Richard Horan began his journey at Esalen Institute in the early 1960s, cleaning up at night. An originator of Esalen’s first garden, the multifaceted Horan was also an early Esalen massage therapist who delved into pottery, jade jewelry making, and music while exploring altered states of consciousness and psychedelic experiences. His innovative spirit and deep connection to nature left an indelible mark on the Institute’s history and culture — and his wild, youthful memories bring us back to an early era of freedom and experimentation.
When I first arrived at Esalen in the mid-sixties, it was a colorful time. People were really being flamboyant. You could walk around Esalen; there might be two or three different music venues going on — people playing flutes, playing the drums, dancing naked, and things like that. I was learning to play drums. Later, we started a belly dancing troupe. Every Friday afternoon in Huxley, we would have an accomplished belly dancer come and give lessons, and we would play drums.
Whatever we could pull together, we would pull it. It was a really wonderful time.
I had a job at Esalen as a night clean-up man. I would work all night and sleep in the daytime. I didn't have much money, so I couldn't go to town. In those days, I was really into being a yogi and eating clean foods, so gardening fit right into my lifestyle.
In the very beginning, nobody was interested in the garden. It was just an empty field. There was a water spigot in the field, so I asked Selig Morgenrath, a maintenance guy back then, if I could just farm a little stretch around where that spigot was. At first, it was just a regular little homespun garden, about 10 feet by 10 feet, with some tomatoes and beans and carrots and lettuce and squash. But then everybody saw me doing it. I said, “Well, if you gave me a tool to do this with, I could have a giant garden here.”
My friend Roger Jones bought a rototiller to do that with, and we rototilled the whole thing. They said, “Okay, we're gonna back you up on this,” and they gave us a bunch of work scholars — people who just wanted to help out and make a garden. In a few years, it just turned into this garden of Eden. Eventually, they took over the garden from me because they had a whole crew of people, and they wanted to feed the whole of Esalen. I understood that. I didn't want to interfere. I was just happy that I got it started.
I was a vegetarian. I ate a lot of good meals out of there, but then I got really sick, and I kept getting sicker and sicker. I went to the doctor, and he said, “Well, what are you doing that's different in your life?” And I said, “I don't know, I've been a yogi now and I'm eating vegetarian.” And he said, “Well, stop that right now. Go back and eat food that your grandma made and your mom made. Go back! Because what you're doing now is wasting you away.” So I said, “Okay.” Sure enough, I went home and got a hamburger.
I started fishing every morning. I would go down to the beach below the Big House with a kayak. I would go out and catch a whole bunch of fish and bring them back. Usually by noon, we could fry the fish and have a nice lunch.
At a certain point, I got interested in bees. There was a great big eucalyptus tree, and in it there was a great big gigantic beehive. Every year, it used to swarm. As it came down, I caught the swarm and put it in a garbage can and took it over to my house. I had bought a beehive, and I dumped them all into this beehive. But everybody hated me because of that. These were not friendly bees. These were mean, nasty suckers. And they stung everybody. Finally, I had to get rid of them.
In time, I moved over to the art barn. My studio was the barn, and then I rented a little house next to the barn. I built a pottery studio and I started making pots and ceramic sculptures. We played music a lot then, so I started making drums, Mediterranean-style hand drums on the potter's wheel. And then about the same time, I started getting into hunting for jade and making jade jewelry.
I was experimenting with LSD in those days. I remember Joan Baez playing at Esalen. Ravi Shankar was there too. She had the most beautiful voice. They had a lot of amplifiers and stuff like that, and you could listen. It would echo back out of the canyon.
“Remembering to be as self compassionate as I can and praying to the divine that we're all a part of.”
–Aaron
“Prayer, reading, meditation, walking.”
–Karen
“Erratically — which is an ongoing stream of practice to find peace.”
–Charles
“Try on a daily basis to be kind to myself and to realize that making mistakes is a part of the human condition. Learning from our mistakes is a journey. But it starts with compassion and caring. First for oneself.”
–Steve
“Physically: aerobic exercise, volleyball, ice hockey, cycling, sailing. Emotionally: unfortunately I have to work to ‘not care’ about people or situations which may end painfully. Along the lines of ‘attachment is the source of suffering’, so best to avoid it or limit its scope. Sad though because it could also be the source of great joy. Is it worth the risk?“
–Rainer
“It's time for my heart to be nurtured on one level yet contained on another. To go easy on me and to allow my feelings to be validated, not judged harshly. On the other hand, to let the heart rule with equanimity and not lead the mind and body around like a master.”
