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.

Eric Moya, CST-D, MS/MFCT, is a career manual therapist, instructor for the Upledger Institute, and international lecturer and speaker specializing in mind/body awareness and growth. He maintains practices in San Francisco, Santa Cruz, and Carmel, California.

Erik Davis, PhD, is an author, journalist, and teacher based in San Francisco. His wide-ranging work focuses on the intersection of alternative religion, media, and the popular imagination. His most recent book is High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies.

Rev. Erika Allison (she/they) is a queer interfaith minister, speaker, and author of the award-winning book Gay the Pray Away: Healing Your Life, Love, and Relationships from the Harms of LGBT Conversion Therapy. She created and facilitates the RAINBOW Path program for healing from identity harm and religious wounding.

Erika Gagnon is a ceremonial leader, wisdom carrier, and healer who helps others heal themselves. She has walked a medicine path and Red Road for 30 years, working with Indigenous elders from North and South America and their ceremonies, altars, and medicinal plants. She is honored to receive her Indigenous elders’ blessings to continue their traditions through healing ceremonies and personal healing sessions.

Erika Rosenberg, PhD, is founding faculty and director of research at The Compassion Institute, senior teacher at Stanford’s CCARE, and co-author of the Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT) Program. A scientist and meditation teacher, Erika brings multiple perspectives to the understanding of emotions and the growth of compassion.

Erin Lee Gafill is an award-winning and museum-exhibited painter and fifth-generation California artist. An international teacher, she is the author of the memoir Drinking from a Cold Spring, a Little Book of Hope and Color Duets with Kaffe Fassett.

With a legacy of providing personal growth offerings for our guests and creating some of the world’s best body therapies, Esalen Healing Arts supports and furthers the mission of Esalen Institute by expanding upon ways people across the world can access and experience the unique and growing array of educational programs, professional services and transformative experiences.

Esperide Ananas Ametista, PhD, is a psycho-sociologist, pioneer in human development research, coach, writer, and designer. She has worked for the European Parliament and the United Nations. A citizen of Damanhur since 1993, Esperide is a spiritual healer with a background in meditation and anthropology. Her main fields of research are the interaction with intelligent subtle energies, inner alchemy, and past lives.

Esther Gokhale (GO-clay), L.Ac., author of 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back, was educated at Harvard, Princeton, and SFCAOM (in Chinese medicine), and by people in non-industrial cultures worldwide. She and other qualified Gokhale Method instructors offer instruction online and around the world.

Eve Ekman, PhD, MSW, is a contemplative social scientist, teacher, and scholar focusing on emotional awareness, empathy, meditation, and interventions to alleviate burnout and promote well-being. Eve draws from interdisciplinary skills and first-person experiential knowledge from clinical social work, integrative medicine, contemplative science, and meditation. She did her MSW and PhD at UC Berkeley and post doctoral training at UCSF Osher Center for Integrative medicine. Eve is the well-being Lead at Apple, a senior fellow at UC Berkeley Greater Good Science Center, and an instructor with the Berkeley Center for Psychedelic Science.

Evelyn Hall is a social worker, master hypnotherapist, and minister. For the past 35 years, she’s been guiding individuals and leading groups. Evelyn specializes in transformative healing practices including somatic awareness, movement, meditation, healing through nature, and leading sacred ceremonies.

Ezra Bookman is a nationally recognized experience designer, artist, and facilitator exploring the transformational power of ritual. He is the founder of Ritualist, a creative studio helping leaders cultivate more conscious companies and connected communities.

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.

Fanna Fi Allah is a traditional Sufi qawwali ensemble that has been touring internationally since 2001. Their 10 albums, in-depth studies with Sufi masters in Pakistan and India, peace tours, and other projects make them cultural ambassadors in the West, not only sharing music but also creating understanding of Sufism and Islam.

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, California, and facilitates experiences in creativity, embodied sexuality, and meaning.

Firoozeh Dumas is a New York Times bestselling author/humorist and professional speaker whose most recent work, Sob, (Audbile.com) chronicles the worst year of her life. Firoozeh believes that everyone has a story to tell and everyone’s story counts.

Fletcher Tucker is a co-founder of Wildtender, an organization based in Big Sur that cultivates kinship with the natural world, and explores earth-based wisdom traditions. Fletcher is also a writer, multidisciplinary artist and musician whose work engages deeply with place.

Formica Coriandolo is an accomplished singer, painter and glass artist. Formica has lived in Damanhur since 1984 and is one of the first artists of the Temples of Humankind. Formica has been lucid dreaming since an early age and combines her experience in the dreamworld with her artistic abilities to help her students open up to their own infinite creative potential.

Frances Lefkowitz is an award-winning writer, editor, and reviewer. Her fiction, personal essays, and articles have appeared in Glimmer Train Stories, Poets & Writers, the San Francisco Chronicle, and Health. Her parents met in Big Sur in 1959.

