science, psychotherapy, existential
thought, and eastern philosophy, and this
program draws from that rich well to guide
participants in cultivating their relational
skills. Our goals for this program are to:
• Experience the juiciness of living life more
fully
• Deepen self-knowledge and move beyond
self-imposed limits
• Open to and express deeper dimensions of
feeling in ways that enhance your life and
relationships
105
Jenna Kripal
to and influences brain function, the endocrine system and the nervous system. Hanna
Somatics presents that prenatal infant movements affect adult postural, visual, and cognitive patterns. Traditional Chinese Medicine
conveys that many of the energy meridians
connect to the eyes, especially the liver (the
major detoxification organ of the body).
• Gain valuable insights to strengthen health
and well-being
• Learn and practice a transformative
paradigm for communicating
• Rediscover joy and meaning in life
• Expand your capacity for harmonious,
loving and fulfilling relationships
Through experiential exercises, body practices, and verbal and nonverbal conversations,
each participant will travel their unique
relationship landscape. Domains of relational
territory visited by the group will include
boundary definition, shadow and projection,
engaging in conflict, deepening intimacy,
sexuality conversations, and inward relating
such as inner critic self-talk. The goal of this
month-long study is to learn to recognize our
individual impact and responsibility for the
success and health of our relationships, which
can enrich and strengthen our ability to live
in harmonious interdependence.
Linda Nicholls bio on page 38.
Legacy Program: Touching Essence™
Ellen Watson
Touching Essence is a multi-sensory healing
arts practice that combines the senses of
touch, smell, and sound. Developed over the
last thirty years at Esalen and in Bali, Touching Essence engages both giver and receiver
to deepen awareness and presence, and is
inspired and informed by Ellen Watson’s
practice and teaching of Esalen® Massage and
Bodywork.
During this course, Ellen will introduce the
106
philosophy of Touching Essence with an
exploration of the energetic centers of the
chakras (wheels of energy). These highly
charged centers act as a conduit through
which body, mind, and spirit interact as one
holistic system. Imbalances in the chakras
correlate with physical tension and discomfort. The intention of this course is to weave
together a variety of techniques in order to
address holding patterns in the body that
result from these imbalances. Our focus will
be to access these powerful energy centers
through a combination of touch, scent, and
sound. Working with sound/vibrations,
essential oils, and massage practices, we will
access both subtle and deep layers of the
body, and thus help the individual to achieve
a sense of integrated well-being. For more
information about Touching Essence, visit
www.movingventures.org or write to ellen@
movingventures.org.
Recommended viewing: Watson, The Art of
Essential Touch, Volumes I & II.
Recommended reading: Horan, Connecting
Through Touch.
Ellen Watson bio on page 99.
Month of March 13–April 10
Seeing Eye to I: Learning the
Art of Wellness
Sam Berne
The eyes reveal many mind-body patterns
related to health. For example, neuroscience
shows that the eye pathway connects directly
This month-long program led by Sam Berne
uses The Berne Method®, an individualized approach that begins by guiding each
student to self-discover the visual patterns
and imprints he or she may be using as an
adaptive response to stress, trauma, and
cultural conditioning. Sam will then offer a
developmental process of eye-brain mindful
awareness activities, Continuum movement,
medicinal essential oils, and other subtle
energy therapies to help students increase
creativity and vitality. Sam believes the group
dynamic—or unified field—amplifies healing.
His gentle and humorous approach creates
a safe, trusting environment for students to
increase their wellness potential by learning
deeper self-responsibility, self-regulation, and
sustaining health practices.
Behind The Berne Method® are a diverse
variety of disciplines, including vision
therapy, biofield analysis, quantum physics,
somatic movement, craniosacral therapy,
dolphin-assisted therapy, and photo (light)
therapy with respect to expanding human
potential.
Required reading: Berne, I Sense: At Play in
the Field of Healing (book or audio download),
Creating Your Personal Vision: A Mind-Body
Guide for Better Eyesight (book).
Sam Berne bio on page 49.
