Cultivation of fresh, chemical-free produce is just one of many healing characteristics of the Farm and Garden at Esalen. Over the past four decades, Esalen has touched the lives of countless beginning farmers, and grown their abilities to nurture healthier relationships between others and the environment – starting with the soil. In April, Esalen welcomed its newest class of Farm and Garden Apprentices to participate in the newly expanded year-long program in Community Agriculture.
The new program, doubled in length, includes a deepening of exposure to not only plant anatomy but also food system anatomy, with an emphasis on justice and leadership. “Taking the ‘community’ out of agriculture has proven detrimental to the health of the land and its people, locally and globally,” asserts Cole Cottin, whose farmer family of four joined Esalen’s community last Fall. “Broadcasting the seeds of change through relational agriculture is what our apprenticeship program is all about.”
According to Cole, the next generation of growers, educators, and land stewards will not only grow healthy, nutrient rich foods in increasingly creative and regenerative ways, but they will be building connected, thriving, and ever-strengthening communities; shifting community and the greater global consciousness from scarcity and lack to hope and abundance. In addition to healthy food growing practices, the Farm and Garden Apprentices also explore the health and healing of human relationships through Esalen’s Gestalt Awareness practice. This is expressed through adopting a whole systems- approach that mimics nature and the undeniably inherent relationship and interdependency between humans and the earth as our life source.
This year’s Farm and Garden Apprentices include:
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Gabriel Audant is originally from Haiti, speaks four languages, co-founded a Buddhist meditation center, and has planned and designed training programs in the San Francisco area and Hawaii. He has many projects he is passionate about, and plans to launch a farm-based training program for dislocated sugar cane workers next year.
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Shani Settles comes to Esalen from Chicago’s southside. She has degrees in Anthropology and Religious Studies and is a former professor and student affairs administrator. Shani also has leadership experience working in non-profits. She intends to establish farm-to-school programs and partner with food banks, co-ops, churches, and senior communities.
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Teel Gordon hails from Saint Louis, Missouri. A former accounting professional, she has been a long-time volunteer for local and international farm and food advocacy groups – from food banks to community gardens. Teel plans to address the issues of food deserts/swamps in inner city Saint Louis.
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Tuula Perry grew up in Maui and is a former WWOOF (Willing Workers on Organic Farms International) volunteer working in Turkey, Spain, and Portugal. She is especially passionate about creating backyard gardens in urban areas and seeks to advance policymaking to dissolve the barriers to growing food locally.
“Each of us has a responsibility to do what we can to solve some of the biggest issues of our time. We are responding to this call by supporting the development of community-minded, passionate leaders to organize and facilitate the co-creation of ecologically-based food and farm systems wherever they call home. Without leadership of this kind, we are all at risk of losing access to nutritious, whole-foods grown in accordance with the long-term needs of the land and people,” adds Cole.
For current updates on Esalen’s Farm and Garden, visit us on Facebook.
“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?
Cultivation of fresh, chemical-free produce is just one of many healing characteristics of the Farm and Garden at Esalen. Over the past four decades, Esalen has touched the lives of countless beginning farmers, and grown their abilities to nurture healthier relationships between others and the environment – starting with the soil. In April, Esalen welcomed its newest class of Farm and Garden Apprentices to participate in the newly expanded year-long program in Community Agriculture.
The new program, doubled in length, includes a deepening of exposure to not only plant anatomy but also food system anatomy, with an emphasis on justice and leadership. “Taking the ‘community’ out of agriculture has proven detrimental to the health of the land and its people, locally and globally,” asserts Cole Cottin, whose farmer family of four joined Esalen’s community last Fall. “Broadcasting the seeds of change through relational agriculture is what our apprenticeship program is all about.”
According to Cole, the next generation of growers, educators, and land stewards will not only grow healthy, nutrient rich foods in increasingly creative and regenerative ways, but they will be building connected, thriving, and ever-strengthening communities; shifting community and the greater global consciousness from scarcity and lack to hope and abundance. In addition to healthy food growing practices, the Farm and Garden Apprentices also explore the health and healing of human relationships through Esalen’s Gestalt Awareness practice. This is expressed through adopting a whole systems- approach that mimics nature and the undeniably inherent relationship and interdependency between humans and the earth as our life source.
