A certain alchemy can brew within any Esalen cohort — from weekend workshop to multi-month work scholar — the micro-communities that organically grow here and expand concentrically, blossom into spaces where individuals feel safe to be vulnerable, to explore their inner worlds, and to witness and support others doing the same. This intimate and committed gathering consistently creates lifelong bonds and produces energies that reverberate far beyond campus: "Little did I know I would journey with fifteen strangers who would soon become family," said Rola Al Ashkar.
The power of community lies at the heart of Esalen’s mission, offering a profound medicine that nurtures transformation, healing, and growth. When individuals come together in an intentional, supportive environment, something extraordinary happens. Bonds form, trust deepens, and people experience the kind of connection that is often missing in daily life.
Living, working, and growing alongside the same group over time removes the masks people wear in the outside world. It fosters an environment where individuals cannot run from themselves, and instead, they are encouraged to confront and embrace their authentic selves. Through shared vulnerability, conflict resolution, and mutual care, they learn lessons in intimacy, relational skill-building, and emotional maturity that ripple outward into their personal and professional lives.
Before their departure home (their other homes!), we asked members of various 2024 LEEP cohorts to share their experiences, and we received moving testimonials about being forever changed by these new relationships. "There is something extremely powerful about being with the same group of 15 day-in-day-out, sleeping in dorms, working and eating together — it stops you running away from yourself," said Freya Thompson. While the LEEP month-long program pauses in 2025, we invite you to read about the experience in participant’s words and discover the life-altering magic that unfolds within our mighty cohorts during an extended stay at Esalen.
By fostering these experiences, Esalen continues to serve as a beacon for collective growth and healing in an increasingly fragmented world. Check out our 2025 offerings of weekend and week-long workshops, and consider applying for our Residential Extended Education Program.
I felt a calling to come here one sleepless night amidst what my daughter coined as a mid-life crisis last year. Three weeks before my arrival, I chose to sell most of my worldly possessions and give notice that I would be leaving my home, the home I raised my daughter in for the past six years. It seemed crazy at the time and, concurrently, exactly what I needed to do. A leap of faith! I woke up on my fourth morning with a strange sense of melancholy. I went to the Lodge to get my favorite rooibos tea, and a man turned to me and asked my name. "Faith," I said, and he said with a smile, "Faith: Finding Answers in the Heart!" I cried. In my 47 years on this glorious and tumultuous planet carrying this name, I had never heard that. And yes, that is exactly what is happening. My heart is expanding with every breath I take here. I get closer to her, I get closer to myself, and in this quiet revolution of the self, I can finally hear the whispers of my precious heart. — Faith Blakeney, Interior Designer
Having your own process, practice, and energy state be seen, felt, and appreciated by others is as beneficial and healing is its own reward. It is enlivening. "Remember, you are the medicine." And the opportunity to become medicine for ourselves and for others was the greatest gift. I now have a bodily understanding of things that I could only verbally/cognitively express prior. A bodily understanding and an understanding of the body that I sought for so long had arrived. Having the time to see both dark and light in peers. In the outside world, I would have let go at seeing the dark. An especially rich experience was seeing the complex ecosystem of humans relating and feeling safe to do so over an extended period. This allowed me to see beyond my own interactions with each person and to understand the importance of each member to the overall group. What am I bringing back to my community? A more healed version of myself with more understanding of the beauty that can be found in groups of people who are cared for, supported, and given permission to exist as they are. — Nick Butchart, Psychiatrist
I was feeling terribly lost and unable to see a vision of my future for my next chapter in life after caring for my 95-year-old mother for the last five years. Working in the garden was a huge draw for me. I grew up in a family that gardened to provide food on the table and understood the impact nature has on the body and mind. I realized in our third week the importance of a span of time significant enough to allow each participant to fully immerse themselves thoughtfully in the different components of the program and the magical surrounding aspects of Esalen. Besides the leader-led programs, this included the land and gardens, forest, river, geothermal springs, ocean, fog, art barn, and quiet time for reflection and journaling (something I had never done before). Besides gaining new friends and a better understanding of Esalen, I now have a positive outlook on my life and a desire to learn more about other classes and instructors at Esalen. My friends and family have all noticed my changed outlook on life, and I am thankful. — Lise Shipley
