Licia Sky is a somatic educator, bodyworker, artist, and musician. She guides transformational experiences incorporating dynamic observational exercises, music, movement, vocalizing, enhanced listening, and touch to foster safe, transformative inner and interpersonal connection.

Lidia Yuknavitch is the author of national best-selling novels The Book of Joan and The Small Backs of Children, the widely acclaimed memoir, as well as the novel Dora: A Headcase and books Allegories Of Violence and The Misfit's Manifesto.

Ligia Giese is an obstetrician/gynecologist with Kaiser in Northern California. She lives with her husband and two sons in Berkeley. She practices yoga and meditation, is a serious student of flamenco dance, and is committed to helping her fellow health care professionals explore new paths for personal and career growth.

Lihi Benisty guides immersive somatic experiences rooted in breath, movement, and self-inquiry. Her poetic approach to self-inquiry fosters emotional resilience, inner confidence, and embodied presence — inviting students to honor their full humanity and live from a place of depth.

Linda Bloom is a licensed clinical social worker and educator. She and her husband Charlie are co-founders of Bloomwork and co-authors 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.

Linda Evans Delman has been an international consultant and educator in the fields of psychology, movement and spirituality for over 40 years. Since completing her training with Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais in 1980, Linda has led numerous Feldenkrais®  Professtional Training Programs.

Linda Graham, MFT, is an experienced psychotherapist and author of Resilience and Bouncing Back. She integrates modern neuroscience, mindfulness practices, and relational psychology in her international trainings on resilience and well-being. She publishes  Resources for Recovering Resilience.

Linda Nicholls, DipC, PhD, is a dynamic facilitator 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.

Linda Wobeskya, MSPT, is a physical therapist and dedicated teacher with more than 40 years of teaching experience in a variety of fields including Zero Balancing, physical therapy, anatomy and dance. She practices Zero Balancing in Mill Valley, California.

Lindsay Branham is a psychologist focused on embodied and erotic ecology. She is trained as a Buddhist eco-doula and is finishing her PhD in psychology at the University of Cambridge on the reciprocal, embodied relationship between humans and the Earth.

Lisa Desrochers, DPT, MS, ATC, CST-D, is director of rehabilitation at a sub-acute hospital, specializing in gerontology and health preservation through application of CranioSacral techniques. She served as assistant professor at Lasell College, director of physical therapy services at SportsMedicine Boston, and athletic Trainer for the professional men's tennis tour (ATP).

Lisa Firestone is a clinical psychologist, director of research and education at the Glendon Association, and the senior editor of Psychalive.org. Dr. Firestone is the coauthor of The Self Under Siege, Sex and Love in Intimate Relationships, and Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice.

Lisa G. Littlebird facilitates group singing opportunities as a transformational personal practice, healing art and to foster community building in groups. She leads workshops internationally and has been on the faculty at Esalen since 2007.

Lissa Rankin, MD, is an expert in trauma-informed medicine, author of 7 books, founder of the Whole Health Medicine Institute, and a mystic who researches radical remission, mind body medicine, and spiritual healing. Her TEDx talks have been viewed over 5 million times, and two National Public Television specials featured her work in the field of healing.

Liz Andolong is a Filipina-American healing arts practitioner, facilitator, and intuitive educator who is passionate about holding spaces for folks to do less and feel more. It is within this “sacred pause” she believes folks are able to truly tap into the limitless healing power accessible within every body.

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Liz Rog lives to twine her voice with those of others. She leads a variety of community singing groups in Decorah, Iowa, and is the founder of the Village Fire community singing festival. She loves Village Fire because of the cross-pollination of voices and ideas among so many grassroots movers and shakers.

Llyn Cedar Roberts, MA, is an acclaimed teacher of shamanism. She wrote the Nautilus Gold award-winning book Speaking with Nature, co-authored with Sandra Ingerman, Shapeshifting into Higher Consciousness, and Shamanic Reiki. She has studied with diverse indigenous shamanic groups in remote locations.

Loch Kelly, M.Div., LCSW is an award-winning author, licensed psychotherapist, and recognized leader in the fields of meditation, psychotherapy, and awakening. He has developed a system of micro-meditations to train people in awakening as the next stage of development.

From her experience as a psychologist and social activist, Lorenia Parada Ampudia offers different mindful awareness practices as basic tools for learning about our body-mind relationships for self-discovery, self-regulation, and self-leadership. Identifying and finding clarity in understanding the context and dynamics of our own birth, early relationships with caregivers, and our body expression language are of great support for any transformation toward cultivating a healthy mind, healthy sexuality, and embodied harmonious relationships.

Lorenzo Cohen is professor and director of the Integrative Medicine Program at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Cohen conducts research examining the biobehavioral effects of programs aimed at reducing the negative aspects of cancer treatment and improving quality of life and clinical outcomes.

Lori Lewis offers students a compassionate invitation to come fully into their sensory awareness–body, mind, and spirit. Certified since 2009, Lori teaches at Body Therapy Institute in Santa Barbara and volunteers with hospice, offering Esalen® massage to patients, families and staff.

