This longtime Esalen student-turned-teacher reminisces about the Esalen of the early ’80s and discovering a spiritual path through Gestalt therapy. Dorothy speaks of staying open to possibility, working with the children of the Gazebo School, and the innate wisdom we all hold inside: “Dick [Price] always said, ‘Trust process, allow process, and get out of the way.’”
I came to Esalen in my late twenties in 1982. I was recently divorced. I went back to college thinking that I wanted to work with kids and be a teacher. I had been volunteering in some classrooms, but it wasn't really grabbing me. I signed up for the Esalen work-scholar program and came for a month during my winter break. At that time, I met (Esalen co-founder) Dick Price and saw the work that he was doing here in the community.
Dick would offer a community open seat in the afternoon two or three times a week. I knew about therapy; I'd been in some therapy. One of those days, after working in the kitchen, I walked into an open seat session and was completely captivated by the way he was being with the person sitting next to him.
It was the level of presence that he brought but also this feeling of acceptance. Whatever the person said or did, Dick was okay with and curious about. He didn't have an agenda for where the session was supposed to go, what they were supposed to say or do, or how they were supposed to be.
Dick was a very physical person. Before I knew who he was, I actually thought he worked in the grounds department because he was very often working on a stone wall or clearing bushes or brush or something. He took the suffering he experienced in the psychiatric institution he had been in, and used what happened to him to help other people. He was very warm, loving, funny, and active. He loved to take his dog and go hiking up in the mountains. Dick thought that being in touch with nature, eating good, healthy food, and being with other like-minded people who were interested in the psyche and psychological functioning was a way to heal himself and to heal others.
I was really struck by the fact that I could walk into a community open seat, and the kitchen manager was there doing personal work. In all the businesses or institutions I had been part of before, people were really expected to stay in their roles — there was a vertical hierarchy to organize things.
I was really fascinated and excited by the fact that at Esalen, we could all live here together, be in different roles at different times. There was a possibility for more wholeness and more intimacy. It didn't always work well, and it could get really messy, but I think that the attempt was really heroic.
When I'm working, I want to be more present. That's my number one task. It always feels vulnerable to say this because people can take this so many different ways, but I really feel like the work that I do is my spiritual practice and that the best parts of me come forward when I'm working.
In order to replenish my energy, I spend time in nature. I come from a ranching background, and I always loved nature. And yet, in that culture there was a certain amount of loneliness, a patriarchal slant to that way of living. So to come to Esalen and to be in the spectacular beauty of Big Sur, to live so remotely, and to be part of an international community where there was so much going on was an amazing experience that I could never have dreamt up. One of the things Esalen has given me is to have trust or faith in things ahead and things that exist that I don't even have an idea for, to stay open to that kind of possibility.
Dick used to call this the Ink Blot Institute. It was this idea that we all project ourselves and our ways of seeing and experiencing the world onto the place. I think that I came here longing for something that I didn't even know how to name — to be with people who were present and who saw me and heard me. Having received that from Dick and seeing the difference it made in my life, it made me want to show up and pass that along or offer that to other people.
“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?
This longtime Esalen student-turned-teacher reminisces about the Esalen of the early ’80s and discovering a spiritual path through Gestalt therapy. Dorothy speaks of staying open to possibility, working with the children of the Gazebo School, and the innate wisdom we all hold inside: “Dick [Price] always said, ‘Trust process, allow process, and get out of the way.’”
I came to Esalen in my late twenties in 1982. I was recently divorced. I went back to college thinking that I wanted to work with kids and be a teacher. I had been volunteering in some classrooms, but it wasn't really grabbing me. I signed up for the Esalen work-scholar program and came for a month during my winter break. At that time, I met (Esalen co-founder) Dick Price and saw the work that he was doing here in the community.
Dick would offer a community open seat in the afternoon two or three times a week. I knew about therapy; I'd been in some therapy. One of those days, after working in the kitchen, I walked into an open seat session and was completely captivated by the way he was being with the person sitting next to him.
It was the level of presence that he brought but also this feeling of acceptance. Whatever the person said or did, Dick was okay with and curious about. He didn't have an agenda for where the session was supposed to go, what they were supposed to say or do, or how they were supposed to be.
Dick was a very physical person. Before I knew who he was, I actually thought he worked in the grounds department because he was very often working on a stone wall or clearing bushes or brush or something. He took the suffering he experienced in the psychiatric institution he had been in, and used what happened to him to help other people. He was very warm, loving, funny, and active. He loved to take his dog and go hiking up in the mountains. Dick thought that being in touch with nature, eating good, healthy food, and being with other like-minded people who were interested in the psyche and psychological functioning was a way to heal himself and to heal others.