Traveling some distance from London, I've been lucky to be at Esalen three times over 10 years, but it has only been through LEEP that I've felt a member of the community and [been able] to pitch in to support that community. LEEP gave me the time and container to catch thoughts and feelings and question them in ways I hadn't before, to be more honest and searching. The friendships I gained have been genuinely healing. Time was essential to introspection, deep sharing, and building trust. I think of several reparative moments in the group where people grew through tackling a misstep, misunderstanding, or a painful feeling they might ordinarily avoid, perhaps for the first time in their lives, supported by the safety of the group container, encouraged to take manageable risks. This was beautiful and inspiring, and I think about these moments often in my relationships now. — Alan Worn, Architect
I attended after leaving a leadership position at my previous job — in a search for healing and peace. The experience exceeded all my expectations. Little did I know I would journey with 15 strangers who would soon become family. Fellow participants were from various walks, ages, experiences, and backgrounds. It was very enriching and inspiring to interact with and learn from each of them. The extended nature of the program offered the opportunity to practice creating and maintaining safe, intentional, and emotionally mature relationships, a skill I frankly did not get to learn in corporate culture. As I journeyed together with fellow seekers for weeks through joy, sorrow, wins, loss, grief, challenges, celebrations, common learning and service, I learned to be attentive to others' needs while attuned to my own. I learned lessons in intimacy and vulnerability, in building connections and community, in authenticity and understanding. [These are] lessons I am to take with me into my new leadership role in my community outside of Esalen. Today, I am able to show up more truthfully for my community and the people I lead. — Rola Al Ashkar, Pastor
The LEEP program kind of tore me open right when I needed it most. There was a Plan A and Plan B, but there was also a Plan C — the way of my heart. I was able to be truly, truly vulnerable with this group. It is no easy feat these days to take 16 strangers from all different backgrounds and ages and make them fall in love with each other! That was the greatest gift — to experience a space of non-judgment, embrace, and curiosity. In a way, the cohort was a microcosm for the rest of the world. We shared about what was deeply concerning us and what we wanted to accept or move on from. We were able to do it in so many different ways, through movement, breath, and different kinds of art. We were given tools to be able to feel into our bodies and relax enough to be able to lead with intuition rather than fear. What I didn't realize was that the greatest work would happen after I left Esalen. With my new tools in hand and pocketed memories of the way I felt, I used it as a barometer for what felt "right." I would be able to realize exactly what it was, rather than re-engage in old patterns that left me feeling empty. Although re-entering the "real world" has come with the same challenges it always has, Esalen has given me the strength to know what is possible. To step outside of self-limiting mindsets and remember what it feels like to be human. It is a journey, and I reflect so fondly on all of the relationships built during my time there. —Kelsey Levinson
[I came] during a 6-month sabbatical from my crazy pressure job in London, and it's not an understatement to say it changed my life. It took me a while to drop in and just be, to allow myself to feel freely, to release myself from the shame around my body enough to use the baths. By working with the body, heart, and mind, working on the land, and being part of a moving community, for the first time in my life, I allowed myself to do and to want without thinking or justifying. I was able to place myself in the wider ecosystem of things. I was able to accept and receive love easily, with people I trusted, with people that I had held and who had held me in turn over a number of weeks. There is something extremely powerful about being with the same group of 15 day-in-day-out, sleeping in dorms, working and eating together — it stops you running away from yourself. It forces you to walk back into the room after breaking down and realize that everything is fine. It means the people you might brush off in regular life because they aren't a quick connection become close friends. It means facing discomfort and conflict and finding a way through because you have to. It means watching everyone's cycle of emotions alongside your own and understanding this is what it means to be human. In the third week, I called my job and told them I needed to extend my sabbatical. Three months after I came home, I quit my job and moved out of my house — a job I had been in for nine years, a house I had been in for four — because I now had a baseline of what freedom feels like, what I'm like when I'm meeting my own needs. — Freya Thompson, Consultant
[This] has been the most beautiful month of my life. Here, I experienced being held in a profoundly gentle way. Here, I was listened to without judgment. Here, I learned often that the only words I need are none; to be witnessed is enough. Here, I was given permission to be and the opportunity to get it wrong. Here, I was treated like an adult, cherished like a son, and met as an equal. Here, I was allowed to break open, reframe, and begin again — after all, that's how the light gets in. Here, I was made solid, unifying the chameleonic color palette of self, and found wholeness and belonging embodied within. Here, the line between where I end and the universe begins became fuzzier. Here, I was treated like family. Here, I found home. Thank you for reuniting me with the magic I've always had access to. A month at Esalen has tacked on years to my alive-span. — Ariv Gupta, Student
These excerpts have been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
“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?
