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

Hardwiring Happiness

September 16–18, 2022

with Shauna Shapiro

We used to think that the brain was static, fixed, that it could not change. But revolutionary findings in neuroscience have demonstrated that we can literally re-architect the very structure of our brain. In fact, we can even rewire our brain to be happier — but it’s not through changing our external world; it’s through changing our internal landscape.

In this workshop, Dr. Shauna Shapiro — a leading scientist studying the effects of meditation on well-being — will teach you the most powerful science-based practices for increasing the neural pathways of happiness. She explains basic brain science and offers a powerful roadmap for how to live a joyful, connected, and meaningful life. Be prepared for unexpected transformation and delight.

  • Learn science-based practices to increase your baseline level of happiness.
  • Learn to cultivate greater joy, gratitude, and connection.
  • Learn how to integrate these practices in your everyday life.

*For anyone facing financial hardship, Dr. Shauna Shapiro invites you to contact her directly for tuition scholarship at slshapiro@scu.edu.

Recommended Reading: Shapiro, S. (2020) Good Morning, I love you: Mindfulness + Self-Compassion Practices to Rewire the Brain for Calm, Clarity + Joy.  Sounds True, Boulder, CO. Shapiro, S (2022). Good Morning, I Love You: A Guided Journal for Calm, Clarity & Joy. Sounds True, Boulder, CO.

Shauna Shapiro

Shauna Shapiro, PhD is a best-selling author, professor, and clinical psychologist. She is an internationally recognized expert in mindfulness and self-compassion. Dr. Shapiro has published over 150 papers and three critically-acclaimed books. Her TEDx Talk, What You Practice Grows Stronger, has been viewed over 2.5 million times.

Full Bio