Legacy Program: Leading with
Mindfulness—Using Discernment
and Compassion to Effect Change
Bill Morgan & Susan Morgan
Leadership in these challenging times
requires sensitivity, discernment, and wise
action. Mindfulness meditation is a vehicle
that can cultivate and strengthen these qualities. Yet despite the growing popularity of
mindfulness in our culture, much continues
to be lost in translation, and the depth and
power of these practices have not been made
fully accessible to our present-day context.
There are two major emphases in this
workshop, taught by Bill Morgan and Susan
Morgan. First, we will explore ways to enrich
and enliven mindfulness practice on the
cushion, supporting each participant to clear
blocks to deeper self-acceptance and connect
with authentic, personally alive presence.
From here our practice will radiate out into
mindfulness in action. Experiential exercises
offer an opportunity to clarify and work with
the relational dynamics of self as agent in this
world-on-fire. Journaling, mindful speaking,
and deep listening exercises provide a context
for learning to express oneself in language
rooted in discerning compassion.
Bill Morgan bio on page 49.
Susan Morgan bio on page 49.
Month of April 10–May 8
Embodied Relational Gestalt
Michael Clemmens
“We develop relationships with ourselves and
others through the physicality of our vision,
smell, touch, and movement,” says Michael
Clemmens. “These relationships, or dances,
shape what we believe is possible and how we
behave in the present. In this program, our
focus will be on the ways in which we create
relationships through our bodies. By attending to our present dance with others, we can
become more aware of our existing context
and optional ways of interacting.
“The structure of the program will be
experiential exercises, practice sessions, and
group discussion to develop our awareness
of self and the group. We will begin with
our earliest movements (prior to birth) and
then explore how we co-create our bodily
membership in the more complex gestalts of
family, groups, and cultures. Our goals will
be to experience how we create relationships
through embodiment, and to develop skills in
attending to ourselves and others.”
Michael Craig Clemmens bio on page 30.
Legacy Program: Epicenter—A New
Approach to Bodymindspirit Manual
Therapy
Eric Moya
“Manual therapy” is any kind of therapy that
uses the practitioner’s hands as part of the
healing process. Massage therapy, physical
therapy, acupuncture, and chiropractic are
all examples of manual therapy modalities.
Historically, manual therapies have been at
the forefront of bodymindspirit integration.
With their ability to help build embodied
awareness, touch is a vital part of whole person health and well-being. Yet, most manual
therapy modalities continue to struggle
under a biomedical pathology-based model of
health and disease that limits the language,
concepts, and techniques possible for the
future of bodymindspirit integration.
The goals of this course, taught by Eric Moya,
are to understand the limitations created
by pathology-based approaches, and to shift
towards an expanded “biopsychosocialspiritual” model of health and well-being. From
there, participants can develop skills and
techniques to work with the whole person. To
do so, the course will bring together elements
of systems theory, complexity science, and
advanced manual therapy skills in an attempt
to synthesize new language and new skills for
bodymindspirit health and well-being. The
course itself will be taught with a mixture of
lecture, discussion, bodywork training/practice, and experiential learning.
Participants in the course need to have a
hands-on license such as massage therapy,
physical therapy, etc. Ideally, participants
have already had some degree of exposure
to light touch manual therapies such as CranioSacral, Visceral, Lymphatic Drainage, or
others. A familiarity with fascia, restriction,
body rhythm palpation, and direct/indirect
techniques will be helpful.
Eric Moya, CST-D, MS/MFCT, is a career manual therapist, instructor for the Upledger Institute,
and international lecturer/speaker specializing in
mind/body awareness and growth. He maintains
practices in San Francisco, Santa Cruz, and Carmel, Calif. www.ericmoya.com
Month of May 8–June 5
Write Your Life for the Page
and the Stage
Ann Randolph
As we write, we are both describing and deciding
the direction that our life is taking.
–Julia Cameron
This is an invitation for you to discover your
own unique and powerful story and the
profound transformation that occurs when
speaking it out loud. During this program
led by Ann Randolph, you’ll be taught how to
trust your creative impulses, thus embracing
all of who you are. By becoming the author of
your own life and learning how to tell your
own story, you can not only begin to craft
your experience into a compelling narrative,
but you will also unleash a sense of purpose
in your own life you never thought possible.