Francis G. Lu, MD, is the Kim Professor in Cultural Psychiatry, Emeritus, at UC, Davis. Since 1987, he has led or co-led 37 film seminars at Esalen on positive psychological qualities and character virtues, 28 with Brother David Steindl-Rast.

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Former Senior Partner and Global Managing Director of IDEO, Fred works at the intersection of business, society, and creativity applying the optimism of human-centered design to intractable challenges. Serving on the boards of the Sundance Institute, NPR, and The New School, Fred is a sought after writer, thought leader, and social innovator.

Fritjof Capra, PhD, is the author of several international bestsellers, including Uncommon Wisdom, which features his extensive conversations with R. D. Laing. His latest work, co-authored by Pier Luigi Luisi, is The Systems View of Life: A Unifying Vision (Cambridge University Press).

Fritz Smith is a physician, osteopath, cranial osteopath, certified acupuncturist and founder of Zero Balancing. He is the author of Inner Bridges: A Guide to Energy Movement and Body Structure and Alchemy of Touch.

Gabor Maté is a leading expert on addiction, stress, and childhood development. Dr. Gabor co-founded the nonprofit organization Compassion for Addiction, and advises for Drugs over Dinner. His best-selling books include In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts and When the Body Says No. He teaches in the Faculty of Criminology, Simon Fraser University.

Gabriela Bozic, MA, is a yoga teacher and cofounder of the Jivamukti Yoga Centers in Munich, Germany. She holds a master's degree in linguistics and advanced certification in Jivamukti Yoga. Gabriela leads workshops internationally and is an established presenter at yoga conferences worldwide.

Gahl Sasson is an established author and has been teaching workshops on Storytelling, Kabbalah, Astrology, and Mysticism around the globe for over 20 years. His first book, A Wish Can Change Your Life, has been translated into over eight languages and is endorsed by HH the 14th Dalai Lama. His second work, Cosmic Navigator, is the essential reference guide to understanding your astrological makeup. Since 2018 Gahl has been publishing a yearly bestselling book on the astrology of the upcoming year.

He is a contributor to the Huffington Post, and Astrology.com, and has been named “Los Angeles’ Best Astrologer” by W Magazine. He is a guest lecturer at USC, Tel Aviv University, and teaches at Esalen, Omega Institute, University of Judaism, and the Open Center in NYC. He has appeared on CNN, ABC News, KTLA-TV Los Angeles to name a few. His academic paper, Symbolic Meaning of Names in the Bible was published by the Journal of Storytelling, Self, & Society. He currently resides in Los Angeles but gives seminars and workshops regularly in over 13 countries. His web site is www.CosmicNavigator.com and podcast: Cosmic Navigator Astrology Show.

Galen Cranz, PhD, and Architecture Professor at UC Berkeley, is a certified teacher of the Alexander Technique (body-mind postural education). She is the author of The Chair: Rethinking Culture, Body and Design, and leads workshops on body conscious design around the world.

Garth Stevenson was raised in Western Canada, where nature became his primary inspiration and the common thread between his life and music. His albums, Alpine, Flying, and Voyage, are informed by his experiences carrying his 160-year-old double bass into nature, including Antarctica and Tuva.

Gary is a tenured professor, accomplished naturalist, and hiking guide. Through his work with nonprofits, retreat venues, and adventure outfitters, Gary teaches people how they can heal and nourish their mind, body, and spirit through time spent in nature.

Gay Hendricks, PhD, is a leader in the fields of relationship transformation and body-mind 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.

Geneen Marie Haugen, PhD, grew up a little wild, with a run amok imagination. A content creator and guide to the intertwined mysteries of nature and psyche with the Animas Valley Institute, she has been on the faculty of the Esalen Institute and Schumacher College. Her writing has appeared in Spiritual Ecology: The Cry of the Earth, Thomas Berry: Dreamer of the Earth, and many others.

George Kohlrieser is Distinguished Professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior at the Institute of Management Development (IMD) Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland. He is a best-selling, award-winning author of two leadership books, a veteran hostage negotiator, and an organizational and clinical psychologist. He has been a workshop leader at Esalen since 1979.

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, California.

Gerald Smith is a licensed psychologist in private practice in San Mateo, California. A facilitator of workshops for couples at Esalen for many decades, he has also written Couple Therapy and Hidden Meanings on the subject of enhancing relationships.

Geramy Quarto, MSW, combines an extensive background in psychotherapy, integrative coaching, and mentorship with Indigenous Wisdom teachings to facilitate experiential ceremonial backdrops that have potential for transformation and soulful healing. He devotes his time mentoring/coaching young leaders in the private & non-profit sector.

Gigi Coyle is a communications artist and a trainer of leaders, sitting in council since she was a child. Coauthor of The Box: Remembering the Gift and The Way of Council, she has introduced council in places as diverse as Zen centers, hospitals, prisons, corporations, and schools.

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. Her latest books are Expanding the Practice of Sex Therapy and The Return of Desire.