–Suzanne
“I spend time thinking of everything I am grateful for, and I try to develop my ability to express compassion for myself and others without reservation. I take time to do the things I need to do to keep myself healthy and happy. This includes taking experiential workshops, fostering relationships, and participating within groups which have a similar interest to become a more compassionate and fulfilled being.“
–Peter
“Self-forgiveness for my own judgments. And oh yeah, coming to Esalen.”
–David B.
“Hmm, this is a tough one! I guess I take care of my heart through fostering relationships with people I feel connected to. Spending quality time with them (whether we're on the phone, through messages/letters, on Zoom, or in-person). Being there for them, listening to them, sharing what's going on with me, my struggles and my successes... like we do in the Esalen weekly Friends of Esalen Zoom sessions!”
–Lori
“I remind myself in many ways of the fact that " Love is all there is!" LOVE is the prize and this one precious life is the stage we get to learn our lessons. I get out into nature, hike, camp, river kayak, fly fish, garden, I create, I dance (not enough!), and I remain grateful for each day, each breath, each moment. Being in the moment, awake, and remembering the gift of life and my feeling of gratitude for all of creation.”
–Steven
“My physical heart by limiting stress and eating a heart-healthy diet. My emotional heart by staying in love with the world and by knowing that all disappointment and loss will pass.“
–David Z.
Today, September 29, is World Heart Day. Strike up a conversation with your own heart and as you feel comfortable, encourage others to do the same. As part of our own transformations and self-care, we sometimes ask for others to illuminate and enliven our hearts or speak our love language.
What if we could do this for ourselves too, even if just for today… or to start a heart practice, forever?
Richard Horan began his journey at Esalen Institute in the early 1960s, cleaning up at night. An originator of Esalen’s first garden, the multifaceted Horan was also an early Esalen massage therapist who delved into pottery, jade jewelry making, and music while exploring altered states of consciousness and psychedelic experiences. His innovative spirit and deep connection to nature left an indelible mark on the Institute’s history and culture — and his wild, youthful memories bring us back to an early era of freedom and experimentation.
When I first arrived at Esalen in the mid-sixties, it was a colorful time. People were really being flamboyant. You could walk around Esalen; there might be two or three different music venues going on — people playing flutes, playing the drums, dancing naked, and things like that. I was learning to play drums. Later, we started a belly dancing troupe. Every Friday afternoon in Huxley, we would have an accomplished belly dancer come and give lessons, and we would play drums.
Whatever we could pull together, we would pull it. It was a really wonderful time.
I had a job at Esalen as a night clean-up man. I would work all night and sleep in the daytime. I didn't have much money, so I couldn't go to town. In those days, I was really into being a yogi and eating clean foods, so gardening fit right into my lifestyle.
In the very beginning, nobody was interested in the garden. It was just an empty field. There was a water spigot in the field, so I asked Selig Morgenrath, a maintenance guy back then, if I could just farm a little stretch around where that spigot was. At first, it was just a regular little homespun garden, about 10 feet by 10 feet, with some tomatoes and beans and carrots and lettuce and squash. But then everybody saw me doing it. I said, “Well, if you gave me a tool to do this with, I could have a giant garden here.”
My friend Roger Jones bought a rototiller to do that with, and we rototilled the whole thing. They said, “Okay, we're gonna back you up on this,” and they gave us a bunch of work scholars — people who just wanted to help out and make a garden. In a few years, it just turned into this garden of Eden. Eventually, they took over the garden from me because they had a whole crew of people, and they wanted to feed the whole of Esalen. I understood that. I didn't want to interfere. I was just happy that I got it started.
I was a vegetarian. I ate a lot of good meals out of there, but then I got really sick, and I kept getting sicker and sicker. I went to the doctor, and he said, “Well, what are you doing that's different in your life?” And I said, “I don't know, I've been a yogi now and I'm eating vegetarian.” And he said, “Well, stop that right now. Go back and eat food that your grandma made and your mom made. Go back! Because what you're doing now is wasting you away.” So I said, “Okay.” Sure enough, I went home and got a hamburger.
I started fishing every morning. I would go down to the beach below the Big House with a kayak. I would go out and catch a whole bunch of fish and bring them back. Usually by noon, we could fry the fish and have a nice lunch.
At a certain point, I got interested in bees. There was a great big eucalyptus tree, and in it there was a great big gigantic beehive. Every year, it used to swarm. As it came down, I caught the swarm and put it in a garbage can and took it over to my house. I had bought a beehive, and I dumped them all into this beehive. But everybody hated me because of that. These were not friendly bees. These were mean, nasty suckers. And they stung everybody. Finally, I had to get rid of them.