Through writing exercises, group discussion, and improvisation we will support one
another in creating and speaking our stories.
Topics include:
• Writing to simulate memory
• Crafting story structure
• Creating spontaneously
• Writing on our feet
• Releasing yourself from the inner critic
• Transforming ideas/stories into
performance
This is a workshop for those interested in
personal essay, memoir, or solo performance,
and for anyone seeking to bring more meaning to their life through writing. All levels
welcome.
Ann Randolph bio on page 73.
Legacy Program: Being a Positive
Influence for a Flourishing World
George Protos
By accessing our emotional, cognitive, and
relational capacities, we can become influencers for positive change. By deeply knowing
that we are more than what we do for work,
we can recognize who we are and what matters in our lives and relationships. Indeed, the
resources to transcend the wild complexity,
choices, and distractions we are immersed in
are already within us.
Drawing on his life experiences and decades
of meditation in the Pointing-Out-Style of
Buddhist meditation, George Protos will
guide participants to explore and develop the
skills, qualities, and insights toward becoming exemplars of positive change in community, work, and home life.
Integrating short talks, guided meditations,
and experiential exercises, participants will
explore:
• Concentration, compassion, and insight
meditation practices
• Reactivity, preferences, and reification
processes
• Metacognitive skills to guide our efforts
• Ingredients that potentiate recognition of
our true nature
• Being boldly gentle with ourselves, others,
and where we all live, and
• Living authentically
107
• Learn to think in terms of whole systems
• Learn compassionate communication skills
• Cultivate ecological consciousness
• Be introduced to the fundamentals of
permaculture as they relate to human
collaboration
• Explore and understand group dynamics
• Connect with their own intuition,
inspiration, and vision
George Protos integrates the experiences of his
careers in financial services, health care, and as
a teacher of the “pointing-out” way of Tibetan
Buddhist meditation since 1995. He leads retreats
and an ongoing meditation study group in Marin
County, Calif.
Month of June 5–July 3
Bhagavad-Gita: Wisdom, Literature
and Leadership
Adam Wolpert bio on page 65.
The Bhagavad-Gita is the most popular and
widely studied of the Hindu scriptures. Plus,
it has become a classic of world literature,
inspiring such diverse writers and artists as
Ralph Waldo Emerson, Walt Whitman, T.S.
Eliot, Phillip Glass, Anita Desai, and Chitra
Divakaruni. Most recently, it has become an
invaluable resource for developing cross-cultural principles of management, leadership,
and positive psychology.
This program is led by Bradley Lewis, New
York University cultural studies professor
and practicing psychiatrist. The month is
devoted to an appreciative and critical study
of the Gita’s lessons. When you pick up a
copy of the Gita, it is encouragingly slim and
may seem like a quick read. But if you delve
into its philosophy for living, wisdom, and
meaning, you’ll find that it is a most enriching companion and a lifelong friend worthy
of careful and detailed study. As Mahatma
Gandhi put it: “When doubts haunt me, when
disappointments stare me in the face, and I
see no ray of hope on the horizon, I turn to
the Bhagavad-Gita.”
Our Work Study program approaches the
Bhagavad Gita through dialogic and participatory spirituality. It includes the following
activities:
• Appreciative and critical reading and
discussion focusing on personal, political,
and philosophic dimensions of the text
• Spiritual and experiential exercises inspired
by the Gita (yoga, meditation, chanting)
• Creative arts and expression inspired by the
Gita (memoir, music, visual arts, opera, film)
• Engaged spiritual practice by applying
wisdom gleaned from the Gita to larger
work study activities
• Journal writing and journal sharing of our
processes together
Bradley Lewis, MD, PhD, is an associate professor
at New York University’s Gallatin School of In-
108
Robert Schl agal
Bradley Lewis
Work Study Programs
July–december 2016
Please visit www.esalen.org/page/work-study
for complete program descriptions.
July 3–31
High Performance Leadership: How to
dividualized Study and a practicing psychiatrist.