I was really struck by the fact that I could walk into a community open seat, and the kitchen manager was there doing personal work. In all the businesses or institutions I had been part of before, people were really expected to stay in their roles — there was a vertical hierarchy to organize things.
I was really fascinated and excited by the fact that at Esalen, we could all live here together, be in different roles at different times. There was a possibility for more wholeness and more intimacy. It didn't always work well, and it could get really messy, but I think that the attempt was really heroic.
When I'm working, I want to be more present. That's my number one task. It always feels vulnerable to say this because people can take this so many different ways, but I really feel like the work that I do is my spiritual practice and that the best parts of me come forward when I'm working.
In order to replenish my energy, I spend time in nature. I come from a ranching background, and I always loved nature. And yet, in that culture there was a certain amount of loneliness, a patriarchal slant to that way of living. So to come to Esalen and to be in the spectacular beauty of Big Sur, to live so remotely, and to be part of an international community where there was so much going on was an amazing experience that I could never have dreamt up. One of the things Esalen has given me is to have trust or faith in things ahead and things that exist that I don't even have an idea for, to stay open to that kind of possibility.
Dick used to call this the Ink Blot Institute. It was this idea that we all project ourselves and our ways of seeing and experiencing the world onto the place. I think that I came here longing for something that I didn't even know how to name — to be with people who were present and who saw me and heard me. Having received that from Dick and seeing the difference it made in my life, it made me want to show up and pass that along or offer that to other people.
“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?
This longtime Esalen student-turned-teacher reminisces about the Esalen of the early ’80s and discovering a spiritual path through Gestalt therapy. Dorothy speaks of staying open to possibility, working with the children of the Gazebo School, and the innate wisdom we all hold inside: “Dick [Price] always said, ‘Trust process, allow process, and get out of the way.’”
I came to Esalen in my late twenties in 1982. I was recently divorced. I went back to college thinking that I wanted to work with kids and be a teacher. I had been volunteering in some classrooms, but it wasn't really grabbing me. I signed up for the Esalen work-scholar program and came for a month during my winter break. At that time, I met (Esalen co-founder) Dick Price and saw the work that he was doing here in the community.
Dick would offer a community open seat in the afternoon two or three times a week. I knew about therapy; I'd been in some therapy. One of those days, after working in the kitchen, I walked into an open seat session and was completely captivated by the way he was being with the person sitting next to him.
It was the level of presence that he brought but also this feeling of acceptance. Whatever the person said or did, Dick was okay with and curious about. He didn't have an agenda for where the session was supposed to go, what they were supposed to say or do, or how they were supposed to be.
Dick was a very physical person. Before I knew who he was, I actually thought he worked in the grounds department because he was very often working on a stone wall or clearing bushes or brush or something. He took the suffering he experienced in the psychiatric institution he had been in, and used what happened to him to help other people. He was very warm, loving, funny, and active. He loved to take his dog and go hiking up in the mountains. Dick thought that being in touch with nature, eating good, healthy food, and being with other like-minded people who were interested in the psyche and psychological functioning was a way to heal himself and to heal others.
I was really struck by the fact that I could walk into a community open seat, and the kitchen manager was there doing personal work. In all the businesses or institutions I had been part of before, people were really expected to stay in their roles — there was a vertical hierarchy to organize things.
I was really fascinated and excited by the fact that at Esalen, we could all live here together, be in different roles at different times. There was a possibility for more wholeness and more intimacy. It didn't always work well, and it could get really messy, but I think that the attempt was really heroic.
When I'm working, I want to be more present. That's my number one task. It always feels vulnerable to say this because people can take this so many different ways, but I really feel like the work that I do is my spiritual practice and that the best parts of me come forward when I'm working.
In order to replenish my energy, I spend time in nature. I come from a ranching background, and I always loved nature. And yet, in that culture there was a certain amount of loneliness, a patriarchal slant to that way of living. So to come to Esalen and to be in the spectacular beauty of Big Sur, to live so remotely, and to be part of an international community where there was so much going on was an amazing experience that I could never have dreamt up. One of the things Esalen has given me is to have trust or faith in things ahead and things that exist that I don't even have an idea for, to stay open to that kind of possibility.
Dick used to call this the Ink Blot Institute. It was this idea that we all project ourselves and our ways of seeing and experiencing the world onto the place. I think that I came here longing for something that I didn't even know how to name — to be with people who were present and who saw me and heard me. Having received that from Dick and seeing the difference it made in my life, it made me want to show up and pass that along or offer that to other people.
“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
