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.
past workshop

Fundamentals of Esalen® Massage

June 21–23, 2024

Jenny Pareno and Ellen Watson

This workshop is a perfect opportunity for you to enjoy the natural beauty of Esalen’s land while gaining a foundation in Esalen® Massage. Senior teachers and staff will guide you in this experience of connection and presence translated to the massage table.

Through lecture, demonstration and practice with your fellow students, you  will be introduced to the essentials, including quality of touch, rapport, a respect for our natural impulse toward healing, and mindful body mechanics. You will listen to what is felt as well as what is said. You will learn how to comfortably drape, and how to easily apply the foundational long, integration strokes and gentle stretches. You will have plenty of time for guided practice and to effectively share your experience. At the end of the weekend, you will be able to give a simple massage to friends and family back home.

Esalen massage promotes feelings of wholeness and reconnects us with our natural state of being. Teaching tools include experiential exercises to awaken the senses, demonstrations, and tableside guidance appropriate for you. The class will enjoy an optional evening in the hot tubs, birthplace of Esalen® Massage. The class is appropriate for the new and curious as well as the professional who would like to rejuvenate their senses and the quality of their touch.

10 hours of CE credit will be provided by the faculty.  For more information on CE email EMBA@esalen.org.

Jenny Pareno

Jenny Pareno has been a member of the Esalen Massage staff since 2012. Her teaching style is influenced by her passion for athleticism, her desire to pass on the knowledge of her mentors, and her gift of touch.

Full Bio

Ellen Watson

Ellen Watson fell in love with breath when she first arrived at Esalen in the 1980s. During the ensuing years, studying breath became a focus in all her pursuits. In addition to enhancing self-awareness, breath informs all the practices Ellen teaches at Esalen today. Among these practices are Esalen Massage & Bodywork, 5Rhythms®, Touching Essence, and the Vibrance Collective Practices.

Full Bio