He has interdisciplinary training in humanities
and psychiatry, and his recent books are Narrative
Psychiatry: How Stories Can Shape Clinical
Practice and Depression: Integrating Science,
Culture, and Humanities.
Legacy Program: Collaborative
Leadership, Ecological Consciousness
and Creative Self-Expression
Adam Wolpert
Skillful collaboration is facilitated by an open
mind and heart, keen powers of observation
of self and others, compassionate communication, a whole-systems view, and a willingness
to witness and experience transformation.
This program, led by artist and facilitator
Adam Wolpert, will promote these qualities
while enhancing leadership skills, self-awareness, and capacity to contribute to positive
change at any scale.
Participants will tap into their direct experience with creative practices and deepened
ecological consciousness as sources of
wisdom and guidance for group work. Under
this guidance, they will learn a host of
practical skills and useful perspectives that
support collaborative participation in groups.
Dynamic group exercises, presentation and
deep dialogue will all be employed to facilitate comprehensive learning.
Participants can expect to:
• Practice and learn from creative selfexpression
Unleash Your Full Potential with George
Kohlrieser
Tongue & Pen: Spoken Word (Legacy) with
Caroline Harvey
July 31–August 28
Speak to Inspire with Peter Meyers
Exploring Symbol and Personal Meaning
(Legacy) with Branan Freeman
August 28–September 25
Present-Moment Experience and Depth in
Psychotherapy, The Hakomi Method with
Robert Fisher & Julie Murphy
Leadership and Presence (Legacy) with
Suzanne Scurlock-Durana
September 25–October 23
Deep Bodywork® with Rob Wilks & Paul
Wehrman
Motion Theater (Legacy) with Nina Wise
October 23–November 20
Streams of Energy with Jim Gallas
Embodied Relational Gestalt (Legacy) with
Michael Clemmens
November 20–December 18
The Art of Skillful Living: Leadership, Love
and Freedom with Coby Kozlowski
Mindful Communication (Legacy) with Jean
Morrison
December 18–January 15
with Noah Levine &
Vinny Ferraro
The Heart of Buddhism
Work Study Program Application
please print legibly.
First Name ________________________________________ Last Name __________________________________________________ o Male o Female Today’s Date _________________________________
Phone: Evening ( —————)___________________________________________ Day ( —————)___________________________________________ Cell ( —————)___________________________________________
Home Address____________________________________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip_____________________________________________________________________________
Country_________________________________ Occupation (previous, if retired)________________________________________________ Date of Birth _______________________________ Age ____________
mo / day / yr
E-mail Address__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Do you have any physical/emotional condition (i.e. bad back, severe depression) that might affect your ability to participate? o Yes o No
Are you taking medication? o Yes o No If yes to either of these questions, please include details in your personal statement.
Are you a former workscholar? o Yes o No If yes, list dates and the dept. where you worked: ____________________________________________________________________________
Are you interested in ILP?
o Yes o No If yes, from what school? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
See www.esalen.org/page/work-study.
The Work Study program is for 28 days, beginning at 4 pm on Sunday and ending at 7:30 pm on the final Sunday. Sometimes particular dates and/or
leaders are not available. List below, in order of preference, the dates/leaders for which you are available.
Please note: Space may become available up until the program start date. You must let us know if you wish to be removed from a wait list; if you’re on a wait list
and space becomes available, you will be notified for confirmation. If you cancel after placement, you will be charged a cancellation fee.
start date
Choice 1 __________________________________________________________ Leader___________________________________________________ If full, wait list? o Yes o No
If your application is approved and we cannot give you your first choice, we will place you in your next available choice.
Workscholars may be invited to remain for a second term, depending on space availability and the needs of the Esalen community. Please indicate your
availability for such an invitation (no obligation): o No extension o One-term extension
We encourage ridesharing. Are you bringing a vehicle? o Yes o No; Are you willing to give a ride? o Yes o No; Receive a ride? o Yes o No; I wish to rideshare from (if different from above address) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Assignments to departments are made according to community labor needs (usually kitchen or housekeeping). However, if you prefer housekeeping or
kitchen, or if you have landscaping skills, please list them below. o Place me wherever I’m most needed – or – note my preferences below.