Lori Schwanbeck weaves her passion for nature into her work as a mindfulness teacher, retreat leader, and Hakomi certified psychotherapist. She is a senior teacher and program developer with the Google-born program “Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute”, where she teaches mindfulness-based emotional intelligence programs internationally. Her current project is called “Re-wilding our Feminine Nature” where she integrates embodied, relational, and presence-based practices to rekindle vitality, joy, and awe through immersion in nature.

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.

Lou Rainbow encourages students to go deeper into their own practice by exploring their energy, showing alternative approaches, and stretching the parameters of their own mark-making, form, and composition using still life and nature as inspiration.

When I really get into the act of making art: the physical act of pulling ink through a silk screen, pouring slip-over clay, drawing with a newly sharpened pencil on a gnarly surface or hiding and revealing layers of wax and paint, the feeling I have is truly visceral, like a collection of things, tangible and intangible, that feed your soul. — Lou Rainbow

Louie Schwartzberg is an award-winning producer, director and cinematographer known for his breathtaking imagery for feature films, television shows, documentaries, and commercials using his time-lapse, high-speed and macro cinematography techniques. Louie’s uplifting stories celebrate life and reveal the mysteries and wisdom of nature, people and places.

Lucia Horan was born in 1976 on the sacred land of Esalen in Big Sur. She was raised in the Esalen community and taught the practices that were developed by those who came before her. She was certified as an Esalen® Massage practitioner in 1994. She became a Hatha & Ashtanga yoga teacher in 1997. Lucia received lifelong direct training with Gabrielle Roth in the 5Rhythms® moving meditation practice and has been teaching 5Rhythms since 1998. She also has a BA from Goddard College with a major in expressive art therapy.

Lucretia, a holistic educator, author, herbalist, and healer with over 25 years of experience, integrates Indigenous healing rituals, plant medicine, and meditation. Her work honors women’s wellness, grief, trauma recovery, and self-empowerment, inspiring others to embrace their unique beauty and purpose.

Lucy Caldwell is a social psychologist, master facilitator, and thought leader. She is passionate about awakening humanity’s potential to usher forth a more compassionate, inclusive, and regenerative world.

LuviaJane Swanson D.C., CST-D is a certified CranioSacral Therapy 1 and 2 instructor and mentor for the Upledger Institute International. Her background in massage and chiropractic has shaped her approach to manual therapy, which is both energy-based and deeply rooted in body mechanics and structure.

Lynda Richtsmeier Cyr, PhD, is an integrative clinical psychologist and associate clinical director at the Center for Mind-Body Medicine.

Lynell George is a reporter/writer based in Los Angeles, who tells the city's story one sentence at a time. Her latest book, After/Image: Los Angeles Outside the Frame is a collection of essays and photographs exploring Los Angeles' ever-shifting terrain.

MC YOGI is a recording artist, award winning author, and yoga teacher. He's taught yoga and performed across the globe including headlining at Wanderlust festivals in over 30 US cities as well as Canada, Mexico, Japan, China and Korea. His unique style of music and teaching is joy filled and spiritually up lifting. His first three records were all #1 on the iTunes world music charts and his fifth album, Ritual Mystical, reached #1 on apple electronic music. In 2017 HarperOne published his memoir, Spiritual Graffiti which tells the story of his early years as a juvenile delinquent, living at a group home for at risk boys, to discovering yoga and launching his career as MC YOGI which would eventually lead to sharing yoga and music on the world stage including the Forbidden City in China and at the White House. When he is not on tour, MC YOGI teaches at his home studio Point Reyes Yoga, which he founded with his wife Amanda in 2001. For more information please visit mcyogi.com

MaMuse is a decade-long musical collaboration between Sarah Nutting and Karisha Longaker that stirs an ancient remembering of kinship within the family of all beings. With five albums and total commitment to kindness, MaMuse is magical, whimsical, and sublime.

Mac Murphy is a practitioner of Esalen Massage & Bodywork and Human Transformation, and he guides students in harnessing their innate power. Mac teaches a variety of breathwork practices, including Daoist Qi Gong, Tumo breathwork, Kundalini, and Pranayama.

Machiel Klerk is author of Dream Guidance: Connecting to the Soul Through Dream Incubation (Hay House). He is founder of the Jung Platform, a website that offers online courses on psychological and spiritual perspectives, which was created as a result of a dream.

Maddie Lam is a body-based practitioner and somatic activist who focuses on using practices of embodiment as liberation to answer the question: how do we all get free? Using yoga and meditation as pathways to deeper self-exploration, Maddie creates spaces for joy, self-intimacy, and connection to the greater collective.

Margaret Gill, CST-D, MCSS, is certified with the Upledger Institute as a CranioSacral Diplomate therapist and as a teacher for CranioSacral Therapy 1 and 2 and SomatoEmotional Release 1 and 2. Her main practice is in Brighton (UK), and she travels regularly to Cyprus where she treats clients. She is on the board of directors of the CranioSacral Society.

