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

Healing Waters and the Ecology of Motion, a 5Rhythms® and Indigenous Plant Medicine Workshop

September 29 – October 1, 2023

Douglas Drummond, Xochitl Ashe and Guest Musician Nick Ayers

Nature heals. Water is life. The motion of our bodies is a tool to map our inner and outer landscapes as we navigate our life’s journey on Mother Earth.

People have always come to water and nature to receive guidance, clarity, and healing. Our weekend experience weaves the philosophy of the 5Rhythms® with sacred natural teachings inspired by the waters at Esalen Institute. We will journey together on a deep dive into the infinite source of creativity that resides within us all to balance the mind, body, and spirit. We will use the plant medicine of cacao in ceremony with the 5Rhythms movement practice to reconnect us to the flow and sacredness of water.

Together, we will:

  • Learn how to work with the ancient plant medicine of cacao to heal our hearts and move stuck emotions.
  • Share a water offering ritual to connect with the sacred waters of Esalen.
  • Experience the 5Rhythms movement practice as a catalyst and tool for integration.

Utilizing the power of the elements, we’ll practice fluidity and call upon ourselves to turn inwards, with clarity to express our outer nature, with courage to surrender to those forces bigger than ourselves, with ease to be effortless, and in the spirit of stillness to integrate our instinct and intuition.

Recommended Reading: Sweat Your Prayers by Gabrielle Roth

Douglas Drummond

Douglas has been a conscious movement facilitator for over 12 years. He is a certified 5Rhythms® teacher. Douglas currently serves as the founder & CEO of the Weaving Waters Collective; an organization dedicated to creating healing and reconciliation centers for living beings.

Full Bio

Nick Ayers | Guest Musician

A musician and dancer for over 20 years, Nick has seen the immediate effect of music on people physically, psychologically and emotionally. He is a constant student of global music and culture, and understands that music is one common language between all humans.

Full Bio