About Esalen Institute

Venue & Amenities

A/C in Rooms icon A/C in Rooms
Free Wifi icon Free Wifi
Spa icon Spa
Sauna icon Sauna
Pool icon Pool
Towels icon Towels
Free Parking icon Free Parking
Kitchen icon Kitchen
Tour Assistance icon Tour Assistance
Hot Tub icon Hot Tub
Coffee/Tea icon Coffee/Tea
Cafe icon Cafe
Restaurant icon Restaurant
Fitness Center icon Fitness Center
Yoga Studio icon Yoga Studio
Housekeeping icon Housekeeping
Bicycles For Rent icon Bicycles For Rent
The Waters: Water flows at the heart of Esalen. Three water sources converge here to form a trinity of creation, renewal, and destruction, harkening back to our own ancient origins. According to Chinese medicine and other traditions, the human emotional body is held by the water element. Perhaps that is one reason why Esalen is a safe and powerfully healing place to look within.

The Land: There is the wonder of the place itself, 120 acres of fertile land carved out between mountain and ocean, blessed by a cascading canyon stream and hot mineral springs gushing out of a seaside cliff. There is the delicate and subtle Big Sur air of a late afternoon in May, the midnight mist of July, the drenching February rain. There are October nights so clear the Milky Way can light your walk along the darkened garden path. And always there is the sound of the sea.

The Bookstore: Adjoining the lodge at the heart of property, the Conley Bookstore is a cozy book nook with benefits. It’s just the place to find the perfect book, gift, article of clothing, snack, or soundtrack to accompany your journey of self-discovery. In addition to books on topics ranging from Art to Zodiac, the store offers journals, postcards, prints, music, sundries, clothing, ceramics, and other carefully curated accoutrements to promote contemplation, relaxation, and joy.

Farm & Garden: For over forty years, the Esalen Farm and Garden has provided a holistic model of local food security and sustainability, growing organic food that sustains, heals and educates the community of people who live at and visit Esalen every year. The Esalen Farm and Garden exists in a landscape of constant transition and transformation. Our program reflects the Institute as a whole: we wear our dogmas lightly, we go with the flow, we experiment, and we constantly evolve in our practice.

The Art Center: Commonly known as the Art Barn, the Art Center is a two-storied structure with a covered patio on the ocean cliffs next to the Leonard Pavilion and the Farm. It has served as the residence for many artists over the years as well as being the birthplace for latent creativity and the source of many stories

Meals

Menu Types

Whether after a rigorous workshop session or a long soak in the hot springs, a meal among friends in our lodge is surely one of the most nourishing and enlivening Esalen adventures. The Esalen kitchen serves delicious, healthy meals to 250 to 350 people per day. This includes everyone from workshop participants and teachers to Esalen board members and staff. The kitchen team crafts each meal with mindfulness and care, featuring produce and herbs from the Esalen farm and garden. Mealtimes Breakfast: 8:30 - 9:45 am Lunch: 12:30 - 1:45 pm Dinner: 6:00 - 7:30 pm Between Meals Coffee, tea, house-made bread for toast, preserves, nut butters, and fresh fruit are available all day and night until 5AM. Volunteering in the Kitchen On-site guests are always welcome to volunteer in the kitchen, stop in and ask for the chef if you are interested in volunteering during your stay.

Getting Here

Location icon Esalen Institute, 55000 Highway 1, Big Sur, CA

Customer Reviews

5.00 out of 5.0 average rating

5.0
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Couples massage training
Perry & Johanna Holloman assisted by Lori Lewis did an absolutely amazing job shepherding 18 couples through a beautiful, immersive weekend of Esalen massage introduction and training.
We learned about the importance of "presence" when giving massage, about intentional touch and the Esalen long strokes, delivered through our hearts and hands by harvesting gravity.
I will absolutely attend any other similar Esalen offering. It was a truly wonderful weekend of heart-soul opening led by a team of dedicated Esalen massage practitioners.

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SYNCHRONICITY HYPER-SPACE
Maybe it’s the land. Maybe it’s the sea crashing below and the stars above and the morning mist obscuring the horizon line between Heaven and Earth. Maybe it’s the qualities of the people drawn to this place of pilgrimage and transformation. Maybe all of this. Whatever it is, somehow every conversation offered the next little piece of what I needed to know, even if I didn’t know I needed to know it. Magic and Mystery saturate this place and saturate those who arrive with an open heart. You get to take this home with you.

Don’t let yourself pass through this life without coming here at least once. ⭐️

Mission & Vision

For half a century, Esalen has been a primary thought leader and shapeshifter of the culture, generating and promoting new ideas, methods, and connections that have transformed our world. As we move into Esalen\'s next half-century of creative influence, we honor our rich legacy, celebrate our initiatives and our outreach today, and embrace our common human future in an emergent world culture of tomorrow.

Esalen exists to serve the world — not as a refuge from it. We believe in the deeply transformative power of this place, recognizing that retreat and refuge must always be, ultimately, in the service of something larger than yourself. So we are organized to give you the tools to unleash latent capacities and re-energize your sense of purpose — for yourself and the world.

Esalen is a place with a global reach. In the words of Thomas Wolfe about America, It is a place where miracles not only happen, but where they happen all the time.

Esalen is not only a retreat center or an educational institute. Anchored by the inspiring beauty of Big Sur and an unparalleled intellectual history, Esalen is a world-wide network of seekers who look beyond dogma to explore deeper spiritual possibilities; forge new understandings of self and society; and pioneer new paths for change.

Whether you come to process personal pain or to embark on a modern-day vision quest, we provide the crucible and catalyst, and workshop leaders whose integrity and skills embody the highest standards of practice. We ask that you become attuned to the here and now, and understand that the relationship between self and world is an intensely communicative process that’s continually created and recreated.

We’ll give you the tools and freedom to unleash latent capacities and find a re-energized sense of purpose—for yourself and for the world. Let’s have an adventure.

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