Esalen’s pioneering commitment to mind-body-spirit exploration, to providing a safe and nurturing space for addressing personal challenge and trauma, and to fostering healing through a spectrum of modalities — from group therapies to expressive dance — is crucial in fostering kinder, better-equipped human beings to help make the world an abundantly better-shared place.

Theda Zawaiza came down the hill in 1986 to dance to the beat of Babatunde Olatunji's drums. Over the last three decades, she has consistently returned as a scholar, a workshop attendee, a volunteer, and, most recently, a REEP student. When Xochitl Ashe spent a few months as a work scholar in 2022, she was committed to getting to know the land and being in right relation with this co-stewarded stretch of paradise. Xochitl returns in late August and again in early September to teach sacred reciprocity, or ayni in Quechua. In the wake of last month’s Psychedelic Science Conference, we reflect on Rick Doblin, the founder of MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies). Once upon a time ago, in the 1980s, he too was a work scholar here. Rick’s journey within Esalen laid the foundation for his influential work in the field of psychedelic-assisted therapy and the current psychedelic Renaissance.

We recently looked back at the 1976 essay “The Me Decade,” written by Tom Wolfe, in which he decried an overemphasis on self-development and personal work. With humility and affection, we still, 47 years later, disagree with Mr Wolfe. Can self-work risk self-involvement? Sure. But when approached with sincerity, introspection, and a willingness to honestly confront flaws and shortcomings, these processes inevitably develop greater self-awareness, empathy, and a deeper understanding of one’s place in the world.

The Human Potential movement is forever a catalyst for social change through personal growth. Why? Because the sometimes painful process of self-inquiry requires “doing the work,” and that demands considering the needs and perspectives of others. It asks us to heal this world we all share. Interdependence and intraconnectivity are words we don't frequently use, nor are they necessarily attributes we think about working on. Yet, for those committed to genuine growth, these practices become powerful tools for self-discovery, social progress, and the betterment of humanity as a whole.

Campus-wide, annual festival happenings are making their return to Esalen! In June, we had Summer Groove. From July 24–28, powerhouses Dan Siegel, Elissa Epel, Rhonda Magee, Tom Little Bear Nason, and Douglas Drummond are uniting to Come Together for a festival of intraconnectivity and spirit. This blend of disciplines for collective change is designed to inspire you to experience interdependence and intra/interconnectivity and to spread those experiences and practices back to your communities — transmuting ideas and possibilities beyond the Esalen microcosm and into the “real world.”

To amplify access and inclusivity for this festival experience, we are opening the workshop to the general public via DAY PASSES. Offered Tuesday-Thursday, July 25–27, each day is designated by a theme: Awakening, Reconciliation, and Purification/Cleansing. We are also excited to share a locals’ rate for Monterey County residents who would like to participate for the week, and who also have their own accommodations. Space is limited, so register here now!

And keeping things in threes, please SAVE THE DATE for a third Esalen festival experience. We are tripping out with enthusiasm to share that we will be hosting the week-long Pathways to Altered States of Consciousness, September 4–8. Stay tuned for details! In the meantime, tune into this video about Esalen, our history, and present-day work with practices that explore altered states of being.

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“We are in a world that is transforming around us: pandemic, climate change, racism coming constantly, patriarchy coming back. Queer rights being beaten back. And we are, I think, all of us, hobbled, hampered, and deformed by the received ways we have of thinking of what it means to be a human and what success looks like. We're needing a brand-new way of thinking about ourselves in relationship to the cosmos and to the collective.” — In conversation with Rhonda V. Magee, one of five Esalen faculty members leading a week-long deep dive into intraconnectivity through land, sea, spirit, and heart. Register for the last few spots here and click the button to listen to the entire interview between Rhonda and Voices of Esalen host Sam Stern.

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Fifth-generation medicine woman Xochitl Ashe shares how she lives a life of ayni, meaning sacred reciprocity. “Every single mystical tradition has their code of living … If you do this and this and this, you will live a prosperous, happy life. My elders say, You know what? Just learn one thing. If you learn one thing and you can apply it in your life, your life will be so beautiful.”

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

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Age Wave CEO/co-founder Ken Dychtwald is eternally inspired by 50 years of benefiting from Esalen massage. So much so that he produced a film that kneads the interconnected tissues and legacy of the internationally cherished technique — “an inspired and ever-evolving integration of sensory awareness, healing arts, yoga, tai chi, meditation, body-mind integration, and mindfulness.” Co-created in the late 1960s by Peggy Horan, Deborah Medow, Brita Ostrom, and Vicki Topp, the feature honors their life journeys and future hopes for Esalen massage and the somatic arts.

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