In time, I moved over to the art barn. My studio was the barn, and then I rented a little house next to the barn. I built a pottery studio and I started making pots and ceramic sculptures. We played music a lot then, so I started making drums, Mediterranean-style hand drums on the potter's wheel. And then about the same time, I started getting into hunting for jade and making jade jewelry.
I was experimenting with LSD in those days. I remember Joan Baez playing at Esalen. Ravi Shankar was there too. She had the most beautiful voice. They had a lot of amplifiers and stuff like that, and you could listen. It would echo back out of the canyon.
“Remembering to be as self compassionate as I can and praying to the divine that we're all a part of.”
–Aaron
“Prayer, reading, meditation, walking.”
–Karen
“Erratically — which is an ongoing stream of practice to find peace.”
–Charles
“Try on a daily basis to be kind to myself and to realize that making mistakes is a part of the human condition. Learning from our mistakes is a journey. But it starts with compassion and caring. First for oneself.”
–Steve
“Physically: aerobic exercise, volleyball, ice hockey, cycling, sailing. Emotionally: unfortunately I have to work to ‘not care’ about people or situations which may end painfully. Along the lines of ‘attachment is the source of suffering’, so best to avoid it or limit its scope. Sad though because it could also be the source of great joy. Is it worth the risk?“
–Rainer
“It's time for my heart to be nurtured on one level yet contained on another. To go easy on me and to allow my feelings to be validated, not judged harshly. On the other hand, to let the heart rule with equanimity and not lead the mind and body around like a master.”
–Suzanne
“I spend time thinking of everything I am grateful for, and I try to develop my ability to express compassion for myself and others without reservation. I take time to do the things I need to do to keep myself healthy and happy. This includes taking experiential workshops, fostering relationships, and participating within groups which have a similar interest to become a more compassionate and fulfilled being.“
–Peter
“Self-forgiveness for my own judgments. And oh yeah, coming to Esalen.”
–David B.
“Hmm, this is a tough one! I guess I take care of my heart through fostering relationships with people I feel connected to. Spending quality time with them (whether we're on the phone, through messages/letters, on Zoom, or in-person). Being there for them, listening to them, sharing what's going on with me, my struggles and my successes... like we do in the Esalen weekly Friends of Esalen Zoom sessions!”
–Lori
“I remind myself in many ways of the fact that " Love is all there is!" LOVE is the prize and this one precious life is the stage we get to learn our lessons. I get out into nature, hike, camp, river kayak, fly fish, garden, I create, I dance (not enough!), and I remain grateful for each day, each breath, each moment. Being in the moment, awake, and remembering the gift of life and my feeling of gratitude for all of creation.”
–Steven
“My physical heart by limiting stress and eating a heart-healthy diet. My emotional heart by staying in love with the world and by knowing that all disappointment and loss will pass.“
–David Z.
Today, September 29, is World Heart Day. Strike up a conversation with your own heart and as you feel comfortable, encourage others to do the same. As part of our own transformations and self-care, we sometimes ask for others to illuminate and enliven our hearts or speak our love language.
What if we could do this for ourselves too, even if just for today… or to start a heart practice, forever?
Richard Horan began his journey at Esalen Institute in the early 1960s, cleaning up at night. An originator of Esalen’s first garden, the multifaceted Horan was also an early Esalen massage therapist who delved into pottery, jade jewelry making, and music while exploring altered states of consciousness and psychedelic experiences. His innovative spirit and deep connection to nature left an indelible mark on the Institute’s history and culture — and his wild, youthful memories bring us back to an early era of freedom and experimentation.
When I first arrived at Esalen in the mid-sixties, it was a colorful time. People were really being flamboyant. You could walk around Esalen; there might be two or three different music venues going on — people playing flutes, playing the drums, dancing naked, and things like that. I was learning to play drums. Later, we started a belly dancing troupe. Every Friday afternoon in Huxley, we would have an accomplished belly dancer come and give lessons, and we would play drums.
Whatever we could pull together, we would pull it. It was a really wonderful time.
I had a job at Esalen as a night clean-up man. I would work all night and sleep in the daytime. I didn't have much money, so I couldn't go to town. In those days, I was really into being a yogi and eating clean foods, so gardening fit right into my lifestyle.
In the very beginning, nobody was interested in the garden. It was just an empty field. There was a water spigot in the field, so I asked Selig Morgenrath, a maintenance guy back then, if I could just farm a little stretch around where that spigot was. At first, it was just a regular little homespun garden, about 10 feet by 10 feet, with some tomatoes and beans and carrots and lettuce and squash. But then everybody saw me doing it. I said, “Well, if you gave me a tool to do this with, I could have a giant garden here.”
