January 2006 Esalen Catalog

Transcription

The Esalen Catalog
January– June 2006
®
DANIEL BIANCHETTA
January – June 2006
Esalen — A convergence of mountains and sea,
mind and body, East and West, meditation and action
Esalen — A center for alternative education, a forum for transformational
practices, a restorative retreat, a worldwide community of seekers
Dedicated to exploring work in the humanities and sciences that furthers the full realization
of the human potential, Esalen offers public workshops, residential work-study programs,
invitational conferences, and independent projects that support our mission.
As a center designed to foster personal and social transformation, we offer those who
join us the chance to explore more deeply the world and themselves.
Welcome to
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contents
Volume xlv, Number 1
Esalen Institute
55000 Highway 1
Big Sur, California 93920-9546
Catalog Requests: 831-667-3000,
ext. 7100
Esalen Board of Trustees:
DANIEL BIANCHETTA
Alyce-Faye Cleese
Juliet Johnson ex officio
Mary Ellen Klee
Nancy Lunney-Wheeler ex officio
David Lustig
Anisa Mehdi
Michael Murphy
Lyle Poncher
Marilyn Schlitz
Jeremy Tarcher
Gordon Wheeler
Sam Yau
President & CEO:
Gordon Wheeler
Esalen Catalog Staff:
Catalog Subscription Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Gazebo School Park Early Childhood Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Esalen Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Friends of Esalen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Continuing Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Guide to Workshops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Seminar Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Esalen Seminars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Special Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80
Invitational Conferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
Work Study Program and Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83-86
Biographical Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
Reservation Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94
Scholarship Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94
Reservation Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96
I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that
life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy.
—Rabindranath Tagore, philosopher, author, painter,
composer, Nobel laureate (1861–1941)
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Editor: Peter Friedberg
Administrative Liaison: Pamela Keenan
Design & Production: Terry McGrath
The Esalen Catalog is published
triannually by the Esalen Institute,
Big Sur, California 93920-9546.
Printed on recycled paper.
©2005 Esalen Institute.
All rights reserved.
ISSN 1088-2782
Subscription Information:
Subscription cost for one year is $15
for the United States and $25 for all
other countries. Please send a check
or money order (U.S. currency) in the
enclosed subscription envelope, or
mail it to: Subscriptions, Esalen
Institute, Big Sur, CA 93920.
Although we’re delighted to provide you
with this issue of the catalog, if you
are not currently a subscriber we would
appreciate a $5 contribution to defray
postage and production costs. Please
use the enclosed subscription envelope.
cover: “Timber Top, Big Sur,” a multi-block limited
edition woodcut print, copyright by Tom Killion, 2005.
www.TomKillion.com
This catalog is printed on New Leaf Opaque, made
with 30% post-consumer waste, processed chlorine free.
By using this environmentally friendly paper, Esalen
saved the following resources:
trees: 64 fully grown
solid waste: 3,014 lbs.
water: 44,389 gallons
greenhouse gases: 7,519 lbs.
energy: 51 million BTUs
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general information
T
he esalen institute was founded in 1962 as an alternative educational center devoted to the exploration of
what Aldous Huxley called the “human
potential,” the world of unrealized human
capacities that lies beyond the imagination.
Esalen soon became known worldwide for its
blend of East/West philosophies, its experiential/didactic workshops, the steady influx of
philosophers, psychologists, artists, and religious thinkers, and its breathtaking grounds
blessed with natural hot springs. Once home
to a Native American tribe known as the
Esselen, Esalen is situated on the spectacular
Big Sur coastline with the Santa Lucia
Mountains rising sharply behind.
There are various ways to experience Esalen,
ranging from an overnight visit to a long-term
stay as a seminarian. The weekend and fiveday workshops described in the Seminars section of the catalog are the standard route for
coming to Esalen. The “Experiencing Esalen”
workshops, scheduled periodically, offer an
introduction to practices such as Gestalt, massage, sensory awareness, and meditation. From
such a sampling, participants can then choose
those approaches they are most attracted to
and pursue them in subsequent seminars.
Another way of being at Esalen which allows a
greater involvement at a lower expense is the
Work Study Program, an intensive 28-day workoriented program for individuals who want to
make a directed commitment to self-exploration
and growth, and a contribution to the Esalen
community. For a full description of the Work
Study Program, please turn to page 83.
For those who wish an extended stay, there
are periodic long-term programs which
involve didactic seminars or professional
trainings as well as experiential workshops.
able by appointment with individual practitioners. There is also a community event
schedule offered. Please check the bulletin
board when you arrive.
Esalen is a center for experimental education.
We offer neither psychotherapy nor assurances
of change.
Esalen is a 45-mile drive south from
Monterey, 11 miles south of Nepenthe, on
Coast Route 1. From the south, we are 50
miles north of Hearst Castle. A lighted sign
on the ocean side of the highway reads:
Esalen Institute, By Reservation Only.
The Hot Springs at Esalen
We would like those people who are planning
their first visit to Esalen to know that swimsuits are optional, and nudity common, in the
hot springs, massage area, and swimming pool.
We encourage each individual to choose what
is most comfortable, either wearing a swimsuit or not, and emphasize that the environment we strive for at Esalen is one of personal
sanctuary and respect for the human body.
pony rides, learning about animal care,
exploring nature, a real boat, the magic castle,
and an Indian tepee. Evenings are spent with
a teacher in the Gazebo Farmhouse, engaged
in activities that are age-appropriate, such as
reading, learning and playing with the computer, baking, arts and crafts, or buildingblock play. See page 95 for Gazebo reservation
information.
Disabled Access
Here at Esalen, many of our paths, though
paved, are extremely steep due to our cliffside
location. We are in the process of increasing
our disability access; however, access to some
parts of our property remains difficult.
Nonetheless, we are committed to accommodating guests who have disabilities. If you
have a disability and think you might need
assistance during your stay at Esalen, please
discuss your needs when making your reservation, at least 72 hours in advance of your
arrival, so that we can accommodate your
needs as best as possible. If you are in need of
sign language interpretation for an Esalen
workshop, please notify us at least 2 weeks
prior to your workshop to enable us to
arrange for an interpreter. In all cases, we
will do our best to meet your needs.
Accreditation and
Continuing Education
Many formal educational institutions recognize the time spent at Esalen as being worthy
of credit in their own curricula; check with
your university or college. We would be glad
to supply information to your school regarding any of our programs.
Friends of Esalen
Esalen is a provider of continuing education
for psychologists, MFTs, LCSWs, nurses,
teachers, and bodyworkers. See page 5 for
details.
We invite you to become a Friend of Esalen.
Your donation of $50 or more will benefit our
programs and help build Esalen’s long-term
financial base (see page 4). As a Friend of
Esalen you will receive the following benefits:
Yet another way to experience Esalen is a
Personal Retreat, which gives guests the
opportunity to nourish body, mind, heart, and
soul without participating in an Esalen workshop. Those on Personal Retreat may use the
baths, attend yoga and movement classes,
meditate in the Round House, create in the
Art Barn, and enjoy the Esalen grounds.
The Gazebo School Park
Early Childhood Program
• A $50 reduction in tuition for all
workshops over the next 12 months
• Friends of Esalen newsletters and the
Esalen Catalog for one year
• Eligible to book Personal Retreat stays at
Esalen
• A tax deduction under IRS section 501(c)3
for the amount of the donation
Finally, there are other events that enrich life
at Esalen. There are occasional forums in
which writers and thinkers, both visiting
and resident, share their ideas with the community. On Wednesday nights there may be
lectures, films, dance performances, or other
events. Bodywork of various kinds is avail-
The Gazebo School Park is a unique educational experience for children one to six years. It is
open year-round and has an average of 15 to
20 children in attendance each day.
Esalen Is Tax-deductible
The Early Childhood Program is available to
children who come with their parents to
experience Esalen. The program’s hours
match parents’ workshop hours. Daytime
activities for the children include gardening,
Contributions to Esalen Institute are taxdeductible. The expenses of attending Esalen,
including travel, are deductible for federal
income tax purposes as an educational
expense if incurred to maintain or improve
professional or work skills.
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esalen notes
On-line Reservations
Available
You can now register for Esalen programs online at Esalen’s website, www.esalen.org.
Mid-Point House Available
to Esalen Guests
We can accommodate large groups (up to 175)
on a space-available basis.
Smaller groups may schedule private conferences in our renovated Big House. This facility is available for individuals who work
together and would like to design their own
Esalen program, drawing on our leaders and
other resources. Ten bedrooms, nine bath-
rooms, a kitchen, dining room, and meeting
room make it possible to house group members together, thereby enhancing the retreat
environment.
We schedule all conferences a year in
advance. To schedule or discuss possible formats, please contact conference coordinator
Pamela Keenan at 831-667-3038.
DANIEL BIANCHETTA
Esalen’s Mid-Point House is available as an
upgraded accommodation alternative for seminarians and Personal Retreat guests. Nestled
behind the lush Esalen Garden at the edge of
the coastal cliff, the Mid-Point House features
a redwood deck overlooking the Pacific, a
comfortably furnished living room, and a
full kitchen. For details, please call the Esalen
office at 831-667-3005.
Scheduling Private
Conferences at Esalen
It is possible to arrange for your group or
organization to hold its conferences at Esalen.
the friends of esalen
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A
s a Friend of Esalen you can help ensure Esalen’s place
in the world. It is through the generosity of friends like
you that Esalen can continue its mission of developing
human potential. Your support not only benefits current
programs but helps secure Esalen’s long-term financial future.
Donations provide support for the scholarship fund, the movement
program, Gazebo School, special projects such as renovations and
equipment replacement, and Esalen’s Center for Theory and Research.
As a way of showing our gratitude, Friends who donate $50 or more
will receive a $50 reduction on all catalog workshops for the next
twelve months. Donors will also receive the Esalen Catalog and a
triannual Friends of Esalen newsletter for one year and be eligible
to book a Personal Retreat at Esalen.
Donor Levels:
• Sustaining Donors ($500+) and above receive a single-use day
pass with lunch for two at Esalen, and acknowledgment in the
newsletter (unless the donor wishes to remain anonymous).
• Benefactors ($1000+) receive an autographed copy of Michael
Murphy and George Leonard’s book, The Life We are Given.
• Group 2000 Donors ($2000+) receive invitations to attend special
events at Esalen with staff, board members, and other supporters.
• Founders Circle Donors and above ($5,000+) receive special benefits,
which may include personalized service for making reservations, recognition, and property privileges. Please call 831-667-3032 for more details.
If you would like information on how to make a planned gift to
Esalen, how to donate stock, or if you have any other questions about
gifts to Esalen, please contact Nancy Worcester at 831-667-3032.
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Basic Donor...........................$50+
Supporting Donor ............$100+
Sustaining Donor..............$500+
Benefactor........................$1,000+
Group 2000 ......................$2,000+
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Founders Circle ................$5,000+
Partners Circle ................$15,000+
Patrons Circle..................$30,000+
Anniversary Circle ........$50,000+
Trustees Circle ..............$100,000+
Name_________________________________________________ Phone_______________________
Address _______________________________________________________________________________
City _________________________________________ State ____________ Zip ________________
E-mail _________________________________________________________________________________
Please make checks payable to Esalen Institute, in U.S. currency
drawn on a U.S. bank, or use one of the charge cards listed below:
q MasterCard
q Visa
q American Express
Amount________________ Card No._________________________________________________
Signature____________________________________________ Exp. Date __________________
Please complete this form or the inside flap of the envelope insert included in the
catalog and return with your gift. Check the box on the outside of the envelope
marked “Friends of Esalen.” Thank you for your support.
Esalen Institute is a nonprofit public charity corporation, exempt from income
tax under IRC section 501(c)(3). Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent
allowable by law.
continuing education programs
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No Sense: Awakening the Senses
Visionseeker I: Shamanism
Anatomy and Esalen Massage
28-Day Practitioner Certification
Helping Communities at Risk
Heart and Soul: Heart Disease
Relationship: A Spiritual Journey
The Psychology of Investing
Voices of Creation
Healing Art of Esalen Massage
Balance: It's Never Too Late to Stop the Pain
Recovery After the Loss of a Partner
Finding Your Deepest Purpose
Weekend Massage: Spring Renewal
Creating a Culture of Peace
BodyWave and SpiritWeaves
A Labor-of-Love Yoga Retreat
Enhancement of Peak Performance
The “Pointing Out” Way—Meditation
Overcoming Isolation and Mistrust
Deep Tissue Techniques
Transformation—The Work of Wilhelm Reich
Curative Factors in Contemporary Psychotherapy
The Soul of the African Drum
Moment by Moment: Clinician's Guide
Eidetic Imagery Training Program
Awakening The Creative
Double Your Creative Power
Spiritual Massage: Lightbody Infusion
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Leading Beyond Borders:
Healing the Grieving Heart
Weekend Massage Intensive
Esalen Massage Intensive
In Search of Optimum Health
Prayer of the Heart
Beginning Anew: Healing Battered Heart
Quiet Spine, Calm Heart, Restful Mind
Focusing: The Inner Relationship
Eating, Food, and the Body/Self
Upledger SomatoEmotional Release I
Practical Shape Shifting
Stronger at the Broken Places
The Transformative Power of Storytelling
Start Over: Choose Aliveness and Intimacy
Mind, Mood, and Happiness
Lesbian Relationships
Using Finger Signals
Senses Wide Open
Herbal Medicine
The Realm of the Sensuous
Self-Healing
Buddhist Insights for Psychotherapists
Visionseeker II: Spirit Medicine
Trauma, Consciousness, and the Body
Longevity of Massage: Advanced Massage
Mindfulness and Heartfulness
Healing Back Pain Without Surgery
The Body of Sacred Ground
Awakening the Mind: Mastering Brainwaves
LaStone Therapy: Hot Stone Treatment
Meditation and the Brain
Realization Process
Women Can't Hear What Men Don't Say
Traditional Thai Massage: Sacred Bodywork
Free Your Breath, Free Your Life
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Mar 24-26
Mar 26-31
Mar 26-31
Mar 31-Apr 28
Mar 31-Apr 2
Mar 31-Apr 2
Mar 31-Apr 2
Apr 2-7
Apr 2-7
Apr 2-7
Apr 2-7
Apr 7-9
Apr 7-9
Apr 7-9
Apr 9-14
Apr 9-14
Apr 14-16
Apr 14-16
Apr 16-23
Apr 16-21
Apr 23-28
Apr 23-28
Apr 23-28
Apr 28-30
Apr 28-30
Apr 30-May 5
Apr 30-May 5
Apr 30-May 5
Apr 30-May 5
Apr 30-May 5
May 5-7
May 5-7
May 5-7
May 7-12
May 7-12
May 7-12
May 14-19
May 19-21
May 19-21
May 19-21
May 21-26
May 21-26
May 21-26
May 21-26
May 26-28
May 26-28
May 26-28
May 26-28
May 28-June 2
May 28-June 2
May 28-June 2
June 2-4
June 2-4
June 4-9
June 4-9
June 4-9
June 9-11
June 9-11
June 9-11
June 18-23
June 18-23
June 18-23
June 23-25
June 23-25
June 23-25
June 25-30
June 25-30
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Chapman University), please refer to www.chapman.edu/k12 or contact
Dr. Care Terkelson, 831-647-3723.
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Teachers interested in approved extended education credits (through
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five-day workshops offer 26 hours. If you wish to receive a certificate, please
notify your workshop leader. There is a $10 fee for each certificate of completion, payable to the office.
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Please note: All two-day workshops offer 10 hours of CE credit and all
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Constructive Living
Revealing, Reinventing, and Renewing
Music and Creativity, Sound and Rhythm
The Art of Effortless Living
Lasting Love: Real or Just a Fairy Tale?
What's Next? The Path of Self-Renewal
The I in the Storm: Self-Leadership
Spinal Awareness—with Humor
Vocal Power
Bioethics and the Future
Strengthen the Legs, Extend the Spine
SoulCollage
Deep Bodywork—Level II
Trauma-Informed Child Therapy
The Nuts and Bolts of Wisdom
Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
Nature and Sanity
From Breakdown to Breakthrough
The Courage to Be You
The Circle of Life—Coach Training
Finding Your Long-Lost Musician
The Mind/Body Connection
Couples' Communication
Using Coaching In Therapy
Consciousness Unleashed
Gestalt Awareness Practice
Radical Aliveness: Core Energetics
Implications of Psychic Abilities
Of Stone and the Self: Stone Carving
Public Speaking, Effective Communication
To Cross or Not to Cross
Upledger Institute's CranioSacral I
The Hidden Gifts of the Shadow
Frontiers of Trauma Treatment
Speaking Our Word: For Writers
Esalen Massage and LaStone Therapy
Qigong and Inner Alchemy
Sex, Love, and Relationships
An Introduction to Esalen Massage
Not For the Feint of Heart
Brain, Attachment, Early Development
Retreat as a Spiritual Practice
Intimate Connections
The Body Keeps the Score
CFR and the Feldenkrais Method
The High-Performance Mind
Esalen Massage and Beyond
Solving the Puzzle of Chronic Pain
Transforming Trauma with EMDR (Part 3)
It Won't Hurt Forever
Nervous System Energy Work
Rosen Method
Drugs, the Mind, and the Body
Life Coaching for Results
Shaman, Healer, Sage
Advanced EMDR (Part 4)
The Heart of the Shaman
Upledger Visceral Manipulation I-A
Our Wounds Can Lead to Healing
Being Present for Your Life
Introduction to Clinical Hypnosis
Radical Rx for Health Professionals
Acupressure Energy
Writing About Our Lives
Core Holoenergetics
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Dec 30-Jan 6
Dec 30-Jan 6
Dec 30-Jan 6
Jan 6-8
Jan 6-8
Jan 6-8
Jan 8-13
Jan 8-13
Jan 8-13
Jan 13-15
Jan 13-15
Jan 13-15
Jan 15-20
Jan 15-20
Jan 15-20
Jan 15-20
Jan 20-22
Jan 22-27
Jan 22-27
Jan 22-27
Jan 22-27
Jan 27-29
Jan 27-29
Jan 27-29
Jan 27-29
Jan 29-Feb 3
Jan 29-Feb 3
Jan 29-Feb 3
Jan 29-Feb 3
Feb 3-5
Feb 3-5
Feb 3-5
Feb 3-5
Feb 5-10
Feb 10-12
Feb 12-17
Feb 12-17
Feb 12-17
Feb 17-19
Feb 17-19
Feb 17-19
Feb 19-24
Feb 19-24
Feb 19-24
Feb 24-26
Feb 24-26
Feb 26-Mar 5
Feb 26-Mar 3
Feb 26-Mar 3
Mar 3-5
Mar 5-10
Mar 5-10
Mar 5-10
Mar 10-12
Mar 10-12
Mar 10-12
Mar 10-12
Mar 10-12
Mar 12-17
Mar 12-17
Mar 12-17
Mar 17-19
Mar 17-19
Mar 17-19
Mar 24-26
Mar 24-26
Mar 24-26
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maintains responsibility for the program; California psychologists are
required to report their hours to the NICEP Accrediting Agency); MFTs
and LCSWs by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (provider
number PCE1594); and massage practitioners and bodyworkers
by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork
(NCBTMB) as a continuing education provider under Category A (provider
number 043062-00). Workshops for which CE credit has been approved
are listed below and also noted in the Seminars section. For further information, contact Brita Ostrom at 831-667-3040.
The Board of Registered Nursing has approved Esalen as a provider of continuing education for registered nurses (provider number 01152).
For additional information on CE courses for nurses, contact Mary Anne
Will, R.N., 831-667-3010.
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salen is an approved provider of continuing education for: psychologists, approved by the American Psychological Association (Esalen
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guide to workshops
T
his is a guide to the workshops
offered in this catalog. Although many
of them could be cross-referenced—
and some resist easy categorization—most
are listed only in their main subject area. If
you have never been to Esalen or taken an
Esalen workshop, you might consider the
“Experiencing Esalen” workshop scheduled
throughout the catalog and listed in the
Integral Practices section of this directory.
Please call the Esalen office if you have
questions concerning a workshop.
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ARTS & CREATIVITY
Visual Arts
Jan 15-20 • Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
Jan 22-27 • The Mystical Quality of Stained Glass
Feb 19-24 • Artplane
Feb 26-Mar 3 • Freeing the Artist
Apr 23-28 • Painting with Oils in the Landscape
Apr 30-May 5 • Awakening The Creative
May 19-21 • Moving Pictures: Video Storytelling
June 18-23 • Vision Painting
Writing
Jan 20-22 • Memory, Secrets, and Immortality
Feb 3-5 • Getting Published
Feb 12-17 • Speaking Our Word
Mar 3-5 • A Workshop for Poets
Mar 24-26 • Writing About Our Lives
Apr 23-28 • New Poems Week
Apr 28-30 • New Poems Weekend
Apr 30-May 5 • Double Your Creative Power
May 28-June 2 • The Writer’s Way
June 18-23 • Before You Write Your Memoir…
Music / Rhythm
Dec 30-Jan 6 • Music & Creativity, Sound & Rhythm
Jan 6-8 • The Brazilian Soul: Dance and Drumming
Jan 8-13 • Vocal Power
Jan 27-29 • Finding Your Long-Lost Musician
Jan 29-Feb 3 • Finding Your Long-Lost Musician
Feb 12-17 • Mandala: Sing the Desire of Your Soul
Apr 2-7 • Voices of Creation
Apr 21-23 • VoiceDance
Apr 28-30 • The Soul of the African Drum
May 12-14 • Harmonic Presence
May 21-26 • Drumming: A Journey to the Source
May 28-June 2 • The Song of the Drum
Creative Expression
Dec 30-Jan 6 • Big, New, Free, Happy, Unusual Life
Jan 6-8 • Glass Mosaic Workshop
Jan 8-13 • The MAX: Stretching Self-Expression
Jan 8-13 • Alchemical Art: Glass Fusing
Jan 13-15 • SoulCollage
Jan 20-22 • Essence and Alchemy: Natural Perfume
Feb 3-5 • Of Stone and the Self: Stone Carving
Feb 12-17 • Speaking Our Word
Mar 5-10 • Story Structure: Stop Boring Your Shrink…
Apr 14-16 • Family Arts Program
Apr 16-21 • Art in Action
Apr 28-30 • Improv Alchemy
Apr 30-May 5 • The MAX: Stretching Self-Expression
May 12-14 • Big Sur Artists Tour: Living on the Edge
6
May 14-19 • The Art and Soul of Mask Making
May 21-26 • Transformative Power of Storytelling
June 4-9 • Ceramic Insights
June 9-11 • Molten Memory: Short Course in Bronze
June 9-11 • Body of Sacred Ground: Moving Dialogues
June 16-18 • Actors are Wounded Healers
R
BODY & MOVEMENT
Massage
Jan 15-20 • Deep Bodywork—Level II
Jan 20-22 • Weekend Massage Intensive
Feb 12-17 • Essence of the Elements
Feb 17-19 • An Introduction to Esalen Massage
Feb 26-Mar 3 • Esalen Massage and Beyond
Mar 26-31 • Refining Your Touch
Mar 31-Apr 28 • 28-Day Practitioner Certification
Apr 2-7 • An Introduction to Esalen Massage
Apr 7-9 • Weekend Massage: Spring Renewal
Apr 9-14 • BodyWave and SpiritWeaves
Apr 21-23 • Esalen Massage: A Retreat for Couples
Apr 23-28 • Deep Tissue for Massage Practitioners
May 5-7 • Weekend Massage Intensive
May 7-12 • Esalen Massage Intensive
May 28-June 2 • The Realm of the Sensuous
June 4-9 • The Longevity of Massage: Advanced
June 18-23 • LaStone Therapy: Hot Stone Treatment
June 23-25 • Weekend Massage Intensive
June 25-30 • Traditional Thai Massage
Somatic Practices
Jan 8-13 • Spinal Awareness—with Humor
Jan 29-Feb 3 • Radical Aliveness: Core Energetics
Feb 5-10 • The Upledger Institute’s CranioSacral I
Feb 12-17 • Essence of the Elements
Feb 19-24 • Brain, Attachment & Early Development
Feb 26-Mar 5 • CFR and Feldenkrais
Feb 26-Mar 3 • Gestalt and Sensory Awareness
Mar 10-12 • Rosen Method
Mar 12-17 • Upledger Visceral Manipulation I-A
Apr 2-7 • Balance: It’s Never Too Late to Stop Pain
Apr 23-28 • Who Are You? Work of Wilhelm Reich
May 19-21 • Quiet Spine, Calm Heart, Restful Mind
May 19-21 • Focusing: The Inner Relationship
May 21-26 • Upledger SomatoEmotional Release I
May 21-26 • Practical Shape Shifting
May 28-June 2 • Senses Wide Open
June 16-18 • Aliveness, Pleasure, and Joy
June 18-23 • LaStone Therapy: Hot Stone Treatment
Yoga
Jan 13-15 • Strengthen the Legs, Extend the Spine
Jan 22-27 • Yoga in the Spirit of Deep Contemplation
Feb 3-5 • Yoga—The Union of Opposites
Feb 5-10 • Bringing It Home: Yoga and Meditation
Feb 19-24 • Retreat as a Spiritual Practice
Mar 3-5 • Advanced Yoga Practice for Beginners
Mar 5-10 • Your Own Yoga from the Source
Mar 24-26 • Yoga for the "Yogically Challenged"
Apr 14-16 • A Labor-of-Love Yoga Retreat
Apr 16-21 • Ecstatic Embodiment: Soma and Soul
Apr 28-30 • Bhakti Urban Flow
May 26-28 • Anchoring into Our Inner Being
May 28-June 2 • The Realm of the Sensuous
June 11-16 • The Second Annual Esalen Yoga Retreat
June 16-18 • Advanced Yoga Practice for Beginners
June 25-30 • Vinyasakrama Yoga
Dance / Movement
Jan 6-8 • The Brazilian Soul: Dance and Drumming
Jan 15-20 • SoulMotion
Feb 5-10 • The Great Escape
Feb 17-19 • Being Danced: 5Rhythm Essentials
Feb 19-24 • Open Floor—5Rhythms in Process
Mar 10-12 • Rosen Method: Accessing the Unconscious
Mar 26-31 • Acting Lab for Life: Alexander Technique
Apr 9-14 • BodyWave and SpiritWeaves
May 7-12 • Gyrokinesis Intensive
May 14-19 • The Heart of the Matter
June 4-9 • Soul Motion: Sanctuary
June 9-11 • The Body of Sacred Ground
June 18-23 • Mountains and Waves
R
PSYCHOLOGY & RELATIONSHIP
Psychological / Transpersonal Process
Dec 30-Jan 6 • Constructive Living
Dec 30-Jan 6 • Revealing, Reinventing, and Renewing
Dec 30-Jan 6 • Transition: Having What It Takes
Jan 6-8 • Dreamwork
Jan 6-8 • What’s Next? The Path of Self-Renewal
Jan 8-13 • The I in the Storm
Jan 8-13 • The MAX: Stretching Self-Expression
Jan 15-20 • The Nuts and Bolts of Wisdom
Jan 20-22 • Freedom from Fear
Jan 22-27 • The Courage to Be You
Jan 29-Feb 3 • Consciousness Unleashed
Jan 29-Feb 3 • Gestalt Awareness Practice
Jan 29-Feb 3 • Five Spirits: Search of Golden Flower
Feb 3-5 • To Cross or Not to Cross
Feb 5-10 • The Great Escape
Feb 5-10 • What’s Right With You
Feb 10-12 • Spirit In Action: Love, Life, Deep Healing
Feb 10-12 • A Tender Invitation
Feb 12-17 • Frontiers of Trauma Treatment
Feb 12-17 • Passion and Wisdom
Feb 17-19 • Setting Your Heart on Fire
Feb 19-24 • Not For the Feint of Heart
Feb 19-24 • Brain, Attachment & Early Development
Feb 24-26 • The Body Keeps the Score
Feb 26-Mar 3 • Gestalt and Sensory Awareness
Mar 5-10 • It Won’t Hurt Forever
Mar 5-10 • Integral Experiential Learning
Mar 12-17 • Who Am I, Really?
