The world is hurting. Divisiveness, conflict, anxiety, and trauma fracture communities and environments. Just reading the news to stay informed can be paralyzing. How do we find calm and hope in the midst of chaos?
“The setting of one group against another goes against Esalen's deepest values, which are the fundamental unity of human beings, beyond all partisan divides,” says Esalen President Gordon Wheeler. “Esalen has a deep commitment to the expansion of each individual's human potential for growth and creativity. Above party or program, Esalen maintains principles and endorses values positions.”
We invite folks from across the political spectrum to get together and move beyond the ideological political divides for a better understanding of our deepest held values: equality, hope, healing, and love. Moving forward and moving past our limitations for a greater vision of humanity and better tomorrow. We strive to nourish our shared humanity. Today’s realities underscore that our vision is more relevant than ever, and this moment is an opportunity for us to pursue a collective potential.
The incredible men of Esalen are widely known to many of you, but what about the amazing women who helped build the Esalen of yesterday and today? Meet four women integral to Esalen’s six-decade-strong legacy as they share some memories and aspirations for Esalen in the coming years.
Winter with us for the second annual Go Within festival! Last year’s performances by ambient music pioneer Laraaji, ethereal harpist Mary Lattimore, and Indigenous wisdom keeper and musician Snow Raven created musical magic. This time, we’re combining more breakthrough talents with resident Esalen faculty for a rich tapestry of musical and relational experiences. The new roster is still unfolding, so stay tuned, but sign up now to secure your space!
Michael Murphy, Esalen’s illustrious co-founder, completes his 94th turn around the sun this week. Over many decades, Michael has established himself as a leading voice in the evolving fields of human potential and consciousness studies. His writings reflect a keen mind, deeply passionate about investigating the vast capacities of humanity, human evolution, and the nature of consciousness.
We are thrilled to share an incredible job opportunity with you! Esalen Institute, located on the breathtaking Big Sur coast, is searching for a dynamic and visionary General Manager to lead our team and drive our mission forward.
We’re excited to announce some remarkable first-time faculty joining us for the final months of 2024 and offer a glimpse of what is to come in 2025. Please help us welcome a talented group of thought leaders!
We're also happy to welcome back a few faculty who are returning for the first time since 2020:
“One of our workshop programming goals continues to be to explore the expansion of human consciousness beyond known boundaries and to explore extraordinary capacities or human potentials that have been denied or repressed and appear to be reemerging,” says Esalen’s head of workshop programming, Frederica Helmiere.
“We are developing programming that aims to re-ignite the lines of inquiry that academia tends to snuff out and become re-enchanted with the ‘ultimate significance’ of things. We are looking at our mandate with fresh eyes, honoring content that is edgy and experimental and bold.
Some 2025 workshop themes will include somatic sexology, post-activism, children’s past life memories, ordinary mysticism, two-spirit somacultural theory, improv, decolonizing eros, and much more.”
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Michael Murphy shares tales of the Institute’s earliest days — the “bohemian gathering place” he created with Dick Price. It’s the Esalen origin story only Esalen’s co-founder could tell, complete with genius ideas, psychedelics, and the Monterey sheriff who told Michael to get some guns. “It was that wild,” he recalls.
Whenever Director of Communications & Storytelling Shira Levine is on campus, she deliberately pauses to make sure she is completely present: "I used to start writing the stories in my head in the moment — as I was experiencing something. Now, I stop myself to get out of the way of my buzzing brain to just Be.”
Psychotherapist, researcher, poet, teacher, facilitator, and the faculty lead of December’s, In Our Hands: Reclaiming the Lost Self from Technology, Shannon Algeo, talks about the poetic questions, curious minds, deep listeners, and great writers he admires, and why he fears holding back most of all.
The Esalen check-in, a direct outgrowth from Esalen’s Gestalt practice, is decades old and a foundational cornerstone of the institute’s culture. It continues both departmentally and in workshops today as a way to connect, explore, and humanize for more harmonious coexistence and collaborations.
While the world faces massive challenges, we’re in full spaciousness mode with childlike wonder as we charge ever forward. Discover wit, wisdom, whimsy, and inspiration through children’s books (and the lives of their authors) this September.
Breakfasts at the Lodge make that first meal of the day far too tempting to ever consider skipping. This much-requested healthy morning Esalen-favorite recipe can be both decadent and nourishing.
Michael Murphy shares tales of the Institute’s earliest days — the “bohemian gathering place” he created with Dick Price. It’s the Esalen origin story only Esalen’s co-founder could tell, complete with genius ideas, psychedelics, and the Monterey sheriff who told Michael to get some guns. “It was that wild,” he recalls.
Whenever Director of Communications & Storytelling Shira Levine is on campus, she deliberately pauses to make sure she is completely present: "I used to start writing the stories in my head in the moment — as I was experiencing something. Now, I stop myself to get out of the way of my buzzing brain to just Be.”
Psychotherapist, researcher, poet, teacher, facilitator, and the faculty lead of December’s, In Our Hands: Reclaiming the Lost Self from Technology, Shannon Algeo, talks about the poetic questions, curious minds, deep listeners, and great writers he admires, and why he fears holding back most of all.
The Esalen check-in, a direct outgrowth from Esalen’s Gestalt practice, is decades old and a foundational cornerstone of the institute’s culture. It continues both departmentally and in workshops today as a way to connect, explore, and humanize for more harmonious coexistence and collaborations.
While the world faces massive challenges, we’re in full spaciousness mode with childlike wonder as we charge ever forward. Discover wit, wisdom, whimsy, and inspiration through children’s books (and the lives of their authors) this September.
Breakfasts at the Lodge make that first meal of the day far too tempting to ever consider skipping. This much-requested healthy morning Esalen-favorite recipe can be both decadent and nourishing.
Michael Murphy shares tales of the Institute’s earliest days — the “bohemian gathering place” he created with Dick Price. It’s the Esalen origin story only Esalen’s co-founder could tell, complete with genius ideas, psychedelics, and the Monterey sheriff who told Michael to get some guns. “It was that wild,” he recalls.
Whenever Director of Communications & Storytelling Shira Levine is on campus, she deliberately pauses to make sure she is completely present: "I used to start writing the stories in my head in the moment — as I was experiencing something. Now, I stop myself to get out of the way of my buzzing brain to just Be.”
Psychotherapist, researcher, poet, teacher, facilitator, and the faculty lead of December’s, In Our Hands: Reclaiming the Lost Self from Technology, Shannon Algeo, talks about the poetic questions, curious minds, deep listeners, and great writers he admires, and why he fears holding back most of all.
The Esalen check-in, a direct outgrowth from Esalen’s Gestalt practice, is decades old and a foundational cornerstone of the institute’s culture. It continues both departmentally and in workshops today as a way to connect, explore, and humanize for more harmonious coexistence and collaborations.
While the world faces massive challenges, we’re in full spaciousness mode with childlike wonder as we charge ever forward. Discover wit, wisdom, whimsy, and inspiration through children’s books (and the lives of their authors) this September.
Breakfasts at the Lodge make that first meal of the day far too tempting to ever consider skipping. This much-requested healthy morning Esalen-favorite recipe can be both decadent and nourishing.
Esalen Institute
55000 Highway 1
Big Sur, CA 93920
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info@esalen.org