A certain alchemy can brew within any Esalen cohort — from weekend workshop to multi-month work scholar — the micro-communities that organically grow here and expand concentrically, blossom into spaces where individuals feel safe to be vulnerable, to explore their inner worlds, and to witness and support others doing the same. This intimate and committed gathering consistently creates lifelong bonds and produces energies that reverberate far beyond campus: "Little did I know I would journey with fifteen strangers who would soon become family," said Rola Al Ashkar.
The power of community lies at the heart of Esalen’s mission, offering a profound medicine that nurtures transformation, healing, and growth. When individuals come together in an intentional, supportive environment, something extraordinary happens. Bonds form, trust deepens, and people experience the kind of connection that is often missing in daily life.
Living, working, and growing alongside the same group over time removes the masks people wear in the outside world. It fosters an environment where individuals cannot run from themselves, and instead, they are encouraged to confront and embrace their authentic selves. Through shared vulnerability, conflict resolution, and mutual care, they learn lessons in intimacy, relational skill-building, and emotional maturity that ripple outward into their personal and professional lives.
Before their departure home (their other homes!), we asked members of various 2024 LEEP cohorts to share their experiences, and we received moving testimonials about being forever changed by these new relationships. "There is something extremely powerful about being with the same group of 15 day-in-day-out, sleeping in dorms, working and eating together — it stops you running away from yourself," said Freya Thompson. While the LEEP month-long program pauses in 2025, we invite you to read about the experience in participant’s words and discover the life-altering magic that unfolds within our mighty cohorts during an extended stay at Esalen.
By fostering these experiences, Esalen continues to serve as a beacon for collective growth and healing in an increasingly fragmented world. Check out our 2025 offerings of weekend and week-long workshops, and consider applying for our Residential Extended Education Program.
I felt a calling to come here one sleepless night amidst what my daughter coined as a mid-life crisis last year. Three weeks before my arrival, I chose to sell most of my worldly possessions and give notice that I would be leaving my home, the home I raised my daughter in for the past six years. It seemed crazy at the time and, concurrently, exactly what I needed to do. A leap of faith! I woke up on my fourth morning with a strange sense of melancholy. I went to the Lodge to get my favorite rooibos tea, and a man turned to me and asked my name. "Faith," I said, and he said with a smile, "Faith: Finding Answers in the Heart!" I cried. In my 47 years on this glorious and tumultuous planet carrying this name, I had never heard that. And yes, that is exactly what is happening. My heart is expanding with every breath I take here. I get closer to her, I get closer to myself, and in this quiet revolution of the self, I can finally hear the whispers of my precious heart. — Faith Blakeney, Interior Designer
Having your own process, practice, and energy state be seen, felt, and appreciated by others is as beneficial and healing is its own reward. It is enlivening. "Remember, you are the medicine." And the opportunity to become medicine for ourselves and for others was the greatest gift. I now have a bodily understanding of things that I could only verbally/cognitively express prior. A bodily understanding and an understanding of the body that I sought for so long had arrived. Having the time to see both dark and light in peers. In the outside world, I would have let go at seeing the dark. An especially rich experience was seeing the complex ecosystem of humans relating and feeling safe to do so over an extended period. This allowed me to see beyond my own interactions with each person and to understand the importance of each member to the overall group. What am I bringing back to my community? A more healed version of myself with more understanding of the beauty that can be found in groups of people who are cared for, supported, and given permission to exist as they are. — Nick Butchart, Psychiatrist
I was feeling terribly lost and unable to see a vision of my future for my next chapter in life after caring for my 95-year-old mother for the last five years. Working in the garden was a huge draw for me. I grew up in a family that gardened to provide food on the table and understood the impact nature has on the body and mind. I realized in our third week the importance of a span of time significant enough to allow each participant to fully immerse themselves thoughtfully in the different components of the program and the magical surrounding aspects of Esalen. Besides the leader-led programs, this included the land and gardens, forest, river, geothermal springs, ocean, fog, art barn, and quiet time for reflection and journaling (something I had never done before). Besides gaining new friends and a better understanding of Esalen, I now have a positive outlook on my life and a desire to learn more about other classes and instructors at Esalen. My friends and family have all noticed my changed outlook on life, and I am thankful. — Lise Shipley