Mar 26-31 • From Symptom to Solution
Apr 2-7 • The Psychology of Investing
Apr 2-7 • Addictions and Recovery
Apr 7-9 • Recovery After the Loss of a Partner
Apr 7-9 • Finding Your Deepest Purpose
Apr 14-16 • ’Tis A Gift to Be Simple
Apr 16-21 • Overcoming Isolation and Mistrust
Apr 21-23 • Gestalt Practice: Exploring Emotions
Apr 23-28 • Who Are You? Work of Wilhelm Reich
Apr 30-May 5 • The MAX: Stretching Self-Expression
Apr 30-May 5 • Eidetic Imagery Training Program
May 5-7 • Healing the Grieving Heart
May 7-12 • Gratitude and Kindness
May 14-19 • Systemic Constellations: Open Topic
May 19-21 • Focusing: The Inner Relationship
May 26-28 • Choose Aliveness and Intimacy
May 26-28 • Mind, Mood, and Happiness
June 2-4 • Dare to Say Yes to the Givens of Life
June 4-9 • Natural Powers
June 23-25 • The Happiness Makeover
June 23-25 • Building a Vision
May 19-21 • Eating, Food, and the Body/Self
May 28-June 2 • Herbal Medicine
June 2-4 • Self-Healing: Awakening Health & Vitality
June 9-11 • Introduction to Living Foods
June 9-11 • Mindfulness and Heartfulness
June 9-11 • Healing Back Pain Without Surgery
June 25-30 • Free Your Breath, Free Your Life
Myth / Ritual / Shamanism
DANIEL BIANCHETTA
Jan 29-Feb 3 • The Way of the Shaman
Feb 10-12 • Spirited Work: The Give-and-Get Path
Mar 10-12 • Shaman, Healer, Sage
Mar 12-17 • The Heart of the Shaman
Mar 26-31 • Visionseeker I: Shamanism
Mar 26-31 • At Play in the Fields of the Lord
June 4-9 • Visionseeker II: Spirit Medicine
June 25-30 • Dreaming the Soul Back Home
Integral Practices
Relationship / Communication
Jan 6-8 • Lasting Love: Real or Just a Fairy Tale?
Jan 13-15 • Close Yet Free
Jan 27-29 • Couples’ Communication
Feb 3-5 • Public Speaking, Effective Communication
Feb 10-12 • The Hidden Gifts of the Shadow
Feb 17-19 • Sex, Love, and Relationships
Feb 24-26 • Intimate Connections
Feb 24-26 • Valentine’s Day for the Challenged
Mar 12-17 • The Intimate Couple
Mar 31-Apr 2 • Relationship: A Spiritual Journey
Apr 9-14 • Creating a Culture of Peace
May 12-14 • Sharing the Path: Mothers and Daughters
May 14-19 • Healing the Battered Heart
May 19-21 • From Conflict to Closeness: For Couples
May 21-26 • Stronger at the Broken Places
May 26-28 • Lesbian Relationships
June 2-4 • Relationship Enrichment for Male Couples
June 9-11 • The Future of Love
June 23-25 • Women Can’t Hear What Men Don’t Say
Women’s / Men’s Issues
Jan 13-15 • Women Explore Our Aging Faces
Feb 5-10 • The Heroine’s Journey
Feb 19-24 • Find Your True Self—For Gay Men
Mar 3-5 • A Queer Home at the Center of the World
Apr 9-14 • Reclaiming the Man in the Mirror
Apr 16-21 • A Women’s Way Circle
May 5-7 • Women and Aging
May 7-12 • Women’s Integral Leadership Circle
May 12-14 • Sharing the Path: Mothers and Daughters
May 21-26 • Authenticity, Intuition, and Creativity
May 26-28 • Lesbian Relationships
June 2-4 • Relationship Enrichment for Male Couples
June 16-18 • What It Means to Be Gay
Hypnosis / Biofeedback / Intuition
Feb 26-Mar 3 • The High-Performance Mind
Mar 17-19 • Introduction to Clinical Hypnosis
May 26-28 • Finger Signals to Tap the Inner Mind
Professional Growth / Training
Jan 15-20 • Trauma-Informed Child Therapy
Jan 22-27 • The Circle of Life—Coach Certification
Jan 27-29 • Using Coaching In Therapy
Feb 3-5 • To Cross or Not to Cross
Mar 5-10 • Transforming Trauma with EMDR (Part 3)
Mar 10-12 • Advanced EMDR (Part 4)
Mar 17-19 • Radical Rx for Health Professionals
Mar 26-31 • From Symptom to Solution
Mar 31-Apr 28 • Massage Practitioner Certification
Mar 31-Apr 2 • Helping Communities at Risk
Apr 14-16 • Enhancement of Peak Performance
Apr 23-28 • The Conduct, Process & Curative Factors
Apr 28-30 • Moment by Moment
Apr 30-May 5 • Eidetic Imagery Training Program
Apr 30-May 5 • Cognitve-Behavioral Therapy
June 2-4 • Transforming Awareness: Buddhist Insights
June 4-9 • Trauma, Consciousness, and the Body
R
HEALTH & HEALING
/ SPIRIT
Contemplative / Spiritual Studies
Jan 20-22 • Kosher Tantra
Jan 27-29 • What If There Is No God?
Feb 5-10 • The Mirror of Soul: Wisdom of Rumi
Mar 17-19 • Being Present for Your Life
Mar 19-24 • Uncovering Self-Betrayal Retreat
Mar 24-26 • Zen and Tao: The Hero’s Journey
Mar 31-Apr 2 • Change and Transformation
Apr 16-23 • The "Pointing Out" Way: Meditation
Apr 28-30 • Be Here (Wow!)
May 7-12 • Prayer of the Heart
May 12-14 • Harmonic Presence
May 12-14 • Visionary State: California Spirituality
May 26-28 • Mind, Mood, and Happiness
June 18-23 • Meditation and the Brain
June 23-25 • Realization Process: Essence of Being
Religious Studies
Mar 31-Apr 2 • Boundaries in Religion, Personal Life
Apr 7-9 • The Abrahamic Family Reunion
Health / Healing
Jan 6-8 • The Art of Effortless Living:
Jan 22-27 • From Breakdown to Breakthrough
Jan 27-29 • The Mind/Body Connection
Jan 29-Feb 3 • Five Spirits: Search of Golden Flower
Feb 17-19 • Qigong and Inner Alchemy
Feb 26-Mar 3 • Walking on Clouds: Tai Chi
Mar 3-5 • Solving the Puzzle of Chronic Pain
Mar 5-10 • Nervous System Energy Work
Mar 10-12 • Drugs, the Mind, and the Body
Mar 24-26 • Acupressure Energy
Mar 24-26 • Core Holoenergetics: Healing with Love
Mar 31-Apr 2 • Heart and Soul: Heart Disease
Apr 2-7 • Addictions and Recovery
Apr 30-May 5 • Spiritual Massage
May 7-12 • In Search of Optimum Health
May 14-19 • Vegetarian Cooking
Jan 20-22 • Experiencing Esalen
Feb 10-12 • Body and Mind
Feb 12-17 • Wild Serenity
Mar 12-17 • Body, Mind, Heart, and Soul
Mar 17-19 • Experiencing Esalen
Mar 24-26 • No Sense: Awakening the Senses
Apr 9-14 • The Essentials
Apr 14-16 • Experiencing Esalen
May 5-7 • Leonard Energy Training
May 12-14 • Sweet Mischief
May 28-June 2 • Holistic Sexuality
June 23-25 • Experiencing Esalen
June 25-July 2 • Integral Leadership
R
SOCIAL ISSUES
/ EDUCATION
Ecology / Ecopsychology / Wilderness
Jan 22-27 • Nature and Sanity
Apr 7-9 • Beyond Sustainability: Intro to Permaculture
Apr 9-14 • Reading the Patterns of the Landscape
Apr 21-23 • Wild Big Sur
May 14-19 • Big Sur Wilderness Experience
June 2-4 • Walk on the Wild Side: Hiking Big Sur
June 18-23 • Mountains and Waves
Social Conscience / Action
Mar 17-19 • Fundraising From the Heart
Apr 9-14 • Creating a Culture of Peace
Apr 16-21 • Art in Action
May 5-7 • Leading Beyond Borders
June 25-30 • Heal Yourself Through Service
Business / Workplace / Education
Jan 22-27 • The Circle of Life—Coach Certification
Feb 24-26 • The Noble Cause of Business
Mar 3-5 • Dancing in Molasses
Mar 10-12 • Life Coaching for Results
May 7-12 • Women’s Integral Leadership Circle
June 23-25 • Building a Vision
June 25-July 2 • Integral Leadership
Philosophical Inquiry / Intellectual Play
Jan 13-15 • Bioethics and the Future
Jan 27-29 • What If There Is No God?
Mar 5-10 • Integral Experiential Learning
Mar 31-Apr 2 • Boundaries in Religion and Society
May 12-14 • Visionary State: California Spirituality
May 12-14 • Evolutionary Activism
May 19-21 • The Hidden Mirror
June 2-4 • Dare to Say Yes to the Givens of Life
7
Seminar Spotlight—a
Q
closer look
I
n our efforts to expand our programming in new directions, we continue to present leaders whose
names may not be as familiar to you as others in the Catalog. On this page we highlight a few of these
offerings by providing a bit more information than you’ll find in the Seminars section.
Marion Rosen & Jane Malek
The work is about transformation—from the person we think we are to the person we really are.
— Marion Rosen
It is not every day that Esalen is graced with a pioneering eponym in mind-body work. Ida Rolf (1896-1979)
was here during Esalen’s early years. So was Moshe Feldenkrais (1904-1984).
This spring, another trailblazer in the field of somatics, Marion Rosen, will bring her
work to Esalen. Now 91, Rosen trained in Munich in the 1930s, studying a combination of massage, breathing exercises, and Jungian psychotherapy. She emigrated to
the U.S. in 1940, a time when no one was interested in bodywork, and so became a
physical therapist instead. As her clients lay on the table, Rosen patiently observed,
listening with her hands, as people cried, retrieved suppressed memories, released
pain, resolved troubled relationships. She discovered that the key was deep relaxation.
Here is how Rosen herself describes the process: “When you work on people, they
remind me of flowers that have not yet gotten into bloom. So it is in the body that is
closed and does not reveal anything of its life and beauty. The tension presents a picture of lifelessness and as we put our hands on those lifeless parts the body slowly
starts to open. Like the bud that opens into a blossom of color and beauty, the human
being emerges from the nondescript mass before us. As the breath starts moving
through the body, its outlines change into something alive, its opening has the same
effect as the flowering bud. The person becomes the beautiful being that was hidden
away under a stern outside. This process never fails to touch me, the bodyworker, in my deepest being, so I
open up towards the being under my hands. The contact thus created is one of deepest connection and trust
and seems to open our channels of love on both sides. That is, I believe, the reason why we often do not
know afterwards who was the one that gave the treatment and who received it.”
Joining Rosen will be Jane Malek, a 25-year practitioner and teacher of the Rosen Method. Malek did much
of her training with Marion Rosen and currently lives and practices in the Monterey area.
Experience for yourself this remarkable work. See Rosen Method: Accessing the Unconscious
through Touch, March 10-12.
Mark Gerzon
“Growing up in the American heartland, I appeared to be an ordinary basketball-crazed, girl-chasing boy
with an identity shaped by Washington, Wall Street, and Hollywood,” recalls Mark Gerzon. “But the seeds
were already planted that would never let me be shaped by any single culture.”
Gerzon is an “expert in civil discourse” (according to The New York Times). He is the founder and president
of Mediators Foundation), whose mission is to foster global leadership for a just, sustainable, and peaceful
world. He has worked on the frontiers between Democrats and Republicans, Israelis and Palestinians,
corporations and anti-corporate activists.
Gerzon comes by his worldview naturally. “I was, first of all, an immigrant. If my father, a Dutch refugee
during World War II, had been accepted at a university in Cape Town or Buenos Aires, I might be a South
African or Argentinean. But he was accepted by Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where I was born.
Unlike my friends, whose families told stories about places like Nashville and Columbus and Lexington, my
parents’ conversations alluded to places like Rotterdam (where my Christian relatives lived) and Auschwitz
8
(where some of my Jewish relatives were murdered) and Jogjakarta (where my mother, the daughter of Dutch
missionaries, had grown up).
“I kept looking for the parachute that had dropped me, undamaged but disoriented, in the city of
Indianapolis. From even my earliest years, I was aware of the ‘whole’ of which Indiana, and even America,
was only a ‘part.’ At age seven, I remember I learned to assemble the 48 pieces of the jigsaw puzzle of the
states of the union. Just as I was inexplicably excited about how all these piece formed a country, so I was
eager to learn how all the nations fit together to form the world. To some degree, every child knows there is a
larger whole of which they—and their families—are a part. Anyone who has reflected on their ‘family tree,’
knows that he or she is only a twig on a branch. But, for many of us, as we grow up we ‘fit in’ more and more
until, finally, we actually accept the identity we are given. We think of ourselves in terms of our neighborhood, or our nationality, and we forget the rest of our address. We forget that we are part of the whole.
“As I look back, I realize that my greatest wound was also my greatest gift. My wound was that, although I
grew up in America, I never felt like an American. My gift was that, since I never felt like an American, I
began very early in life to identify with something larger. Like Tom Paine, I felt that ‘my country is the world.
My fellow citizens are humankind.’ ”
See Leading Beyond Borders: Transforming Conflict into Connection, May 5-7. For more information, visit www. mediatorsfoundation.org or read Leading Through Conflict: How Successful Leaders Transform
Differences Into Opportunities.
Suzanne Anderson, Susan Cannon & Julia Smith
Is the realm of business a “man’s world?” It doesn’t have to be, says Suzanne Anderson. To create a corrective
to the traditional masculine qualities of aggressiveness, decisiveness, and headiness, Anderson founded Kore
Leadership (www.koreleadership.com), a collective of women “dedicated to developing leaders who are wellequipped to meet the extraordinary challenges of contemporary work and life.”
And what was her impetus? “I started into this work in the early ’90s,”
says Anderson, “after working as a management consultant to Fortune
500 companies and noticing that the women who were at senior levels
had become ‘one of the boys,’ while the organizations they were leading were actually desperate for capacities that I would call feminine.
They had grown up in their organizations within the masculine
model of leadership and had become successful at the expense of a
connection to the ‘ground of their being’ as women. I became very
curious about this situation that women were in and went back to
graduate school in psychology and studied the Feminine Principle in
Leadership. At about that time, my individual coaching clients were
urging me to create a Circle where they could explore these challenges with other women. Kore Leadership is now dedicated to this work with women, helping them to
source their actions from a deeper ground of connection to their ground of being.”
Joining Anderson in the weeklong Esalen seminar are Susan Cannon and Julia Smith. Cannon, cofounder
and faculty member of the Women’s Integral Leadership Circle, holds a B.S. in engineering physics, an M.S
in chemical engineering, and a Ph.D. in integral studies, and has worked in the traditionally male domains of
the defense, semiconductor, and demolition industries. Smith is a co-developer and faculty member of the
Women’s Integral Leadership Circle. A former practicing internist with 20 years’ experience in primary care,
her current work synthesizes a lifetime of exploration: the science of the mind-body connection and the
biology of cognition, ontological and linguistic coaching, meditation and aikido.
These women aspire to live what they teach. They hope to raise awareness of the unique needs and contributions of the feminine aspect the human psyche—in both women and men.
See Women’s Integral Leadership Circle: Bring All That You Are to All That You Do, May 7-12.
9
esalen seminars
DANIEL BIANCHETTA
S
Week of December 30–
January 6
A Big, New, Free, Happy, Unusual
Life: Self-Expression and Spiritual
Practice
Nina Wise
It is our nature to be free—and it is our nature
to express that freedom spontaneously and
without hesitation through song and dance,
poetry and play. Moreover, we each have the
ability to wake up to who we already know
ourselves to be: people dedicated to a sane and
just world made up of individuals who celebrate their common humanity and this planet
of indescribable beauty through singing,
dancing, playing, and caring for all sentient
beings.
This improvisation workshop allows the creativity that resides within us to have a voice.
“Everyone has a story to tell,” says Nina, “and
stories reside as much in the body as in the
mind. So we begin with movement—slow
stretches to open the body. We open the voice
with playful classical- and jazz-based exercis10
es. We meditate to calm the heart, dance to
free the spirit, find a way to effortlessly compose with language. This journey leads to giving voice and physicality to the private characters and inner realities that live in the subconscious mind and the cells of our bodies.”
This workshop is like dreaming on your feet.
Expect to surprise yourself and to become
more playful and at ease before an audience.
You might even find that the sense of wellbeing achieved during the workshop not only
expands your creative abilities but also
enhances your experience of daily life. And
while it is not therapy, Nina’s work can be surprisingly, delightfully, holistically healing.
Recommended reading: Wise, A Big, New, Free,
Happy, Unusual Life.
Constructive Living
David Reynolds
Constructive Living (CL) is an educational
method based on two psychotherapies and
their associated lifeways, with its origins in
Japan. The action aspect of Constructive
Living (Morita therapy) recommends the
You can now register for Esalen workshops on-line. Find out more at www.esalen.org.
sensible life strategy of accepting uncontrollable aspects of life (feelings, other people,
weather, outcomes of actions, and the like)
while using energy and effort to affect the
single element of life which we control
directly: our own behavior. This action element of Constructive Living prompts a minimum of talk during instruction and a puts a
premium on the student’s homework assignments, which provide experiential understanding of the effectiveness of constructive
action in maintaining a realistic lifestyle.
Students learn that it is unnecessary to “fix”
feelings or become “comfortable” with an
activity before undertaking it.
The reflection aspect of CL (Naikan Therapy)
prompts a more authentic perspective on the
reality of our past and present life. Students
examine critically these commonly held
views: that we have continuously struggled to
overcome the obstacles others have placed in
our paths; that we have succeeded thanks
only to our own efforts; that we are only
givers and not takers from the world; that we
rarely get the rewards we deserve. Participants
are invited to look at their lives from others’
points of view, not merely from their own
self-centered perspectives, to discover that,
imperfect though we are, people and things
have continued to support us.
CE credit for psychologists; see page 5.
CE credit for MFTs and LCSWs; see page 5.
CE credit for nurses; see page 5.
Revealing, Reinventing, and Renewing:
A New Year’s Resolution for Singles
Constance Jones Maas
This workshop is about you and your relationships—with exes, family, friends, and, most of
all, with your unique place in this limitless
universe. Whether you are divorced, in transition, widowed, or a lifelong single, whether
your hope for the New Year is to find the person of your dreams, to remain single, or something in between, this workshop is for you.
You need only a desire to know more about
yourself and a willingness to explore. In a safe
yet challenging environment, you will have
the opportunity to contrast your history with
the future you want to create.
Connie Maas writes: “Together we will explore
the wonder of the opposite sex, commitment,
community, and sexuality, along with the
regrets, fears, and triumphs of who we are as
people intimately connected to other people.
We will utilize everything Esalen has to offer
for revealing, renewing, and reinventing who
we are and what our personal vision is. Using
art, meditation, self-awareness games, Gestalt,
group interaction, and the natural environment of Esalen, we will create a foundation for
new ways of looking at ourselves and the
world. Our group will be a circle of support for
tears, fears, laughter, and love, as well as a
springboard to create the future we truly want.”
Music and Creativity, Sound
and Rhythm
Adam Rudolph
“Each of us is naturally gifted with the desire
and capacity to create,” says Adam Rudolph.
“In this workshop we will seek to reconnect
with our creativity and nourish it in an environment of playful experimentation, nonjudgment, and support. Our practices will move us
toward developing our creative potential
through sound and rhythm, as well visual art,
poetry, and dreamwork. We’ll explore a variety
of creative music practices, including:
• Overtone singing—that which creates
emotional color and feeling in music. We’ll
explore overtone singing techniques and
create collective singing meditations.
• Body rhythms—using simple movements
and drum-rhythm vocalizations we’ll
rediscover inner rhythms of breath, heartbeat, walking, even thought and speech.
• Drumming—we’ll learn basic hand-drum
techniques and international drum
languages to create a drum circle of power
and self-expression.
• Improvisation and intuition—using guided
melodic themes, we’ll tap into the freedom
that musical spontaneity offers.
• Creating personal songs—we’ll apply the
methods we have learned, our imaginative
spirit, and inner reflections to create our
own songs.
• Sound and the word—we’ll write poetry to
weave into the creative fabric of our music.
• Dream sounds—our dreams will become a
springboard for experimental musical
compositions.
• Vibration as music and color—we’ll make
visual art inspired by our music
experiences and experiments.”
No musical or artistic experience is required.
Simply bring an open mind and open heart.
Any musical instruments are welcome; instruments will also be provided.
CE credit for teachers; see page 5.
Transition: Having What It Takes
David Schiffman
“Are you a passionate, romantic, spiritually
independent type facing a period of transition in your life?” asks David Schiffman.
“Would you like to be inspired by your own
dreams and blessed with practical support
that you can depend on? Our mission for
this week will be to face the emotional challenges of life changes, risk, and transition.
Together, we will forge an ongoing community based in honest mutual interest, genuine support, and authentic personal presence. It will be a soulful exploration using a
uniquely proven blend of natural powers,
native intelligence, and wisdom teachings,
both traditional and modern.
“Emphasis will be on developing a keen,
mature sense of self-appreciation and personal
timing, and the life skills necessary for moving
forward on your own terms. Communications
skills—both energetic and expressive—will be
investigated with potent, simple emotional
clarity as our shared aim. This workshop is
especially useful for the self-made, mystically
inclined wisdom seekers who are guided by
their own hard-won reckoning.”
Weekend of January 6–8
The Art of Effortless Living:
Healing Body and Soul from
Stress and Chronic Pain
Ingrid Bacci
Healing from physical, emotional, and mental
pain involves adopting a simple, powerful principle: Follow the path of least resistance, surrender to effortlessness. By paying attention to
our bodies and using physical feedback to identify what feels naturally effortless, we can
release the tensions that create pain and accept
the rewards of effortless, vibrant vitality. When
we embrace effortlessness over effort, we commit ourselves to a body-centered approach to
living, as opposed to a goal-oriented approach.
By placing our genuine needs first and focusing moment-by-moment on releasing physical,
mental, and emotional tension, we can heal
from chronic pain, become more productive,
and lead more fulfilling lives.
Ingrid Bacci began developing the techniques
of effortless self-healing when her life was
shattered by crippling pain. She discovered
that the physiological emphasis on effortlessness, or flow, guarantees emotional, mental
and spiritual growth as well as physical vitality. In this regard, she embraces ancient traditions that teach healing and self-realization
through presence to the body. What she adds
are specific techniques for body presencing
and specific steps for each part of the journey
into healing. This workshop is appropriate for
persons suffering from chronic pain, for those
seeking to transform stressful, goal-oriented
lifestyles, and for healthcare professionals
interested in helping clients heal themselves.
CE credit for bodyworkers; see page 5.
Dreamwork
Seymour Carter
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream...
As anyone who has ever awakened from a startlingly lifelike dream knows, dreams have the
ability to move us to our very core. During
sleep, dreams emerge as emotionally compelling dramas or symbolic episodes. Often
mysterious, absurd, or confusing, these nightly
home movies need to be interpreted, for they
contain resolutions to our current dilemmas.
This workshop will provide participants with
methods to unlock the power of their noctur-
See pages 94-95 for reservations, fees, accommodations, scholarship information, and discounts.
11
nal visions. Dreams reflect our subconscious
processes of evaluation and planning, presented as visual metaphors. This seminar will
introduce practices to identify the hidden
energies dormant in these imagistic events.
Participants will learn to work with dreams—
their own and others’—using techniques
drawn from Gestalt imagery work,
Ericksonian hypnosis, and contemporary
maverick approaches.
Lasting Love: Real or Just a Fairy Tale?
Rich Berrett
As we grow up, most of us think that love—
being in a meaningful relationship, having a
partner and children—leads to happiness.
Living “happily ever after” is more than just a
fairy tale; it is a pursued goal. Unfortunately
these exciting expectations are all too often
crushed by the reality of failed relationships,
unhappy partnerships, “broken hearts,” and
parenthood that makes us wish we were
childless.
The qualities of satisfying relationships are
diverse and best explored in a nonproscriptive fashion. Deeply understanding the inner
barriers to meaningful relationships that we
carry, what is realistic in our love relationships, how intimacy can be obtained, and how
we individually participate in the success and
problems of love—this process involves an
inquiry of our whole selves—mind, body, and
spirit. This course uses role-playing, imagery,
art, music, poetry, and individual and group
work to help you experience how your current thinking, as well as your family of origin,
influences your ability to achieve intimacy.
The workshop will also examine the barriers
to intimacy that exist within each participant.
but an unfolding landscape of change, we will
first review the process of adult development
and the issues we face during key life transitions. Then we will introduce tools for discovering the emerging values and vision for the
next phase of our lives.”
During this weekend, Cida and Jayson offer a
chance to experience the joyful spirit of
Brazil-away-from-Brazil. This hands-on (and
“feet-on”) workshop will explore the instruments, rhythms, music, and the samba dance
do jeitinho brasieliro (“of the Brazilian way”).
While the path of self-reinvention is not clearly laid before us, we do already possess the talent, life experience, and passion necessary for
the journey. Participants will identify their
strengths and resources (reevaluation) and
discover the steps to launch a new path
(renewal). There will be one-on-one interactions and group discussions that will help to
deepen understanding of our current lives
and emerging choices. Participants will begin
the all-important planning process to integrate this new understanding with life and
career goals.
“My teaching,” Cida writes, “focuses more on
movement than on technical aspects, so that
participants can achieve a lively workout and,
most important, have fun, until they begin to
feel the movement emerging from their own
body, heart, and soul.” Jayson and Cida believe
that drumming and dancing are for everyone
with the desire to join in.
The Brazilian Soul:
A Dance and Drumming Workshop
This workshop is for anyone, of any age, who
enjoys or wants to learn more about the aliveness of the Brazilian dance, music, and spirit.
Please bring drums and/or any instrument (if
you have them), along with a significant item
to place on a communal altar as a way of sharing your essence.
No previous dance or drumming experience
is necessary.
Cida Vieira & Jayson Fann
In Brazil, dance and music are a large part of
everyone’s life. A box of wooden matches
becomes a musical instrument; a soccer field
becomes a dance floor during games. Dance
and music are everywhere, present in all
events in which people celebrate love, friendship, connection, sensuality, and zest for life.
The idea is that life is happening right now,
and this alone is enough to become a celebration among friends, family, and community.
Glass Mosaic Workshop
Laurel True
Unleash your creativity in this weekend
mosaic workshop. In a lively, enjoyable setting, students will learn solid foundations for
making glass mosaic art
The program will feature lecture, demonstration, and lots of hands-on mosaic making.
Through these processes you will move
beyond these barriers to find the truth that
lies buried: our human inheritance to be in
valuable and valued relationships.
What’s Next? The Path of Self-Renewal
“Transitions and change happen again and
again over the course of our lives,” write the
leaders, “but we rarely allow ourselves the
time to stop, pause, and focus on what is
changing and what we want to do about it. In
this workshop, we will learn how we can better identify the values that are important to us
as we choose our next move. With the conviction that life is not a mountain with a summit
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DANIEL BIANCHETTA
Mark Nicolson & Gustavo Rabin
Classes will cover information on designing,
setting, and grouting glass mosaics, with a
special focus on making fun projects that last.
The course will include information on selecting materials, adhesives, surfaces appropriate
for future mosaic projects, use of glass-cutting
and mosaic tools, and setting techniques.
Students will explore their own creative style
as they create one or more mosaic projects.
Possible projects include: mirror frame, table
lamp, wall hanging, small table-top, or flower
pot. There will be a wide selection of colored
glass, gems, and tesserae to work with.
Absolutely no art or mosaic experience is necessary to make beautiful mosaics in this class.
All are welcome!
Laurel True has over 15 years’ experience making mosaic art. For more information, visit
www.Truemosaics.com and
www.InstituteofMosaicArt.com.
The MAX is extremely challenging.