This year’s Farm and Garden Apprentices include:
Gabriel Audant is originally from Haiti, speaks four languages, co-founded a Buddhist meditation center, and has planned and designed training programs in the San Francisco area and Hawaii. He has many projects he is passionate about, and plans to launch a farm-based training program for dislocated sugar cane workers next year.
Shani Settles comes to Esalen from Chicago’s southside. She has degrees in Anthropology and Religious Studies and is a former professor and student affairs administrator. Shani also has leadership experience working in non-profits. She intends to establish farm-to-school programs and partner with food banks, co-ops, churches, and senior communities.
Teel Gordon hails from Saint Louis, Missouri. A former accounting professional, she has been a long-time volunteer for local and international farm and food advocacy groups – from food banks to community gardens. Teel plans to address the issues of food deserts/swamps in inner city Saint Louis.
Tuula Perry grew up in Maui and is a former WWOOF (Willing Workers on Organic Farms International) volunteer working in Turkey, Spain, and Portugal. She is especially passionate about creating backyard gardens in urban areas and seeks to advance policymaking to dissolve the barriers to growing food locally.
“Each of us has a responsibility to do what we can to solve some of the biggest issues of our time. We are responding to this call by supporting the development of community-minded, passionate leaders to organize and facilitate the co-creation of ecologically-based food and farm systems wherever they call home. Without leadership of this kind, we are all at risk of losing access to nutritious, whole-foods grown in accordance with the long-term needs of the land and people,” adds Cole.
For current updates on Esalen’s Farm and Garden, visit us on Facebook.
“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?
Cultivation of fresh, chemical-free produce is just one of many healing characteristics of the Farm and Garden at Esalen. Over the past four decades, Esalen has touched the lives of countless beginning farmers, and grown their abilities to nurture healthier relationships between others and the environment – starting with the soil. In April, Esalen welcomed its newest class of Farm and Garden Apprentices to participate in the newly expanded year-long program in Community Agriculture.
The new program, doubled in length, includes a deepening of exposure to not only plant anatomy but also food system anatomy, with an emphasis on justice and leadership. “Taking the ‘community’ out of agriculture has proven detrimental to the health of the land and its people, locally and globally,” asserts Cole Cottin, whose farmer family of four joined Esalen’s community last Fall. “Broadcasting the seeds of change through relational agriculture is what our apprenticeship program is all about.”
According to Cole, the next generation of growers, educators, and land stewards will not only grow healthy, nutrient rich foods in increasingly creative and regenerative ways, but they will be building connected, thriving, and ever-strengthening communities; shifting community and the greater global consciousness from scarcity and lack to hope and abundance. In addition to healthy food growing practices, the Farm and Garden Apprentices also explore the health and healing of human relationships through Esalen’s Gestalt Awareness practice. This is expressed through adopting a whole systems- approach that mimics nature and the undeniably inherent relationship and interdependency between humans and the earth as our life source.
This year’s Farm and Garden Apprentices include:
Gabriel Audant is originally from Haiti, speaks four languages, co-founded a Buddhist meditation center, and has planned and designed training programs in the San Francisco area and Hawaii. He has many projects he is passionate about, and plans to launch a farm-based training program for dislocated sugar cane workers next year.
Shani Settles comes to Esalen from Chicago’s southside. She has degrees in Anthropology and Religious Studies and is a former professor and student affairs administrator. Shani also has leadership experience working in non-profits. She intends to establish farm-to-school programs and partner with food banks, co-ops, churches, and senior communities.
Teel Gordon hails from Saint Louis, Missouri. A former accounting professional, she has been a long-time volunteer for local and international farm and food advocacy groups – from food banks to community gardens. Teel plans to address the issues of food deserts/swamps in inner city Saint Louis.
Tuula Perry grew up in Maui and is a former WWOOF (Willing Workers on Organic Farms International) volunteer working in Turkey, Spain, and Portugal. She is especially passionate about creating backyard gardens in urban areas and seeks to advance policymaking to dissolve the barriers to growing food locally.
“Each of us has a responsibility to do what we can to solve some of the biggest issues of our time. We are responding to this call by supporting the development of community-minded, passionate leaders to organize and facilitate the co-creation of ecologically-based food and farm systems wherever they call home. Without leadership of this kind, we are all at risk of losing access to nutritious, whole-foods grown in accordance with the long-term needs of the land and people,” adds Cole.
For current updates on Esalen’s Farm and Garden, visit us on Facebook.
“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