Maggie Wheeler is internationally known for her acting work, most notably as Janice on “Friends.” Co-director of the Golden Bridge Community Choir, Maggie is a singer-songwriter, speaker, and teaches her vocal workshop, Singing In The Stream, in the U.S. and abroad.

Malachi Stone applies his sixteen years of Esalen-based studies in human potential to massage class. “Presence and patience lie at the core of my work.” A long-time surfer, he translates the wisdom he gathers from the ocean into his teaching.

Manoj Dias is a globally recognized teacher and author celebrated for his transformative approach to meditation and movement. He is the co-founder of Open, a mindfulness studio based in Venice, CA, and previously founded A—SPACE, Australia’s first multi-disciplinary drop-in meditation studio.

Manuel Maqueda teaches applied circular economics and regenerative economics at Harvard University. He is co-founder of several notable NGOs, and advises international, forward-thinking governments, companies, and organizations. Manuel researches the interconnection between consciousnesses, personal transformation, and planetary regeneration.

Manuela Mischke-Reeds is the Chief Mental Health Officer at Abroad, a trauma expert, and an international somatic psychology and mindfulness educator with 25 years of experience. She is also a bestselling author and the founder of the Hakomi Institute of California and Embodywise. 

Mara Abrams is the co-founder and co-director of Census Open Innovation Labs (COIL). She mobilizes industries, communities, and a diversity of influential people to create change within and outside some of the most complex institutions and environments in the world. In addition to her current role with COIL at the U.S. Census Bureau, she is also a writer, speaker, design-thinking workshop facilitator, and world traveler.

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.

Marc Freedman, president, CEO and founder of Encore.org, is a renowned social entrepreneur, thought leader and writer. Under Marc’s leadership, Encore.org has pioneered innovative programs and sparked a growing movement in the U.S. and beyond to tap the talent and experience of people past midlife as a human resource for solving our most vexing social problems.

Marc Lesser is CEO of Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute. He was a resident of the San Francisco Zen Center and former director of Tassajara, Zen Mountain Center. He is the author of Know Yourself, Forget Yourself, and Seven Practices of a Mindful Leader.

Marcela Lobos, MA, has been initiated in the healing traditions of the Amazon and the Andes. She was born and raised in Chile, where she worked with shamans that belong to a matriarchal society that holds the wisdom of the feminine and the passion of Mother Earth.

Marci Graham is a facilitator for the Human Awareness Institute and has been teaching to its mission for nearly 20 years. She has a 30-year history of soul searching and personal transformation through movement, painting, writing, sculpting and bodywork. Her journey in Continuum Movement has illuminated the power of inquiry and embodiment as essential to personal growth.

Marcia Baczynski is a coach, educator and facilitator, focusing on sexual communication, boundaries, consent, and desire. Marcia is the co-author of Creating Consent Culture: A Handbook for Educators and teaching faculty at the School of Consent and Shakti Shiva Academy.

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Margaret Cullen, MFT, was a co-developer of Compassion Cultivation Training and is currently a senior teacher at the Center for Compassion, Research and Education at Stanford University and founding faculty at the Compassion Institute. She has been a meditation practitioner for almost 40 years, was one of the first ten people to be certified as an Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction instructor and has taught worldwide.

Margaret Harrsen is a spiritual healer and teacher. Her work covers the disciplines of traditional shamanic medicine, meditation, and biodynamic craniosacral therapy. Mar’s practice of the subtle healing arts is distinctly rooted in her study of nature (form) and spirituality (emptiness). She supports the well-being of humans and our shared earth.

Margot 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.

Maria Finn is the author of the cookbook Forage. Gather. Feast. and the founder of Flora & Fungi Adventures. In 2024, she launched The Institute for Ecosystem Based Living, an organization that produces pop-up events combining science, art, and regenerative food.

Dr. Maria Ramos is a meditation coach and physician. She found meditation a decade ago, after the sudden loss of her partner of 13 years. Grief was the doorway into a renewed connection to herself and to all of life. Maria works with healthcare professionals and has a gift for making meditation as accessible as a cup of coffee.

As Lead SoulCollage® trainer and founder of the School Of The Origins, inspired by the intelligence of nature, indigenous wisdom, perennial philosophy, and Jungian psychology, Mariabruna facilitates programs and rituals internationally, inviting creativity at the service of freedom and change.

Marian Goodell is CEO of the Burning Man Project and leads the nonprofit’s efforts to extend the Burning Man ethos globally. She provides strategic direction and leadership to Burning Man’s global network, including 100+ year-round employees, 270+ representatives in 39 countries, and an annual operating budget of $40M.

Dr. Marilyn Schlitz is an award-winning social scientist, writer, teacher, and filmmaker. She is a professor of Transpersonal Psychology at Sofia University and president emeritus at the Institute of Noetic Sciences.