Participants must commit to a rigorous exploration of the sources of their emotional limitations. Seminar hours are longer than usual
early in the week (and shorter later in the
week). Participants work individually in front
of the room, playing to and with other group
members. There are exercises that use raw
emotion, role-playing, and “dress-up” assignments.
This is an opportunity to experience yourself
in a way you may have dreamed about but
never imagined possible. The game is risk.
The premise: You’re either daring or dead.
This course is not for the faint of heart, but it
is full of heart, humor, and irreverence, constructed with the understanding that this
kind of risk taking requires a very safe workspace. If your heart beats faster when you
think of taking this workshop, then maybe it’s
just the thing to do.
($50 materials fee paid directly to the leader)
Please note: Due to the intense and sequential
nature of this workshop, attendance at all sessions is necessary.
Week of January 8–13
Requirement: Bring a 1-3 minute memorized
piece—monologue, poem, song, etc.
The I in the Storm: Bringing
Self-Leadership to Everyday Life
Richard Schwartz
All the mystical traditions agree that beneath
our protective layers lies a Self, an untarnished essence from which flows healing,
spiritual energy, and wisdom. Most of us
rarely live from that state because, through
life experiences, parts of us have absorbed
extreme emotions and beliefs that not only
obscure our Self but also govern our daily
lives. In this workshop, participants will learn
and experience concrete ways to help those
parts trust that it is safe to remain in the calm,
confident, and compassionate state of Selfleadership, not only during meditation but
throughout the day, even in the face of strong
provocation.
The MAX: Stretching the Limits
of Your Self-Expression
Paula Shaw
The MAX is an outrageous voyage through
your own humanity—a journey to turn yourself inside out and explore the extent of your
self-expressive power. It employs a variety of
acting, communication, and observation
methods designed to expand your limits “to
the max” and move you into a new arena of
personal creativity and self-expression.
Spinal Awareness—with Humor:
A Workshop for Bodyworkers and
Aspiring Bodyworkers
Patrick Douce
Spinal Awareness is a way of learning, not a
therapy or treatment. It is taught with movement, touch, and group interaction. Based on
the work of Moshe Feldenkrais, ChineseIndonesian Martial Art, and the Esalen
Experience, Spinal Awareness continues to
evolve.
In this workshop, students will apply these
techniques specifically to the field of massage
and other bodywork. Practitioners will be
given specific tools to integrate into their own
disciplines as well as hands-on methods specific to the needs of the members of the
group.
The work will focus on relearning to overcome limitations in movement and functioning. Problem chronic and acute conditions in
the lower back, neck, shoulder, hips, knees,
elbows, ankle, wrist, and jaw are only some of
the conditions that often benefit from this
approach. Special emphasis will be placed on
Skeletal Awareness. Students will be given a
new understanding of how tension and
injury are often involved with the disorganization in the skeletal-muscular parts of the
body.
The workshop will integrate approaches
derived from Chinese-Indonesian energetic
systems to the field of bodywork. Touch and
movement methods of protecting and energizing the practitioner—grounding, generating, circulating, and extending energy—will
be shared. The use of joy and humor will be
the undertone of this week. Real freedom in
the body is also freedom of spirit and fun.
For more information visit www.spinalawareness.com.
Vocal Power—Harnessing the Power
Within
Arthur Joseph
In many traditions, the throat is the center of
creative power. The voice reflects this power
and has the capacity to help access our full
creative expression. This course combines the
powerful practices of Vocal Awareness with
principles of creativity theory to help participants realize their creative potential.
The Vocal Awareness approach—which views
the voice as a metaphor representing an individual to the world—includes vocalizing,
sound meditation, movement, song study, and
development of the speaking voice as a means
for deepening contact with the self.
Participants work individually and in groups
exploring breathing, toning, and vocalizing.
Not only do singing and speaking offer an
immediate outlet for creative expression, but
the voice can also be a springboard for other
forms of creative expression, such as writing,
drawing, movement, and problem solving.
Seen in this way, the voice represents the
whole person as an integrated creative being.
Consequently, this workshop can be not only
a vocal training class but a step toward
empowerment along life’s path.
For further information visit www.vocalawareness.com.
Note: Please bring a tape recorder, if you have
one.
Alchemical Art: Glass Fusing
Dana Zed
Art is a happy kind of magic and glass is a particularly magical medium. Clear as water,
strong as stone, transparent yet solid, glass can
be invisible and yet act as a barrier. As a syn-
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thesis of opposites, it is an ideal medium for
us physical human beings to express our spiritual nature.
Strengthen the Legs, Extend the
Spine: A Beginner’s Yoga Intensive
SoulCollage®: Creating and
Consulting your Personal Deck
Thomas Michael Fortel
Seena Frost & Jeri Bodemar
This workshop will present a variety of glasssculpture techniques for participants to give
their ideas form. The course will begin with
students making individual glass charms and
talismans. From there, glass will become more
familiar and participants can then choose to
make items of their own choice.
“When we initially approach the practice of
yoga,” Thomas writes, “we are generally
unaware of the deep and far-reaching changes
which potentially lay before us. Yoga practice
creates a situation in which we start to align
our mental attention in the moment, in the
body. The conscious breath is the most obvious and inherent tool; watching the breath
allows our attention to drop deeply into our
bodies. We focus a lot of attention on the feet
and legs because this our physical foundation.
We learn quickly that the strength of the legs
translates into the extension of the spine. In
addition, we ground the legs and extend the
spine as a metaphor for being grounded on
the earth and connected with the cosmic and
spiritual forces.
Using the easy tool of collage, plus your imagination and intuition, you will experience in
this workshop just how creative you can be.
The task will be to begin—or continue—creating very personal cards, each one symbolizing
one aspect of your soul. These will include
both your obvious and positive aspects and
also your more hidden and shadowy ones.
After the workshop you may want to add
more cards to your deck, and work with them
individually and in a group.
The workshop is designed to be nonjudgmental and accessible. Participants will be encouraged to find the magician within. No art experience is necessary.
Bioethics and the Future of the
Human Race
David Deamer & Ellen Suckiel
Can we control the powerful new tools of
biotechnology? Or will they control us? Led
by philosopher Ellen Suckiel and biomolecular researcher David Deamer, this seminar is
for anyone who is concerned about the extraordinary power arising from genomics and
biotechnology. New genetic tools have made
it possible to find the exact sequence of all
three billion bases in the human genome, to
genetically modify the food we eat, to produce clones of animals and perhaps human
beings, and to create “designer babies” with
enhanced genetic properties of our own
choosing.
The leaders write: “We will discuss the ethical
dilemmas faced by researchers, physicians,
businessmen, policy makers, and voters as we
consider how to use these tools. We will play
with the human genome in order to learn
how it works, and will even compose music
based on a human gene. And we will think
about the following questions: How does philosophy guide us in developing ethical principles to make decisions as new genetic tools
become available? How do the tools of
genomics, proteomics, and molecular biology
work, and how are they used? How do ethical
considerations guide commercial development of new drugs and food? Answers to
these questions will affect not only our individual futures, but have the potential to alter
the evolutionary path of the human race.”
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“Discomfort is normal in the yoga room;
beginners should know this. Discomfort is
completely natural as the patterns in the body,
mind, and emotions are addressed. The old
paradigm is shifting and the practice of yoga
assists us in making the changes.”
Recent yoga experience is recommended.
Everyone is welcome. All props are provided.
SoulCollage is a process that can be both surprisingly therapeutic and deeply spiritual.
Plus, it’s fun. The cards are arranged in four
suits: (1) the psychological (sub-personalities),
(2) the communal (sentient beings), (3) the
energetic (animal totems in the chakras), and
(4) the archetypal (mythic guides and allies).
You can create cards on any of these levels.
Along with card-making sessions, time will be
set aside for journaling from the images and
for doing a personal reading. Teaching sections will be arranged for both beginning and
advanced participants.
For information about the SoulCollage
process see www.soulcollage.com and the book
SoulCollage by Seena Frost.
Close Yet Free: The Path to Making
a Good Relationship Even Better
Gerald Smith
Let’s Face It: Women Explore
Our Aging Faces
How can we be open and vulnerable to love
another person, and, at the same time, free in
order to continue to grow as an individual?
The balance of merging and still maintaining
a clear sense of self is never completely
worked out, because each partner is continually changing. But this dilemma of competing
needs can be dealt with in ways that will add
to the aliveness in the relationship. In fact, a
thriving relationship will enhance each person’s deepest growth.
Much of the participants’ time during this
weekend will be spent with their partners,
separate from other couples. The workshop
will use verbal, nonverbal, and written exercises to increase openness, support, and affection, as well as skills to resolve differences
without producing “scar tissue.” Also, since
play is an essential part of a vital relationship,
there will be experiences to spark the imagination and willingness to play together.
Enrollment is limited to 12 couples.
Carole Pertofsky & Wendy Oser
The leaders write: “Few transitions are as complex as when a woman recognizes that she is
aging. While adapting to major biological
changes, we are bombarded by media imagery
and cultural messages that equate beauty,
strength, and value with the bloom of youth.
Not surprisingly, women may often feel emotionally confused and spiritually challenged,
especially in the absence of good role models
and support.
“In this workshop we will use our faces as an
entry point, and explore the problems, paradoxes, and opportunities of aging. Through
conversation, and individual and group
processes, we will explore how inquiry into
growing older can lead us toward deeper
acceptance and freedom. We will also view
and discuss an award-winning documentary,
Let’s Face It: Women Explore Their Aging Faces. As
seven mid-life women address their ambivalent feelings about growing older, vanity, anxi-
ety, humor, and compassion emerge through
each woman’s personal revelation.
“Participants can choose to experience a personal video feedback session as part of their
workshop experience. By looking deeply at
our changing faces, we enter the twin realms
of humor and sacred inquiry. Through our
open eyes and hearts, we may find wisdom
and wit as we move through life’s passages
with renewed appreciation for the evolving
Self.”
Women of all ages are welcome.
Deep Bodywork for Massage
Practitioners—Level II: Healing Knees
and an Introduction to the Psoas
Perry & Johanna Holloman
Today, demand is growing for practitioners
who have mastered the art of moving into the
body’s deeper soft-tissue layers with sensitivity and skill. Deep Bodywork, practiced with
great sensitivity, is one of the most effective
healing modalities available to the bodywork
practitioner. Through slowly opening the
body’s deeper soft-tissue layers, we can connect the mind to normally unconscious
“stuck” areas of the body, releasing enormous
amounts of previously held energy. This energy then becomes available to support the
body’s innate capacity to self-organize and
self-heal, enabling practitioners to support
clients in overcoming stubborn, seemingly
intractable physical conditions.
This Level II program is designed for massage
and bodywork practitioners seeking to integrate effective Deep Tissue techniques into
their work. It will build upon the knowledge
gained in Level I by exploring new areas of
the body. Focus will be on relieving chronic
pain in the hip-joint and knee through working on the legs, and learning effective techniques for releasing the Psoas muscle and
assessing its role in chronic back pain.
Prerequisite for this program is experience as
a professional bodyworker. This is an
advanced course of study available to those
interested in developing Deep Tissue skills,
and addressing acute and chronic pain in
their bodywork practice. Having attended
Level I is recommended, although not necessary for the experienced practitioner.
SoulMotion™
Vinn Martí
I move the dance eternal and the dance is dancing
me. I speak the word of recognition and the word is
speaking though me. I breathe the spirit of love
and that love provides the moving force for life.
Writes Vinn Martí: “Soul Motion is a movement ministry devoted to the personal passage from the known to the unknown. It is a
place of sanctuary to rattle the dream and realize the power of this moment. It is a covenant
between the individual and the dancing village, joined in relation to the one, the many,
and the One. Each time we assemble to dance
we are poised at the open doorway to divine
presence. All of creation celebrates as we
dance in the eternal moment. The Universe
takes notice each time we use our body and
mind to shapeshift and tap the forms and textures of creation in one statement of acceptance and inclusion.”
Adds Vinn: “All are welcome. All are needed!”
Trauma-Informed Child/Adolescent
Therapy: A Child Trauma Institute
Workshop
Ricky Greenwald
This is a hands-on clinical-skills training for
working with kids who have been exposed to
significant trauma or loss. This in-depth training will cover child trauma theory, the impact
of trauma and loss, the therapeutic relationship, identification and assessment of traumatized kids, working with parents and other
caregivers to help traumatized kids, and
directly helping kids to manage their symptoms and resolve their trauma/loss memories.
The program involves lecture, demonstration,
and in-class practice. The objectives are that
participants be able to:
• Explain how past trauma or loss can lead to
ongoing problem behaviors or symptoms
• Describe and implement the essential
elements of a trauma-friendly therapeutic
relationship
• Describe and implement the essential
elements of therapist self-care
• Develop and implement a comprehensive
trauma-informed treatment plan
• Persuade parents and other caregivers to
behave in ways that support the child’s
healing
• Teach kids how to control their
impulsive/acting-out behavior
• Help kids to face and work through their
trauma/loss memories
This is an experiential training; part of the
learning is to practice the interventions with
other participants. Although participants are
always in charge of what they disclose, many
individuals have reported that their participation led to facing personal issues.
The Nuts and Bolts of Wisdom:
Creating a Characterological Profile
Alan Schwartz
Characterology is the structure that envelops
the sum total of who and what we are.
Though we all passed through the same life
stages to achieve adulthood, specific conditioning processes acted to form what we
bring to the table in our world. Primary
processes are heredity, environment, and luck,
while secondary conditioning revolves
around the effects of politics and spirituality
in our lives.
On this developmental journey we become a
human life force, the combined movement of
physiology, emotion, and the action of the
brain and central nervous system (thought).
Though we seek strength, our conditioning
often causes divergence in our life’s journey.
Though some experience what we term
strength of character and perception, others
have difficulty “standing on their own two
feet.”
This week is strength-building in three parts:
first, the use of the group as an encyclopedia
of characterology, learning in more depth
how our conditioning has shaped us; secondly, with group support, experimenting with
strength development, aided by Gestalt
process and other appropriate modalities;
thirdly, experimenting with a stronger sense
of “how we stand in the world.”
The result can be a more substantial strength
of character on our journey toward wisdom.
Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
Lynda Greenberg
In order to draw, you need neither previous
art training nor manual dexterity. All that is
required to draw is to learn to see. This workshop teaches basic strategies of seeing
through a combination of studio exercises
and lectures that pack a semester-long art
course into five days.
Following the lesson plan of Drawing on the
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Right Side of the Brain by Dr. Betty Edwards,
the lectures explain the principles of visual
perception and creativity that allow you to
successfully master the studio exercises. The
studio exercises in turn lead to the integration
of perceptual skills and the ability to produce
high-quality finished drawings. Since it is the
right side of the brain that processes spatial
information, the exercises are designed to
“trick” the left side—domain of linear data like
language, naming, and categorizing—into surrendering control.
In a carefully sequenced process, you are
taught ways of seeing that enable you to skillfully draw your perceptions. More importantly, these new strategies of thinking are useful
in general problem-solving. Consequently, the
workshop teaches more than “techniques of
drawing”—it teaches how to see in the broader
sense, and how to record your perceptions in
drawings.
This is a supportive workshop for those who
wish to write about self and family. The
course will present and explore innovative
techniques of creative nonfiction, including
the incorporation of information received in
dreams and other altered states. By honoring
the deep feelings that emerge and using simple writing techniques, participants can
“remember” and develop (or nurture) individual writing projects.
Ione is the author of Pride of Family: Four
Generations of American Women of Color, a New
York Times Notable Book in 2004.
Freedom from Fear
David Richo
Only a paradox comes close to comprehending the
fullness of life.
— C.G. Jung
There are three simple steps toward handling
neurotic fear:
First, admit you feal fear. This breaks through
all the rationalizations by which you talk
yourself out of the fear or make it into something else. Instead of saying “I am uncomfortable around her,” say “I am afraid of her.”
Please note: This workshop will have extended
hours. A list of materials to bring will be sent
upon registration.
Experiencing Esalen
Experiencing Esalen Staff
We must answer anew the old questions. “What
are the limits of human ability, the boundaries of
the human experience? What does it mean to be a
human being?”
— From the 1965 Esalen Catalog
This workshop is designed to introduce the
various transformational practices of Esalen
to first-time participants or to those renewing
their acquaintance with Esalen. The emphasis
will be on finding those approaches to selfawareness that work most effectively for each
participant. Sessions may include: meditation,
sensory awareness, Gestalt Practice, group
process, art, movement, and massage. There
will also be time to explore the magnificence
of the Big Sur coast.
Ione
Personal writing is often the hardest to do.
Can we dare to write the truth? By accessing
and recording our memories do we preserve
the essence of our lives for future generations?
16
DANIEL BIANCHETTA
Memory, Secrets, and Immortality:
Writing the Stories of Our Lives
Second, feel the fear fully, with no attempts to
get rid of it. Shake, shudder, do whatever it
takes to experience the emotion.
Essence and Alchemy:
A Natural Perfume Workshop
Third, and most difficult, act as if fear could
not stop you. Act as if you were fearless. This
is the truth. Since you actually contain all
opposites, you do have fearlessness inside you.
It is only that you have not accessed it. This
adds resourcefulness to your defenselessness.
Fragrance has the instantaneous and invisible
power to penetrate consciousness. It is at once
tangible and intangible, earthly and ethereal,
worthless and priceless, real and magical. To
discover the art of natural perfumery is to participate in a spiritual process as well as an aesthetic one. Using essential oils, with their rich
histories, properties, and symbolism, immerses the perfumer in a process of personal transformation as well.
When you follow these three steps, you begin
to trust that you really can live through fear.
That makes courage real. You have counterpoised reality to unreality, true evidence to
false. This makes you trust yourself and
enriches your self-respect.
Admit, feel, and act is paradoxical because you
are doing the very thing that you feared! “I am
afraid of this roller coaster, so let’s buy the
tickets.” You trick yourself into getting over
the fear. You fear the water and integrate it by
learning to swim. The way to integrate fear is
to admit it, feel it, and act over it. This is freedom from fear.
This weekend workshop will be spent applying these principles to real-life situations.
Mandy Aftel
This experiential workshop will teach you the
fundamentals of working with scent—how to
blend a perfume and how to create a perfume
formula. It is designed for all who wish to
understand the world of scent and through it
discover aspects of creativity and spiritual
growth. No experience or special skills are
necessary. The workshop will include meditation and plenty of hands-on participation
with essential oils. Participants will create a
liquid perfume and a solid perfume from
their own original formula.
Recommended reading: Aftel, Essence and
Alchemy: A Book of Perfume.
Kosher Tantra: Kabbalah and
Sexual Desire
($25 materials fee paid directly to the leader.)
Ronald Levine
This workshop is for anyone who is interested in sex and the human spirit. Kabbalah (literally “Receiving”) is best known as Jewish
Mysticism. Recently it has been popularized
by celebrities such as Madonna as a New Age
self-help system. In reality, it is a sophisticated, highly refined theological and psychological system, delving into all aspects of the
human psyche. This is particularly evident in
its description of human sexual desire. Its
symbols are replete with rich sexual imagery.
Its insights deepen our awareness of the
nature and nurture of our sexual energy. Its
principles magnify the Divine nature of sexual union.
Using study, stories, meditation, and experiential lessons to awaken our awareness, this
program will explore the wisdom of Kabbalah
as it relates to human sexual desire. The workshop will incorporate Kabbalah with more
traditional notions of sexual desire to address
the following questions: How is sexual desire
created? Once we have it, how do we keep it?
When we lose it, how do we get it back?
David Streeter & Rachel Fann
This weekend workshop will introduce the
core techniques of Esalen Massage®. Through
brief lectures and demonstrations, and with
lots of personal supervision of hands-on
work, the workshop will present essential
tools and knowledge that can be effortlessly
applied. Fundamental elements of bodywork,
such as breath awareness, grounding, movement, and quality of touch will also be introduced. The workshop is designed to enable
each student to return home with a firm
foundation of Esalen-style massage to build
upon.
Nature and Sanity:
Ecopsychology and Beyond
Robert Greenway
Come join in a joyous experience.
Recommended reading: Laitman, Kabbalah for
Beginners; Matt, The Essential Kabbalah.
This workshop will (1) summarize the rapidly
expanding field of ecopsychology as both a
collection of theories and assumptions and as
a practice; and (2) focus on the ecopsychological assumption that without a healthy relationship with natural processes, humans tend
to be ‘crazy’—that is, they show evidence of
serious psychological malfunctions. Such
malfunctions are manifest in various diseases
and other forms that seem counter to survival
of the human species, not to mention all of
life, as well. Among these are the delusion
that humans can control nature; narcissism
(i.e., nature exists for our personal and/or
species’ benefit); cognitive distortions (almost
an autism with regard to nature); and so on.
The primary workshop method will be to
seek to diagnose the disjunction between
humans and nature, and to work with various
experiential approaches to begin healing the
disjunction on a person-by-person basis.
Methods will be drawn from the following
practices: exploration of bridges between
humans and natural processes (such as
sources of food and eating habits); sexual
practices and habits; modes of providing ourselves with dwelling; breathing practices;
interrelationships between mind and nature
via meditation practices; Gestalt awareness
practices; walks into surrounding wilderness;
and opening to celestial events.
Recommended reading and pre-workshop
preparations will be sent to enrollees.
From Breakdown to Breakthrough:
The Science and Soul of Radiant
Wellness
Erica Elliott
Feeling tired for no reason? Saddled with
aches and pains? Irritable and anxious and
you don’t know why? Allergies getting worse,
hormones out of balance, sleep unrefreshing?
These are just a few of the long list of nonspecific chronic ailments so common today. You
may not be “sick” in the conventional sense,
but you know something isn’t right. Doctors
may have told you your blood tests and physical exam were normal: “There’s nothing to
worry about. You’re just under too much
stress.” But so far, no one has been able to help
you regain your previous health. Or maybe
you have never fully experienced the joy of
vibrant energy and a calm mind.
Come join Dr. Erica Elliott and learn practical
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tools for radiant health and vitality, including
rapid methods of lowering your body’s burden of petrochemicals and heavy metals,
nutrition for maximizing healing, and
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) for
overcoming subconscious blocks to healing.
Dr. Elliott has more than two decades of experience in successfully treating people for
chronic ailments that defy conventional diagnosis and treatment. Her approach is clear
and systematic and can be life-changing.
Yoga in the Spirit of
Deep Contemplation
Tias Little
The Courage to Be You:
Letting Go and Moving On
“All the practice is held in the spirit of deep
contemplation in order to cultivate inner listening that renews and brings a quality of
fresh awakening. To support this contemplative approach, the weeklong immersion will
plant the seeds of meditative awareness within the practice of the yoga postures. To this
end, we focus less on the physical achievement and more on the practice of cultivating
a sensitivity—a sensitivity toward ourselves
and others—in order to live in the world as
sentient beings.”
This workshop will help you explore what
you are holding in, holding onto, and holding
back that keeps you from experiencing who
you truly are. “The courage to be you” means
the ability to appropriately express the
repressed anger, fear, resentments, sadness,
joy, and laughter that keep you stuck in old
patterns. Using emotional release work, writing, movement, Gestalt, meditation, and
silence, the workshop will provide a safe environment to explore your deepest emotions.
The focus will be on:
Please bring your own yoga mat.
• Having adult relationships with partners,
parents, and children
Mary Goldenson
Birds make great sky-circles of their freedom.
How do they learn it?
They fall, and falling, they’re given wings.
— Rumi
Much in life is beyond our control. Our
choices lie in how we respond to these
moments. We can develop the ability to move
into these moments with aliveness and passion. This choice is an act of courage.
DANIEL BIANCHETTA
“Each morning will begin with sitting in stillness,” writes Tias Little. “Then, like a bird rising into the sunlight, we will practice standing
poses in order to create strong legs and supple
hips. Sometimes lifting, sometimes still, the
morning practice builds from the sun, the
birdsong, and the atmosphere of the morning.
The morning focus will be on reducing asymmetry in the ankles, knees, and hips by applying the standing poses in a variety of ways.
“The afternoon sessions will be deeply
restorative, as we practice supported postures
that allow muscles to lengthen and release
and nerves to be drawn out like low tide.
Breath patterns elongate as shadows of
evening approach. At the end of the afternoon session we return back to sitting, elevated on clear spine—back to listening to tree
sounds and wind, listening to the flow of
prana, back and forth, from ocean to air to
lung. The afternoon practice focuses on
twists, supine poses, a variety of supported
poses and inversions.
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• Taking full responsibility for your life
• Discovering your own personal rhythm of
closeness
• Distinguishing accountability from blame
The workshop constitutes an in-depth lifereview. All that is required is a willingness to
engage wholeheartedly. This workshop may
have up to 34 participants.
Recommended reading: Goldenson, It’s Time—
No One’s Coming to Save You.
The Circle of Life —
Coach Certification Training
Rebecca McLean
The Circle of Life is a nationally-certified holistic life- and health-coaching process successfully used in multiple contexts with thousands of
people in hospitals, medical practices, nonprofit agencies, schools, churches, counseling practices, business, and more. The Circle of Life
process is rooted in numerous empowerment
and healing systems, ancient and contemporary, for supporting people in the realization of
their full potential. The system emerged from
work with thousands of individuals in programs over a twenty-five year period.
Training as a Circle of Life Coach/Facilitator
equips you to offer this life-transforming
process to groups and individuals while experiencing the benefits of your own personal
and professional growth. This training will
teach you how to:
• Give the Circle of Life assessment
evaluating 12 areas of life
• Use the Readiness for Change assessment
• Use the Intention/Challenge/Action/
Accountability process
• Use imagery and metaphors
• Use The Healer Within self-healing
techniques
• Ask good questions to gain insight/
solutions
• Access the wisdom and power of the group
• Work with various populations and
trouble-shoot potential problems
• Start groups, determine fees, market
successfully
Note: To receive national certification, trainees
must participate in four one-hour conference
calls with the Trainer, as well as run 14 hours
of a practice group.
($50 materials fee for the Circle of Life Coach
Training Manual paid directly to the leader)
The Mystical Quality of Stained Glass
Esperide Ananas & Piovra Caffe
This workshop provides an opportunity to
work with two master artisans and educators
who have devoted more than twenty years to
the construction of the Temple of Mankind, a
five-story underground temple in the Turin
region of Italy, which features some of the
largest stained-glass dome ceilings, doors, and
windows in the world. The temple was built
in a community called Damanhur, a vibrant
artistic and spiritual community known for
its advancements in the relationship between
the arts and spirituality.
Each participant will be shown the secrets of
working with art glass: how to turn an idea
into a suitable design, how to cut, mount, and
solder. Participants will take home a piece
that they have made during the week.
Piovra and Esperide will share some of the
techniques used by Damanhur’s artists to
enhance creativity and artistic expression.
Breathing techniques, inspirational drawing,
the use of archetypal symbols and dance
movements, as well as specific preparation for
dreaming will be utilized to encourage a sense
of freedom in the artistic process. This workshop is suitable for the total beginner as well
as the advanced artist. For more information,
visit www.damanhur.org.
What If There Is No God?
Sam Harris
Religion has balkanized our world into separate moral communities—Christians,
Muslims, Jews, Hindus, and so on—and these
divisions are now a continuous source of
human violence. One of the greatest challenges facing civilization in the 21st century
is for human beings to learn to speak about
their deepest personal concerns—about ethics,
spirituality, and the inevitability of human
suffering—in ways that are not flagrantly irrational. Societies have only two modes for
resolving their disputes: conversation and
war. It should be reasonably clear, therefore,
that only a fundamental openness to evidence
and argument will secure a common world
for us. Such openness is the very antithesis of
religious faith.
Join Sam Harris for an extended consideration of these themes in the context of a medi-
tation retreat. The goal of this retreat will be
to introduce participants to an approach to
spiritual life that does not require belief in
anything on insufficient evidence. Lectures
and group discussions will alternate with
periods of sitting and walking meditation.
Sam Harris, in addition to two decades of
philosophical and spiritual study, is now completing a doctorate in neuroscience, studying
the neural basis of belief, disbelief, and uncertainty with functional magnetic resonance
imaging (fMRI).
