Inspired by 20th-century French writer Marcel Proust, we here at Esalen have created our own version of his favorite parlor game to dig just a little deeper — and differently — into our incredible faculty and staff.
Lou Rainbow encourages and supports people to go deeper into their practice, explore their energy, and stretch the parameters of their creativity. “When you get into the groove, it is pure ecstasy,” says the artist. Before bringing her decades of teaching experience back to Esalen on May 23-25 to lead Embodied Energy Through Drawing, Rainbow shares with us her inspirations, her regrets (“None”), and her favorite parts of her work: “Big paper. Graphite sticks.”
What is Esalen to you?
Edgy. Raw energy. A place of extreme beauty caressed by a perilous sea. A place to explore your own perceptions. To push your sense of yourself.
What do you do/are you doing at Esalen?
I’m teaching fine art painting and deep drawing.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Getting into the flow of your work where you lose yourself and your creative mojo takes hold.
What is your greatest fear in your work?
Complacency. Leaning on the things you know. Not exploring the danger zone. Risk.
Which living or dead person do you most admire in your field?
Eduardo Chileda. Sister Corita Kent.
What is your greatest extravagance related to your practice?
I dither. I sometimes do everything but make a mark. It is all part of the process and eventually manifests itself into a happening, a movement. Art challenges your whole self. It leaves no part of you unchanged.
What is your current state of mind?
Open
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Pondering
What is the quality you most like in a human?
Care
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My dog Zennor. She is relentlessly and effortlessly hopeful.
What about your work brings you the most happiness?
When you get into the groove, it is pure ecstasy.
Which talent would you most like to have?
None that I couldn’t master.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
To take a breath.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Pulling energy out of people so they can become and celebrate the creative being that they are.
If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
A blousy tea rose. All show and scent for a few days a year.
What would living at Esalen for a month be like for you?
A treasure hunt. Collect one vivid thing every day and document it.
What is your most treasured possession?
My sense of humour.
How do you maintain your practice(s) during challenging times?
I draw. And mark it out of ten.
What is your favorite component of your work?
Water
What is your most marked characteristic?
Boldness
What do you value most in your work/practice?
Big paper. Graphite sticks.
Who are your inspirations?
My mother. Jean Rainbow. Be bold. Take a chance. If the oven is on to roast a chicken, why not bake a cake?
Who is your hero of fiction?
Kathy Earnshaw in Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.
Which historical figure do you most identify with?
Joan of Arc
Who are your heroes in real life?
None
What is your greatest regret?
None
How would you like to die?
Laughing
What is your motto?
Don’t be afraid.
“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?
Inspired by 20th-century French writer Marcel Proust, we here at Esalen have created our own version of his favorite parlor game to dig just a little deeper — and differently — into our incredible faculty and staff.
Lou Rainbow encourages and supports people to go deeper into their practice, explore their energy, and stretch the parameters of their creativity. “When you get into the groove, it is pure ecstasy,” says the artist. Before bringing her decades of teaching experience back to Esalen on May 23-25 to lead Embodied Energy Through Drawing, Rainbow shares with us her inspirations, her regrets (“None”), and her favorite parts of her work: “Big paper. Graphite sticks.”
What is Esalen to you?
Edgy. Raw energy. A place of extreme beauty caressed by a perilous sea. A place to explore your own perceptions. To push your sense of yourself.
What do you do/are you doing at Esalen?
I’m teaching fine art painting and deep drawing.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Getting into the flow of your work where you lose yourself and your creative mojo takes hold.
What is your greatest fear in your work?
Complacency. Leaning on the things you know. Not exploring the danger zone. Risk.
Which living or dead person do you most admire in your field?
Eduardo Chileda. Sister Corita Kent.
What is your greatest extravagance related to your practice?
I dither. I sometimes do everything but make a mark. It is all part of the process and eventually manifests itself into a happening, a movement. Art challenges your whole self. It leaves no part of you unchanged.