My friend Roger Jones bought a rototiller to do that with, and we rototilled the whole thing. They said, “Okay, we're gonna back you up on this,” and they gave us a bunch of work scholars — people who just wanted to help out and make a garden. In a few years, it just turned into this garden of Eden. Eventually, they took over the garden from me because they had a whole crew of people, and they wanted to feed the whole of Esalen. I understood that. I didn't want to interfere. I was just happy that I got it started.
I was a vegetarian. I ate a lot of good meals out of there, but then I got really sick, and I kept getting sicker and sicker. I went to the doctor, and he said, “Well, what are you doing that's different in your life?” And I said, “I don't know, I've been a yogi now and I'm eating vegetarian.” And he said, “Well, stop that right now. Go back and eat food that your grandma made and your mom made. Go back! Because what you're doing now is wasting you away.” So I said, “Okay.” Sure enough, I went home and got a hamburger.
I started fishing every morning. I would go down to the beach below the Big House with a kayak. I would go out and catch a whole bunch of fish and bring them back. Usually by noon, we could fry the fish and have a nice lunch.
At a certain point, I got interested in bees. There was a great big eucalyptus tree, and in it there was a great big gigantic beehive. Every year, it used to swarm. As it came down, I caught the swarm and put it in a garbage can and took it over to my house. I had bought a beehive, and I dumped them all into this beehive. But everybody hated me because of that. These were not friendly bees. These were mean, nasty suckers. And they stung everybody. Finally, I had to get rid of them.
In time, I moved over to the art barn. My studio was the barn, and then I rented a little house next to the barn. I built a pottery studio and I started making pots and ceramic sculptures. We played music a lot then, so I started making drums, Mediterranean-style hand drums on the potter's wheel. And then about the same time, I started getting into hunting for jade and making jade jewelry.
I was experimenting with LSD in those days. I remember Joan Baez playing at Esalen. Ravi Shankar was there too. She had the most beautiful voice. They had a lot of amplifiers and stuff like that, and you could listen. It would echo back out of the canyon.
“Remembering to be as self compassionate as I can and praying to the divine that we're all a part of.”
–Aaron
“Prayer, reading, meditation, walking.”
–Karen
“Erratically — which is an ongoing stream of practice to find peace.”
–Charles
“Try on a daily basis to be kind to myself and to realize that making mistakes is a part of the human condition. Learning from our mistakes is a journey. But it starts with compassion and caring. First for oneself.”
–Steve
“Physically: aerobic exercise, volleyball, ice hockey, cycling, sailing. Emotionally: unfortunately I have to work to ‘not care’ about people or situations which may end painfully. Along the lines of ‘attachment is the source of suffering’, so best to avoid it or limit its scope. Sad though because it could also be the source of great joy. Is it worth the risk?“
–Rainer
“It's time for my heart to be nurtured on one level yet contained on another. To go easy on me and to allow my feelings to be validated, not judged harshly. On the other hand, to let the heart rule with equanimity and not lead the mind and body around like a master.”
–Suzanne
“I spend time thinking of everything I am grateful for, and I try to develop my ability to express compassion for myself and others without reservation. I take time to do the things I need to do to keep myself healthy and happy. This includes taking experiential workshops, fostering relationships, and participating within groups which have a similar interest to become a more compassionate and fulfilled being.“
–Peter
“Self-forgiveness for my own judgments. And oh yeah, coming to Esalen.”
–David B.
“Hmm, this is a tough one! I guess I take care of my heart through fostering relationships with people I feel connected to. Spending quality time with them (whether we're on the phone, through messages/letters, on Zoom, or in-person). Being there for them, listening to them, sharing what's going on with me, my struggles and my successes... like we do in the Esalen weekly Friends of Esalen Zoom sessions!”
–Lori
“I remind myself in many ways of the fact that " Love is all there is!" LOVE is the prize and this one precious life is the stage we get to learn our lessons. I get out into nature, hike, camp, river kayak, fly fish, garden, I create, I dance (not enough!), and I remain grateful for each day, each breath, each moment. Being in the moment, awake, and remembering the gift of life and my feeling of gratitude for all of creation.”
–Steven
“My physical heart by limiting stress and eating a heart-healthy diet. My emotional heart by staying in love with the world and by knowing that all disappointment and loss will pass.“
–David Z.
Today, September 29, is World Heart Day. Strike up a conversation with your own heart and as you feel comfortable, encourage others to do the same. As part of our own transformations and self-care, we sometimes ask for others to illuminate and enliven our hearts or speak our love language.
What if we could do this for ourselves too, even if just for today… or to start a heart practice, forever?
Esalen Institute
55000 Highway 1
Big Sur, CA 93920
US: 1-831-667-3000
info@esalen.org
