Gratitude. A word so overused in mainstream society that its meaning has been lost to platitude — reduced to a social media hashtag.

But gratitude is a visceral and evocative feeling to unfurl at Esalen. The year 2022 marks 60 years of exploration and transformation, and that is thanks to you. Your support, your presence, and your generosity have helped rebuild and restore Esalen, and this year has refocused our unique mission to be the supportive container at the precipice of the far western reaches, the Western Gate of the United States.

Over the next six decades, Esalen will continue to be a catalyst for change at the leading edge of research and practice in the human potential movement. Hundreds of thousands of visionaries, teachers, workshop attendees, and work scholars from all around the world have shared experiences here that have shaped and enriched our extraordinary history. As a non profit, our work toward a more just, creative, and sustainable world has never been more crucial and your ongoing generosity is greatly appreciated.

After a year-long closure due to the pandemic, we are increasingly triumphant in operationally and programmatically rebuilding our financial stability. With your patience and support, we are now able to channel our energies back to our expanding global mission. We are on the way to qualifying for biodynamic certification. We are striving toward greater inclusion, diversity, equity, and accountability across our community.

Reconciliation work with the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County continued recently with a land acknowledgment and ceremony on November 13, 2022, followed by a workshop co-led by Esselen medicine woman and elder Cari Herthel the following week. Next spring, Esselen Chief Tom “Little Bear” Nason will co-lead a week-long workshop.

With profound gratitude to the Esselen Tribe for their continued grace as we work together toward greater understanding — this newsletter is dedicated to honoring and amplifying the voices of the Esselen Tribe.

“Land acknowledgment is not just about those words, but about the actions that come after. It's about actually taking the steps to be in right relations to be an ally, to be a supporter. Acknowledgment is a simple way of resisting the eraser of Indigenous histories and working towards honoring and inviting the truth.”

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Building a relationship with the Esselen tribe — recognized as aboriginal inhabitants of the Big Sur region, and among the first peoples to reside on the sacred land that the Esalen Institute sits on today — starts with receiving the Esselen story directly from members of the tribe, not relying on colonial and mission documentation and revisionist history that has been amplified by academia.

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“There was definitely a tribal vibe at Esalen…I saw it as a mirror of our Native American culture. In a way, Esalen became another village site for me. We considered them relatives, and we became immersed and blended as a culture with their culture.”

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In the wake of America’s psychedelics prohibition and the dismantling of this nation’s War on Drugs, there are exciting, life-changing plant medicine conversations happening here at Esalen.

Join legendary psychedelics researcher and the father of the modern microdosing movement, James Fadiman, PhD, and microdosing educator and coach Adam Bramlage as they teach live from Esalen Institute in Big Sur. Together we will learn about the most current and best practices for microdosing psychedelics and plant medicine.

Space is limited and filling up! Grab your spot now for $99.

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Whether flying solo or rolling in with your partner, your family, and your friends, Esalen's workshops during the holiday season have long been a deep and meaningful alternative way to celebrate, recalibrate, and reflect on all we are grateful for as well as all we hope to achieve in the new year.

Soul Motion®: Tenderness at the Heart of the Dance, December 19–25, 2022 with Zuza Engler and Scott Engler

Esalen® Massage for Couples and Friends, December 23–25, 2022 with Deborah Anne Medow and Vicki Topp

New Year Meditation Retreat: Self-Love and Kindness That Benefits All, December 26, 2022 – January 1, 2023 with Mark Abramson

Awake in the New Year: Setting Conscious Intentions for Our Lives and Our World, December 26, 2022 – January 1, 2023 with Deborah Eden Tull

How We Change and Why We Don't: The Art and Science of Transformation, January 2–6, 2023 with Cassandra Vieten

Yoga Immersion: Rebuilding the Foundation in the New Year, January 2–8, 2023 with Jovinna Chan

The Shared Heart New Year's Couples Retreat, January 6–8, 2023 with Barry and Joyce Vissell