Choice 1 _______________________________________________________________ Skills/Experience___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Choice 2 _______________________________________________________________ Skills/Experience___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Please attach a personal statement about your interest in the Work Study program, telling us why you’d like to participate and what you hope
to take with you when you leave.
All applicants are required to sign a standard release-from-liability and assumption-of-risk form as a condition of participation in the Work Study
program. This form will be mailed to you upon acceptance to the program.
Esalen offers a van shuttle service from San Francisco, San Jose, and Monterey airports, and from Monterey transit plaza.
Please contact 831-667-3010 for reservations.
Payment o $400 deposit o $1,150
Name on Card____________________________________________________________________________________________________
o Check (U.S. banks only), attached and payable to Esalen Institute
Card No.___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
o MasterCard o VISA o American Express
Expiration Date__________________________________________________________________________________________________
If you are making a credit card deposit, the balance will be
automatically charged to your card five days before your arrival.
Billing Zipcode____________________________________ CVV (security) code_________________________________
Applications cannot be considered without a deposit and a
personal statement included. Deposits are not processed until
your final acceptance into the program.
Name and phone number (if different from above):
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Authorizing Signature ________________________________________________________________________________________
109
Reservation Information
Reservations
Workshop Tuition Including Accommodations
Weekend
Workshops
$405
Five-day
Workshops
$650
Seven-day
Workshops
$900
$555
$730
$935
$1,215
$1,300
$1,700
Premium Room Single
$1,300
$2,450
$3,430
Premium Room Couple
$2,000
$3,725
$5,225
Point House Single
$1,750
$3,550
$4,975
Point House Couple
$2,500
$4,850
$6,750
$405
$650
$900
online: www.esalen.org
phone: 888-8-esalen
(888-837-2536)
+1 703-342-0500 international
If you prefer, download the reservation form at
www.esalen.org/workshops/reservations.html and
fax (831-667-2724) or mail it in.
Shared Sleeping Bag Space
Shared Bunk Bed Dorm
Shared Standard
Esalen Rates Are All Inclusive
All listed rates include:
• Workshop tuition
• Accommodations and meals
• Fresh produce from the Esalen Garden
• Vegan and vegetarian options for all meals
• Coffee, tea, and bread bar open 24/7
• 24-hour use of hot spring bath facilities,
Arts Center (except when a workshop is
scheduled), meditation Round House, and
the entire Esalen grounds
• Participation in scheduled daily classes such as
yoga, dance, meditation, art, and special events
• One-year subscription to the Esalen catalog
Own Accommodations (Off-site)
Friends of Esalen receive a $25 discount on rates. For information on Friends of Esalen, see page 2.
Accommodations
Point Houses: See below.
Bunk Bed Accommodations: This is shared
housing with four or more persons per room.
Premium Accommodations: See below.
Sleeping Bag Accommodations: Some Esalen
Standard Accommodations: This is shared
housing, with two or three people per room
and in some cases a shared bathroom. Couples
will be housed privately. Standard guaranteed
single housing is possible based on availability
for an additional $125 per night.
meeting rooms are used as shared sleeping bag
space. Storage space outside the meeting rooms
is available when the rooms are being used for
meetings. Access is from 11 pm–8:45 am.
Off-site Accommodations: If you are attending
a workshop and staying off property.
This is Your Time…
Y
ou have carefully selected a workshop,
or made the decision to take a Personal
Retreat. You are stepping out of your busy
life to stop and breathe, heal, explore.
Why not treat yourself to the finest
accommodations
during your stay
at Esalen?
Point Houses are private suites nestled behind
the Esalen Garden and perched at the cliff’s edge
with stunning views of the Pacific Ocean. Each of
the three Point Houses offers a living room with
wood stove, a master bedroom, a sleeping loft, full
kitchen and dining area, private redwood deck
overlooking the Pacific with outdoor clawfoot
tub, Internet connections, and in-room telephone.
