With this insightful and diverse assortment, we face the many tests that stand before us and embrace them as a grand set of new opportunities. Everything can be met with grace, and it can all become a chance for growth. Find laughter, political power, and instructive dreams with your 2024 summer reading list, and make this your season to rise to every challenge — with support.
by Pamela Rainbear Portugal
Everyone will be delighted by the most “authentic cannabis-infused hippie philosophy book ever published,” which has been an Esalen classic since its first printing in 1978. This freeform mix of line drawings and poetry created by one of the Institute’s very first yoga instructors is a joyful explosion of flower power. With colorful nonlinear illustrations, Portugal, aka Rainbear —“my hippie name,” she writes — packs Eastern philosophies and joyful self-acceptance into a “cosmic comic book” that’s been called “a taste of Esalen.” Though the cheerful cover may make this one appear like the perfect gift for a little one, A Place for Human Beings is meant for adults in need of mind-altered play.
edited by Karin Lofthus Carrington and Susan Griffin
This anthology of essays, poems, prayers, and meditations from writers, healers, spiritual leaders, scientists, and activists offers new paradigms in a world seemingly determined to make the same mistakes over and over with endless cycles of violence. Esalen’s Dulce Murphy contributes with a piece on the historic “Track II” interventions of the 1980s that powerfully articulates the limits of formal governmental efforts and the need for citizen diplomacy. “By contrast, citizens have a strong psychological investment in protecting their political, cultural, economic survival and their human rights. When confronting governments, leaders, and conflicts, citizens who are affected by a crisis often refuse to stand by and watch a dangerous situation unfold,” writes Murphy. “When ideology is put on hold by creative human contact, humanity gets a chance to speak.”
by Vikram Kolmannskog
This therapist and author begins his work by recalling a speech by the Dalai Lama, who responds with “I don’t know” to a question from the audience. “Those three words,” Kolmannskog writes, contain “a cultivated uncertainty” and “a curiosity and openness” — the fundamental attitudes in Gestalt. Though this book acts as an accessible introduction to the field, it is also a gripping collection of stories with engaging characters, including the author himself. There is Carl, the burned-out businessman; isolated Jonny; overwhelmed and traumatized Marianne; and more. Each is presented in dialogue with the author, which makes for engaging scenes. They build tension and reveal dynamics while slowly uncovering the gripping psychological profiles. As narratively entertaining as a great season of In Treatment, this book also provides a deep understanding of Gestalt’s life-changing concepts.
by Langston Kahn
Those who feel stuck and overwhelmed by all they've endured — even apathetic in the face of the many grim possibilities — will find accessible tools here to unravel negative conditioning and reignite desire. Kahn, a shamanic practitioner who specializes in emotional clearing and radical transformation, offers a body-based approach to freeing oneself from oppression, toxic social structures, and the fear-based stories we hold. The step-by-step instructions and exercises in Deep Liberation compassionately guide readers on how to apply ancient spiritual wisdom to the demands of modern-day life. In mid-June, the author was atemporary teacher-in-residence on campus teaching Animist Tools for Liberating Your Life Force, covering themes that include: Coming Home to Your Body and Your Humanity, Claiming Your Center and Your Divinity, Cultivating Healthy Boundaries and Your Authenticity, and Embracing Your Power to Create Change.
by Jeffrey J. Kripal
The author of Esalen: America and the Religion of No Religion imagines an expansion of our historical, literary, and religious studies (and much more) that celebrates the “undercurrent of the fantastic,” acknowledges communications with non-human entities, and grapples with the “existence of any outside.” Kripal argues that the humanities, currently operating within an “outdated ontology,” must integrate scientific discoveries and insights the limited academics typically dismiss. For a much deeper, mind-expanding analysis, check out “The Smoldering Superhuman” by Esalen board member Charles M. Stang in the latest issue of the Harvard Divinity Bulletin. Stang agrees that these fields stay within “too narrow a bandwidth” and marvels at the possibilities of a new “postcritical” humanities: “It might acknowledge how this world itself has dimensions well beyond those we immediately perceive, or how many are the ways we know ourselves, others, and the world … might begin to embrace more expansive anthropologies, ontologies, and epistemologies.”