David Darling
David Darling’s music improvisation workshops have touched thousands of people from
all walks of life, including corporate executives, school children, teachers, professional
musicians, prisoners, and therapists, opening
their hearts to the mystery of sound. David’s
passion is to provide an environment in
which each participant has a chance to discover and work with his/her own unique musical
abilities—to find the tools for lifelong inspired
musical enjoyment. He has spent the last
forty years developing methods that bring
people face-to-face with their own wondrous
sounds and rhythms.
Working in groups and individually, people
will find the classes relaxed and humorous,
yet intensely centered on the profound qualities of the wonders of music. Please bring any
instruments you play or want to play. No
experience is necessary. Piano and percussion
instruments are provided.
This workshop is also presented in a five-day
format January 29-February 3.
The Mind/Body Connection:
Enhancing the Body’s Ability to
Heal and Function Optimally
Michael Sinel & Stephen Sideroff
There are many physical and emotional holding patterns and habitual behaviors resulting
from emotional pain and defenses. Along
with stress, they cause muscle tension and
nervous system reactivity. This impacts physical symptoms and interferes with healing and
the body’s optimal functioning.
Pain and other symptoms can also be maintained unconsciously as a distraction from
emotional issues. By addressing the underlying issues and coping better with stress, the
body is able to let go more readily. This
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improves blood flow, effects biochemical balance, and improves physical health.
This workshop will help you recognize and
release emotional and physical holding patterns and learn more appropriate responses to
stress. Thus your body will take care of itself
and heal better. Discussion along with experiential work will facilitate self-awareness, emotional release, and body self-regulation. Topics
include:
• The connection between emotions, stress,
and physical symptoms including pain
• Identifying and resolving emotional
holding patterns
• Introduction to relaxation and biofeedback
techniques
• Coping with stress and correcting the
chronic imbalance of your nervous system
• Redesigning your body’s “fight or flight”
response to enhance resilience
• Dealing with anger and depression
• Destructive patterns such as perfectionism,
obsessiveness, and addictions
• New and more effective ways of thinking
and controlling thoughts
• Creating your personal program for healing
and optimal functioning
Couples’ Communication
Warren Farrell
I’ve never heard someone say, “Warren, I want
a divorce—my partner understands me.”
At the deepest level, most coupled individuals
do not feel understood by their partner.
Promises of honesty and love begin to fade
when we express genuine feelings that our
partner perceives as criticism. Criticism
begets criticism, and soon the fear of escalation leads to stuffing feelings and “walking on
eggshells.” The children consume too much
time to unravel the feelings, even as they also
create a reason to stay together. The result:
Couples remain legally married but psychologically divorced, developing a “silent deal”
that looks too much like our parents’ and not
enough like the initial promise.
The most important component in this cycle
is the inability to handle what our partner
perceives as feelings and what we perceive as
criticism. Active listening, the best solution, is
rarely used. Dr. Farrell has modified active listening to avoid what prevents most couples
from using it. When conflict can be fully
expressed, he helps develop “conflict-free
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zones.” Once the fear of “walking on
eggshells” disappears, he works with couples
to replace that fear with an atmosphere of
positive associations. The outcome: reigniting
passion without sacrificing stability.
Once these methods are mastered with partners, Dr. Farrell helps participants apply them
to our children, then our co-workers, and
finally our own parents.
Required reading: Farrell, Women Can’t Hear
What Men Don’t Say, chapters 1-3.
Week of January 29–
February 3
David Darling
For workshop description see January 27-29.
This five-day workshop is an opportunity to
go deeper, further, and higher with your longlost musician.
Consciousness Unleashed: Tools for
Personal and Social Transformation
Joe Arpaia
Using Coaching In Therapy:
Fundamentals and Practical
Applications
Maria Nemeth
This workshop gives psychologists, therapists,
and mental-health professionals specific
coaching skills to add to their existing therapeutic repertoire. Coaching skills are valuable
to the clinician because they are helpful
across a broad spectrum of clients. Clients
who resist, or are reluctant to change, or who
are initially difficult to work with, often
respond favorably to these methods. The techniques learned are designed to help clients
achieve positive, measurable outcomes with
clarity, focus, and ease. Participants will learn
principles and practices of effective coaching
including:
• What coaching is and when to use coaching
methods
• Ways to move clients past self-limiting
internal conversations
• How to create an effective coaching alliance
• Powerful questions that take your client
from insight into action
• Using coaching skills to clarify clients’
values and intentions, formulate
meaningful goals, and create a specific
strategy to achieve these goals
• Seeing where and why clients get stopped
in making important life changes, and how
to create breakthroughs for clients in this
area
Coaching is a proactive, optimistic methodology that is about getting clients from where
they are now to where they want to be.
Therapists who use coaching skills report that
their clients get more enjoyment out of life,
have relationships that are fulfilling, and
achieve balance and harmony.
CE credit for psychologistss; see page 5.
This program reveals techniques for developing
consciousness by cultivating the faculties of
acceptance, intention, and awareness. Writes
Joe Arpaia: “We will apply acceptance, intention, and awareness to body, thought, and imagination as vehicles for transforming ourselves
and the world. Morning sessions will explain
principles and theories. Afternoon sessions will
explore consciousness through movement,
meditation, and energy work. Evening sessions
will deepen consciousness by connecting with
Spirit through the imagination. Participants
will learn through a blend of guided experience, lecture, and group discussion.”
Students have the opportunity to take home
the ability to handle difficult personal and
social issues with increased efficiency and
effectiveness, accomplished through the following processes:
• Cultivating acceptance and intention as an
antidote to aversion/desire
• Developing three types of awareness:
concentrating, attending, and opening
• Using acceptance, intention, and awareness
to deepen a physical, emotional, and
cognitive connection with Spirit
• Experiencing Spirit, which is formless, as
Spirit friends, which are the myriad forms
Spirit takes for us to interact with
• Applying their individual connection with
Spirit to personal and social transformation
Expect a dynamic, challenging, and exuberant
workshop. Please bring writing materials and
comfortable clothing.
The Way of the Shaman:
Nature, Power, and Healing
David Corbin & Nan Moss
To the shaman’s eyes, the world around us is
alive and inspirited. In this introduction to
core shamanism, you can learn to see with
those eyes, to explore the hidden worlds and
to access the timeless wisdom known to our
ancestors.
Through initiation into the shamanic journey,
you will learn skills of divination and healing,
and experience the shamanic state of consciousness to help awaken spiritual awareness. You will be provided with methods for
journeying to discover and study with your
own spiritual teachers in nonordinary reality,
a classic step in shamanic practice. You will
also learn how to restore spiritual power and
health, and how shamanism can be applied in
contemporary daily life to help heal oneself,
others, and the Planet.
The course also provides an opportunity for
advanced work with the spirits of nature in
Esalen’s beautiful and powerful setting. By
learning from the rocks and mountains, the
wind and waters, and from sun, moon and
stars, shamans helped their peoples live in
harmony with the universe. In a world out
of balance, the way of the shaman can teach
us once again how to respect nature, the
Earth, and its inhabitants at a deep spiritual
level.
This workshop includes two Foundation for
Shamanic Studies courses, The Way of the
Shaman, and Shamanism and the Spirits of
Nature. Participants are qualified to take
advanced trainings with Michael Harner and
the faculty of the Foundation.
Please note: Bring a rattle or drum (if you have
one), a bandanna, and a pen and notebook to
record your journeys.
Gestalt Awareness Practice
Christine Stewart Price & Guest Leader
The Way, when declared
Seems so thin and flavorless.
Nothing to look at, nothing to hear—
And when used—is inexhaustible.
rebalancing are allowed and encouraged.
The emphasis is intrapersonal rather than
interpersonal. Participants are not patients
but persons actively consenting to explore
in awareness. The leader functions to reflect,
clarify, and respect whatever emerges in this
process. The aim is unfoldment, wholeness,
and growth, rather than adjustment, cure, or
accomplishment. The workshop will utilize
group exercises, meditations, and discussion. The format combines introductory
group work with the open seat form in
which each participant will have the opportunity to work with the leader in a group
context.
Recommended reading: Perls, Gestalt Therapy
Verbatim; Chodron, The Wisdom of No Escape.
Radical Aliveness:
A Core Energetics Workshop
Ann Bradney
Ann Bradney writes: “There is a state in
which you are fully alive, authentic, and spontaneous. You are open to all of your feelings,
connected to your strength and your truth.
You are not afraid to know anything about
yourself. I call this radical aliveness. In this
state you embrace your creativity and see life
in all its possibilities.
“Standing in the way of radical aliveness are
chronic patterns formed in your past to survive. These live as frozen feelings and history
in your body and no longer serve you.
“Core Energetics is a powerful body-based
system. It frees the frozen feelings and history
in your body by working with the blocked
and held energy. It helps you reconnect with
deep parts of the self that you disconnected
from as a child. It uncovers the power and
goodness at the source of your most destructive patterns. It leads you to connection with
your deepest essence.
— Lao Tzu
Gestalt Awareness Practice is a form—nonanalytic, noncoercive, nonjudgmental—derived
from the work of Fritz Perls, influenced by
Buddhist practice, and evolved by Richard
and Christine Price. The work integrates ways
of personal clearing and development that are
both ancient and modern. To the extent that
awareness is made primary relative to action,
Gestalt Awareness Practice has a strong relationship to some forms of meditation. This
form is similar to some Reichian work as well,
in that emotional and energetic release and
“Come to an exciting week of discovery. You
will work individually and in groups to
understand, transform, and release the past as
you deeply explore, experience, and express
your blocked and held energy. You will work
on your relationship to yourself and explore
relating to others in radically alive ways. You
will find what stands in the way of your full
potential for life.”
Please note: An interview is required for admission. Please e-mail ann@annbradney.com.
Five Spirits: In Search of the
Golden Flower
Lorie Dechar
At the heart of Chinese medicine, we find a
wisdom tradition called wushen, the Five
Spirits, the Taoist psycho-spiritual map of the
human nervous system. Wushen emerged
from the Taoist cult of the Mysterious
Feminine, a tradition that honors the earth
and the body as sacred vessels of the divine,
and that views our sexual and spiritual energies as innately intertwined.
“In this workshop,” writes Lorie Dechar, “we
will follow the path of the spirits as they
descend from the illuminated peaks of our
minds to the swirling depths of our instinctual impulses. In the process, we will reconsider
our ideas about healing, creativity, relationship, gender, and sexuality, but most of all our
ideas about the Self or what the Taoists
referred to as the ‘Golden Flower.’ Through
the spirits, we discover a way to integrate the
‘all of who we are’ so we can walk on the planet in the fullness of our own Tao.”
This course will be useful not only to
acupuncturists, psychologists, and healers,
but also to anyone in the midst of challenging
life transition, anyone longing to rediscover
the sacred power, wisdom, and healing potential of their own body and the natural world.
For more information, visit
www.fivespirits.com.
Weekend of February 3–5
Scientific and Spiritual Implications
of Psychic Abilities
Russell Targ
What do the healer, the mystic, the psychic,
and the spy all have in common? They are all
in touch with their nonlocal mind and our
community of spirit. During the 1970s and
‘80s, Stanford Research Institute carried out
investigations of our ability to experience and
describe distant events blocked from ordinary
perception. This intuitive capacity was named
remote viewing, and the research was supported by the CIA and many other government organizations for gathering intelligence
during the Cold War.
Physicist Russell Targ, cofounder of this previously secret psychic-research program, will
present a summary of the very best evidence
for extrasensory perception, intuitive diagno-
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sis, and spiritual healing. This program will
explore these applications, together with the
spiritual implications of psychic abilities from
the Hindu mystic Patanjali and the Dzogchen
dharma masters down to the present time, as
they might be applied to expanding one’s
awareness. There will be discussion on how to
recognize the actual psychic signal, and how
to separate it from mental noise of memory,
imagination, and analysis—and why we
should we bother with ESP. Finally, and most
important, there will be individual lessons in
remote viewing, just as in the successful
Stanford Research Institute program.
thing truly personal. In this workshop, the
process of stone carving is used as a creative
vehicle for both artistic expression and selfdiscovery. The experience of selecting a stone,
working with hand tools, and sharing this
process in a group offers participants a chance
to explore the medium and deepen their
emerging creative potential. Thus this endeavor becomes a metaphor for our lives.
Even if you have never carved stone, by the end
of the workshop an artistic creation will emerge
that is unique to your individual creativity.
For further information, visit
www.espresearch.com.
Yoga—The Union of Opposites
Sarah Mata
The art of yoga lies within the power of relationship. There is a subtle dance in the relationship of exhaling and inhaling, forward
and backward bending, movement and stillness, sound and silence—between what
changes and what stays the same. Engaging all
aspects of ourselves, these ancient and integrative practices offer a time-honored path to
embody our radiance in the present. Within
the experience of our bodies, our minds can be
brought to a state of calm; as we deepen the
awareness of our breath, contemplation deepens. In time we can reveal the link of our own
heart with the essence of the yogic aspiration,
which is, it could be said, to be in your life and
meet the promise of it with open arms.
Public Speaking,
Effective Communication
Mary Goldenson
What you say is important, but how you say it
determines the effectiveness of your communication. Virtually everything we do involves
some aspect of our ability to communicate
and present our point of view.
Do anxiety and fear sabotage your ability to
motivate, persuade, and hold the attention of
an individual or group? What would it be like
to experience yourself delivering a presentation with confidence? This course is designed
to develop communication skills in formal
and informal settings. In a safe, supportive
environment you can learn to:
• Deal with anxiety—learn dynamic steps to
eliminate stage fright
• Prepare and organize—develop clear,
interesting presentations that engage your
audience
• Deliver—use stories, metaphors, and
anecdotes for livelier presentations; create
active involvement with the audience; and
close powerfully
• Persuade—master the dynamics that move
listeners; distinguish between what you are
saying and what the audience hears
“In this practice,” Sarah Mata writes, “we will
explore the interrelationship between body,
mind, breath, sound, and silence. We will
draw upon the ancient prayer to the light, the
Gayatri Mantra, to structure a complete practice that weaves dynamic asana (vinyasa) and
still postures, breathing practices (pranayama), and simple sounds (mantra) with the
intention (bhavana) to arrive at the point of
contemplation. It is within the relationships
among all of these dimensions of practice that
we become rooted and free.”
Recommended reading: Goldenson, It’s Time—
No One’s Coming to Save You.
Of Stone and the Self:
Stone Carving for the Soul
Arthur Weinfeld
Stone is a medium that affords the opportunity to experience the deep satisfaction of transforming something inanimate into some22
This workshop may have up to 34 participants.
To Cross or Not to Cross:
Boundaries and Dual Relationships
in Psychotherapy
Ofer Zur
This specialized and thought-provoking
workshop explores touch, gifts, bartering,
home visits, walks in the park, self-disclosure,
and other rarely discussed boundary issues in
therapy and counseling. It also examines how
therapists can ethically and effectively work
in small or rural communities, with people
they socially know, whether from retreat centers, meditation groups, twelve-step programs,
co-ops, churches, synagogues, schools, or
political action groups. The course will also
cover dual relationships with people in ethnic, spiritual, gay and lesbian, disabled, or university communities.
This workshop is designed to help therapists
and clients clarify how to ethically deal with
the complexities of boundaries in therapy
with integrity and care. Participants will be
able to present and discuss difficult situations
they encounter in therapy, and learn how to
enhance healing and reduce the risks to therapists and clients alike. The course will
include didactic and experiential components
as well as discussions.
Getting Published
Kate Gale
This workshop is for you, the writer. Kate
Gale, a professional with a decade of experience in the publishing field, covers everything from print to page: Is your manuscript
ready to leave the nest? Which conferences
are worth attending? Publicists—who needs
them? What about the care and feeding of
your publisher? What are the advantages of a
larger or smaller publisher? What about an
agent? You say you want one—but do you?
From book contracts to book tours (and by
the way, who books them?), this workshop
will do practically everything but write your
book. Other workshop topics include:
• How to know if your work is ready—if not,
how to make it ready
• How to develop relationships with literary
magazines
• Finding a publisher and developing a
working partnership
• The difference between digital and offset
printing
The workshop also asks these telling questions: “Who is your model writer? In fact,
who, in the entire universe, would you like to
be? And, in so wishing, what are you asking of
the universe?”
Want to get published? Kate Gale will provide
you with the nuts and bolts of how to take
yourself there.
DANIEL BIANCHETTA
Week of February 5–10
The Upledger Institute’s CranioSacral I
Sheryl McGavin
CranioSacral Therapy is a gentle, noninvasive, hands-on technique to help detect and
correct imbalances in the CranioSacral
System that may cause sensory, motor, or
intellectual dysfunction. It is used to treat
a myriad of health problems, including
headaches, neck and back pain, TMJ dysfunction, chronic fatigue, motor coordination difficulties, eye problems, endogenous
depression, hyperactivity, and central nervous system disorders.
Participants will learn the detailed anatomy
and physiology of the CranioSacral System,
its functions in health, and its relationship to
the disease processes. Half of the class time
will be hands-on, developing the sensitive
palpatory skills needed to detect subtle stimuli in the human body.
Class material will concentrate on palpation
and its potential as an evaluative and therapeutic process; fascial and soft-tissue release
methods; and the pressurestat model which
explains the mechanism of the CranioSacral
System. Participants will learn a ten-step protocol for evaluation and treatment of the
entire body. By the end of this intensive program, participants will be able to identify and
localize significant restrictions and imbalances in the CranioSacral System.
Please note: Registration for this workshop is
through The Upledger Institute only. Please
call 1-800-233-5880.
Recommended reading: Upledger &
Vredevoogd, CranioSacral Therapy (chapters 16); Upledger, Your Inner Physician and You.
The Mirror of Soul:
The Wisdom of Rumi
Fariba Enteshari
Unfold your own myth with Rumi’s poetry
and storytelling. This workshop presents the
teachings and wisdom of Jalal Al Din Rumi,
the thirteenth-century Sufi mystic poet. Rumi
invites us to listen to and reflect the song of
the Soul. His teachings profoundly change us
from the inside out and provide a key to interfaith understanding that can ultimately unite
humanity on a global scale. He is a healer for
our time.
Rumi’s poetry can be an enormously powerful
tool of self-discovery and healing as an individual explores his or her world within. The
wisdom of Rumi’s teaching is hidden in the
verses of his poetry. Teachings from the
Mathnawi, Rumi’s masterpiece, invite individuals to discover the hidden dimensions of
their being and inner strength. His poetry and
stories take us from the path of duality to the
path of unity of body, mind, and soul, leading
us step by step to meet the Divine within
ourelves—a journey toward Enlightenment.
Open your heart to five days of listening,
chanting, dancing, and reflecting on the
Divine within the ocean of Rumi’s poetry.
Bringing It Home:
A Yoga and Meditation Retreat
Baxter Bell & Nina Zolotow
It’s easy to temporarily shed the stresses of
your everyday life when you spend time away
in an idyllic setting such as Esalen, where
there are relatively few demands on you and
the atmosphere is serene and peaceful. But
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how do you take the feelings of relaxation and
relief from stress with you when you return
home afterwards? In this retreat, you’ll not
only find relaxation and relief from stress during a week of asana and meditation practice,
but you’ll return home with a toolkit for
reconnecting to this way of being when your
retreat is over.
expression. The ultimate goal is to develop a
centered presence informed by your heart
instead of your mental judgments and selfimages. No previous experience is necessary.
Participants will be filmed in solo, dyad, and
group situations, with the opportunity to
view the tapes.
In this workshop, you’ll spend the mornings
exploring vigorous asana practices that help
release stress stored within your body. In the
afternoons, you will learn how restorative
practices can help soothe, calm, and deeply
relax your physical and emotional body. The
asana practices will be supplemented with
short meditation and pranayama sessions that
will support your ability to relax and revitalize yourself while cultivating a vibrant, creative mind. Finally, the workshop will provide
you with several ten-minute routines that you
can use to start a home yoga practice and it
will teach you how to maintain your practice
and adapt it to suit your particular needs and
desires on any given day.
What’s Right With You: Debunking
Dysfunction and Changing Your Life
The Great Escape: From SelfConsciousness to Self-Expression
Karen Roeper & Peter Rosselli
Do you ever find yourself stuck in images of
how you are supposed to be? Or express yourself in ways that don’t support you moving
freely and joyfully? This workshop presents
Essential Motion (developed by Karen
Roeper), an approach to deepening self-perception, self-awareness, and self-acceptance.
Essential Motion combines improvisational
movement, psychological and emotional
inquiry, and group reflective process work.
Movement is the forgotten language of the
soul. Through movement work, you can reintegrate the physical intelligence and playful bodily ease of childhood to move through daily life
with more grace, freedom, and power.
Using movement, sound, interactive coaching,
group mirroring, discussion, and video feedback, Karen and Peter create a provocative yet
safe environment. They guide you through a
discovery of your own personal vocabulary of
expression and help you explore how these
movements, expressions, and response patterns directly reflect how you function in your
everyday world. These somatic insights create
the possibility of greater choice.
The workshop is especially designed for those
interested in learning how to crack open selfbeliefs that constrain spontaneous, powerful
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Barry Duncan
We live in a world pervaded by the unspoken
attitude that we are all basically flawed, broken, incomplete, scarred, or sick. We’re labeled
as dysfunctional, codependent, depressed, you
name it. Contrary to popular perception and
drug company ad campaigns, fifty years of
research shows that positive change does not
primarily emerge from examining the disorders, diseases, or dysfunctions—all the stuff
that’s wrong with us—that allegedly plague
the masses. Change, in truth, comes from
what’s right with the people attempting it—
their strengths, resources, ideas, and relational
support—not the labels they are branded with,
the special expertise of doctors, or the magic
methods or potions they peddle.
Dr. Barry Duncan debunks the myth that only
a therapist can help you change your life and
shows how positive change really happens
when you utilize your inherent strengths and
resources and are supported by relationships
that take your innate goodness as a given. This
presentation offers you a plan designed to
effect change in your life—for good!
The Heroine’s Journey:
Soul Work for Women
Christine Warren
This retreat is a mythic, spiritual exploration
of the unique life journey of women and the
soul purpose of women’s lives. The workshop—combining ancient myth, Jungian
teachings, personal work, metaphysics, and
earth-based ritual—includes:
• The Heroine’s Journey: A map of the stages
of women’s lives: individuation from
Father and Mother, recovery of power and
personal vision, facing loss and dark nights
of the soul, and reclamation/integration of
our human and sacred Selves
• Our Inner Masculine and Feminine:
Building relationship and dialogue with
our inner male and female, balancing
intuition and logic, feeling and intellect,
love and power
• Healing with the Mother: Releasing and
forgiving our history with our mothers,
gleaning the gold from both the challenges
and gifts of this pivotal relationship
• Relationships with Women: How to build
community with like-minded women and
untangle from draining, caretaking, or
negating relationships
• The Gift of the Feminine Shadow:
Transmuting jealousy, depression, and loss
of self into greater integration, genuine
power, and self-celebration
• Journey through the Underground: Mining
the gold from times of loss, descent, and
darkness and discovering ways to navigate
these difficult times
• The Earth’s Guidance: Outdoor rituals and
drumming, sacred circle, and guided
experiences to attune to the ancient
wisdom of ocean, earth, and sky for your
life path
• Women’s Rite of Passage: A culminating rite
of passage that honors the Goddess in all of
us, and blesses every woman on her journey
home
Note: Please bring a light pack or fanny pack
and walking shoes for the outdoor session.
Body and Mind
Huston Smith & Gael Ohlgren
Huston Smith, who has taught at Esalen
almost since its founding, is joined here by
his daughter Gael, as they share their respective competencies in this workshop that pretty much covers who we human beings are
and what it means to live a human life.
Huston, for whom the word Mind includes
Spirit, wrote what is still the classic text in his
field, The World’s Religions. He was the subject
of Bill Moyers’ 1996 five-part PBS series, “The
Wisdom of Faith with Huston Smith.”
Gael began her lifelong study of somatic practices at Esalen as a member of the Esalen massage crew. She went on to train with Ida Rolf,
Judith Aston, and Peter Levine. She has studied with Emilie Conrad, founder of
Continuum, for 30 years. An emeritus Rolf
Institute Faculty member and international
Continuum teacher, she maintains a private
practice in the modalities of Structural
Integration and healing through movement
awareness.
Both instructors believe that modern Western
culture with its glorification of scientism creates blind spots. It turns our lives over to scientific data and authority and undermines
the intuitive wisdom of our body and spirit.
Underneath cultural programming, which
tends to numb us, there is the wisdom of the
body and our spirit’s promptings that lead us
to balance our lives and to connect with the
earth, animals, and people. This workshop
seeks to recover human wholeness.
Spirit In Action:
Love, Life, Deep Healing
Emmett Miller
Who are you, really? What is your life’s purpose? How should you be expressing it at this
point in time? These are crucial questions for
us all.
Dr. Miller will share the principles he has discovered for embodying essence and guiding it
wisely and intentionally to create peak performance and creativity. He writes: “We will
employ deep relaxation, imagery, music,
movement, and good conversation to enrich
and enliven the experience. When we surrender to the inescapable truth of Now, accept
ourselves as we are, and become attuned to
our inner rhythms, we discover they reflect
the rhythms of the world around us. The
result is a beautiful, pleasurable dance with
our loved ones—and harmony in every phase
of our lives. Excellence appears in our every
endeavor and we radiate a sense of peace that
empowers others to accept themselves. Our
every word and action thus contributes to our
own growth and betterment as well as that of
our fellow human beings and the peace and
wholeness of our planet.”
Spirited Work: The Give-and-Get
Path to Passion and Purpose
Connie Grauds
Do you want to do more of the spirited work
of the heart that you like to do, and less of the
heartless drudgery that you don’t? Hint: It’s not
about what you do!
Connie Grauds demonstrates how the
shamanic laws of energy flow can take your
life’s work to the next level. Out go boredom
DANIEL BIANCHETTA
Emmett Miller writes: “We’ll explore awakening that human Spirit—the Self—that lives in
the core of your being and nurturing it to
flower into as long a joyful, productive, integral life as ‘humanly’ possible. Spirit in action
means breathing life, love, balance, and excitement into all our relationships as well.”
and fatigue, in come passion and life purpose.
In this Spirited Work workshop, you will
learn the principles of C.O.R.E., a four-step
process to spiriting your work and bringing
forth your life’s passion and purpose. The
secret of this process is positive reciprocal
impact, the art of giving of yourself to get
what you want in return.
Connie not only presents didactic material, but
leads participants on an experiential healing
journey into the Four Chambers of the Heart.
Once into your heart, you will make room for
your life’s work to unfold. Come prepared to
write your own personal Energy Prescription
to change your life now. Leave the struggle
behind and commit to a life of spirited work.
Create a life of passion and purpose.
A healer, shamana, and pharmacist, Connie is
author of the critically acclaimed Jungle
Medicine and the new The Energy Prescription.
Connie’s work has changed the lives of thousands by helping them spirit their life’s work.
For more information visit www.spiritedmedicine.com.
The Hidden Gifts of the Shadow
Charlie & Linda Bloom
Although most of us are aware of what it
takes to promote intimacy, trust, and deep
connectedness in relationships, putting our
knowledge into practice is often another
thing altogether. We may find the challenge
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DANIEL BIANCHETTA
of creating loving relationships far more difficult than we expected. Our partner can bring
out the worst as well as the best in us. In
many cases the pain engendered by unsuccessful efforts to establish loving contact can
become so intolerable that separation may
appear to be the only acceptable option. Yet
this need not be the case.
In this workshop, participants will be encouraged to open more fully to those aspects of
themselves that are relegated to the dark, as
well as to the “golden shadow.” In thus coming
to terms with ourselves we bring greater
authenticity, playfulness, intimacy, and co-creativity into our relationships.
Utilizing experiential processes, role playing, and group exercises, the workshop is
designed to clarify the means through
which we can learn to listen to and speak
from the truth of each moment, even at
those times when we find our hearts closed
in pain. We can learn to harness the vast
energies bound in the shadow and transform them into powerful healing and creative forces in our lives.
Recommended reading: C. & L. Bloom, 101
Things I Wish I Knew When I Got Married.
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A Tender Invitation
David Schiffman
“Our aims for this weekend are simple,” writes
David Schiffman. “To join together and share
the magical, timeless realities of Big Sur’s sea,
sky, and mountains. To feel emotionally and
physically restored, healed, and cleansed. To
rediscover the lovingly creative inner
resources of our own music, poetry, and
prayer. To feel ready again to face whatever
comes next in our lives.