Point House
Premium Room
South Point House Annex
Premium Room
Point House
Premium Room
upgraded bathrooms, and enhanced soundproofing and climate insulation. You can
request either ocean view or Internet
(Ethernet cable provided) and a phone, and
we will do our best to honor these requests.
Please call 888-837-2536 for details about premium room accommodations and availability.
110
Kodiak Greenwood
Premium Rooms offer greater privacy,
Workshop Payment
Family Accommodations and
Children’s Fees
To reserve a space in any workshop, we require
the following nonrefundable deposits.
Fees for children under 10 enrolled in family
workshops are $100 for weekend workshops
and $250 for 5-day workshops. Children not
attending workshops may be housed with two
full-paying adults in premium or standard
accommodations for a meal charge of $20 a day
per child ($10 for children under 6).
Weekend: $150 5–7 day: $300
Deposits paid by credit card will automatically
have the workshop balance drawn from your
credit card five days before arrival. Deposits are
payable in US currency only; overseas residents
must pay by checks drawn on US banks or
credit cards. Deposits are nonrefundable.
If you cancel a workshop with less than seven
days’ notice, you forfeit your entire deposit. If
you have prepaid your entire reservation fee, the
balance (less the deposit) will be refunded.
If you cancel a Personal Retreat with more than
24 hours’ notice, a $75 processing fee will be
charged for each reservation (per person) and
the remaining balance will be refunded. If
you cancel a Personal Retreat with less than
24 hours’ notice, you will forfeit the price of
one night of lodging (per person).
Esalen may cancel a workshop due to low
enrollment.
Cancellations must be made by phone with
one of our reservation staff. “Seven full days”
means by Sunday before a Sunday workshop, and
by Friday before a Friday workshop. Donations to
the Friends of Esalen are nonrefundable. Esalen
may cancel a workshop due to low enrollment
two weeks before the workshop start date. You
may either switch to another workshop, come
for a Personal Retreat, or receive a full refund.
Money at Esalen: Esalen accepts cash, checks,
and credit cards. Esalen does not have an ATM,
so please bring enough cash for incidentals
such as beverages from the bar, or gratuities
for massage practitioners.
Reduced Rate Availability
Please request discounts at the time of registration.
Work Exchange: Some assistance is available for
workshop participants in exchange for a work
commitment in housekeeping or the kitchen.
Weekend: $50, 4 hrs. 5–7 days: $100, 8 hrs.
Scholarships: Limited scholarships are available
for those in financial need. See the Esalen website for details and application.
Monthlong Residency Program: A 20% dis-
count is available for anyone registering for 4
consecutive 5-day workshops, with 3 Personal
Kodiak Greenwood
Esalen Cancellation Policy: If you cancel or
change any part of your workshop reservation
at least seven full days before the start of your
workshop(s), your nonrefundable deposit, less a
$75-per-workshop processing fee, will be transferred to an Esalen credit account to be used
within one year.
Single-parent accommodations are limited but
will be supported to the best of Esalen’s ability.
Lower cost shared bunk rooms and sleeping bag
accommodations may be an option for families
on limited budgets. Contact Esalen Reservations for details.
Note: If children are enrolled in Gazebo Park
School, additional fees apply.
Retreat weekends in between. This program is
available January–April only. Contact Esalen
Reservations for details.
Senior Citizen Discount: A discount is avail-
able to guests over 65, for workshops only. For
a weekend workshop, the discount is $25. For
5-day or longer workshops, $50.
Schedules
Accommodations include Friday and Saturday
night for weekend workshops and Sunday
through Thursday night for 5-day workshops.
Schedules for 7-day workshops vary; please
inquire at registration.
Check-in/Check-out: Guests are welcome
to arrive on Esalen property anytime after
2:00 pm. On the day of your departure, enjoy
lunch with us and depart by 2:00 pm. Checkin and check-out times may change; please
refer to the website or contact Reservations at
1-888-8-esalen for current information.