by Machiel Klerk
Imagination can guide and educate “when we ask it,” therapist, dream expert, and founder of the Jung Platform Klerk explained to Deepak Chopra on the Chopra Well in 2023. “We can ask the dream for support [and] guidance in our life — for health, in our vocation, or finding a relationship — and the dream will help.” A miraculous travelogue to the land of the dreaming with five easy and actionable steps to help access the wisdom of our souls. (Also, an excellent headstart for those attending Klerk’s September weekend workshop, A Journey Into the World of Dreams: Exploring the Depths of the Unconscious.)
by Andrew Holecek
That final trip into the unknown terrifies almost everyone, and yet practically none of us spend time acknowledging death or getting ready for the journey. Instead, we do all we can to block out the “inevitable extinction” and painfully deny the fact of our own demise. The truth is, “like any journey, it goes better if you’re prepared,” writes author Holecek. This guide, like Holecek’s upcoming August workshop, Graceful Exit, explores how to “die a good death and help others pass” while celebrating the preciousness of life. Divided into two parts, both spiritual and practical, it clearly delineates what to do “before, during, and after.” For any brave soul ready to put in the mindful work that will create a better death and build a better life. (Andrew Holecek will join Stacia Butterfield and Marques Redd in September for our annual Altered States festival, a weeklong campus-wide transformative journey of self-discovery. Register now!)
“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?
With this insightful and diverse assortment, we face the many tests that stand before us and embrace them as a grand set of new opportunities. Everything can be met with grace, and it can all become a chance for growth. Find laughter, political power, and instructive dreams with your 2024 summer reading list, and make this your season to rise to every challenge — with support.
by Pamela Rainbear Portugal
Everyone will be delighted by the most “authentic cannabis-infused hippie philosophy book ever published,” which has been an Esalen classic since its first printing in 1978. This freeform mix of line drawings and poetry created by one of the Institute’s very first yoga instructors is a joyful explosion of flower power. With colorful nonlinear illustrations, Portugal, aka Rainbear —“my hippie name,” she writes — packs Eastern philosophies and joyful self-acceptance into a “cosmic comic book” that’s been called “a taste of Esalen.” Though the cheerful cover may make this one appear like the perfect gift for a little one, A Place for Human Beings is meant for adults in need of mind-altered play.
edited by Karin Lofthus Carrington and Susan Griffin
This anthology of essays, poems, prayers, and meditations from writers, healers, spiritual leaders, scientists, and activists offers new paradigms in a world seemingly determined to make the same mistakes over and over with endless cycles of violence. Esalen’s Dulce Murphy contributes with a piece on the historic “Track II” interventions of the 1980s that powerfully articulates the limits of formal governmental efforts and the need for citizen diplomacy. “By contrast, citizens have a strong psychological investment in protecting their political, cultural, economic survival and their human rights. When confronting governments, leaders, and conflicts, citizens who are affected by a crisis often refuse to stand by and watch a dangerous situation unfold,” writes Murphy. “When ideology is put on hold by creative human contact, humanity gets a chance to speak.”
by Vikram Kolmannskog
This therapist and author begins his work by recalling a speech by the Dalai Lama, who responds with “I don’t know” to a question from the audience. “Those three words,” Kolmannskog writes, contain “a cultivated uncertainty” and “a curiosity and openness” — the fundamental attitudes in Gestalt. Though this book acts as an accessible introduction to the field, it is also a gripping collection of stories with engaging characters, including the author himself. There is Carl, the burned-out businessman; isolated Jonny; overwhelmed and traumatized Marianne; and more. Each is presented in dialogue with the author, which makes for engaging scenes. They build tension and reveal dynamics while slowly uncovering the gripping psychological profiles. As narratively entertaining as a great season of In Treatment, this book also provides a deep understanding of Gestalt’s life-changing concepts.