“Together we will create a mood of sanctuary
and a time to be met by kindred spirits. The
approaches utilized will be drawn from a
wide variety of practices aimed toward physical, emotional, and spiritual attunement in
order to restore our gratitude and appreciation for being alive.”
Frontiers of Trauma Treatment
Bessel van der Kolk &
Betta de Boer-van der Kolk
This course presents current research about
how people’s brains, minds, and bodies are
affected by traumatic experiences. It explores
specific practical techniques—the therapeutic
relationship, yoga, EMDR, mindfulness, theater, breathing, touch, and more—for affect
regulation, the integration of dissociated
aspects of experience, overcoming helplessness, and the reintegration of human connections.
The past two decades have seen an explosion
of knowledge about how experience shapes
the central nervous system and the formation
of the self, as well as what constitutes effective
intervention. New research shows how brain
function is shaped by experience and that life
itself can continually transform perception
and biology. Overwhelming experiences alter
the capacity for self-regulation due to alterations in subcortical, i.e., “unconscious,” levels
of the brain. This causes the entire organism to
react to current experiences as a replay of the
past. The memory imprints of the trauma(s)
are held in bodily states and physical patterns.
Effective treatment of the aftereffects of trauma consists in part of knowing what has happened and how those events have shaped
one’s perceptions, but equally in addressing
the imprint of trauma on the physical experience of oneself as helpless and in danger.
Recovery needs to incorporate physical experiences that contradict feelings associated
with helplessness and disconnection.
The goal of treatment is to help bring the
traumatic experience to an end in every
aspect of the human organism. This includes
experiencing physical mastery to initiate new
ways of perceiving reality and promoting new
behavior patterns.
Wild Serenity
Lorin Roche & Camille Maurine
Wild Serenity is a radically liberating, deeply
revitalizing week of meditation, movement,
and energy practices. The workshop explores
the interplay between meditation and expression—the way that contact with the soul
inspires dynamic engagement with the outer
world, which in turn contributes to a rich
inner life.
Meditation can be defined as paying attention
to the current of life and love flowing through
us and riding it inward to our essence. This is
an instinctive ability, a way of accessing inner
wisdom, and we all can do it. The course alternates sitting and moving meditations that
awaken the senses, soften the heart, and stretch
the muscles of the mind. Through body awareness, sound, and breath, you gently and gradually let more life force stream through you.
In this approach, you learn to embrace the
fullness of your nature—vastness and vulnerability, sensuality and surging power. You will
discover that what might seem like obstacles—
raw emotions, restlessness, desire—are actually
gateways into vitality, renewal, and creativity.
Living and loving fully takes courage and all
the inner resources one can muster. Drawing
on three decades of teaching and 23 years of
relationship, authors Maurine and Roche share
their experience with humor and compassion.
If you’ve given up on meditation, or are ready
to take your practice to a new level; if you want
to tap into more joy and inspiration; if you
long for more intimacy with yourself and others, then perhaps it’s time for Wild Serenity.
Recommended reading: Maurine & Roche,
Meditation 24/7 and Meditation Secrets for
Women; Roche, Breath Taking and Meditation
Made Easy.
Mandala: Sing the Desire of Your Soul
Susie Self & Michael Christie
The leaders write: “This is an experiential
workshop in which participants will explore
the soul-power of our natural singing voices
through chanting with Tibetan singing bowls,
releasing the energy of our chakras with
vibrational and overtone singing, and connecting to our deepest creative inner vision
through intuitive musical improvisation.
“This workshop encompasses both writing
and presentation exercises. The goal of our
time together is to enable us to let go of our
speaking and writing inhibitions and be fully
free to express our work, on and off the page.”
“Mandala, in Sanskrit, means ‘round painting.’
In many ways it is the visual equivalent of a
Mantra (a repeated tune used as spiritual practice). Our aim is to connect our true selves
with an easy vocal function that serves all
musical styles, rather than creating a ‘manufactured’ voice to suit fixed expectations of how
we should sound. On a deeper level we will
explore the natural healing effect of singing
on our soul’s journey, developing our art with
visualization, Mandala vision painting, and
creating our own unique music and voice.”
Please bring a piece of writing you are currently
working on, or ideas for a new project. Writers
and speakers of all levels are welcome. For more
information, Julie Daniels can be reached at
818- 623-8960, or visit www.teechspeech.com.
Drawing on an eclectic mixture of visionaries
from Jung, Zen Buddhism, John Cage, and
Philip Glass, Susie and Michael welcome
singers of all levels from beginner to professional. Please bring along any instruments
that you play; a CD and voice book are included with the course.
For further information, visit www.selfmademusic.org.
($10 materials fee paid directly to the leaders)
Speaking Our Word:
A Presentation Workshop for Writers
Julie Daniels
When you performÉ you are for minutes heroic.
This is power. This is glory on earth. And it is
yours nightly.
— Agnes De Mille
Julie Daniels writes: “From-the-page-to-thestage is our work in this empowering workshop. We begin the process of learning how to
take our plays, short stories, and novels, and
present them to the public with courage,
charisma, and confidence. Participants will
learn to celebrate the performer within, using
these techniques:
• Physical and vocal relaxation—Change
nervousness into excitement
• Diaphragmatic breathing—Access that
powerful voice within you
• Voice coloration—Distinguish your
narrative from your character voices using
pitch, resonance, humor, and timing
• Body language—Develop gestures that are
authentic to your work and appropriate for
your audience
• Improvisation—Improvise your writing,
exploring greater depth of story and
character
Passion and Wisdom: Life Skills
for Balancing a Whole Life
David Schiffman
A laundry list for a whole life might read: (1) a
long, healthy life, (2) a satisfying and safe
place to live, (3) an intimate circle of fulfilling
relationships with family, friends, and colleagues, (4) sufficient, steady material success,
(5) the freedom and the time to be, to dream,
and to spiritually aspire, and (6) enough
excitement, challenge, and change to keep
learning and growing. If these measures
reflect your own hopes and dreams, this
workshop is aimed at exploring or supporting
what it takes to know:
• How much is truly enough?
• How to minimize wasted time and
unnecessary suffering
• When and how to act effectively with
emotional competence, authenticity, and
authority
• When and whom to ask for support, when
to give way and wait with grace
This workshop will provide time to seek wise
counsel and allies in a circle based in goodwill, mutual honesty, and deep, soulful
inquiry. Group activities and ceremonies will
celebrate and remember the milestones of our
self-realization and the challenges still ahead.
This is an opportunity to strengthen the life
skills, tools, and attitudes necessary for deepening physical vitality, mental acuity, and
emotional integrity. Perspectives and practices from ancient and modern sources will be
explored to evoke the vibrancy, freshness, and
potency of our presence and commitment to
our hopes and visions.
Essence of the Elements: Esalen
Massage® and LaStone® Therapy
Peggy Horan & Ardell Hill
Esalen Massage is the foundation for many
modalities, with its focus on presence, its
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emphasis on working with intention, and its
principle of working with rather than on
clients—listening, feeling, and sensing their
needs. Long strokes bring integration to the
client’s experience, as well as a feeling of
wholeness and connection.
At its foundation, LaStone Therapy shares the
principles of Esalen Massage—the long connected strokes, staying in dialogue with the
client, and feeling the instantaneous response
to touch (temperature) on the tissue.
This course will explore both modalities,
blending their shared elements and finding
new ways to expand both practices. Join
Peggy Horan, a 35-year practitioner of Esalen
Massage, and Deborah Ardell Hill, Master
LaStone instructor, for a week of massage,
movement, and creative fun.
Being Danced: 5Rhythm™ Essentials
the “form.” Qigong is not merely a technique;
it is a “way of life,” the roots of which tap
entire worlds—traditional Chinese medicine,
Taoism (Daoism), Buddhism, Confucianism,
ancient quantum systems, and the transcendental shamanic realms (Dancing Wu Li
Masters).
“In this workshop,” writes Roger Jahnke, “we
will begin by exploring simple Dao Yin
Qigong (self-healing, medical Qigong methods) to use and to share with family, friends,
patients, clients, and colleagues. Then drawing on the ancient Tao Te Ching (Dao De
Jing), we will cultivate the great ‘Way’ through
very special Qigong methods—Natural Flow
Qigong and the Seven Precious Gestures—to
cultivate inner elixir.
“Finally, we will explore the Secret of the
Golden Flower, a highly refined form of traditional ‘elixir alchemy’ renowned for its merging of Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism.
Health professionals, beginning students, and
those who seek healing are all welcome, as
well as experienced Qigong, Tai Chi, and Yoga
practitioners and teachers.”
For more information, visit www.FeeltheQi.com.
Andrea Juhan
It is a glorious moment when we feel at one
with the creative life force that moves and
breathes us. This workshop will provide a
foundational structure for how we can allow
those moments to multiply. The 5Rhythms
ecstatic dance practice, with roots in
Shamanic and Sufi traditions, invites us into
an open dance form that catalyzes powerful
emotional and spiritual energies to move
through our physical bodies. By focusing our
awareness in each of the 5Rhythms—flowing,
staccato, chaos, lyrical, and stillness—we can
learn to quiet the mind, become present and
grounded, and allow our attention to expand
beyond how we normally experience Being in
our body.
This is a practice that anybody—regardless of
shape, size, or age—can engage in. All that is
required is willingness, curiosity, and a longing for freedom. This course is open to beginners—no dance experience, 5Rhythms or otherwise, is necessary.
Qigong and Inner Alchemy:
Inner Elixir and the Practice of
Pure Radiance
Roger Jahnke
No matter what form of Yoga, Qigong (Chi
Kung) or Tai Chi you choose, the essentials
of deepening your practice are not based in
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Suggested reading: Jahnke, The Healer Within,
and The Healing Promise of Qi.
• Turn any relationship into a dance of selfdiscovery
• Treat the entire global community as your
very own beloved
For more information, visit www.heartonfire.org.
Recommended reading: Cushnir, Setting Your
Heart on Fire, and Unconditional Bliss.
Sex, Love, and Relationships:
Combining Sexuality and Intimacy
Lisa Firestone & Joyce Catlett
What is healthy sexuality? What is love?
During the initial part of this workshop participants will be challenged to provide
answers to these questions from their own
experience. Next, the presenters will describe
the major barriers to developing intimate sexual relationships. They will introduce the concept of the fantasy bond, an illusion of connection that many couples form, which leads
to a deterioration in close relating. They will
describe the concept of the critical inner
voice, a system of negative thoughts and attitudes toward oneself and significant others
that contributes to relationship distress. These
concepts will be illustrated by video excerpts
of individuals talking about their relationships and sexuality.
Setting Your Heart on Fire:
An Invitation to Live the Questions
Raphael Cushnir
What if you could fall absolutely in love with
every moment of your life? What if you could
use love’s transformative radiance to break
though any personal block, including those
about career, relationships, family, weight,
self-esteem, and addiction?
All of this is possible when you learn how to
ask and answer two simple questions. Doing
so requires you to become more open and present than ever before. Based on both of
Raphael’s books, this safe and supportive
workshop will help you to:
• Experience all emotions with willingness
and compassion
• Uncover and transform your limiting
beliefs
• Employ acceptance as a tool for positive
change
• Allow the immediacy of death to bring you
fully to life
• Unleash the power of your dreams while
wide awake
Participants will engage in exercises to
explore attitudes about sexuality and relationship issues that may be interfering with their
reaching their full potential for sexual intimacy. They will learn the techniques of Voice
Therapy as applied to sexual issues and will
have time to practice these techniques.
The presenters will use a developmental perspective to explore the impact of childhood
experiences on a person’s emerging sexuality.
They will examine the impact of society and
sexual stereotyping on sexuality. Video
excerpts will illustrate these points, showing
poignant examples of how personal experiences growing up affect an individual’s sexuality as an adult. Participants will explore the
impact of their childhood experiences and
learn strategies for overcoming these.
An Introduction to Esalen Massage®
Sylvia Guersenzvaig & Dean Marson
During this weekend participants will receive
a hands-on introduction to the basic concepts
of Esalen Massage. The essence of this style of
bodywork consists of long, flowing strokes
that contribute to deep relaxation and a feel-
ing of wholeness. The format of the course
will be experiential with demonstrations followed by time for practice. Special attention
will be given to quality of touch, breath
awareness, and grounding techniques. The
workshop will also include an introduction to
meditation and body awareness to develop a
deeper ability for presence and connection.
There will be ample time to enjoy and be
inspired by the magic of Esalen and the natural beauty of Big Sur.
Not For the Feint of Heart
Mariah Fenton Gladis
This workshop is not for the feint of heart—
nor the faint of heart. It is designed for people
with a passionate commitment toward creating healthy relationships within healthy lives.
It offers each participant the opportunity to
benefit from intensive individual work,
which may involve emotional injuries rooted
in the past, recurring themes or patterns of
dysfunction, or personal longings in the hereand-now. Whatever the content of your work,
this workshop will help you:
• Discover the issues that are immediately
obstructing the quality of your life
• Learn contact skills and understand their
importance as a measure of healthy
functioning
• Risk working more deeply in an
atmosphere of trust and mutual support
• Develop more authentic and vital
communication skills
• Expand your capacity for generosity and
compassion for yourself and others
This workshop is particularly helpful for
adult children of dysfunctional families,
human-relations professionals, and those on a
path of personal betterment. This experiential
and didactic workshop will blend individual
and group Gestalt work, spiritual practice, and
bodywork. Mariah is also well known for her
effective and innovative use of music to
enrich the workshop experience.
A twenty-four-year survivor of ALS, Mariah
speaks with what she calls her “ALS accent.”
She will be assisted by Bruce Cornwell, who
has a background in psychotherapy and professional acting.
Brain, Attachment, and Early
Development: Practical Interpersonal
Neurobiology and Somatic
Interventions with Individuals
and Groups
Marti Glenn & Paula Thomson
Presented by the Santa Barbara Graduate
Institute, this workshop offers practical applications of current advances in brain research,
trauma treatment, and attachment theory.
Participants will explore some of the most relevant and exciting work in the field of somatic and developmental psychology. Often this
information is intimidating and challenging;
however, neurobiological language will be fluidly incorporated into an integrative learning
environment. Through lectures, video presentations, discussion, and individual and group
somatic experiential explorations, participants will readily begin to understand and
embody the neuroscience and attachment
patterns and how they are formed.
Participants will also work within the group
context on their own early attachment issues.
Note: This course is part of a certificate program that has five other segments. The segments may be done individually or as a whole
program. See www.esalen.sbgi.edu for a more
complete description.
See Special Programs, page 80.
Retreat as a Spiritual Practice
“Throughout the ages,” says Thomas, “human
beings have sought the solace and quiet of
nature as a way of gaining perspective, clarity,
and spiritual connection. When we go on
retreat we remove ourselves from our daily
schedules, from our homes, and our normal
ways of life. This allows us open space to
reflect on our lives, our direction, and life purpose. Retreat is an invaluable time to engage
the spiritual practices, to spend time alone
and be with uplifting company (the group
field). Making a practice of going on retreat is
itself one of our spiritual practices and a way
to nourish and honor Self.
“We will gather together on the cusp of this
New Year to engage the spiritual practices of
yoga: asana, dharina (visualization and mental
focus), pranayama, and meditation. Engaging
the spiritual practices is not about being serious or stern or shut down. The group field is
lively and open, and fun is encouraged.”
Please have minimum of 3 months’ recent
yoga experience. All props are provided.
Open Floor—5Rhythms™ in Process
Andrea Juhan
5Rhythms movement practice invites us to
experience ourselves in a new way—beyond
our personal life story and separate sense of
self—as a physical experience of the healing
power of ecstatic Oneness. This Oneness is
collective Spirit, made up of each of us and
the lives we lead day to day. Vital questions
about who we are, where we have come from,
what we need, what we fear, and what we
have to give are all interwoven in the bones,
breath, and muscles we use to dance with.
Movement practice gives us a way to become
more aware of our part of the whole. Our personal contribution to the collective group
field is part conscious and unconscious, part
beneficial and destructive. We explore this
process through the body using the language
of movement to articulate subtle states of
being which may be too delicate to express
with words alone. Process becomes poetry in
motion.
The patterns and emotions of our humanity
are organically balanced, regulated, and
shared by the communities we find ourselves
in. These processes become exceptionally
clear in our community of dancers on the
Open Floor. Through the Open Floor structure, a combination of individual sessions and
intensive group process, what is inner
becomes outer, for all to see, support, and play
with. We take what is mirrored by others to
heart with our own body. We allow each and
every part that emerges to have its dance.
Then we offer it all to the spirit of the dance,
transforming it back to the One.
Prerequisite: Some 5Rhythms dance experience
is required.
Artplane
Nicholas Wilton
This workshop is a playful exploration of the
creative image-making process. It presents
practical principles of painting coupled with a
fresh approach to working more freely and
intuitively. In addition to demonstrations, critique, and extensive hands-on painting, this
course offers clear, concise explorations of
color theory, harmony, value, and design.
“There will be little time to worry about suc-
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cess or failure,” Nicholas Wilton writes, “as
our process will take the form of a flowing
series of small paintings or multiples. We will
sometimes be painting on two or three pictures simultaneously. Working in this way
helps to avoid the tendency to overly focus
and constrict the creative process. The fundamental idea of this class is to recognize and
remain in this state of high creativity—the ‘artplane.’ This process enables us to see the
opportunities made possible by our mistakes
and learn how to evaluate and improve upon
our own work.”
out to ourselves and discover our unique contribution to planet Earth.”
Come prepared for a whirl of creative selfexpression and the weary, wonderful feeling
of leaving a workshop with a collection of
your own paintings which celebrate the
process of inspiration, reclamation, and the
journey of self-discovery. All that’s needed is
life experience and a willingness to play. For
more information, call Studio Zocolo at 415488-4710, or visit www.artplaneworkshop.com.
Ron Loeb, Brother David Steindl-Rast
& John King
Recommended reading: Bayles, Art and Fear.
All gay, bi, and trans men are welcome, regardless of age, HIV status, single or in relationship. Bring a generosity of spirit, your laughter, stories, and feelings, your hearts, and especially your uniqueness.
The Noble Cause of Business
“The Noble Cause of Business” is a highly
interactive course designed for leaders in the
world of business, those who view business as
having the potential for global transformation, and those who perceive that an essential
premise for successful businesses in this
emerging world is presence to “spirit” along
with “competence.”
($80 materials fee. Details provided upon registration.)
Reach Out to Find Your True Self—
A Workshop for Gay Men
Rob Bauer
“As gay men,” writes Rob Bauer, “we constantly hear about ourselves from others. We have
become an obsession of the media, entertainment, religious, and political machines. Yes,
Gay Men of the 21st Century, for better or for
worse, we are stars!
“But whether damned or applauded, we must
not lose awareness of who we are within, nor
be deluded by society’s need to label us. We
simply are who we are—men of many stripes
and colors, with hearts and souls, surviving
the wounds of childhood, prejudice, and ignorance. We have learned to communicate and
be in relationship. We have found new ways
to touch each other—emotionally and physically—in safe, nonthreatening ways. Yet many
of us still live in frustration at finding that
special someone, and have given up trying or
are living in a relationship without intimacy.
How can we find or trust someone else when
we have not found or accepted ourselves?
“This is a workshop to honor a vision of gay
male wholeness, to reclaim the souls hidden
beneath our personas. We will experience our
diversity and claim our birthright to be fully
both sexual and spiritual beings. We recognize that love begins within ourselves.
Through self-listening, meditation, healing
touch, and telling our stories, we will reach
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The leaders write: “Those who select this
course should be prepared for a rigorous journey into uncharted territory different from
that found in any business school curriculum
or manual of best business practices. Thomas
Jefferson created the Declaration of
Independence as a ‘noble cause.’ Our intention is that this concept lead us, as business
practitioners or those who would like to be
part of the development of the role of business into that of a global change agent, to yet
unheard-of perceptions of how business can
best realize its full potential as the most powerful institution in the world.”
Intimate Connections
Mariah Fenton Gladis & Bruce Cornwell
Creating stable and fulfilling relationships is a
challenge that everyone faces. To be successful, human relating must be understood as an
activity, an ability that requires movement,
purpose, emotional capacity, and contact
skills. People often believe that good relating
evolves naturally, but they discover in the routine of living with families, friends, and lovers
that, in truth, they have not been adequately
prepared to meet the demands of loving relationships.
This workshop will focus on the nature and
basic requirements of healthy relationships. It
offers participants opportunities to assess
their abilities and disabilities, to strengthen
their lovability and love ability, to develop
awareness, and to practice risking positive
action with others. It is for anyone who has
“hit the wall” in a relationship, who has experienced being stuck at some seemingly
impenetrable contact boundary and wants to
break through, or for those who simply want
to enhance an already successful love life.
This experiential and didactic workshop
blends individual and group Gestalt work,
spiritual healing, bodywork, and personal
metaphor. Music is a highlight and an integral
part of the experience.
Mariah is a twenty-four-year survivor of ALS
and speaks with what she calls her “ALS
accent.”
The Body Keeps the Score:
Mind, Brain, and Body in the
Transformation of Trauma
Bessel van der Kolk & Peter Levine
This workshop unites two of the leading figures in the field of trauma research and bodyoriented treatment approaches. Together they
will explore the implications of recent findings in the neurosciences, from how the brain
and body deal with emotional information to
an understanding of effective therapeutic
action.
The leaders will show how the trauma
response is a specific defensive bodily reaction that people initially mobilize in order to
protect themselves, and then use against feeling the totality of their horror, helplessness,
or pain. However, in the long range this
response keeps them frozen, stuck in the past,
unable to fully be in the here and now. Fixed
in the defensive trauma response, the shame,
defeat, and humiliation associated with the
original event replays itself over and over
again in the body, detached from history, but
experienced in the present.
Traditionally, therapies have attempted to
change perceptions of the world by means of
reason and insight, along with conditioning,
behavior modification, drugs, and medications. However, perceptions remain fundamentally unchanged until the internal experience of the body changes. Even after the
death of a loved one, physical injury, rape, or
assault, people can learn to have new bodily
experiences, then come to heal and accept
what has happened and create new lives and
new communities.
Valentine’s Day for the
Chronologically Challenged
February 26–March 5
Ginger Holladay & Dean Marson
Come (belatedly) celebrate your relationship! Join Ginger and Dean this weekend to
explore the joy of connecting with your
partner through yoga, massage, and music.
Listening to the beat of the heart and following the rhythm of the breath leads us to
a profound experience of the present
moment, where partners can truly be present together.
Ginger and Dean write: “We will use gentle
partner yoga to enhance trust and mutual
support, freeing the body while opening softly to each other. Using a tender touch, participants will learn simple massage techniques to
relieve stress and tension. Singing sacred
sounds and love songs, we’ll explore musical
expressions of the heart.
Harriet Goslins, Sybil Krauter
& Michael Meyer
How we sit, stand, move, or respond to contact
with others reflects patterns wired into our nervous systems by infancy. By early childhood,
conflicting intentions distort these patterns.
Feeling powerless, we attempt to survive and to
win love by figuring out “big people’s rules.” The
resulting strategies may protect us as children
but, deeply ingrained in our muscular postures
and movements, they imprison us as adults and
limit our choices. They remain outside of
awareness, causing discomfort and limitation.
By reeducating the brain-muscle-emotion
connection, restrictions in movement can be
released, freeing lifelong behaviors that have
organized around that movement, restoring
freedom of choice. The protective postures are
altered, deeply affecting the body’s habitual
This workshop is a relearning of the ease,
fluidity, and openness taken for granted as a
child and lost somewhere along the way. It is
for the sedentary; for the active who want to
increase physical skills and reduce risk of
injury; for those dealing with aftereffects of
injury or emotional trauma, and the professionals who work with them; for the chronically tired and stressed who want to take better care of their necks, shoulders, and backs;
and for those who want to improve their posture, flexibility, and breathing while deepening their sense of connection and belonging.
Week of February 26–March 3
The High-Performance Mind:
Awakened Mind Brainwave Training
Anna Wise
The high-performance mind is clearer, sharper, more flexible. Emotions become more
DANIEL BIANCHETTA
Nurture your relationship in a gentle atmosphere of relaxation and fun while opening to
love with movement, touch, and song! For the
heart, it’s never too late.
Your Life Cannot Be Any Easier Than
Your Movements: Cortical Field
Reeducation® and the Feldenkrais
Method®
defense system and allowing a higher level
of energy.
31
available, easier to transform. Information
flows readily between the conscious, subconscious, and unconscious levels, increasing
intuition, insight, and empathy. Having a
high-performance mind means being able to
enter at will the state of consciousness most
beneficial for any given circumstance—and
then understanding how to use that state.
Through brainwave training for beta, alpha,
theta, and delta, this workshop teaches you
how to produce the components for an awakened mind, the brainwave pattern of peak
experience, optimum creativity, and spiritual
awareness. Working with both the state and
the content of consciousness, you can learn to
use these brainwaves to help develop a highperformance mind for self-healing, increasing
creativity, improving relationships, and developing greater awareness.
The workshop combines biofeedback monitoring with meditation, visualization, and
deep psychophysiological relaxation to help
you master your own states of consciousness.
The Mind Mirror EEG will be used to measure brainwave patterns, and Electrical Skin
Resistance Meters will measure the depth of
arousal and relaxation of your autonomic nervous system, illuminating the interrelationship between your body and your mind.
Esalen Massage and Beyond:
An Open Forum
Pablo Piekar & Robin Fann-Costanzo
Pablo and Robin write: “Some of the most
exciting moments in our Esalen workshops
occur just after the end of a class when the
motivation runs so high that participants stay
in the room, gathering spontaneously in
small groups around the massage tables, sharing, discussing, exploring, and practicing
what they’ve learned. In those moments we
feel we are in the presence of the same spirit
that gave birth to Esalen Massage®. In this
workshop, we will re-create such moments by
both giving to and being a part of the wisdom
of the collective ‘body.’
“This forum is intended for the cross-pollination of ideas and practices of bodywork. We
will enrich each other by sharing what we’ve
learned along the way—exploring, allowing our
creativity to emerge, opening to new forms
and combinations of techniques, and, at the
same time, reinforcing our own personal styles.
All in an atmosphere of supportive learning
and teaching, encouragement, and fun.”
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Underlying themes will include self-care,
effortlessness, and the harmonious integration of diverse techniques and approaches
into Esalen Massage. Additional topics will be
addressed according to the interests of participants. Yoga will be offered as a self-care and
centering practice.
This workshop is open to all massage and
bodywork practitioners interested in (1) having fun, (2) honoring their creative spirit, and
(3) both learning and participating in the creation of new massage skills (in that order).
Gestalt and Sensory Awareness
Seymour Carter
Many potential sources for growth and aliveness reside in our unfinished issues, the
developmental processes that we have not recognized and assimilated. These unclaimed
potential talents, tendencies, and traits are a
powerful reservoir within us waiting to be
tapped. Sadly, much in us has become immobilized by early conditioning, emotional problems, and habitual patterns. The aim of this
workshop is self-awareness, integration, and
growth.
The basis of this work is the Gestalt method,
supported by sensory awareness. Sensory
awareness is about developing a conscious
feel for one’s actual state of being and thus
experiencing and setting free the ordering
and regenerating processes of one’s body. To
regain the feeling of being at home in one’s
body is the basis for all meaningful functioning and expression.
Using practices of introspection and body-oriented intervention strategies, participants can
begin to discover and utilize capacities within
themselves for new possibilities in their lives.
Each participant’s process of development
will be encouraged, honored, and treated as
unique.
Each day will begin with a demonstration of
the techniques to be used in that day’s
process. You’ll explore a method of directing
the pouring and blending of colors, saving the
brightest-value whites as highlights. This
process weaves back and forth from negative
to positive painting spaces and creates fresh,
loose watercolors. You’ll learn how watercolors that are worked on thoroughly wet surfaces can combine soft, ethereal areas of mystery with brilliantly vivid, crisp detailing.
Painting meditations will help you understand
how intuition is the motivating energy that
allows the painting to come alive through you.
