Esalen Institute is open! However, Highway 1 to the south is closed — please review the current travel advisory.
Learn More.

Learn more.

Due to road closures along Highway 1 to our north and south, Esalen is closed through April 11.
Esalen Institute is open! However, Highway 1 to the south is closed — please review the current travel advisory.

Esalen opens May 3, 2024

Visitors are now able to access Esalen as well as other businesses and trails in northern Big Sur via twice-daily convoys on Highway 1 operated by Caltrans.

Convoys run only at 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. each day. These are the only opportunities to travel into and out of Big Sur, so visitors must plan accordingly.

Learn more.

Faculty

Esalen faculty represent a spectrum of disciplines, experiences, and perspectives — our faculty members have included Premal Shah, founder of Kiva.org; Robert Walter, Joseph Campbell’s longtime editor; mindfulness researcher Shauna Shapiro; and Wisdom 2.0 creator Soren Gordhamer.

Interested in teaching at Esalen? Learn more.

Featured Faculty

Current and Recent Faculty

Daria HalprinA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Daria Halprin

A dancer, poet, educator, author, and therapist, Daria Halprin is a leader in the field of somatic movement/expressive arts education and therapy.

Steven HarperA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Steven Harper

Steven Harper is a wilderness leader, author, facilitator, and Big Sur resident. His work incorporates practices that cultivate awareness, grow somatic intelligence, and emphasize connection with nature as vehicles for awakening.

Margaret HarrsenA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Margaret Harrsen

Margaret Harrsen is a spiritual healer and teacher. Her work covers the disciplines of traditional shamanic medicine, meditation, and biodynamic craniosacral therapy.

Paul HeussenstammA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Paul Heussenstamm

Paul Heussenstamm is a painter and teacher from Laguna Beach, California. His vibrant sacred art incorporates principles of many religious traditions, among them Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity.

Andrew HolecekA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Andrew Holecek

Dr. Andrew Holecek has completed the traditional three-year Buddhist meditation retreat and offers seminars internationally on meditation, lucid dreaming, and the art of dying.

Lucia HoranA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Lucia Horan

Born and raised in the Esalen community, Lucia Horan received life-long direct training with Gabrielle Roth in the 5Rhythms® method and is formally empowered to teach Buddha dharma in all capacities.

Peggy HoranA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Peggy Horan

Peggy Horan has been practicing and teaching Esalen Massage for five decades and is the author of Connecting Through Touch, A Couples Massage Book.

Chungliang Al HuangA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Chungliang Al Huang

Chungliang "Al" Huang teaches Tai Ji philosophy, East/West synthesis, and the art of movement meditation.

Russ HudsonA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Russ Hudson

Russ Hudson is one of the top teachers and developers of the Enneagram system in the world today. He is the co-author, with Don Richard Riso, of several books including The Wisdom of the Enneagram and Personality Types.

Shamini JainA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Shamini Jain

Shamini Jain, PhD, integrates clinical psychology, psychoneuroimmunology, vocal performance, and East Indian spiritual practice to teach others how they can best heal themselves and live joyful, meaningful lives.

Patricia JamesA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Patricia James

Patricia James, a Cheyenne pipe carrier and priest, is a medicine woman of Seminole heritage and a cross-cultural expert. She facilitates ceremonies and workshops for groups and individuals.

Andrea JuhanA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Andrea Juhan

Andrea Juhan, PhD, MFT has created her own form of movement practice called Open Floor, which draws on her decades of experience with Gabrielle Roth's 5Rhythms, Gestalt Awareness Practice, and Integrative Body Psychotherapy.

Dacher KeltnerA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Dacher Keltner

Dacher Keltner is a professor of Psychology at UC Berkeley and faculty director of the Greater Good Science Center. His research focuses on the biological and evolutionary origins of compassion, awe, love, beauty, and more.

Sará KingA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Sará King

Sará King MA, PhD is passionate about catalyzing humanity’s capacity to heal from intergenerational trauma and is dedicated to creating accessible contemplative practices at the nexus of art, music, and meditation.

The Brothers KorenA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
The Brothers Koren

With over twenty years as teachers, performers, and transformational leaders, Thorald and Isaac Koren are on a mission to hear the world’s song, one Big Voice at a time.

Roger KuhnA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Roger Kuhn

Dr. Roger Kuhn is a Poarch Creek Two-Spirit Indigiqueer somacultural sex therapist, sexuality educator, writer, activist, and musician.

Kamilah MajiedA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Kamilah Majied

Kamilah Majied, MSW, PhD, is a Buddhist mental health therapist, clinical educator, researcher, and an internationally-engaged consultant on building inclusivity and equity using meditative practices.

Dean MarsonA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Dean Marson

Dean Marson is a Senior Esalen® Massage instructor whose approach to bodywork embraces elements of movement, awareness practices and conscious connection.