by Langston Kahn
Those who feel stuck and overwhelmed by all they've endured — even apathetic in the face of the many grim possibilities — will find accessible tools here to unravel negative conditioning and reignite desire. Kahn, a shamanic practitioner who specializes in emotional clearing and radical transformation, offers a body-based approach to freeing oneself from oppression, toxic social structures, and the fear-based stories we hold. The step-by-step instructions and exercises in Deep Liberation compassionately guide readers on how to apply ancient spiritual wisdom to the demands of modern-day life. In mid-June, the author was atemporary teacher-in-residence on campus teaching Animist Tools for Liberating Your Life Force, covering themes that include: Coming Home to Your Body and Your Humanity, Claiming Your Center and Your Divinity, Cultivating Healthy Boundaries and Your Authenticity, and Embracing Your Power to Create Change.
by Jeffrey J. Kripal
The author of Esalen: America and the Religion of No Religion imagines an expansion of our historical, literary, and religious studies (and much more) that celebrates the “undercurrent of the fantastic,” acknowledges communications with non-human entities, and grapples with the “existence of any outside.” Kripal argues that the humanities, currently operating within an “outdated ontology,” must integrate scientific discoveries and insights the limited academics typically dismiss. For a much deeper, mind-expanding analysis, check out “The Smoldering Superhuman” by Esalen board member Charles M. Stang in the latest issue of the Harvard Divinity Bulletin. Stang agrees that these fields stay within “too narrow a bandwidth” and marvels at the possibilities of a new “postcritical” humanities: “It might acknowledge how this world itself has dimensions well beyond those we immediately perceive, or how many are the ways we know ourselves, others, and the world … might begin to embrace more expansive anthropologies, ontologies, and epistemologies.”
by Machiel Klerk
Imagination can guide and educate “when we ask it,” therapist, dream expert, and founder of the Jung Platform Klerk explained to Deepak Chopra on the Chopra Well in 2023. “We can ask the dream for support [and] guidance in our life — for health, in our vocation, or finding a relationship — and the dream will help.” A miraculous travelogue to the land of the dreaming with five easy and actionable steps to help access the wisdom of our souls. (Also, an excellent headstart for those attending Klerk’s September weekend workshop, A Journey Into the World of Dreams: Exploring the Depths of the Unconscious.)
by Andrew Holecek
That final trip into the unknown terrifies almost everyone, and yet practically none of us spend time acknowledging death or getting ready for the journey. Instead, we do all we can to block out the “inevitable extinction” and painfully deny the fact of our own demise. The truth is, “like any journey, it goes better if you’re prepared,” writes author Holecek. This guide, like Holecek’s upcoming August workshop, Graceful Exit, explores how to “die a good death and help others pass” while celebrating the preciousness of life. Divided into two parts, both spiritual and practical, it clearly delineates what to do “before, during, and after.” For any brave soul ready to put in the mindful work that will create a better death and build a better life. (Andrew Holecek will join Stacia Butterfield and Marques Redd in September for our annual Altered States festival, a weeklong campus-wide transformative journey of self-discovery. Register now!)
“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?
With this insightful and diverse assortment, we face the many tests that stand before us and embrace them as a grand set of new opportunities. Everything can be met with grace, and it can all become a chance for growth. Find laughter, political power, and instructive dreams with your 2024 summer reading list, and make this your season to rise to every challenge — with support.
by Pamela Rainbear Portugal
Everyone will be delighted by the most “authentic cannabis-infused hippie philosophy book ever published,” which has been an Esalen classic since its first printing in 1978. This freeform mix of line drawings and poetry created by one of the Institute’s very first yoga instructors is a joyful explosion of flower power. With colorful nonlinear illustrations, Portugal, aka Rainbear —“my hippie name,” she writes — packs Eastern philosophies and joyful self-acceptance into a “cosmic comic book” that’s been called “a taste of Esalen.” Though the cheerful cover may make this one appear like the perfect gift for a little one, A Place for Human Beings is meant for adults in need of mind-altered play.
edited by Karin Lofthus Carrington and Susan Griffin
This anthology of essays, poems, prayers, and meditations from writers, healers, spiritual leaders, scientists, and activists offers new paradigms in a world seemingly determined to make the same mistakes over and over with endless cycles of violence. Esalen’s Dulce Murphy contributes with a piece on the historic “Track II” interventions of the 1980s that powerfully articulates the limits of formal governmental efforts and the need for citizen diplomacy. “By contrast, citizens have a strong psychological investment in protecting their political, cultural, economic survival and their human rights. When confronting governments, leaders, and conflicts, citizens who are affected by a crisis often refuse to stand by and watch a dangerous situation unfold,” writes Murphy. “When ideology is put on hold by creative human contact, humanity gets a chance to speak.”