What is going on within you is reflected in
what you see and paint. Intuitive paintings
unfold as you relax into a flow of creativity.
For the absolute beginner as well as the professional artist. A list of materials to bring will
be provided upon registration.
Walking on Clouds: Tai Chi
Kenn Chase
Move like a river,
Walk like a cat,
Be still as a mountain.
— Tai Chi Classics
The focus of this Tai Chi workshop is effortless movement, with grace and serenity. A
special shortened version of Yang-style Tai
Chi will be introduced. This health form has
twelve moves, which, if practiced regularly,
increase Chi ( personal energy), improve balance, and promote strength and well-being. In
addition to the Tai Chi postures, students will
learn Feldenkrais Awareness Through
Movement and Chi Kung techniques.
The workshop will culminate in a group
excursion to the New Camaldoli Hermitage
for meditation followed by a trip to beautiful
Sand Dollar Beach for Tai Chi by the sea.
Weekend of March 3–5
Freeing the Artist:
Intuitive Watercolor
A Workshop for Poets
Helen Malcolm
Galway Kinnell
You can learn how to create striking watercolors, unique to your individual expression, by
seeing within the first blends of colors a
theme that is waiting to be developed.
Intuitive Watercolor is a painting practice in
which you learn how to open and listen to
your intuition as it guides you through the
development of your painting.
Galway Kinnell writes: “The group will meet
on Friday evening to discuss our project of
writing poems that are daring and new, and
then again on Saturday and Sunday to discuss
the poems that will have been just written.
Participants should bring to the Saturday and
Sunday sessions eleven copies of a poem written since arriving at Esalen. Also, if they have
time, they should write a brief description of
a common thing. We will start the discussion
of each poem by describing it, if it is in any
way obscure. We will then try to find what
succeeds in the poems, where its strengths lie.
After that we will devote a short time to making ‘hopefully helpful suggestions.’ If we have
time, we will hear some of the ‘descriptions.’
Someone who knows by heart a poem (by
another poet) will say it to us to finish the
session.
“One-on-one discussions with me will be
scheduled for Saturday late afternoon and
early evening. At these meetings, we will
discuss the poem of that morning or the
poets’ plans or first drafts of their poems for
Sunday morning.”
Enrollment in this workshop is limited to 10
participants.
Advanced Yoga Practice for
Perfect Beginners
Mark Whitwell
According to Yoga master Krishnamacharya,
Yoga was not meant to be a struggle to attain
some future goal, but a direct participation in
the nurturing force of Life.
This course is designed to provide advanced
Yoga understanding and practice for those
new to Yoga. The program will also be helpful
for Yoga students of any level who wish to
understand the principles of Krishnamacharya,
“the teacher of our teachers.” Participants will
study how to apply these principles to the
Yoga they already know (and love) in order to
make it efficient, powerful, and safe.
Emphasis will be given to developing a personalized practice, which you can take away
from Esalen and continue to effectively practice for “peace and power in your daily Life”
(Krishnamacharya).
Solving the Puzzle of Chronic Pain
Peter Levine, Maggie Phillips
& Laura Regalbuto
Pain is now the third biggest health problem
in the U.S., following heart disease and cancer. More than half of the adult population
over 50 will develop a chronic-pain problem.
Standard treatments for chronic pain often
fail because they center on medications that
overtreat, undertreat, or further complicate
the pain problem.
This workshop examines the science as well
as the art of treating acute, chronic, and atyp-
ical pain syndromes. The program will
emphasize how to understand and treat the
multiple mechanisms of chronic pain, especially the dynamics related to unresolved
fight/flight/freeze responses due to past
injury and traumatic stress. The leaders will
demonstrate how to restore equilibrium of
the pain-modulation system using the
Somatic Experiencing® (SE) model, based on
study of the biological responses of animals
to threat, injury, and stress. Participants will
learn how to help prevent and reverse chronic pain through the application of SE with
other effective methods, including EMDR,
hypnotic suggestion, yoga, movement, and
work with the subtle energy system.
ing and honoring the inevitable resistance to
new ideas. And, of course, the ideas themselves.
Through theory, demonstration, and practice,
participants will learn how to work with a
wide range of otherwise difficult-to-treat pain
conditions, including fibromyalgia,
“whiplash,” migraine and tension headaches,
chronic fatigue, severe PMS and pelvic pain,
arthritis, lupus, and other autoimmune dysfunctions. Topics comprise the interface of
pain and suffering and the understanding of
illness and invasive medical procedures as
potential traumatic stressors.
Ken Page & David Greenan
The workshop is geared for healthcare professionals and psychotherapists, but is open to
anyone interested in the treatment of pain.
Dancing in Molasses: Best Practices
for Creative People Working In, or
With, Large Organizations
Jeremy Sherman & David Jeffers
The larger the organization, the harder it is to
make or even propose change. Whether
you’re one of your company’s designated idea
people or are just brimming with ideas, the
corporate life, even in innovative organizations, can be challenging.
Part executive training, part best practices
exchange, this workshop is a chance to share
war stories, strategies, tactics, tips, and an
Esalen weekend with your fellow corporate
idea people. The course will cover all aspects
of idea propagation—internal marketing and
communication strategy, recruiting internal
allies, coalition building, sticking your neck
out while covering your backside, packaging
your ideas to give them legs and maximize
“brain Velcro,” reputation building, tactful
firmness, corporate politics, maintaining your
sanity, idea quality-control, providing proof of
concept, and persisting even while appreciat-
The workshop is led by Dave Jeffers, one of
John Deere’s chief corporate creatives, and
Jeremy Sherman, former corporate creative
for the Body Shop International, specialist in
marketing and evolutionary theory (and son
of Gordon Sherman, President of Midas
Mufflers), who after a weekend workshop at
Esalen in the early ‘70s, became a wildly successful corporate creative.
A Queer Home at the Center
of the World
The leaders write: “This workshop is for gay,
bisexual, and transgender men who long to
create deeper connections. As we develop networks of meaningful relationships, we create
possibilities for happier and more fulfilled
lives, and we begin to claim our role as healers. Partnering and parenting are the most
obvious yet revolutionary ways GBT men
reclaim ourselves; mentoring the young,
savoring the wisdom of our elders, and creating community can be other aspects of family.
“Gay, bisexual, and transgender men often create pockets of safety early in life that later
become prisons of solitary isolation as we
mature and outgrow our need to hide. Over
the course of this weekend, we will explore
possibilities for creating many types of family,
free of the constraints of the heterosexual
archetypes, in our journey to reclaiming our
essential healing and loving natures.
“Within the supportive community we create
during this weekend, we will share our longing for connectedness and our struggles to
achieve this goal, while supporting each other
in envisioning and planning for the kinds of
family and community we dream of. We will
also explore the creative options to build family and community which exist in our current
life situations.”
Week of March 5–10
Story Structure: Stop Boring Your
Shrink, Your Friends, Your Dinner
Partners, and Learn How to Tell a
Good Story
Mickey Lemle
How do you tell a story that could make people laugh, make them cry, hold their interest
33
and attention, and, if they are ready, potentially transform their lives for the better? Master
filmmaker Mickey Lemle explores the art and
craft of story structure, delving into the fundamentals of the creative process. Using his
own films about His Holiness the Dalai Lama
(Compassion in Exile), Ram Dass (Fierce Grace),
and others as a starting point, Lemle will
share his techniques and processes, and then
each participant will use these to tell his or
her own story.
Transforming Trauma with EMDR:
Advanced Clinical Workshop and
Refresher Course (Part 3)
Laurel Parnell
This EMDR course is for participants who
have completed either Level II training or an
equivalent EMDRIA-approved course.
Recommended reading: Parnell, Transforming
Trauma: EMDR, and EMDR in the Treatment of
Adults Abused as Children.
It Won’t Hurt Forever:
The Ordinary Miracle of Healing
Peter Levine & Staff
While trauma is a fact of life, it does not have
to be a life sentence. In this workshop participants will have the opportunity to explore the
possibility that the traumas and obstacles in
their lives also hold the potential for genuine
emotional and spiritual growth and self-trans-
formation. For this to happen, it may mean
having the courage to give up old “victim
identifications” (that have long been our
“friends”) and trust in the emergence of a
deeper, more authentic sense of self.
In this experiential and didactic workshop,
Peter Levine, a pioneer in stress and trauma
for thirty-five years and author of the bestselling book Waking the Tiger, Healing Trauma:
The Innate Capacity to Heal from Overwhelming
Experiences, will work with individuals in a
supportive group setting. In addition, bodycentered awareness exercises, small-group
work, and journaling will be used to support
participants in their healing journey.
This workshop is open to both professionals
and nonprofessionals. There will be the
opportunity, if participants wish, for short discussion of their work to enhance the learning
process. Please bring a notepad and pen.
DANIEL BIANCHETTA
In this workshop participants will have the
opportunity to refresh their technique and
review EMDR protocols and procedures, consult on their difficult cases, watch demonstrations, and practice EMDR in small supervised
groups. Instruction will focus on using
EMDR with complex cases, resource development and installation, target development,
and cognitive interweaves.
34
Your Own Yoga from the Source
Mark Whitwell
If you can breathe, you can do yoga.
— Krishnamacharya
This workshop offers a detailed study of the
technology of asana, pranayama, bandha,
meditation and life as a seamless process.
Krishnamacharya gave precise instructions so
that an authentic and efficient yoga practice
could be custom-built for each person, taking
into account individual differences—age
health, body type, and cultural background.
The ancients perceived that the breath is the
most critical function of a living organism.
The purpose of an asana (yoga pose) is to participate in and enhance the breath. It is the
careful selection off asana movements for
each person that ensures that the breath is
strengthened without struggle.
Mark Whitwell can help you develop a personalized Yoga practice to maximize the benefits of this ancient practice.
This workshop is suitable for beginners or
advanced students and teachers seeking to
incorporate the principles of powerful Yoga
adapted to individual needs into daily life.
Integral Experiential Learning:
Organic Embodiment of Ken Wilber’s
Theory and Methodology
Bert Parlee
One of the most exciting and all-inclusive
paradigm emerging in the new millennium,
Integral theory is a comprehensive and
dynamic model of both self and reality. It is
distinguished by honoring and encompassing
all dimensions of body, emotions, mind, and
spirit, as they exist in self, culture, and nature.
As such, this workshop is designed to engage
individuals cognitively, physically, emotionally, interpersonally, and spiritually.
While exploring and discovering new truths,
participants should also expect to recover and
revitalize what may have become lost or
unconscious elements of their current selves
or worldviews. The Integral challenge is to
claim ownership of all truths and perspectives, which include our “always/already” realized native condition and learning to recognize and embrace the same in others. An
Integral curriculum involves learning new
ways to feel, express, and think about experience, such that we are better able to become
an authentic instrument of service and compassion.
Overall, by developing new forms of embodied awareness via a range of experiential
learning methodologies—voice dialogue,
Gestalt, meditation, action inquiry, stories,
film, triple loop learning, and more—our
previously unexamined and untested
assumptions can be revealed, reconfigured,
and transcended. By risking vulnerability,
and acting from a place of inquiry, mutuality, and integrity, we paradoxically discover a
deep-rooted courage and strength of character that both exposes our limiting beliefs
and affords novel means of reconceiving
ourselves.
The Foundations of
Nervous System Energy Work
Jim Kepner
Jim Kepner writes: “Nervous System Energy
Work (NSEW) is a hands-on energy method
drawing on principles of healer Bill Gray, an
energy healer whose remarkable healing ability was described in the book Born To Heal. We
have extended his insights into a modern
approach to subtle energy work which has
profound implications for health and consciousness disciplines.
“The nervous system is a magnificent system of subtle energy which nourishes and
clears our cells, organs, and body systems,
and enhances our vitality. NSEW is often
experienced as having immediate and palpable effects on the body and on awareness.
NSEW also links together the nervous system with the subtle energies of the chakra
system, helping us to access profound states
of consciousness, and offers a sophisticated
approach to spiritual development and
inner balance.
Our work has been applied in areas as diverse
as chronic disease, pain and pain syndromes,
psychological and physical effects of trauma,
body psychotherapy, and for personal and
spiritual development.” This hands-on foundational workshop will teach the principles of
NSEW including:
• How to identify, match with, and run an
individual's specific nervous system energy
• Practices to fill and clear the nervous
system and a basic treatment sequence
• The relation of nervous system energy to
health and disease
• Meditations which open access to energy
and flow through the nervous system
This workshop will be of interest to integral
health practitioners, massage therapists, energy workers, body-oriented psychotherapists,
and anyone interested in subtle energy and
consciousness.
Rosen Method: Accessing the
Unconscious through Touch
Marion Rosen & Jane Malek
Marion Rosen’s vision of Rosen Method
Bodywork and Movement has brought her
recognition as an international leader and pioneer in the field of body-oriented therapies.
At the heart of her wisdom is a keen sense of
seeing the true essence of people that is often
hidden beneath chronic holding patterns.
During her career as a physical therapist and
health educator, she developed her approach
to bodywork, movement, and self-transformation by observing the process of her patients,
and at age 91 she continues to inspire and
energize others with her work.
“In this workshop,” the leaders write, “we use
touch that accesses emotional material held in
the unconscious parts of the body, so that you
can learn to deepen your awareness, observe
the wisdom of the natural breath, and experience living more from your personal truth.”
The group process provided by this workshop
supports the opening to feelings that have long
been put away as muscular tension. Rosen
Method Movement helps you integrate these
feelings and physical changes as they arise. The
movements help you to remain vital and joyful
while moving to music. The workshop will
explore how both modalities complement each
other and emerge from the same theory.
The fundamentals of Rosen Method can be
incorporated into your own self-development
and be applied to many professions. You’ll
learn to:
• Use hands that listen rather than
manipulate
• Notice how chronic muscle tension is held
in the body
• Use subtle changes in the breath to follow
the relaxation process
• Allow unconscious feelings, attitudes, and
memories to emerge
• Open to new possibilities in life
See Seminar Spotlight, page 8.
35
Drugs, the Mind, and the Body
“knowing all the answers.”
David Presti
This course is designed to teach you how to
coach others to:
Chemical substances that influence the mind,
brain, and body are more popular today than
ever. From Prozac to melatonin to Saint John’s
Wort, kava to coffee to Viagra, chocolate to
marijuana to LSD to ayahuasca, drugs are a
central part of contemporary society.
This seminar provides a comprehensive
overview of the biological, ethnobotanical,
psychological, behavioral, and sociological
properties of a variety of familiar and perhaps
unfamiliar drugs, ranging from chemicals
that are used to alter consciousness, to ones
that are used to regulate mood and modify
personality, to substances that are used to promote sleep, lose weight, and maintain a youthful body.
• Think through their issues and problems
• Manage from support instead of “authority
and control”
• Listen powerfully
• Create partnership and trust in
relationships
For more information on the Inquiry Process
visit www.theinquiryprocess.com.
Shaman, Healer, Sage: The Energy
Medicine of the Americas
Alberto Villoldo
Medical anthropologist Dr. Alberto Villoldo
has been researching the healing practices of
the Ancient Americas for over twenty years.
He is one of the foremost teachers of Energy
Medicine and author of ten books on healing,
including the best-selling Shaman, Healer,
Sage.
According to Energy Medicine, the luminous
energy field envelops the human body and
holds a template of how we heal, how we
Participants will have the opportunity to
develop a comprehensive and deep understanding of drugs, the mind, and the body,
from molecular and chemical properties to
historical and ritual relationships. The workshop will be of interest and value to anyone,
including health professionals from all clinical areas, wishing to expand their knowledge
about drugs that influence human behavior.
Life Coaching for Results:
An Introduction to The Inquiry Process
Amaran Tarnoff
Einstein said, “Problems cannot be solved at
the same level of awareness that created
them.” The Inquiry Process is a particular kind
of conversation, composed of asking and
answering questions, which provides us with
a post-psychological way of thinking and
being. It is based on these premises: (1) Most
of the time people already have the answers;
what’s missing are the right questions; (2) It is
much easier for people to listen to questions
than to be told what to do; and (3) Something
powerful happens in relationships when people ask questions of others instead of already
36
DANIEL BIANCHETTA
Whether you are a professional manager,
therapist, consultant, or coach, or find yourself wanting to help your children, family, or
friends deal with what’s stopping them from
producing results, this course can give you
the tools. It offers the same fundamental
coaching tool—the Inquiry Process—that professionals have used for years to support
employees or clients with life issues such as
career, relationship, and well-being.
become ill, and how we might die. It is a blueprint that contains a record of every emotional, physical, and spiritual trauma, of our
health, and of our possible destiny.
In this program you will study healing practices employed by shamans for tens of thousands of years. These methods are presented
as a scientific and eminently practical system
for healing through the luminous energy
field. You will experience firsthand the luminous healing traditions of the Americas, and
learn to bring balance to the body, to the soul,
and to the Earth.
The workshop will present ways to reconnect
with nature, to engage in ancient ceremony,
to practice shamanic journeying and Soul
Retrieval, to learn to identify the presence of
intrusive energies that can cause disease, and
to practice the shaman’s way of seeing and
working with the luminous energy field. This
is a rare opportunity to learn secret and
sophisticated spiritual healing practices from
a scientist and explorer whose work has been
quoted in The New York Times and National
Geographic.
Clinical Case Seminar and Workshop
for Advanced EMDR Practitioners
(Part 4)
Laurel Parnell
This workshop is for advanced EMDR practitioners who want the opportunity for case
consultation, discussion of selected topics,
and practicum with colleagues at their experience level. Meditation instruction will be
given each morning, followed by presentation
and discussion of a topic. Topics will include:
creative use of interweaves and resources,
working with people with somatic disorders
and physical illnesses, EMDR with challenging cases, EMDR as a transpersonal psychotherapy, and EMDR and creativity.
Saturday afternoon, cases will be presented
and discussed followed by practicum experience.
This workshop is for EMDR therapists who
are certified, EMDR consultants, or EMDR
therapists who have completed an Advanced
Clinical Workshop (Part 3) with Laurel Parnell.
Recommended reading: Parnell, Transforming
Trauma: EMDR, and EMDR in the Treatment of
Adults Abused as Children.
Body, Mind, Heart, and Soul:
A Transforming Path of Practice
George Leonard, Annie Styron Leonard
& Pamela Kramer
This workshop is devoted to Integral
Transformative Practice (ITP), an experimental program founded by George Leonard and
Michael Murphy. This practice is currently
spreading throughout the U.S. and to many
foreign lands. Studies of ITP at major universities suggest that it not only enhances our
ability to realize more of our human potential
but also serves in many cases to increase our
capacities for self-healing.
This primarily hands-on workshop is
designed to be of value to those who have
never heard of ITP as well as to those who
already practice it regularly, for those who
intend to start a practice group as well as
those who simply want to enjoy a meaningful
weeklong experience which can point the
way toward a long-term, proven practice.
You will have a chance to learn a forty-minute
series that includes physical movement, transformative imaging, and meditation. You will
practice balancing and centering, the use of
chi, focused surrender, and the creation of
effective affirmations. You will be introduced
to the principles that underlie the practice.
You will try out a form of “staying current” as
well as other forms of interpersonal relations
which can help you avoid misunderstandings
and enrich your relationships.
This workshop involves physical movement
but is not strenuous. All that’s needed is a generous heart and a willingness to participate.
Recommended reading and videotape:
Leonard & Murphy, The Life We Are Given;
Leonard, Mastery and The Tao of Practice (videotape); Murphy, The Future of the Body.
The Heart of the Shaman
Richard Yensen Pérez-Venero &
Donna Dryer Pérez-Venero
“The shamanic awakening,” write Richard and
Donna, “is a mythic and poetic spiritual journey of initiation. In this work we learn to
honor our innermost wounding experiences
and use them as a portal into the spirit world.
The journey of death and rebirth awakens our
capacity to be compassionate and loving. A circle of trust developed through ritual will carry
us through the crack between the worlds.
Both ancient and modern practices will be
used to enter shamanic trance, experience
deep catharsis, and find the path with heart.”
Come prepared to use this shamanic environment as a sacred vessel for deep personal
exploration and spiritual growth. This workshop is physically demanding, personally
revealing, and includes an all-night ceremony.
Because of the special nature of this work,
enrollment is limited.
The Intimate Couple: An Integrative
Body Psychotherapy (IBP) Workshop
Jack Rosenberg & Beverly Morse
Trust, love, erotic sexuality, and a core experience of self are building blocks for a vital relationship. Yet, unless our bodies are awakened,
these remain elusive ideas rather than familiar body feelings. Until we recognize the
themes that distort our views, cause our prejudgments, and perpetuate old defensive patterns, it is difficult to trust or be trusted. For a
conscious relationship, or even just one that
works well over time, we must know ourselves and have practical body-mind mentalhealth tools to resolve the inevitable dilemmas that interrupt our sense of well-being.
Today, most couples want an equal and reciprocal relationship, but few know how to
accomplish this attunement of partnership.
Once you simultaneously experience the
internal feeling of self and attunement with
your partner—and know what gets in the
way—you will know how you got there and
how to achieve it again and again.
Designed as a preventive model, this workshop can help you uncover the key undermining themes in your relationship and provide tools to deal with them before they
become terminal problems. It will also provide tools for experiencing heightened aliveness, sustaining a sense of self in the body,
making sex better, and an opening to existential/spiritual themes of intimacy and aging.
With IBP, couples can learn how to regain
their hope and excitement.
Please note: This workshop is for couples only.
Recommended reading: Rosenberg & Morse,
The Intimate Couple; Rosenberg, Rand & Asay,
Body, Self, and Soul; Rosenberg, Total Orgasm.
The Upledger Institute’s Visceral
Manipulation I-A
Visceral Manipulation (VM) is a manual therapy that uses specifically placed pressure to
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DANIEL BIANCHETTA
encourage normal mobility, tone, and inherent tissue motion of the viscera (internal
organs) and their connective tissues. The VM
process is based on the concept that each of
the internal organs rotates on a physiological
axis. The VM techniques have the potential to
affect the physiological function of individual
organs, the systems they function within, and
the structural integrity of the entire body.
VM I-A is the first in the two-part introductory level of VM study. Participants will be
given the basic manual skills to locate, evaluate, and normalize primary areas of dysfunction within the abdominal cavity (with the
exception of the deepest visceral layer). Class
work focuses on the dynamics of motion and
suspension and their effects on internal
organs, membranes, and ligaments.
through The Upledger Institute only. Please
call 1-800-233-5880.
Required reading: Barral, Visceral Manipulation;
Netter, Atlas of Human Anatomy or Clemente,
Atlas of the Human Body.
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Who Am I, Really? How Our Wounds
Can Lead to Healing
Joe Cavanaugh
essence of our soul, which is simply love. This
frees our energy to love and accept ourselves
for who we really are and develop empathy
and compassion for the suffering of others.”
Through love all pain is turned to medicine.
— Rumi
“Most of us,” writes Joe Cavanaugh, “have
experienced some degree of loss, betrayal, or
wounding of our hearts from simply being
human in a world of drama, uncertainty, and
change. It is easy to overidentify with our
pain, get caught in our personal drama, and
reinforce a false identity based on our past
wounds. Or we may deny the drama all
together, detach from our pain, and attempt to
live ‘happily ever after’ in our heads. And
then, to paraphrase Carl Jung, what we don’t
handle consciously is relegated to the unconscious and happens to us by fate. Either way,
we lose touch with who we really are and suffer the greatest wound of all—the illusion of
separation from the sanctity of our soul.
“Through personal and interpersonal processes we will create a safe space to heal our
wounds, let go, and move on. Using selfawareness tools, we will learn how to access
our Authentic Self and penetrate into the
Prerequisite: The willingness to abstain from
alcohol and nonprescription drugs for the
duration of the workshop.
Recommended reading: Cavanaugh, Who Am
I, Really? How Our Wounds Can Lead to Healing.
Experiencing Esalen
Fundraising From the Heart
Lynne Twist
All of us are asked to fundraise for an important cause at some point in our lives.
Happily, anyone can learn to be effective in
asking others for money. Fundraising is an
opportunity to deepen your own principles
and strengthen the integrity of your organization so that you are successful in raising
the resources to fulfill your organization’s
mission. This workshop is designed to
empower you in your fundraising responsibilities so that you raise money with greater
joy and confidence.
Lynne Twist writes: “We will look at the nuts
and bolts of how to design fundraising strategies and conversations that are irresistible,
compelling, and that deliver phenomenal
results for you, your organization, and your
donors. We will also look at how to manage
investors so that they stay with you for life—
continuously increasing their level of contribution and participation.”
In this workshop you can learn how to:
• Fundraise successfully and effectively by
communicating with passion, heart, and
authenticity
• Examine your relationship with money and
cut through the barriers you have in asking
others to contribute
• Communicate effectively about your
organization and your initiative
• Raise money in a way that you don’t
compromise your values in order to get the
resources you need
• Take care of your donors so they stay with
you and increase their donations and
commitment
unpleasant. We become more capable of meeting each situation with spontaneity, fearlessness, and love.
Participants will be introduced to this meditation practice and the principles on which it is
based. There will be periods of silent sitting
and walking meditation as well as discussion,
providing a foundation for applying mindfulness practice to everyday life.
Introduction to Clinical Hypnosis
James Baraz
How much are you present for your own life?
Most of us spend more time in our own inner
world—worrying about the future, replaying
the past, or lost in fantasy—than experiencing
what life is offering to us right now. The present moment is where we can most directly
be intimate with our life—touched by beauty
and intimacy, while learning through the difficult lessons how to open our hearts.
Mindfulness—or vipassana—meditation is the
practice described by the Buddha for developing wisdom, compassion, and peace by learning to be mindful of what is actually happening in the present moment. Using the breath,
body sensations, thoughts, and emotions as
objects of attention, we can learn to be more
fully awake. When we see directly that the
nature of reality is change, we begin to let go
of clinging to the pleasant or avoiding the
Eric Simon
This seminar presents some of the basic theories, concepts, and applications of clinical
hypnosis. Topics to be covered include:
•
•
•
•
•
The history of hypnosis
Theories of trance and hypnosis
The neurophysiology of hypnosis
Traditional/directive hypnosis
Ericksonian/indirective hypnosis
Participants will learn beginner-level tranceinduction skills. This is an interactive, experiential workshop, and participants will learn
through practice and application on fellow
participants.
Radical Rx for Health Professionals:
Heal Thyself
Charlea Massion & Bob Stahl
Being Present for Your Life:
Introduction to Mindfulness
Meditation
Mindfulness meditation quiets the mind
by cultivating nonjudgmental awareness
and develops our potential to experience
each moment, no matter how unexpected
or intense, with serenity and clarity.
Participants will learn practices such as
the body scan as well as meditations during
sitting, eating, walking, and stretching.
These practices support the caregiver’s health
and can be extended to families, colleagues,
patients, and clients.
“We care for others,” write the leaders, “but
how about ourselves? Both in our training
and our everyday work as health professionals, we focus on care of patients, clients, and
their families. Daily we encounter people
who are in pain, suffering intensely, and in
major life crises. As professionals we are
expected not only to apply knowledge and
technical expertise but to respond with empathy and compassion, regardless of our own
physical, emotional, and spiritual difficulties.
Typically there are few opportunities to
‘metabolize’ the grief, sorrow, and discomfort
that we intimately experience in our work.”
This workshop—for health professionals—will
focus on identifying, exploring, and improving health practices of the caregiver. Through
mindfulness meditation, transformative writing, group discussion, and other modalities,
participants will learn skills that support
health professionals in caring for themselves
as well as others.
Uncovering Self-Betrayal Retreat
Gangaji & Eli Jaxon-Bear
We all yearn for freedom and truth in the core
of our being, and many people have experienced deep moments of profound realization.
Yet, even in the face of this knowledge of the
boundless truth of oneself, subconscious patterns of misidentification often persist.
Insights gained from the Enneagram can help
uncover these latent patterns and bring them
to the foreground. This ancient “wisdom mirror” clearly describes the nine variations of
self-betrayal—the nine ways in which the ego
veils the limitless expanse of conscious intelligence that is the true self.
“Uncovering Self-Betrayal” is for those who
have heard the call of their heart and are
ready to be finished with a life of suffering.