Traveling some distance from London, I've been lucky to be at Esalen three times over 10 years, but it has only been through LEEP that I've felt a member of the community and [been able] to pitch in to support that community. LEEP gave me the time and container to catch thoughts and feelings and question them in ways I hadn't before, to be more honest and searching. The friendships I gained have been genuinely healing. Time was essential to introspection, deep sharing, and building trust. I think of several reparative moments in the group where people grew through tackling a misstep, misunderstanding, or a painful feeling they might ordinarily avoid, perhaps for the first time in their lives, supported by the safety of the group container, encouraged to take manageable risks. This was beautiful and inspiring, and I think about these moments often in my relationships now. — Alan Worn, Architect
I attended after leaving a leadership position at my previous job — in a search for healing and peace. The experience exceeded all my expectations. Little did I know I would journey with 15 strangers who would soon become family. Fellow participants were from various walks, ages, experiences, and backgrounds. It was very enriching and inspiring to interact with and learn from each of them. The extended nature of the program offered the opportunity to practice creating and maintaining safe, intentional, and emotionally mature relationships, a skill I frankly did not get to learn in corporate culture. As I journeyed together with fellow seekers for weeks through joy, sorrow, wins, loss, grief, challenges, celebrations, common learning and service, I learned to be attentive to others' needs while attuned to my own. I learned lessons in intimacy and vulnerability, in building connections and community, in authenticity and understanding. [These are] lessons I am to take with me into my new leadership role in my community outside of Esalen. Today, I am able to show up more truthfully for my community and the people I lead. — Rola Al Ashkar, Pastor
The LEEP program kind of tore me open right when I needed it most. There was a Plan A and Plan B, but there was also a Plan C — the way of my heart. I was able to be truly, truly vulnerable with this group. It is no easy feat these days to take 16 strangers from all different backgrounds and ages and make them fall in love with each other! That was the greatest gift — to experience a space of non-judgment, embrace, and curiosity. In a way, the cohort was a microcosm for the rest of the world. We shared about what was deeply concerning us and what we wanted to accept or move on from. We were able to do it in so many different ways, through movement, breath, and different kinds of art. We were given tools to be able to feel into our bodies and relax enough to be able to lead with intuition rather than fear. What I didn't realize was that the greatest work would happen after I left Esalen. With my new tools in hand and pocketed memories of the way I felt, I used it as a barometer for what felt "right." I would be able to realize exactly what it was, rather than re-engage in old patterns that left me feeling empty. Although re-entering the "real world" has come with the same challenges it always has, Esalen has given me the strength to know what is possible. To step outside of self-limiting mindsets and remember what it feels like to be human. It is a journey, and I reflect so fondly on all of the relationships built during my time there. —Kelsey Levinson
[I came] during a 6-month sabbatical from my crazy pressure job in London, and it's not an understatement to say it changed my life. It took me a while to drop in and just be, to allow myself to feel freely, to release myself from the shame around my body enough to use the baths. By working with the body, heart, and mind, working on the land, and being part of a moving community, for the first time in my life, I allowed myself to do and to want without thinking or justifying. I was able to place myself in the wider ecosystem of things. I was able to accept and receive love easily, with people I trusted, with people that I had held and who had held me in turn over a number of weeks. There is something extremely powerful about being with the same group of 15 day-in-day-out, sleeping in dorms, working and eating together — it stops you running away from yourself. It forces you to walk back into the room after breaking down and realize that everything is fine. It means the people you might brush off in regular life because they aren't a quick connection become close friends. It means facing discomfort and conflict and finding a way through because you have to. It means watching everyone's cycle of emotions alongside your own and understanding this is what it means to be human. In the third week, I called my job and told them I needed to extend my sabbatical. Three months after I came home, I quit my job and moved out of my house — a job I had been in for nine years, a house I had been in for four — because I now had a baseline of what freedom feels like, what I'm like when I'm meeting my own needs. — Freya Thompson, Consultant
[This] has been the most beautiful month of my life. Here, I experienced being held in a profoundly gentle way. Here, I was listened to without judgment. Here, I learned often that the only words I need are none; to be witnessed is enough. Here, I was given permission to be and the opportunity to get it wrong. Here, I was treated like an adult, cherished like a son, and met as an equal. Here, I was allowed to break open, reframe, and begin again — after all, that's how the light gets in. Here, I was made solid, unifying the chameleonic color palette of self, and found wholeness and belonging embodied within. Here, the line between where I end and the universe begins became fuzzier. Here, I was treated like family. Here, I found home. Thank you for reuniting me with the magic I've always had access to. A month at Esalen has tacked on years to my alive-span. — Ariv Gupta, Student
These excerpts have been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
“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?
