Arts & Culture

Travel can be transformational. The practice of writing about our travels — those "best trips" that continue in our memories long after we've returned home — can both deepen our experience and help to generate lasting insights. In their upcoming workshop The Traveler's Practice: Journey and Journal, renowned writers Pico Iyer and Janet Fitch will guide you through an exploration of your inner and outer worlds through the lens of travel writing.

Christina Dauenhauer is a landscape designer and artist living off the grid near Hood River, Oregon. Between 2009 and 2016 she was Esalen's Grounds Manager and specialized in succulent design. Christina recently returned to Esalen to lead Inspired by Nature: Creative Expression in Esalen’s Big Sur Landscape. We recently spoke with her on how nature inspires and informs her art.

This July, Dr. Francis Lu and Brother David Steindl-Rast will be hosting their annual seven-day seminar on mindful viewing of film, particularly those which feature Japanese and Western perspectives. Francis, the Luke & Grace Kim Endowed Professor in Cultural Psychiatry, Emeritus, in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, Davis, and Brother David, noted author, psychologist, and Benedictine monk, have been co-leading these workshops at Esalen since 1990.

These are just some of the suggestions by Esalen staff who, as artists themselves, embrace Esalen’s natural beauty to foster and spark their creativity. Some, like longstanding community member Daniel Bianchetta and technology specialist Kyle Evans, express their creativity through photography. Their work can be seen in the latest Esalen catalog and is also available for purchase in the bookstore.

How can we as individuals transform society? How can film entertain, uplift, and enlighten? How can we build community around transformation?

The change in seasons can bring about a sense of wonder, of noticing the details of nature’s colorful palette. There are many ways to enjoy our natural surroundings, including this gratitude practice incorporating creativity and our senses of sight, sound, smell and touch.

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