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

The Art and Science of Embodied Presence: Mindfulness, Movement, and Music

July 8–10, 2022

with Nkechi Deanna Njaka

The Art and Science of Embodied Presence is an experience designed for connection with intention, meaning, reverence, vulnerability, and care. By engaging in neuroscientific and somatic approaches to the mind and body, and by practicing creative and contemplative mindfulness, together we will embark on an embodied journey towards healing through meeting the self in presence — the Truth of who we are.

  • Learn the latest science and scholarship on mindfulness, embodied cognition, and presence.
  • Engage in creative contemplative practices related to dance, improvisational mindful movement, authentic creative expression, and collaborative performance.
  • Cultivate a practice of radical presence, awareness, wonder, and awe of ourselves and the environment we exist in.
  • Self-study through stillness, writing, and creative dialog/collaborative storytelling.
  • Deepen the connection to self and others through self-expression.

Experience the practices with a live accompaniment from Grammy-nominated multi-instrumentalist and song-writing musician Tauwoo.

Nkechi Deanna Njaka

Nkechi Deanna Njaka is a neuroscientist, choreography artist, and leading mindfulness meditation guide. She self-identifies as a BIPOC/WOC. As a wellness entrepreneur, she is the founder of The Compass, NDN lifestyle studio, and co-founder of the sleep app DreamWell.

Full Bio