This retreat provides a fresh, effective vehicle
for self-inquiry, bringing subconscious patterns to light and exposing the roots of egoic
constructs. When all false identification is
seen through, the eternal, silent truth of oneself is revealed—and establishment in self-realization is possible.
Audio and video recordings will be made at
this retreat. A large enrollment is expected.
Zen and Tao: The Hero’s Journey
Chungliang Al Huang & Robert Walter
Tao master/scholar Chungliang Al Huang, a
longtime collaborator with Joseph Campbell,
joins Joseph Campbell Foundation president
Robert Walter for a lively exploration of the
Hero’s Journey and its manifestations in an
array of eastern philosophies.
39
Over the course of the weekend, the program
will delve into the deeper meaning of classic
Chinese teachings and reflect on their application to modern living. Participants will
explore an array of fundamental metaphors,
trace the sequential stages of life, and chart
the symbolic parallels between Zen teachings,
Taoist insights, and the stages of the Hero’s
Journey as outlined by Campbell in his bestselling book The Hero with A Thousand Faces.
Prepare to be inspired, stimulated, provoked,
and encouraged to be the hero of your own
life as you follow your bliss and embark on
your unique journey.
Acupressure Energy
Pauline Kirby
Traditional acupuncture is a healing art and
science that teaches one how to see the entire
human being in relationship to the body,
mind, and spirit. It is a form of healing that
emphasizes balance and harmony, focusing
on health rather than disease.
This workshop will explore the five elements
used in traditional Chinese medicine, following the metaphor that the body is a garden
rather than a machine. The course will look
closely at the body’s energy system and examine how these meridian pathways can
enhance one’s health. Concepts of traditional
acupuncture and acupressure will be demonstrated and discussed, including pulse diagnosis, the flow of meridian pathways, point location, an in-depth study of the five elements,
and special application for stress reduction
and health maintenance.
and uplifts the spirit. Although this workshop is designed for the “yogically challenged,” everyone is welcome. With Big Sur’s
coastal beauty, the power and spirit of the
Esalen land, it is easy to fall into the natural
rhythm of practicing yoga.
sciousness. Participants will experience how
subtle energy and intention can restructure
physical matter (evidenced by verifiable
changes in water, wine, and oranges) and
effect profound change deep within the inner
self. This seminar will help you learn how to:
Please bring a yoga mat (available in the
Esalen bookstore) and a sense of humor (not
available in the bookstore).
• Establish a loving, healing presence in
alignment with your spiritual essence
• Detect and evaluate subtle energies with
your mind, heart, and hands
• Activate the body’s immune system to help
transform illness into wellness
• Recognize, understand, release, and reform
energy patterns that are sources of illness
• Bring peace, power, and intuitive guidance
into your life and the lives of others
Writing About Our Lives
Ellen Bass
“The philosophy behind this workshop experience,” writes Ellen Bass, “is best expressed by
Martha Graham, who said, ‘There is a vitality, a
life-force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action. And because
there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never
exist through any other medium, and be lost.
The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is, nor how
valuable, nor how it compares with other
expressions. It is your business to keep it yours
clearly and directly, to keep the channel open.’
“This workshop will help keep the channels
open. It will be an inspiring environment in
which to write, share our work, and receive
supportive feedback. We’ll help each other to
become clearer, go deeper, express our feelings and ideas more powerfully. From beginners to experienced, all writers are welcome.
Whether you are interested in poetry, fiction,
nonfiction, or journal writing, this workshop
will provide an opportunity to explore and
expand your world.”
Yoga for the “Yogically Challenged”
Core Holoenergetics®: The Art and
Science of Healing with Love
Deborah Anne Medow
Leonard Laskow
Do you avoid yoga classes because you’re “of a
certain age,” or you’re just too stiff, or you don’t
have a “yoga body”? This is a yoga workshop
designed with you in mind.
Holoenergetic® healing, a process of “healing
with the energy of the whole,” is based upon
dissolving the illusion of separation which is
at the core of illness. It takes enormous energy to maintain the misperception that we are
not one interconnected whole but only many
individuals. Through heart awakening,
Holoenergetics can help us come into wholeness and liberate this bound energy, which
can then be used for growth and healing.
In this program—for people who ordinarily
wouldn’t be caught dead doing the “corpse
pose”—participants will be gently guided
through breathing exercises (purifications),
meditation, asanas (yogic body postures), and
the coordination of breath and movement
within the asanas. Additional emphasis will
be on yogic philosophy and theory.
With regular practice, yoga not only strengthens, rejuvenates, and helps to heal the body, it
also calms the emotions, focuses the mind,
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In this hands-on seminar, Dr. Laskow will
introduce heart-focused energy healing and
present breakthrough scientific research that
integrates the advances of medical science
with the unifying power of a loving con-
Recommended reading: Laskow, Healing with
Love.
No Sense: A Brief Primer in
Awakening the Senses and
Optimal Functioning
Brita Ostrom & Guest Teachers
Sometimes the world doesn’t make sense. At
these times, we feel lost, not because of our
senses, but because of their lack—we’ve lost
the ability to inform intelligent functioning
with our sensory experience. This workshop
offers a sense-opening experience designed to
dislodge hidden obstructions and reawaken
our capacity to be fully present and responsive.
Research indicates that as eyes and ears
become overloaded and we lose touch with
those around us, we experience a corresponding increase in depression, high blood pressure, and decreased productivity. Yet as we
begin to track our sensations and emotional
tones, we make more creative decisions, communicate more authentically, live life more
fully.
Brita Ostrom writes: “A moment spent
perched cliffside or a short stroll through the
Esalen Garden can rekindle sensory experience long forgotten in our too-busy world—to
be fully present, fresh for the wind on our
face and the smell of the earth. Brief massage
instruction will tone our hands and bring
ease to our body. Gestalt work will ground
our thought process in our senses and reveal
which parts of the picture we tend to ignore.
Meditation will offer a regular practice in
presence. Our awakened mind will become
‘response-able’ to our joys and sorrows, our
relationships, and our healthy functioning.”
This course is for those wanting a fresh perspective and fuller, more balanced functioning, couples seeking a a more intimate connection, as well helping professionals seeking
new skills. Please bring comfortable walking
shoes.
Dialogue with the Dalai Lama; Gilligan,
Therapeutic Trances: The Cooperation Principle in
Ericksonian Hypnotherapy; Levine, Waking the
Tiger: Healing Trauma; Rossi, The Psychobiology
of Mind-Body Healing.
Visionseeker I: Shamanism and the
Modern Mystical Movement
Hank Wesselman & Jill Kuykendall
The rediscovery of shamanism has emerged
as a major thrust in the spiritual reawakening
of the Western world. The techniques of traditional shamans provide an extraordinary
method for accessing hidden dimensions of
reality and connecting with inner sources of
power and wisdom.
From Symptom to Solution:
The Skillful Intervention—
A Clinical Practicum
Ronald Alexander
Symptoms are unique forms of communication…
— Milton Erickson
Milton Erickson held that psychosomatic
symptoms were a direct gateway to the healing power of the creative unconscious.
Through the wisdom of this approach, one can
see these symptoms as solutions, or psychological and spiritual learnings, for generating
positive therapeutic outcomes for unusual and
difficult cases. This course will provide training in Erickson’s revolutionary approach as
well as clinical skills and advanced training in:
• The function of pacing and leading for
developing rapport
• Naturalistic trance for the rapid treatment
of trauma, pain, and destructive emotions
• Framing, reframing, and de-framing
patterns and core beliefs
• Somatic approaches for regulating flowstate and peak performance; positive
psychology for promoting optimal states of
creativity and wellness
• Gestalt-relational process work, field theory,
and dialogue
• Buddhist psychology and meditation training
to enhance concentration and presence
Hank Wesselman writes: “We will rediscover
our indigenous heart through the classic
shamanic journey, reestablishing connections
with our spirit helpers, teachers, and ancestors, as we engage in visionary fieldwork and
examine the nature of health, illness, and
healing from the perspective of spirit medicine.” The workshop offers a clear introduction for those new to the shaman’s path, and,
for the more experienced, provides unique
material on the soul cluster from the
Hawaiian kahuna perspective.
Wesselman has worked for more than thirty
years with scientists investigating the mystery of human origins in East Africa and has
spent much of his life with indigenous people. In the 1970s, doing fieldwork in Ethiopia,
he began to have spontaneous visionary experiences strikingly like those of traditional
shamans. His wife Jill Kuykendall is a physical therapist and transpersonal medical practitioner, specializing in soul retrieval.
Bring drums and rattles, a notebook, sketchpad, a small set of oil or chalk pastels, a bandanna or eyeshade, and a light blanket. Please
refrain from alcohol during the workshop.
feedback to teach improved use of the student’s
body by identifying and changing habits that
cause stress, fatigue, and pain. Participants will
explore the principles developed by F.M.
Alexander (an actor by profession) and apply
these methods to activities from the routine to
the creative and then on to performance.
(Please bring along preselected poems, dance
routines, acting monologues, drawing/painting materials, or a musical instrument.)
Bringing into play the analogy of the performer, participants will discover, via the
Technique, how our own interpretive clichés
come from fixed postural sets. Students will
work to undo these fixed responses, thereby
inviting the more genuine to appear.
The workshop will be comprised primarily of
group activities with some individual handson work. It will involve movement, emotion,
posture, conscious intent, individual spirit,
personal expression, energy, psyche, the art of
stopping, sensory awareness, voice, breath,
gesture, guiding touch, and performance.
Participants will experience how the
Alexander Technique has applications on
many levels, from the practical to the profound.
No special talent or experience is necessary
for this workshop. Your chosen art form is to
be used as an exercise to access perception
and deepen self-understanding.
At Play in the Fields of the Lord:
A Mythological Toolbox
(13th edition, revised)
Robert Walter & The Joseph Campbell
Foundation
In Memories, Dreams, Reflections, Carl Jung tells
of the day when he suddenly realized “what it
means to live with a myth, and what it means
to live without one.” Asking himself what
myth he was living by, he found that he did
not know. And so, he writes, “I took it upon
myself to get to know ‘my’ myth, and I regarded this as the task of tasks.”
The program—a balance of theory and practice, direct experience and clinical demonstration, personal growth and professional development—is for all health professionals, educators, and consultants who want new clinical
skills for changing the way they think and
feel, and for creating opportunities for personal and/or systemic transformation. This
training offers a deeper understanding to
facilitate the healing of the body-mind—in the
self, the organization, the group field, and
with clients.
Recommended reading: Wesselman &
Kuykendall, Spirit Medicine; Wesselman, The
Journey to the Sacred Garden, and The
Spiritwalker Trilogy.
John Baron
As did mythologist Joseph Campbell. He
cited Jung’s remarks to explain why he always
celebrated his birthday by leading a workshop
at Esalen. When Campbell died in 1987, the
Joseph Campbell Foundation continued his
annual exploration of the myths that shape
our lives. This year’s program is devoted to
discovering and transforming the myths that
influence how we play the game of life.
Recommended reading: Fryba, The Art of
Happiness: The Teachings of Buddhist Psychology;
Goleman, Destructive Emotions: A Scientific
This workshop is an in-depth and entertaining
exploration of the Alexander Technique, an
educational process that uses verbal and tactile
Individual exercises, small-group activities,
and collective projects offer opportunities for
both reflection and expression. There might
Acting Lab for Life:
A Creative Exploration of
The Alexander Technique
41
be dancing, discussion, singing, or sitting quietly; making music or masks or medicine
bundles; decoding films or dreams. Yet,
always, the talk will be of transformation:
Who were you? What childhood stories were
impressed upon you? What were your
favorite games? Who are you? What is
enshrined on your mantel, or taped to your
refrigerator door? What’s secreted in the attic?
Who do you aspire to be? What new adventures
do you envision? What’s set upon your
metaphoric altar, emblazoned on your
bumper, pursued in your fantasies? If a “butterfly metamorphosis” is appealing, you’re
invited to join this springtime ritual of
rebirth. Bring a favorite game to teach, a tale
to tell, and a small totemic object that’s both
meaningful and expendable.
Foundation president Bob Walter orchestrates the festivities, joined by Tai Ji and Tao
master Chungliang Al Huang, Caldecottaward-winning author-artist Gerald
McDermott, playwright-novelist Lynne
Kaufmann, singer-songwriter Terry Lupton,
and other special guests. For more information contact the Foundation at www.jcf.org.
Refining Your Touch—
Anatomy and Esalen Massage®
Laurie Lioness Parizek & Tom Case
This workshop offers an opportunity to integrate the study of the body’s intricate structures with hands-on skills. It is designed to
help participants develop “eyes in their
hands,” to effectively combine anatomical
knowledge with Esalen bodywork.
Through demonstrations and practice, and
using movement, awareness exercises, and
meditation, the workshop focuses on helping students engage and enrich their handson capability by providing increased awareness of what lies beneath the skin, what the
inner terrain looks like. This helps to deepen
the effectiveness of the work as students
become better able to visualize and feel what
is under their hands. In addition to physical
anatomy, the instructors will introduce energy anatomy, as applied to bodywork and massage, to help participants refine the quality of
their touch and work with awareness of the
energy body as well as the physical body.
The anatomy lectures will be presented simultaneously with Esalen Massage instruction.
The workshop will take place in a spirit of fun
and exploration, and much of the learning
will be experiential. It is suitable for all levels
of experience, beginner to advanced.
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Suggested reading: Clay & Pounds, Basic
Clinical Massage Therapy: Integrating Anatomy
and Treatment.
March 31–April 28
28-Day Practitioner Certification
Training: An Embodied Philosophy
Dean Marson, Brita Ostrom & Pablo Piekar
For workshop description see Special
Programs, page 80.
Change and Transformation:
The Tao of Creative Transitions
Chungliang Al Huang
In this weekend workshop, Chungliang Al
Huang—philosopher, Tai Ji Master, and mentor in Tao living—will share with participants
ways of being throughout life’s many transitions, shaping these inevitable changes into
creative process and powerful transformation. Through active spiritual, emotional,
and physical meditative practice, the workshop will tap into the wisdom sources from
East/West traditions, focusing on the
insightful awareness and teachings of the I
Ching, the ancient Book of Change and
Transformation.
Weekend of March 31–April 2
Essential Tai Ji warmups will be part of the
program.
The Problem of Boundaries in
Religion, Personal Life, and Society
Helping Communities at Risk
Peggy & Don Shriver
We all experience boundaries or limits on our
behavior and involvement in the lives of
other people, as they do in relation to us. This
workshop explores the lines we draw, in both
our thinking and our action, that establish
those boundaries. They are necessary, inadequate, sometimes unfair, and need vigilant
review. Do “good fences make good neighbors”?
This workshop will look at the tensions in
religion between exclusion and inclusion
both in faith and practice—i.e. fundamentalisms of the religious right and left. Are permeable boundaries possible?Participants in
the workshop will discuss their experiences
both of inclusion and exclusion in relation to
some religious groups. What draws some
individuals toward one pole or the other?
Similarly, the workshop will look at personal
relationships, politics, and the criminal justice
system to examine the role of boundaries.
What are the important uses of forgiveness
and repentance in these human and social
relationships? Of “restorative justice”? Varied
approaches and resources will be employed,
such as film, poetry, case studies, storytelling
and small sharing groups in addition to lecture/discussions.
This public workshop is presented in connection with the Esalen Center for Theory and
Research (CTR) invitational conference,
“Symposium on Christian Fundamentalism,”
April 2-7, at which the Shrivers are participants/presenters.
Mark Fairfield
Harm reduction provides an approach to
working with those who cannot consistently
abstain from high-risk behaviors. Leaning on
a Gestalt therapy foundation, Mark Fairfield
will define a radical communitarian
approach to minimizing harm among vulnerable communities. This approach supports individuals to increase awareness of
the impact of risk behaviors on the broader
environment while also raising community
awareness of the needs of individuals for a
different kind of support. A basic assumption of the Gestalt therapy/harm-reduction
framework is that dependency is an unavoidable and often valuable connection with an
ongoing support rather than unhealthy
entrapment.
This workshop offers training in Gestalt
therapy and harm reduction to mentalhealth professionals and chemical-dependency counselors. Emphasis is given to
working with those who are substancedependent, those who practice high-risk
sexual behaviors, and the mentally ill and
indigent. Multicultural themes will figure
prominently.
This workshop is a follow-up to the Harm
Reduction training offered in June of 2005,
though it is also designed to accommodate
participants who did not attend the June
workshop.
Heart and Soul: Before and After
Coronary Heart Disease
Henry Sibbing & Ken Bortin
Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading
cause of death and disability in the United
States today. Participants in this workshop
will learn proactive ways to prevent and
reverse coronary heart disease. The program
will address and offer information and
analysis of lifestyle factors contributing to
CHD as well as important facts and concepts regarding heart disease and its effect
on the quality of one’s life. Experiential
activities will create deeper levels of understanding of chronic problems and their
solutions.
Relationship: A Spiritual Journey
Mary Goldenson
Relationships present profound opportunities
for personal development and spiritual fulfillment. Healthy relationships are the foundation
of healthy families and ultimately a healthy
society. If we embrace the challenges of our
relationships they become great teachers, mirrors reflecting unseen and often rejected parts
of ourselves. Relationships provide the opportunity to experience both our greatest pain and
joy. The challenge of this journey is to:
• Open ourselves to all of life—suffering and
joy, success and failure, gain and loss
• Fully acknowledge to ourselves the truth of
who we are
• Commit to living our deepest values and
dreams, and make powerful choices to
actualize them
This workshop is for all who wish to look
deeply into themselves and their lives
through their relationships: fathers and mothers, daughters and sons, lovers and partners.
Come alone or together. In a supportive environment, you will have the opportunity to
heal old wounds, learn new skills to help you
in troubled times, and actively create the
heartfelt and spiritual relationships you
desire. The workshop will draw from Gestalt,
Reichian work, dance, imagery, and meditation to make it easier to express your truth
and take responsibility for your feelings.
DANIEL BIANCHETTA
Participants will learn behavioral skills that
result in a healthier heart and a happier and
more fulfilling life, such as: the role of exercise and diet in reversing coronary heart disease; living well after a cardiac event; the keys
of reversing coronary heart disease; recognizing, facing, and educating about depression
and loss of self-esteem; and an introduction to
cardiac counseling. Participants will:
• Develop a life-mission statement, including
values and practices
• Learn to act in concert with the life-mission
statement
• Learn organizational and time-management
skills
• Create a diet and exercise program
• Learn strategies to manage stress
• Participate in group sessions led by a
licensed professional counselor who has
himself had invasive heart surgery (a heart
transplant)
43
Week of April 2–7
tion, including how to register, see Special
Programs, page 80.
The Psychology of Investing:
A Survival Guide for 2006 and Beyond
Approved for CMEs for physicians.
John Schott
cal journey, you’ll create bull-kelp and gourd
rattles. The end of each day will be devoted to
learning how to play these unique creations.
All workshop materials will be provided.
This workshop, presented by Harvard
Medical School, is designed to apply psychology and psychoanalysis to an understanding of the investment process. The
course instructor, John Schott, is both a psychiatrist and a registered investment advisor
with the SEC, as well as the author of Mind
Over Money.
The workshop will cover the psychology of
money, greed, and aggression, and describe
group dynamics, the psychology of crowd,
and their relationships to the stock market.
Participants will discuss quantitative methods
for measuring these forces.
Additional topics include the neurotic
issues related to the handling of money and
investments, and transference and countertransference issues related to money in psychotherapy.
Addictions and Recovery
Guillermo Martinez
Richard Balaban & Julie Bowden
This multifaceted program will unravel,
through music, the connection that the original people of the Americas had with the
earth. Experiential, informative, and creative,
the workshop will intensively explore the historical significance of the musical trinity of
flute, drum, and rattle.
Were you a child growing up in a home where
life revolved around alcohol? A teenager whose
experimental substance-use developed into
repetitive abuse? An adult whose spouse’s
promises to quit drinking went unfulfilled? This
workshop is designed for individuals and couples who wish to heal the psychological wounds
caused by one’s own or a loved one’s addiction,
and to move beyond pain and disconnection.
This musical journey will begin as you make
your own Native American flute using aromatic cedar, the traditional wood for a
Northern Plains-style flute (no woodworking
experience is necessary—basic woodworking
skills like gluing, clamping, and planing will
be thoroughly covered). Next, you’ll fashion a
16” hand drum of elkskin and maple, weaving
a medicine wheel into the back of your heirloom-quality drum to make it something to
cherish always. Finally, to complete the musi-
Living with addictions makes the normal passage through life’s developmental stages difficult. Expression of feelings, awareness of
needs, establishment of trust, intimacy, and
self-esteem, success in relationships—these are
but a few of the important tasks of growing
into a competent human being that are
thwarted by addictions.
ATTILA VAAS
This program is offered in conjunction with
Harvard Medical School. For more informa-
Voices of Creation: Native American
Instrument Making and Playing
44
The workshop will use a variety of psychotherapeutic modalities including experiential exercises, writing, role-play, and guided
imagery. Write the leaders: “We will journey
together in acknowledgement of an inner
voice pointing us toward health, effective
change, enhanced relationships, genuine intimacy, and spiritual growth.”
Participants are asked to forgo alcohol and
nonprescription drugs during this five-day
period to help create a safe atmosphere where
core issues and transformation are more likely to emerge.
If there is unresolved pain keeping you from
your best self, and if addictions have had too
much power over your life, this workshop is
for you.
An Introduction to the Healing Art
of Esalen Massage®
Perry Holloman & Deborah Anne Medow
This workshop is for anyone interested in
learning the world-renowned practice of
Esalen Massage. For beginners as well as experienced professionals, this program offers
tools for transforming how we utilize touch.
Esalen has long been a Mecca for creative pioneers in nontraditional approaches to health
and well-being. In the area of massage and
bodywork, great masters such as Ida Rolf
(Rolfing), Moshe Feldenkrais
(The Feldenkrais Method), Dr. Randolph
Stone (Polarity Therapy), Milton Trager
(Psychophysical Integration), and many more
have graced Esalen’s grounds, profoundly
impacting the evolution of Esalen Massage.
Within the signature structure of long, flowing strokes, the best of their teachings has
been incorporated into Esalen Massage sessions, which is highly creative as well as effective in relieving pain and unwinding stress.
The leaders write: “Please join us for this journey into the oldest healing art practiced at
Esalen. With our hands, we will learn to listen
to and help each other find what may be out
of balance in our bodies, minds, and hearts.
With our sensitivity, we will support one
another in restoring that balance, which
brings with it vitality, clarity, and a sense of
ease in our daily lives. With our spirits, we
will dance with the powerful forces of the
natural beauty of Esalen.”
Please bring your favorite CDs for massage or
movement, a welcoming heart, and a good
sense of humor.
Balance: It’s Never Too Late
to Stop the Pain
Jean Couch
How do you walk through the world? Are you
open, strong, expansive, active, alive? Or are
you closed off, weak, in pain, constricted, passive? How you walk, stand, and sit in the
world reveals who you are.
This workshop is for anyone from yoga practitioners to runners, walkers, or computer
nerds, and everyone in between. The goal is to
teach you—no matter what your age—the fundamentals of using your skeletal system to
support your body in balance so that your
muscles remain pliant, flexible, and powerful
throughout your life.
Aging is usually associated with stooped, shortened, weakened bodies. In this workshop, you
will be shown how to achieve a balanced posture that increases your flexibility, maintains
length in your torso, and dramatically reduces
the stresses and strains that cause chronic pain
and discomfort. You will learn to walk and sit
in a way that frees you from pain and constriction, and empowers you with strength and selfconfidence. Other benefits:
• Learn how to realign your bones as you
walk, stand, sit, bend, and sleep
• Dramatically improve your walking and
running as you acquire balance
• Dissolve aches and pains
• Receive personalized feedback thoughout
the class
Weekend of April 7–9
Beyond Sustainability:
An Introduction to Permaculture
Larry Santoyo & John Valenzuela
Permaculture is the art and science that
applies patterns found in nature to the design
and construction of human and natural environments. The principles, strategies, and techniques of Permaculture Design offer practical
solutions for solving energy, food, water, and
shelter needs but, more importantly, it gives
us the necessary skills for decision-making,
problem-solving and teaches us invaluable
skills for “solution multiplying.”
Permaculture Design is now being adapted to
all systems and disciplines that human settlement requires. Architects, planners, farmers,
economists, social workers, as well as students, homeowners, and gardeners can all uti-
lize the principles of Permaculture Design.
Come see what people are calling “tremendously hopeful” and “life-changing.”
Procedures of ecological site-planning and
property design will enable participants to
adapt patterns of nature to their residential,
ranch, retreat, or ecovillage projects. Learn
about natural building, food forestry, and edible landscaping techniques to help design and
develop your complete “Home Ecosystem.”
Through lecture, storytelling, and direct
observation of nature, renowned designers
Santoyo and Valenzuela will introduce the
concepts of pattern literacy, indicators of sustainability, and offer a simple frame work for
sustainable design.
This workshop examines the most inspiring
examples of human ingenuity and sustainable
solutions ever documented.
The Abrahamic Family Reunion:
How to Get Jews, Christians, and
Muslims to Attend
Joseph Montville
The deeper we look into the core sacred literature of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the
greater the evidence of continuity in the
social values of each. The key is in focusing on
prophetic teaching. A pagan asked Rabbi
Hillel, who lived in Palestine shortly before
Jesus was born, to explain Judaism in the time
that a man could stand on one foot. Hillel
said, “Do not do to your neighbor anything
that would hurt you. This is the whole teaching of Judaism. The rest is commentary.” Jesus,
the pious, observant Jew, carried on this tradition with special blessings for the meek, the
poor, and the peacemakers. And so did
Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, who
stressed that social justice meant a society
cared for the weak and the poor, the widows
and the orphans, and even those who needed
a loan to get back on their feet. Today’s bleeding-heart liberalism was born in the Torah, in
the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament,
and in the revelations of Muhammad in the
Koran.
But a harsh history has separated the three
faith communities: exile for the Jews after the
Romans destroyed the Second Temple in
Jerusalem; writings in the Gospel of John that
laid the basis for almost 2000 years of
Christian persecution of Jews on the charge
of being Christ-killers; dynastic battles by
Muslim tribes who fought to rule after
Muhammad died, launching an imperial
expansion later pushed back by European
45
Christians who, in turn, imposed rule on
Muslims from Africa to Indonesia. In the
20th century, the Holocaust gave the final
thrust to the establishment of Israel; the resistance of Arabs and Muslims to that fact led to
political upheavals, terrorism, and Israeli
retaliation, with the Jewish-Muslim-Christian
political conflict exploding into America in
September 2001.
This workshop will cut through the “story” to
reveal the shared ethics of the prophets of
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam that sparkle
like jewels beneath the detritus of history.
And it will outline healing, reconciliation
processes that Jews, Christians, and Muslims
can undertake individually and jointly to
draw the Abrahamic family back together
again.
“Symposium on Christian Fundamentalism,”
April 2-7, at which Joseph Montville is a
convener/presenter.
Recovery After the Loss of a Partner:
Taking Back Your Life and Moving
Forward
Gary & Kathy Young
The death of a partner can affect you in illogical, unpredictable ways, for an unpredictable
length of time. While many myths exist about
the condition of grief and loss, reality, nurturing, and support are what’s needed. The issues
are countless, the road to recovery difficult.
The goal is, of course, quality survival: preserving the cherished memories for yourself
and for the legacy of the person you lost.
You are not alone. Gary and Kathy Young are
national support leaders who both lost
young spouses. Using simple exercises, support methods, and guidance, they will help
you reclaim function as well as an appreciation for the mystery and beauty of life.
Physical and verbal interventions will clarify
your understanding, opening you to new
growth. Improvisation, journaling, and
hands-on techniques will bring you back to
community.
Some of the issues to be covered are: What
is/is not grief? “Seeing” a future. Labels.
Betrayal. Expectations (your own and others’).
Pain, your unwanted “friend.” Unexplainable
afterlife occurrences. Guilt. Sympathy. Fear of
happiness. Anniversaries. Debts. Unexpected
gifts. Crying. Humor. Children. Dating.