Gazebo Park School is an on-site, statelicensed, outdoor preschool program for
children ages 1–6. This program is available
during the week to children of seminarians,
workshop leaders, personal retreatants, as well
as Big Sur families. The school offers children
the opportunity for full immersion with the
natural world through its rich, child-centered
park environment and ecology-based curriculum. Gazebo Park School’s low teacher to child
ratio allows for individual attention. Activities
include caring for the school’s animals,
gardening, harvesting fruits and vegetables,
cooking, expressive arts, literacy activities,
dramatic play, and excursions to explore
Esalen’s unique campus.
Children may be enrolled for half days or full
days during their Esalen stay. This program is
available Monday–Friday, 9:00 am–4:30 pm.
Qualified childcare providers may be available
for parents taking workshops outside of
Gazebo Park School hours. For more information and to enroll, please call 831-667-3026.
Please give at least one month advance notice
for enrollment.
Workshops: Workshop schedules normally
begin at 8:30 pm on the first evening and end
at noon on the final day.
Personal Retreat Fees Including Accommodations
Bunk Bed (Shared: 4 or more persons per room)
Fri/Sat per night
$140
Sun–Thurs per night
$130
$220
$475
$625
$725
$825
$175
$165
$450
$600
$650
$750
$175
Note: Shared accommodation is by gender.
Standard (Shared: 2–3 person room)
Premium Single (Private)
Premium Double (Private)
Point House Single (Private)
Point House Double (Private)
South Point Annex
(When booking South Point House, you can
add this bedroom annex for up to 2 people)
111
Information for Your Visit
Location and Transportation
Esalen is located 45 miles south of Monterey
and 11 miles south of Nepenthe restaurant on
Coast Route 1. This isolation and tranquility
can deepen your experience, yet it can also be
a significant change in environment.
Driving Highway 1 is a beautiful, winding drive
along the coast. Give yourself ample time to get
here so you can absorb the beauty of Big Sur.
Ridesharing: We encourage ridesharing to
reduce the number of cars on the road and at
Esalen. See the reservation form online at
www.esalen.org for ridesharing options, or tell
your reservationist you are interested.
Bill Ja mes
Van Service: Esalen offers a shuttle service
from San Francisco, San Jose, and Monterey on
Fridays and Sundays only. Please refer to our
website for the timetable and pricing, and call
our Reservations team at 1-888-8-esalen
(888-837-2536) to register for the shuttle.
Public Bathing in the Hot Springs
Phone and Internet: There is no cell phone
service at Esalen. There are two shared Internet stations available and the Lodge has free
WiFi access, except during meal times. Due
to Esalen’s remote location, all connectivity
(phones and Internet) is provided on a besteffort basis; we can’t guarantee service.
Nudity: In the hot springs, massage area, and
pool, swimsuits are optional and nudity is
common. We encourage each individual to
choose what is most comfortable for him or
her. The environment we strive for at Esalen
is one of personal sanctuary and respect for
the human body.
We offer public night bathing in our natural hot
springs from 1:00am to 3:00am. Reservations
are required and must be made on the day you
wish to attend (same-day booking only).
Age Restrictions: Workshop participants
must be 18 years or older unless otherwise
noted. See page 111 for family options at
Esalen.
Illegal Drugs: In accordance with state and
federal laws, the possession or use of illegal
drugs on Esalen grounds is strictly prohibited.
Please call Night Baths Reservations at 831-6673047 between 9am–12pm. We accept credit
card reservations only; they are non-refundable
and non-transferable. Please see our website for
pricing.
Snoring: If you are staying in shared accom-
International callers may use our international
toll free line: 703-342-0500. Return reservations
can be made at the Esalen Office during your
visit.
The baths may be closed during public holidays and some Esalen events. We do not accept
large group reservations.
Private Conferences
As part of its dedication to the humanities and
sciences, Esalen offers its facilities to organizations and individuals for mission-aligned
private conferences, meetings, courses, and
trainings. Esalen can accommodate groups up
to 124 people.
Conferences can be two, five, or seven days and
include meals, movement classes, and use of
the hot springs and Art Center when available.
Most conferences are scheduled at least one
year in advance. For more information, visit
www.esalen.org/page/hosting-conference, and to
schedule, call 831-667-3038.
112
modations and you snore, please be prepared
to do everything possible to minimize the
discomfort this may cause a roommate.