by Vikram Kolmannskog
This therapist and author begins his work by recalling a speech by the Dalai Lama, who responds with “I don’t know” to a question from the audience. “Those three words,” Kolmannskog writes, contain “a cultivated uncertainty” and “a curiosity and openness” — the fundamental attitudes in Gestalt. Though this book acts as an accessible introduction to the field, it is also a gripping collection of stories with engaging characters, including the author himself. There is Carl, the burned-out businessman; isolated Jonny; overwhelmed and traumatized Marianne; and more. Each is presented in dialogue with the author, which makes for engaging scenes. They build tension and reveal dynamics while slowly uncovering the gripping psychological profiles. As narratively entertaining as a great season of In Treatment, this book also provides a deep understanding of Gestalt’s life-changing concepts.
by Langston Kahn
Those who feel stuck and overwhelmed by all they've endured — even apathetic in the face of the many grim possibilities — will find accessible tools here to unravel negative conditioning and reignite desire. Kahn, a shamanic practitioner who specializes in emotional clearing and radical transformation, offers a body-based approach to freeing oneself from oppression, toxic social structures, and the fear-based stories we hold. The step-by-step instructions and exercises in Deep Liberation compassionately guide readers on how to apply ancient spiritual wisdom to the demands of modern-day life. In mid-June, the author was atemporary teacher-in-residence on campus teaching Animist Tools for Liberating Your Life Force, covering themes that include: Coming Home to Your Body and Your Humanity, Claiming Your Center and Your Divinity, Cultivating Healthy Boundaries and Your Authenticity, and Embracing Your Power to Create Change.
by Jeffrey J. Kripal
The author of Esalen: America and the Religion of No Religion imagines an expansion of our historical, literary, and religious studies (and much more) that celebrates the “undercurrent of the fantastic,” acknowledges communications with non-human entities, and grapples with the “existence of any outside.” Kripal argues that the humanities, currently operating within an “outdated ontology,” must integrate scientific discoveries and insights the limited academics typically dismiss. For a much deeper, mind-expanding analysis, check out “The Smoldering Superhuman” by Esalen board member Charles M. Stang in the latest issue of the Harvard Divinity Bulletin. Stang agrees that these fields stay within “too narrow a bandwidth” and marvels at the possibilities of a new “postcritical” humanities: “It might acknowledge how this world itself has dimensions well beyond those we immediately perceive, or how many are the ways we know ourselves, others, and the world … might begin to embrace more expansive anthropologies, ontologies, and epistemologies.”
by Machiel Klerk
Imagination can guide and educate “when we ask it,” therapist, dream expert, and founder of the Jung Platform Klerk explained to Deepak Chopra on the Chopra Well in 2023. “We can ask the dream for support [and] guidance in our life — for health, in our vocation, or finding a relationship — and the dream will help.” A miraculous travelogue to the land of the dreaming with five easy and actionable steps to help access the wisdom of our souls. (Also, an excellent headstart for those attending Klerk’s September weekend workshop, A Journey Into the World of Dreams: Exploring the Depths of the Unconscious.)
by Andrew Holecek
That final trip into the unknown terrifies almost everyone, and yet practically none of us spend time acknowledging death or getting ready for the journey. Instead, we do all we can to block out the “inevitable extinction” and painfully deny the fact of our own demise. The truth is, “like any journey, it goes better if you’re prepared,” writes author Holecek. This guide, like Holecek’s upcoming August workshop, Graceful Exit, explores how to “die a good death and help others pass” while celebrating the preciousness of life. Divided into two parts, both spiritual and practical, it clearly delineates what to do “before, during, and after.” For any brave soul ready to put in the mindful work that will create a better death and build a better life. (Andrew Holecek will join Stacia Butterfield and Marques Redd in September for our annual Altered States festival, a weeklong campus-wide transformative journey of self-discovery. Register now!)
“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
