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

Marques ReddA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Marques Redd

Dr. Marques Redd is a traditional African cosmologist, independent scholar, filmmaker, sculptor, and art curator based in Pittsburgh, PA.

Tenzin Wangyal RinpocheA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche

Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche is one of very few masters of the Tibetan Bön Dzogchen tradition living in the West. He founded Ligmincha International, and is known for his ability to make Tibetan practices accessible to all students.

Heidi Rose RobbinsA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Heidi Rose Robbins

Heidi Rose Robbins is an astrologer, author, and poet, helping thousands of clients all over the globe live with more authenticity and clarity. She hosts two podcasts and leads Radiant Life Retreats.

Sylvie RokabA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Sylvie Rokab

Sylvie is a certified mindfulness teacher, nature-therapy guide, and Emmy-nominated filmmaker who is passionate about healing people, the collective, and the world.

Brenda RoseA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Brenda Rose

Brenda Rose is renowned for her powerful transmissions and healing presence. An acclaimed psychic medium and coach, she inspires clients to live and love their lives guided by their soul’s purpose.

Leslie Salmon JonesA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Leslie Salmon Jones

Leslie Salmon Jones is CEO and co-founder of Afro Flow Yoga®. Leslie and her husband, Jeff, developed this integrated embodied practice, combining dances from the African Diaspora, yoga, and live healing music.

Day SchildkretA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Day Schildkret

Day Schildkret’s visually stunning, earth-based art reconnects us to our intrinsic healing relationship with nature, impermanence, and everyday ritual.

Lori SchwanbeckA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Lori Schwanbeck

Lori Schwanbeck weaves her passion for nature into her work as a mindfulness teacher, retreat leader, and Hakomi certified psychotherapist who teaches mindfulness-based emotional intelligence programs internationally.

Sianna ShermanA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Sianna Sherman

Sianna Sherman has been a celebrated international yoga teacher for three decades. She is the visionary of the Rasa Yoga Collective, Mythic Yoga Flow®, and RITUAL.

Janet StoneA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Janet Stone

Janet Stone teaches in San Francisco and leads retreats internationally, blending a wealth of knowledge and yoga experience to create a unique, vigorous yet sumptuous approach to Vinyasa yoga.

Deborah Eden TullA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Deborah Eden Tull

Deborah Eden Tull, founder of Mindful Living Revolution, is a Zen meditation and mindfulness teacher, author, activist and sustainability educator. She bridges personal awakening with collective transformation.

Anne Van de WaterA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Anne Van de Water

Anne Van de Water is a certified life coach, health and wellness teacher, and inspirational spiritual guide. She helps huge-hearted change makers cultivate True Self Mastery to authentically live, love, lead and thrive.

Cassandra VietenA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Cassandra Vieten

Cassandra Vieten, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist, mind-body medicine researcher, consultant, public speaker, and author. She co-wrote Living Deeply: The Art and Science of Transformation in Everyday Life.

Julie VonA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Julie Von

Julie Von is a holistic doctor, author, and speaker specializing in fertility. Her acclaimed book, Spiritual Fertility, is the benchmark text on the link between trauma and conception.

John VoslerA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
John Vosler

John Vosler is a senior teacher at the Amrit Yoga Institute and teaches internationally, leading trainings and retreats on the profound healing benefits of the ancient meditation practice of Yoga Nidra.

Darnell Lamont WalkerA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Darnell Lamont Walker

As an author, poet, playwright, and screenwriter, Darnell approaches writing with an enormous amount of tenderness and audacity, teaching others to do the same.

Rodney WatersA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Rodney Waters

Rodney Waters is a Jungian Analyst Diploma Candidate at ISAP Zurich who sees clients through The Center for Healing Arts and Sciences in Houston.

Ellen WatsonA small white oval over a larger white oval, meant to represent a person.
Ellen Watson

Since 1984, Ellen Watson has studied, practiced, and taught Esalen® Massage & Bodywork both at Esalen and Internationally. In 2016, she was inducted into the World Massage Hall of Fame.