A certain alchemy can brew within any Esalen cohort — from weekend workshop to multi-month work scholar — the micro-communities that organically grow here and expand concentrically, blossom into spaces where individuals feel safe to be vulnerable, to explore their inner worlds, and to witness and support others doing the same. This intimate and committed gathering consistently creates lifelong bonds and produces energies that reverberate far beyond campus: "Little did I know I would journey with fifteen strangers who would soon become family," said Rola Al Ashkar.
The power of community lies at the heart of Esalen’s mission, offering a profound medicine that nurtures transformation, healing, and growth. When individuals come together in an intentional, supportive environment, something extraordinary happens. Bonds form, trust deepens, and people experience the kind of connection that is often missing in daily life.
Living, working, and growing alongside the same group over time removes the masks people wear in the outside world. It fosters an environment where individuals cannot run from themselves, and instead, they are encouraged to confront and embrace their authentic selves. Through shared vulnerability, conflict resolution, and mutual care, they learn lessons in intimacy, relational skill-building, and emotional maturity that ripple outward into their personal and professional lives.
Before their departure home (their other homes!), we asked members of various 2024 LEEP cohorts to share their experiences, and we received moving testimonials about being forever changed by these new relationships. "There is something extremely powerful about being with the same group of 15 day-in-day-out, sleeping in dorms, working and eating together — it stops you running away from yourself," said Freya Thompson. While the LEEP month-long program pauses in 2025, we invite you to read about the experience in participant’s words and discover the life-altering magic that unfolds within our mighty cohorts during an extended stay at Esalen.
By fostering these experiences, Esalen continues to serve as a beacon for collective growth and healing in an increasingly fragmented world. Check out our 2025 offerings of weekend and week-long workshops, and consider applying for our Residential Extended Education Program.
I felt a calling to come here one sleepless night amidst what my daughter coined as a mid-life crisis last year. Three weeks before my arrival, I chose to sell most of my worldly possessions and give notice that I would be leaving my home, the home I raised my daughter in for the past six years. It seemed crazy at the time and, concurrently, exactly what I needed to do. A leap of faith! I woke up on my fourth morning with a strange sense of melancholy. I went to the Lodge to get my favorite rooibos tea, and a man turned to me and asked my name. "Faith," I said, and he said with a smile, "Faith: Finding Answers in the Heart!" I cried. In my 47 years on this glorious and tumultuous planet carrying this name, I had never heard that. And yes, that is exactly what is happening. My heart is expanding with every breath I take here. I get closer to her, I get closer to myself, and in this quiet revolution of the self, I can finally hear the whispers of my precious heart. — Faith Blakeney, Interior Designer
Having your own process, practice, and energy state be seen, felt, and appreciated by others is as beneficial and healing is its own reward. It is enlivening. "Remember, you are the medicine." And the opportunity to become medicine for ourselves and for others was the greatest gift. I now have a bodily understanding of things that I could only verbally/cognitively express prior. A bodily understanding and an understanding of the body that I sought for so long had arrived. Having the time to see both dark and light in peers. In the outside world, I would have let go at seeing the dark. An especially rich experience was seeing the complex ecosystem of humans relating and feeling safe to do so over an extended period. This allowed me to see beyond my own interactions with each person and to understand the importance of each member to the overall group. What am I bringing back to my community? A more healed version of myself with more understanding of the beauty that can be found in groups of people who are cared for, supported, and given permission to exist as they are. — Nick Butchart, Psychiatrist
I was feeling terribly lost and unable to see a vision of my future for my next chapter in life after caring for my 95-year-old mother for the last five years. Working in the garden was a huge draw for me. I grew up in a family that gardened to provide food on the table and understood the impact nature has on the body and mind. I realized in our third week the importance of a span of time significant enough to allow each participant to fully immerse themselves thoughtfully in the different components of the program and the magical surrounding aspects of Esalen. Besides the leader-led programs, this included the land and gardens, forest, river, geothermal springs, ocean, fog, art barn, and quiet time for reflection and journaling (something I had never done before). Besides gaining new friends and a better understanding of Esalen, I now have a positive outlook on my life and a desire to learn more about other classes and instructors at Esalen. My friends and family have all noticed my changed outlook on life, and I am thankful. — Lise Shipley