Consider taking a private room. If you do not
snore, please come prepared with earplugs for
the possibility of sharing a room with a snorer.
Lost and Found: To inquire about items lost
during your stay, call 831-667-3019.
Pets: Other than service animals, pets are not
allowed.
Smoking: Smoking is permitted in desig-
nated outdoor areas only. Not permitted in
accommodations or meeting areas.
Flashlights: Esalen paths are very dimly lit at
night. Please bring a flashlight.
Valuables: The Esalen office has no facilities
Health Services: Esalen has no medical
services or pharmaceutical supplies on site.
Please come prepared to administer to your
own needs. Esalen is 45 miles from a medical
facility and pharmacy.
Volunteering: Guests are welcome to con-
Accessibility: Many Esalen paths, though
paved, are very steep. Access to some parts
of the property may be difficult depending
on your level of mobility. Please discuss your
needs with an Esalen representative at the
time of registration (at least 72 hours prior to
arrival) and we may be able to assist.
Personal Guests: Seminarians may not have
guests on property.
to store guest valuables.
tribute time during their stay to work with
Esalen staff, usually in the kitchen or in
cabins. This help enables us to meet the pressures of peak working times and provides an
opportunity for guests to experience Esalen
from the inside.
Recommended Reading and Mail Order
Merchandise: All recommended reading is
available online through www.esalen.org.
All other bookstore merchandise is available
via mail order. For more information, see
www.esalen.org/bookstore.
®
A Center for Personal and Social Transformation
The Esalen Vision
Esalen is a major catalyst in the transformation
of humankind, working with individuals and
institutions to integrate body, mind, heart, spirit,
and community in a nurturing relationship
with the environment.
The Esalen Mission
Esalen is a leading center for exploring and realizing
human potential through experience, education, and
research. We work toward the realization of a more
humane and all-embracing world, seeking answers
to questions unlikely to be explored by traditional
universities and religions. We sponsor pioneering
initiatives and offer personal, spiritual, and social
transformation programs for residents, interns, and
workshop participants.
Esalen Values
Human possibilities vastly exceed our imagination.
Realization of the human potential transcends
religious and scientific dogma.
Mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, and social
dimensions of our being are inextricably joined.
Transformation of consciousness is the basis
for transformation of the world, individually,
collectively, and in social systems.
All share the potential to love, learn, feel, and create.
Esalen explores these possibilities and celebrates
unity in diversity.
Esalen Practices
Growth. We share the right to realize our potential
to love, to learn, to feel deeply, and to create, living
fully in all aspects of our being — mind, body,
heart, soul, and community. We take risks to
reveal and discover ourselves. We provide learning
opportunities and support personal and social
transformation.
Service. We value relationships and community,
doing service by offering our experience and support
to the growth of others.
Responsibility. We know and take full responsibility
for who we are including our choices, attitudes, and
actions. We acknowledge our part in each situation
and recognize that our actions affect others.
Integrity. We strive for congruency among our
values, beliefs, words, and actions and to cultivate
authentic self-expression.
Stewardship. We take care of Esalen and the land.
We take responsibility for the way we use all that is
available to us. We understand and interact with the
natural world with consideration for those here and
now and those who will follow.
Presence. We are willing to return to body
and sensation, seeking to be here now and fully
experience what is in the moment.
Community. We recognize the interdependence of
all things, appreciating diversity of persons, thoughts,
actions, and beliefs. We are aware that our actions
and attitudes affect the whole.
Gratitude. We recognize and honor the gifts of each
moment.
Esalen Institute
55000 Highway 1
Big Sur, California 93920-9546
If you move, please let us know
your new address. It helps us
save trees and money.
facebook.com/esaleninstitute
twitter.com/esaleninstitute
pinterest.com/esalen
Honoring our Past,
Envisioning our Future.
Our journey of renewal continues. Your support makes Esalen’s transformation
possible. Every gift makes a difference – today and tomorrow.
Be part of the journey: Esalen.org/Give
Esalen is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, charitable organization.
www.esalen.org
888.837.2536
[email protected]

The Esalen Catalog • January–June 2016

Transcription

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