Girish is an internationally touring world music artist, author, and former monk infused in spiritual practice. He sings traditional Sanskrit mantras with a modern, funky, yet deeply devotional twist. His book, Music and Mantras, and his five albums are popular worldwide.

Gitanjali Hemp is a master energy healer, mystic, teacher, writer, mother, and the founder of Syntara System, a deeply integrative, evolutionary energy healing and awareness modality. It is her great joy to bring this life and world-changing work to you.

Glen Phillips is the lead singer/songwriter forToad the Wet Sprocket and has released numerous solo and collaborative records. He continues to actively tour and leads community singing circles in Santa Barbara.

Gogo Ekhaya is an author, spiritual teacher, and certified peer recovery specialist in the mental health field, and initiated healer in the South African Sangoma tradition. She is trained in trauma-informed practices and blends these techniques with shamanic healing for a holistic approach to mental wellness.

Gonan Premfors is the originator of the Parentology relationship philosophy and co-founder of Gozamm, an organization whose workshops focus on family, change from within, and leadership have been offered on five continents. Gonan is a leading coach trainer whose work was recently featured in a TEDx talk.

Gopi Kallayil is the chief brand evangelist at Google; founder of "Yoglers," the the yoga program for Googlers; and the self-proclaimed “Happy Human,” a title his business card bears above his name. Having become a yoga teacher by studying at the Sivananda Ashram Neyyar Dam, Kerala, India, Gopi is an avid yoga practitioner.

Gordon Wheeler, PhD, is a relational psychologist applying the Gestalt model to a range of contemporary clinical and social issues. Author or editor of many books and articles, he teaches and trains widely around the world. Together with Nancy Lunney Wheeler, he has developed and articulated Gestalt Relational Constellations for exploring the systemic contexts of “individual” issues. Gordon has long been President of Esalen, where he also served as CEO.

Grace Gamboa is an entrepreneur, thought leader, consultant, advisor, and mentor. Her training includes Enneagram personality styles, somatic psychology, movement therapy, and relational and body intelligence. As a credentialed coach, Grace empowers people and organizations to fulfill their dreams and desires.

Grace is a multi-disciplinary vibrational artist with practices in Sound Healing, Visual Arts, Healing with Foods, Reiki and Yoga. She has developed a unique lifestyle and practice of integrating multi-modalities of communicating healing artistry over the last 24 years of study and practice, with plant medicines playing an integral role in her journey as a facilitator.

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.

HaChi Yu is an Advanced Certified Jivamukti teacher and is the founder and director of Jivamukti Yoga LaLaLå! A former professional ballerina, she was born and raised in New York City and served as program director for Jivamukti® Teacher Training programs internationally.

Guest faculty Hakim Davy Tafari is a Buddhist Dharma practitioner and meditation facilitator who blends his meditative practice with street and trail running. After an injury and illness led him to acupuncture in the mid-90s, Tafari was introduced to mindfulness and herbal medicines, which helped him adopt a lifestyle that supports well-being. He shares how the practices of running and mindfulness offer a place of refuge for those seeking peace and balance in their lives.

Deemed the “midwife of possibility,” Hannah is a celebrated teacher of mindfulness, mysticism, and yoga. A mother and devoted student of Buddhism, neuropsychology, and mythology, she’s known for her life-changing, heart-opening teachings inspired by her deep love of the world.

Harley K. Dubois is co-founder of the modern-day Burning Man Project and has been involved with Burning Man for 30 years. She developed the infrastructure that keeps people happy and safe at Burning Man, and was the City Manager for over 10 years. Today she helps guide the movement forward, mentors key staff, and speaks globally about the power of the Burning Man culture to effect personal and cultural change.

Harriet Goslins developed Cortical Field Reeducation®. A Feldenkrais practitioner since 1985 and Integrated Awareness teacher, her background is in psychosynthesis, applied kinesiology, muscle energy, craniosacral work, and social anthropology. She has been teaching at Esalen for 32 consecutive years.

Harry Grammer, Ph.D. is a nationwide activist, educator, and psychologist. He founded New Earth in 2004, a community-based organization leading youth justice reform in Los Angeles. Harry has been honored as a CNN Hero, and in 2018 was selected one of 20 inaugural Obama Foundation Fellows from over 20,000 applicants in 191 countries. Dr. Grammer sits on the advisory board for the Kuya Institute for Transformational Medicine in Austin.

Harvey Deutch P.T. 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.

Harville Hendrix, PhD, co-created Imago Relationship Theory and Therapy with his wife, Helen LaKelly Hunt. Their partnership has produced ten books. Harville is a couples therapist with over 40 years of experience as an educator, a clinical trainer, and a lecturer whose work has been featured on Oprah 18 times.

Dr. Hazel-Grace, an intimacy coach for 14+ years, used their personal and professional journey to develop the REPAIR Process, which helps others transform conflicts into connections with ease. They blend professional expertise with a commitment to creating a compassionate world.