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

Inner Work for the Outer World

April 7–10, 2023

Shelly Tygielski, Yolanda Ruiz and Angel Acosta

As the world becomes an ever more challenging place, many of us are asking (in our better moments) how we can be of service. This workshop rests on the notion that the best version of the world must begin with the best version of each of us. Learn the tools you need to bridge the gap between the inner and outer world in a tangible way and show up for this life as fully as you can.

Every great movement for social change has been animated by people who understood and applied the power of the human heart. In daunting times, it is sometimes easier to default to fear, but a reboot that starts within can affect positive social change.

With Yolanda, Angel, and Shelly guiding your steps, you’ll have the opportunity to

  • Connect to a deeper sense of purpose and a desire to show up.
  • Understand the tools you need to build strong and sustainable work in the outer world.

Communicate more effectively to deepen your impact.

In this compassionate, interactive, and down-to-earth workshop led by teacher, poet, and activist Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz, leader in social justice and mindfulness Dr. Angel Acosta, and author and activist Shelly Tygielski, you will be guided to explore:

  • Interactive guided meditation, creative journaling, and narrative healing techniques to tap into your subconscious mind, accessing your internal tools of  expressive and authentic communication.
  • Yolanda’s “Archaeology of Self”™ methodology to dig deep and “peel back layers” of your life and life experiences.
  • Angel’s restorative & healing circle facilitation, which centers on intergenerational approaches.
  • Mindfulness tools to create self-awareness and a tangible connection to the outer world, inspiring you to move to action.
  • Tapping into your emotions and reactivity as they relate to what is happening in the world-at-large, learning how to both sit with events and respond to them with efficacy.

Humanity must start embracing a new story, one that enables us to bring more kindness to ourselves and into the world. Understanding how to heal our personal and generational wounds combined can lead us to directly address the problems of our world. Join us at Esalen for this life-changing program.


Recommended reading: Sit Down to Rise Up by Shelly Tygielski (New World Library); The Peace Chronicles by Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz; Love from the Vortex by Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz

Shelly Tygielski

Shelly Tygielski is a humanitarian, trauma-informed mindfulness teacher, author, and activist. She is the founder of Pandemic of Love, a global organization that was recognized by CNN Heroes, and the author of the award-winning book, Sit Down to Rise Up.

Full Bio

Yolanda Ruiz

Yolanda Sealey Ruiz is a poet, professor at Columbia University, and scholar-activist. She works with school districts, colleges, universities, and organizations across the country helping individuals build their racial literacy.

Full Bio

Angel Acosta

Dr. Angel Acosta has worked to bridge the fields of leadership, social justice, and mindfulness. He holds a doctorate degree in curriculum and teaching from Teachers College, Columbia University. He is currently the director of the Garrison Institute’s Fellowship program and a principal at the Acosta Institute. 

Full Bio