Traveling some distance from London, I've been lucky to be at Esalen three times over 10 years, but it has only been through LEEP that I've felt a member of the community and [been able] to pitch in to support that community. LEEP gave me the time and container to catch thoughts and feelings and question them in ways I hadn't before, to be more honest and searching. The friendships I gained have been genuinely healing. Time was essential to introspection, deep sharing, and building trust. I think of several reparative moments in the group where people grew through tackling a misstep, misunderstanding, or a painful feeling they might ordinarily avoid, perhaps for the first time in their lives, supported by the safety of the group container, encouraged to take manageable risks. This was beautiful and inspiring, and I think about these moments often in my relationships now. — Alan Worn, Architect
I attended after leaving a leadership position at my previous job — in a search for healing and peace. The experience exceeded all my expectations. Little did I know I would journey with 15 strangers who would soon become family. Fellow participants were from various walks, ages, experiences, and backgrounds. It was very enriching and inspiring to interact with and learn from each of them. The extended nature of the program offered the opportunity to practice creating and maintaining safe, intentional, and emotionally mature relationships, a skill I frankly did not get to learn in corporate culture. As I journeyed together with fellow seekers for weeks through joy, sorrow, wins, loss, grief, challenges, celebrations, common learning and service, I learned to be attentive to others' needs while attuned to my own. I learned lessons in intimacy and vulnerability, in building connections and community, in authenticity and understanding. [These are] lessons I am to take with me into my new leadership role in my community outside of Esalen. Today, I am able to show up more truthfully for my community and the people I lead. — Rola Al Ashkar, Pastor
The LEEP program kind of tore me open right when I needed it most. There was a Plan A and Plan B, but there was also a Plan C — the way of my heart. I was able to be truly, truly vulnerable with this group. It is no easy feat these days to take 16 strangers from all different backgrounds and ages and make them fall in love with each other! That was the greatest gift — to experience a space of non-judgment, embrace, and curiosity. In a way, the cohort was a microcosm for the rest of the world. We shared about what was deeply concerning us and what we wanted to accept or move on from. We were able to do it in so many different ways, through movement, breath, and different kinds of art. We were given tools to be able to feel into our bodies and relax enough to be able to lead with intuition rather than fear. What I didn't realize was that the greatest work would happen after I left Esalen. With my new tools in hand and pocketed memories of the way I felt, I used it as a barometer for what felt "right." I would be able to realize exactly what it was, rather than re-engage in old patterns that left me feeling empty. Although re-entering the "real world" has come with the same challenges it always has, Esalen has given me the strength to know what is possible. To step outside of self-limiting mindsets and remember what it feels like to be human. It is a journey, and I reflect so fondly on all of the relationships built during my time there. —Kelsey Levinson
[I came] during a 6-month sabbatical from my crazy pressure job in London, and it's not an understatement to say it changed my life. It took me a while to drop in and just be, to allow myself to feel freely, to release myself from the shame around my body enough to use the baths. By working with the body, heart, and mind, working on the land, and being part of a moving community, for the first time in my life, I allowed myself to do and to want without thinking or justifying. I was able to place myself in the wider ecosystem of things. I was able to accept and receive love easily, with people I trusted, with people that I had held and who had held me in turn over a number of weeks. There is something extremely powerful about being with the same group of 15 day-in-day-out, sleeping in dorms, working and eating together — it stops you running away from yourself. It forces you to walk back into the room after breaking down and realize that everything is fine. It means the people you might brush off in regular life because they aren't a quick connection become close friends. It means facing discomfort and conflict and finding a way through because you have to. It means watching everyone's cycle of emotions alongside your own and understanding this is what it means to be human. In the third week, I called my job and told them I needed to extend my sabbatical. Three months after I came home, I quit my job and moved out of my house — a job I had been in for nine years, a house I had been in for four — because I now had a baseline of what freedom feels like, what I'm like when I'm meeting my own needs. — Freya Thompson, Consultant
[This] has been the most beautiful month of my life. Here, I experienced being held in a profoundly gentle way. Here, I was listened to without judgment. Here, I learned often that the only words I need are none; to be witnessed is enough. Here, I was given permission to be and the opportunity to get it wrong. Here, I was treated like an adult, cherished like a son, and met as an equal. Here, I was allowed to break open, reframe, and begin again — after all, that's how the light gets in. Here, I was made solid, unifying the chameleonic color palette of self, and found wholeness and belonging embodied within. Here, the line between where I end and the universe begins became fuzzier. Here, I was treated like family. Here, I found home. Thank you for reuniting me with the magic I've always had access to. A month at Esalen has tacked on years to my alive-span. — Ariv Gupta, Student
These excerpts have been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
“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?