What is your current state of mind?
Open
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Pondering
What is the quality you most like in a human?
Care
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My dog Zennor. She is relentlessly and effortlessly hopeful.
What about your work brings you the most happiness?
When you get into the groove, it is pure ecstasy.
Which talent would you most like to have?
None that I couldn’t master.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
To take a breath.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Pulling energy out of people so they can become and celebrate the creative being that they are.
If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
A blousy tea rose. All show and scent for a few days a year.
What would living at Esalen for a month be like for you?
A treasure hunt. Collect one vivid thing every day and document it.
What is your most treasured possession?
My sense of humour.
How do you maintain your practice(s) during challenging times?
I draw. And mark it out of ten.
What is your favorite component of your work?
Water
What is your most marked characteristic?
Boldness
What do you value most in your work/practice?
Big paper. Graphite sticks.
Who are your inspirations?
My mother. Jean Rainbow. Be bold. Take a chance. If the oven is on to roast a chicken, why not bake a cake?
Who is your hero of fiction?
Kathy Earnshaw in Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.
Which historical figure do you most identify with?
Joan of Arc
Who are your heroes in real life?
None
What is your greatest regret?
None
How would you like to die?
Laughing
What is your motto?
Don’t be afraid.
“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?
Inspired by 20th-century French writer Marcel Proust, we here at Esalen have created our own version of his favorite parlor game to dig just a little deeper — and differently — into our incredible faculty and staff.
Lou Rainbow encourages and supports people to go deeper into their practice, explore their energy, and stretch the parameters of their creativity. “When you get into the groove, it is pure ecstasy,” says the artist. Before bringing her decades of teaching experience back to Esalen on May 23-25 to lead Embodied Energy Through Drawing, Rainbow shares with us her inspirations, her regrets (“None”), and her favorite parts of her work: “Big paper. Graphite sticks.”
What is Esalen to you?
Edgy. Raw energy. A place of extreme beauty caressed by a perilous sea. A place to explore your own perceptions. To push your sense of yourself.
What do you do/are you doing at Esalen?
I’m teaching fine art painting and deep drawing.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Getting into the flow of your work where you lose yourself and your creative mojo takes hold.
What is your greatest fear in your work?
Complacency. Leaning on the things you know. Not exploring the danger zone. Risk.
Which living or dead person do you most admire in your field?
Eduardo Chileda. Sister Corita Kent.
What is your greatest extravagance related to your practice?
I dither. I sometimes do everything but make a mark. It is all part of the process and eventually manifests itself into a happening, a movement. Art challenges your whole self. It leaves no part of you unchanged.
What is your current state of mind?
Open
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Pondering
What is the quality you most like in a human?
Care
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My dog Zennor. She is relentlessly and effortlessly hopeful.
What about your work brings you the most happiness?
When you get into the groove, it is pure ecstasy.
Which talent would you most like to have?
None that I couldn’t master.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
To take a breath.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Pulling energy out of people so they can become and celebrate the creative being that they are.
If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
A blousy tea rose. All show and scent for a few days a year.
What would living at Esalen for a month be like for you?
A treasure hunt. Collect one vivid thing every day and document it.
What is your most treasured possession?
My sense of humour.
How do you maintain your practice(s) during challenging times?
I draw. And mark it out of ten.
What is your favorite component of your work?
Water
What is your most marked characteristic?
Boldness
What do you value most in your work/practice?
Big paper. Graphite sticks.
Who are your inspirations?
My mother. Jean Rainbow. Be bold. Take a chance. If the oven is on to roast a chicken, why not bake a cake?
Who is your hero of fiction?
Kathy Earnshaw in Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.
Which historical figure do you most identify with?
Joan of Arc
Who are your heroes in real life?
None
What is your greatest regret?
None
How would you like to die?
Laughing
What is your motto?
Don’t be afraid.
“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