Recovery does not mean forgetting or restor46
ing the past, but embracing it and moving
ahead.
Recommended reading: G. & K. Young: Loss
and Found: Surviving the Loss of a Young Partner.
inner state of healing consciousness from
which to make contact, and by finding ease of
movement in your own body, you’ll find that
giving a massage can be as pleasurable as
receiving one.
All levels of experience are welcome.
Finding Your Deepest Purpose
Rich Berrett
Many of us live much of our lives without
presence or awareness of the way we are living. It is as though our lives are living us,
rather than the other way around. One major
indication of this is finding emptiness in our
accomplishments. Academic degrees, monetary wealth, success, status—they often leave
us asking, “Is that all there is?” Joseph
Campbell recommended, as the most significant quest in life, that we seek our bliss. This
workshop is an exploration of that all-toooften unexplored yet, paradoxically, most satisfying treasure: our purpose.
This experiential course is designed to help
you contact and express your deepest desires.
Through imagery, movement, sculpting, art,
reflective writing, and music, the workshop
will help you connect with the wisest and
most loving part of yourself, your inner wisdom, and explore the purpose of your life. By
listening to your inner voice, you become
more present to who you really are, beneath
the familiar thoughts, habits, and patterns of
living.
In addition, there will be exercises to enable
your imagination to create a personal “special
place,” a place which is beautiful, peaceful,
secure, and rich in wisdom. With these
resources from within, you can achieve your
deepest desires.
Weekend Massage: A Spring Renewal
Intensive
Char Pias & Jessica Fagan
Replenish your spirit with the healing power
of nature and the healing nature of touch.
With its nurturing contact and long integrative strokes, Esalen Massage® provides a feeling of deep relaxation and wholeness.
Through brief lectures, demonstrations, and
practice, you will become familiar with the
long flowing strokes, which are the heartbeat
of Esalen Massage. The course’s focus will be
on quality of touch and effortlessness. The
workshop will also emphasize self-care as well
as body- and breath-awareness through movement and meditation. By developing the
Week of April 9–14
Creating a Culture of Peace:
Communication, Connection,
Freedom
Jean Morrison & Martine Amita Algier
This workshop is an opportunity for a deep
consciousness shift directly related to how we
can each effectively contribute to building a
sustainable, worldwide culture of peace. The
workshop’s co-created processes—interactive,
playful, experiential learning and time spent
connecting creatively in small-group or paired
exchanges—focus on liberating ourselves from
judging self and others; taking things personally; acting from fear, duty, obligation, and
guilt; and suffering in anger and depression.
This enables the experience of more joy and
freedom by expressing ourselves honestly
without blame, shame, or criticism; hearing
others’ pain without trying to fix them; seeing
our needs as gifts; and creating new strategies
that meet core needs.
This workshop is designed so that you’ll leave
with: a deeper understanding of the habits of
mind and culture that promote misunderstandings, discord, and even violence; skills
for transforming conflict into peaceful dialogue; and ways to shift relationships from
surviving to thriving.
The workshop is led by two Certified
Nonviolent Communication (NVC) Trainers
with over 40 combined years of experience in
working with individuals, couples, families,
schools, businesses, and groups. NVC is being
shared around the world by its founder, Dr.
Marshall B. Rosenberg, and over 200 certified
trainers. It is now widely known for its dramatic successes in war-torn countries, in schools,
homes, prisons, corporations, healthcare, and
government institutions for social change, and
with intimate personal relationships.
Recommended reading: Rosenberg,
Nonviolent Communication.
Reading the Patterns of the
Landscape: An In-depth Introduction
to Permaculture Design
Larry Santoyo & John Valenzuela
Permaculture Design is a modern distillation
of our ancestral understanding of natural
processes and their connection to the success
of human endeavors.
In the geometry of nature, predictable patterns emerge—orders of streams, the branching of trees, even the blowing wind is filled
with valuable lessons of natural design—all to
teach us the highest and most effective use of
energy and the best use of Earth’s precious
resources. Participants in this workshop will
study ancient arts of earth stewardship and
develop their own set of sustainable living
skills.
Within the flow of Earth’s elements lie the
energies that shape the landscape, the natural
landscape of plants and animals, and the landscape of culture: that of people, commerce,
and community. By understanding the patterns of the natural landscape we can better
understand the patterns of the cultural landscape. Permaculture thus offers a framework
for design and simple protocols for decisionmaking and problem-solving.
Learn natural building, food forestry, and edible landscaping techniques to help you create
a complete “Home Ecosystem.” Finding your
right livelihood, as well as strategies for ecovillages and community projects, will also be
explored.
Through storytelling and experiential exercises, renowned Permaculture Designers
Santoyo and Valenzuela will lead students
through the procedures of planning and
design. Participants will learn practical solutions that adapt patterns of nature to their
home, farm, retreat or ecovillage projects.
The Essentials: Simple, Reliable
Skills, Tools, and Perspectives for
Mastering Life’s Challenges
David Schiffman
In celebration of his 35 years of uninterrupted devotion to Esalen’s uniquely integrative
views of body, mind, and spirit, David
Schiffman writes: “Learning how to help people minimize wasted time and unnecessary
suffering has been my greatest lesson. This
workshop will be aimed at creating a more
economical, hopeful, wise, clear-eyed estimation of our potential as we answer the essential questions: Am I ready to:
• Show up for the life I want to live?
• Know myself thoroughly and well—
emotionally, physically, and spiritually?
• Accept exactly who I am at this stage of my
life without shame and hesitation?
• Act wisely and clearly from my knowledge?
• Go after what I really want, in a good way,
and ask for the help I need to do it?
• Accept graciously what I get, without losing
hope or momentum?
• Know where I belong and who I belong
with?
• Have a clear mission/vision/dream at the
heart of my life?
“Together we will cultivate elegant ways of
being that ground us in essential authenticity—to stand strongly for the fundamental
truths of our lives. We will open to and consider the emotional intelligence necessary to
express our needs with astute appreciation for
timing and attunement in all our relations by
using the practical skills and tools of open,
heartfelt sharing, energetic studies, creative
movement, music, appropriate use of ceremony, and spirit-family-style celebration.”
Reclaiming the Man in the Mirror:
Sex, Love, and Commitment for Gay
Men
Joe Kort
This workshop focuses on sex, love, and intimacy among gay men. “Most people,” writes
Joe Kort, “gay and straight alike, do not know
if their sexual fantasies and/or sexual acts are
healthy versus unhealthy. The secret logic of
sexual fantasies and desires can help unlock
information stored away in a gay man’s history that can help him enjoy his sexuality even
more. There is an erotic intelligence that can
teach a person how to know and understand
himself in a deeper way.”
This workshop starts out with the sexual
aspects of relationships and moves to love and
commitment. Gay men will learn the mystery
of why they are drawn to Mr. Right and how
to stay connected and partnered with the man
of their dreams. This workshop will focus on
how to incorporate sex, love, and intimacy,
and how to keep and maintain a relationship.
BodyWave™ and SpiritWeavesª
Carl Chase (CC) & Michael Skelton
Carl Chase (CC) and Michael Skelton have
combined their love for bodywork and dance
to bring about a union of flow, motion, inspiration, and a profound connection to the
inner self.
BodyWave, developed by CC, is a style of
bodywork that keeps the body in a constant
state of motion and touch, instilling a deep
state of relaxation using simple rocking movements. This fluid state reminds us of how our
life began—in the womb—and creates a sense
of relaxation and openness that allows easy
access to the tense places we hold in our bodies—and in our lives. In counterpart, Michael
Skelton’s SpiritWeaves teaches dance as
improvisation, inspiring liberation in the
body through movement, supporting individuals in unmasking the mystery of their own
dance, letting go of that which is resisted, and
moving into the center of the self.
Both teachers are passionate about supporting
others through their different, yet complementary, connections with the body. They invite anyone who would like to experience more freedom
within and without to come share in this singular integration of physical art forms.
Experiencing Esalen
A Labor-of-Love Yoga Retreat
“Many of us come to the yoga practice to heal
and fine-tune our physical bodies,” writes
Thomas. “Others come because of a gnawing
feeling that something is not complete, that
there must be more to life than what meets
the eye. Truly, the physical practice of hatha
yoga opens many doors to our own spiritual
mansion. The apparent paradox is that the
physical practice which grounds us in our
bodies actually encourages the opening of the
chakras (energy centers). The opening of the
heart chakra is the doorway to the higher
spiritual self. In yoga we call this bhakti—love
and devotion for the divine, the unification of
personal love with universal love.
“This is the theme of our weekend retreat. As
we explore the love of our practice, ourselves,
and each other, we can have the experience of
lightness, fun, playfulness, and bliss. Sat chit
ananda is the nature of the Supreme Reality.
Sat is Being, that which exists in all times, in all
places, and in all things; chit is Consciousness,
47
that which illumines all things; and ananda is
supreme Bliss.
Participants will engage the practices of
pranayama and meditation in the early mornings, have an active asana practice midmorning, and a more restorative practice in the
afternoon.
in Sports, the Performing Arts, and
the Worksite
Daniel Brown
This workshop, presented by Harvard
Medical School, is designed for health professionals who work with clients wishing to
enhance performance in avocational or professional sports, the performing arts, or their
daily work. The seminar will familiarize participants with the research on peak performance and teach interventions for emotional
states and conflicts that hinder and enhance
peak performance, as well as interventions
for relaxing and energizing the body.
Additionally, the course will present mentalimagery skills for peak performance and
interventions for training concentration
skills. It will help participants identify attentional problems that hinder peak performance and familiarize them with a variety of
applications of peak-performance interventions through case illustrations.
The workshop will be a balance of lecturing,
demonstration of methods, practice, and case
presentations drawn from recreational and
professional sports, dance and music performance, and managerial worksite training.
Harvard Medical School. For more information, including how to register, see Special
Programs, page 80.
’Tis A Gift to Be Simple
David Schiffman
This workshop is for people who would like
to return to the simplicity of the values we
treasure most. Its aim is to create a climate of
mutual support and encouragement for
exploring how to best cultivate the spirit of
real generosity and faith in dealing with ourselves and others. This process will embrace
the following elements:
48
The methods will be drawn from a wide variety of practices, both traditional and nontraditional, all aimed at restoring our gratitude and
appreciation for being alive.
nature of mind. A balance of mental-stabilization and realization-of-emptiness practices
will serve as a foundation for many types of
advanced or “extraordinary” practices, such as
tantric meditations based on complex visualizations to transform affective states, and
working with energy transformations within
the body, both of which serve direct realization of the nature of mind. This relationalbased instructional style emphasizes directly
pointing out the meditation methods used
and the states likely to occur, balanced with
actual practice, followed by a description of
experiences and further instructions. The
emphasis is on short, repeated meditationpractice periods, with additional, more
refined instructions interspersed between
each practice set.
Family Arts Program
Please bring a meditation cushion, if you have
one.
• Sanctuary—the opportunity to step away
and pause, to create a mood of peace
• The company of kindred spirits—a chance to
be met with honesty, empathy, and wisdom
in an atmosphere of soulful support
• The emotional freedom to be—the right to
let down and be sad, glad, or mad in order
to clear the air and move on, making room
in our hearts for new possibilities
• The right to feel free and alive in our
bodies—the use of movement and touch to
restore the vitality of feeling truly alive and
physically at ease
Jayson Fann & The Esalen Arts Center Staff
This workshop, at the Esalen Art Barn, is for
parents, children, and any and all family
members who want to immerse themselves in
a weekend of fun and creative expression.
Painting, clay sculpting, mask making, drumming by a bonfire, games, and outdoor explorations of the magnificent Esalen grounds are
some of the activities participants will explore
during a weekend made memorable by sharing it with loved ones.
All children must be accompanied by an adult.
April 16–23
The “Pointing Out” Way of Tibetan
Buddhist Meditation
Daniel Brown
This workshop—designed for either novice or
advanced meditators—serves as an integrative
approach to the practice of meditation, with
an emphasis on intensive concentration meditation using the traditional Tibetan Buddhist
“Nine States of Mental Calming/Staying,” a
widely-used method for training the mind to
stay on its meditation object and to calm
mental content. This approach was developed
to correct common problems that develop in
meditation practice, such as bad habits that
prevent realizations, or reaching a plateau that
makes progress difficult.
Participants will also be introduced to classic
Tibetan emptiness-meditations as well as the
“directly pointing out” practices about the
Art in Action: Art, Poetry,
Cosmology, and Social Change
Alli Chagi Starr & Drew Dellinger
Creativity ignites the spirit of joy we need to
cultivate a sustainable future for all of us. Art
is one of our most powerful tools for promoting social change, building community, and
sharing our deepest humanity. In this workshop, longtime arts activist and cultural worker, Alli Chagi Starr joins with poet, teacher,
and activist Drew Dellinger to offer an experiential exploration of art, poetry, cosmology,
and activism, and their power to create personal and social change.
Through art-making, poetry, sharing stories,
dance, song, and “dream-writing,” participants
will stimulate their passions and learn fun
strategies to make collective art that can transform our world. In addition, the workshop
will engage cultural issues of cosmology and
solution-oriented processes addressing the
ecological and social challenges of our time.
The program will explore both the 13-billionyear history of the universe and current
movements for justice and ecology, sharing
stories and images from contemporary movements and art actions.
The workshop may culminate in an art exhibit
and live performance crafted by participants.
Please note: Bring one or two of your favorite
DANIEL BIANCHETTA
poems, written by you or someone else, comfortable clothes, and an open mind. All experience levels are welcome. Everyone is an
artist!
to living with meaning, richness, and vitality.”
Ecstatic Embodiment: A Yogic
Exploration into Soma and Soul
Brian Mahan, a body-centered therapist with
20 years’ experience specializing in the physiology of stress, will be a guest teacher. This
workshop is open to people of all physical
abilities, no experience necessary; just curiosity, willingness, and openness.
Hala Khouri, with Brian Mahan
“Imagine feeling focused, grounded, centered,
empowered, in the moment, safe, and joyful!”
Hala Khouri writes. “During this week
together we will explore somatic (body)
awareness and what it means to truly inhabit
our bodies. How do our bodies communicate
with us? What are our sensations trying to tell
us? Are we listening? How do we meet the
world and breathe in life? Conversely, how do
we disassociate from the body and disconnect
from our surroundings and our community?
We will journey into the soma and its hidden
mysteries through yoga, felt-sense awareness,
embodied meditation, visualization, orienting
and boundary work, music, free dance, art,
and journaling.
“Our innate, intuitive intelligence transcends
linear thought and logic. This somatic intelligence exists in all living beings and connects
us to ourselves, the animal kingdom, the environment, our ancestors, as well as future generations. Knowing this in our core is the key
Energetics, founded by John Pierrakos, and
Process Work, developed by Dr. Arnold
Mindell, we will explore body/mind, emotions, relationships, group dynamics, and
inner authority.”
Note: An interview with Bill Say is requested
prior to registration. Please call 510-548-8703.
Overcoming Isolation and Mistrust:
Healing the Special and Betrayed Child
A Women’s Way Circle
Bill Say
“The goal of this week together,” writes
Barbara Lee, “is to co-create a women’s circle
where, in a safe environment, we can discover
how our intuition can guide us to a place of
emotional and spiritual wisdom. The intention is to soften our fears of loving and allow
ourselves to be empowered with the qualities
we have been searching for in our families
and relationships. We will explore the ways
that we are unique and validate these gifts in
each other. The intention: to have the experience, as the week unfolds, of real sisterhood
with one another through deep sharing and
caring.
Our culture and families often support power
and control, independence and being special.
But the price that we pay for living these patterns is huge. We are often lonely, mistrustful,
and addicted to achievement and feeling special. Our needs are repressed. We stay in control and may even abuse our power. We fear
being “wrong” or failing, being vulnerable or
“weak.” We feel we can trust no one and must
depend only on ourselves.
This experiential workshop will explore relationship patterns, power and control, needs
and vulnerability, intimacy and trust in connections with others. Bill Say writes: “Using
awareness as our guide, we will find the way
back to our deepest humanity and trust in
life. Using two powerful approaches, Core
Barbara Lee
“We will also apply the path of creativity to
heal past wounds, using collage to create a
deck of ‘Women’s Emotional Wisdom’ cards,
which we can all take home with us.”
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DANIEL BIANCHETTA
Wild Big Sur
Steven Harper, with Michael Newman
“Big Sur in springtime declares ‘Green!’”
writes Steve Harper. “This workshop is an
immersion into the raw, emerging springtime
beauty of Big Sur—and our selves. Spring is a
season of re-creation, a time for the rebirth of
creative energies. With wild nature—both
inner and outer—as our inspiration we will set
forth on day-hikes into Big Sur’s wild backcountry to let our souls (and soles) be
touched.”
The group will venture out on two day-hikes,
3-6 miles in length. Each hike begins after
breakfast and concludes in time to enjoy the
hot springs and a hearty meal at Esalen.
Evening sessions include an introduction to
basic awareness practices from aikido and
meditation, informal sharing, and useful outdoor skills.
All levels of experience are welcome.
Participants should be prepared for the invigorating challenge of physical activity as well
as the opportunity to simply sit still in quiet
reflection. More information will be sent
upon registration.
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Gestalt Practice: Exploring Emotions
Dorothy Charles
Experiencing and expressing emotions are
integral to being alive. Yet, for many people
emotions remain mysterious, confusing, and
difficult to constructively express. As a result,
relationships may be unsatisfying and the
choices we make may not reflect our innermost desires or our true selves. Learning to
fully experience feelings and express them in
healthy ways enables us to be authentic and
to have more fulfilling relationships.
This experiential and didactic workshop will
blends individual and group Gestalt work
with dyadic exercises.
long flowing strokes, attention to breath, and
body awareness. The course will also emphasize communication, movement, and effortlessness. The skills introduced will be useful
in reducing stress and pain, increasing your
capacity for relaxation and pleasure.
You will have the opportunity to give and
receive loving touch with your partner in a
supportive environment, with plenty of
supervision and hands-on instruction. This
retreat is for beginners, as well as those with
previous massage experience. Come with an
open heart and mind.
VoiceDance
Emile Hassan Dyer
®
Esalen Massage : A Retreat for Couples
Tom Case & Robin Fann-Costanzo
If you would like to learn new skills to
improve and enhance your relationship with
your loved one, this workshop is for you. Take
time out from your everyday lives to be with
each other in a beautiful, peaceful environment and learn the basics of Esalen Massage.
During this weekend, Robin and Tom will
share the practice of using loving, compassionate touch with you and your partner.
Characteristics of Esalen Massage include
If you can walk, you can dance!
If you can talk, you can sing!
— African proverb
For thousands of years, all across the globe,
singing has traditionally been a communal
activity. Every culture on the planet sings
together in one form or another. Singing was
and continues to be used for teaching, play,
prayer, healing, social bonding, and entertainment. In our present-day culture, many
believe they cannot sing, or have been told, in
various ways, not to sing. They leave that joy
to others: the performers, the entertainers,
the media stars.
It is time to heal the wound… It is time to
commune… It is time to move and to be moved…
Participants will engage their whole beings in
the time-honored tradition of learning
through Sacred Play, as they learn songs from
a wide variety of traditions and cultures, such
as West African, Australian (Aboriginal),
Russian, Celtic, South African, Asian, Native
American, and more. They will also practice
traditional and urban beatbox vocal-percussion styles, explore their own voices, and play
with improvisational layering in a safe and
encouraging environment.
The morning sessions will focus on active listening, rhythmic exploration, and toning,
interspersed with chants and songs from
around the world. In the afternoon, a review
of the morning’s material will lead to more
focused concentration on differing oral traditions by combining the morning’s material
with new songs to be expanded upon.
Bring a recording device, if you have one.
New Poems Week
Sharon Olds
Critics who love imagery, risk taking, and an
accessible voice have praised the poetry of
Sharon Olds. Michael Ondaatje has called
Olds’s poems “pure fire in the hands.”
Says Sharon Olds: “This workshop is a time
for writing new poems and practicing a deep
openness and alertness to each other’s work.
Each of us will hope to write first drafts
which in some way move beyond what we
have written before.”
There will be no writing exercises or assignments, and during the gatherings no xeroxed
copies.
To apply, send a letter with your name,
address, phone number, e-mail address, and
three pages of recent poems, typed (no more
than one poem per page). Do not include a
SASE; poems will not be returned. Send them
to Olds 5-Day Poetry Workshop, c/o Esalen
Institute, Big Sur, CA 93920. Be sure to specify that you are applying for Sharon Olds’s 5Day workshop. Your poems must be received
by February 12, 2006. Participants will be
notified of their acceptance by March 5, 2006.
This workshop is offered in a weekend format
April 28-30 (if accepted into either workshop,
it is not possible to switch).
Deep Tissue Techniques for Massage
Practitioners: Healing the Shoulder
and Carpal-Tunnel Syndrome
Perry & Johanna Holloman
Practiced with sensitivity, deep bodywork is
one of the most effective healing modalities
available to the bodyworker. Through slowly
opening the body’s deeper soft-tissue layers,
we connect the mind to normally unconscious, “stuck” areas of the physical body,
which can release enormous amounts of previously “held” energy. This energy then
becomes available to support the body’s
innate capacity to self-organize and self-heal,
enabling practitioners to support clients in
overcoming seemingly intractable physical
conditions.
Two areas of the body with which bodyworkers are frequently confronted are the shoulder
and the forearm/wrist. Because of the complexity of these structures, and the intense,
chronic pain they often produce, practitioners
may be reluctant to touch them for fear of
doing more harm. This seminar will introduce effective deep-tissue techniques to
address both the acute and chronic types of
pain encountered in these areas.
Students will practice learning how to feel
“soft-tissue lesions” with the hands, and learn
why, at physiological and energetic levels,
deep bodywork needs to be done slowly to be
most effective. The course will also present an
overview of the aggravations which often
occur within 48 hours of treatment, and how
to guide clients through such occurrences.
Perry and Johanna will make themselves
available to answer questions of specific interest to participants, and will provide in-depth
understanding of the anatomy and function
of the shoulder, arm, and hand.
Painting with Oils in the Landscape
Adam Wolpert
Painting out-of-doors is a profound experience, one that engages all of our senses, our
minds, and our spirits. Faced with nature’s
dynamic forces we are challenged to develop
visual sensitivity, flexibility, and resilience.
We come into deeper relationship with the
world and with ourselves when we open to
the living landscape around us. We begin to
see the world as never before and our paintings give evidence of that new vision.
This workshop invites both beginners and
experienced painters to immerse themselves
in landscape painting. Daily sessions will be
devoted to painting rapid sketches and more
developed small oil paintings out-of-doors.
Basic oil technique, instruction in setting up a
palette, mixing colors, and brushwork will be
balanced with slide lectures on visual theory,
composition, and special issues in landscape
painting. Participants will learn from individual instruction and each other, and have
opportunities to share their paintings and
experiences in a supportive environment.
The spectacular beauty of Esalen, with its
radiant gardens, flowing waters, and rugged
coastline, provides the perfect setting to
explore this exciting practice. Bring a sun hat,
layers of clothes and a portable easel if you
have one.
Who Are You? Transformation—
The Work of Wilhelm Reich
Richard Blasband & Patricia Frisch
The trap is man’s emotional structure—
his character structure.
— Wilhelm Reich
The leaders write: “If you are over 13 years of
age, you probably don’t know who you are.
How could you when your spirit, your ‘core,’ is
trapped within decades of emotional armoring? We doubt if we will be able to find this
person and introduce you to him/her in five
days, but it is a good bet that we will be able to
show you who you are not, despite your
protestations.
“When we are open we experience pleasure,
liveliness, and vitality. All too often, however,
we are contracted and feel tension, lack of sexual desire, frozen, heavy, trapped, and ill.
These symptoms are communications from
our past, rooted in the present in our character structure and body armor. To find out who
we are we must first become conscious of the
ways we have distorted our natural selves into
the unnatural adults that grab, push, cop out,
or ‘play possum’ in the struggle to survive in
the trap. This workshop is a confrontational,
personally demanding process for those who
wish to restructure their armored character at
deep levels of biophysical being. The course
will discuss Reich’s findings of a bioenergetic
basis of character formation and use direct
interventions in the body armoring to mobilize blocked bioenergy. Jung’s concepts of
transformation will provide a complementary
framework in which to understand the
changes wrought in deep personal work.
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“Dreams, guided imagery, and movement will
deepen the exploration and provide material
for a trusting exchange within the workshop
community. As we shed unnecessary layers of
armor and facade we begin to discover our
true, naturally sexual and spiritual natures.”
Dr. Richard Blasband and Dr. Patricia Frisch
have a combined clinical experience of over
fifty years in the use of these techniques.
The Conduct, Process, and the
Curative Factors in Contemporary
Psychotherapy
Anna & Paul Ornstein
In this workshop the careful examination of the
therapist-patient interaction—their verbal and
nonverbal contribution to the treatment
process—will highlight the essential aspects of
all psychotherapies. The clinical examples chosen for such microscopic examination will
include patients with various disorders: depression, addiction, post-traumatic responses, and
child psychopathology. The focus will be on difficult moments in everyday treatment situations
as well as the treatment of patients whose severe
psychopathology requires periodic hospitalizations. Examples will be offered from diverse
treatment settings: psychoanalysis, long-term
psychotherapy, and brief, focal psychotherapy.
This seminar, presented by Harvard Medical
School, is designed for all health professionals. Drs. Anna and Paul Ornstein will outline
the basic steps in the therapeutic dialogue,
and enumerate and describe three of the curative elements in the therapeutic experience.
They will also explain why “feeling understood” is a key element of the curative process.
Programs, page 80.
New Poems Weekend
Sharon Olds
For workshop description see April 23-28.
This weekend workshop differs from its fiveday counterpart in duration only.
52
To apply, send a letter with your name, address,
phone number, and e-mail address, and three
pages of recent poems, typed (no more than
one poem per page). Do not include a SASE;
poems will not be returned. Send them to Olds
Weekend Poetry Workshop, c/o Esalen Institute,
Big Sur, CA 93920. Be sure to specify that you
are applying for Sharon Olds’s Weekend workshop. Your poems must be received by February
17, 2006. Participants will be notified of their
acceptance by March 10, 2006.
Be Here (Wow!): A Buddhist
Workshop for Cynics in Recovery
ting go of your programmed patterns and discovering the joy of spontaneous creation.
The first premise of improvisational theater
games (which Robin Williams claims
unleashed him) is to “go in blank.” Within the
game structures, participants are coached to
be receptive: stop, look, and listen; deny nothing; release control; let go of planning ahead.
This process can help you to trust your own
intuition, sense of humor, eloquence, and
physical grace, and it allows you get out of
your own way to convert the raw material of
spontaneous impulse into glittering nuggets
of creative gold.
The workshop is also just a lot of fun.
Beginners and shy people are welcome; no
experience is necessary. Prior improv experience will be forgiven.
Wes Nisker
Oh wondrous creatures,
by what strange miracle
do you so often
not smile?
— Hafiz, Sufi poet
“At this very moment,” writes Wes Nisker,
“there are apparent miracles taking place all
around us and within us. We have only to
look closely in order to become amazed and
to fall in love with ourselves and the world. In
this workshop we will make creative use of
some of the most important Buddhist meditation techniques, as we explore the wondrous
experience of being human. With an attitude
of curiosity and playfulness, we will examine
the workings of our bodies and minds, our
nature ‘as’ nature, and our place in the grand
scheme of things. In the process we will
hopefully find some relief from our personal
dramas, and a new sense of value and meaning in our lives.”
The workshop sessions will include guided
meditations on the life of the body; on our
vital “animal” conditioning; on death and
dying; on the nature of consciousness. The
talks and discussions will present both traditional Buddhist views of self and reality as
well as some of the latest information from
evolutionary biology and psychology to support and guide the meditations. The humor of
“crazy wisdom” will also be present in the
workshop.
The Soul of the African Drum
Ayo Adeyemi & Carole Zeitlin Adeyemi
We are all drummers and dancers—ever since
the beginning of time. Our first drum is our
heartbeat. Everything we do or say, or even
think, has a rhythm, a dance, a song.
This workshop provides an opportunity for
participants to gather as a community to learn
the language of the Drum and the sacred ritual rhythms, dances, and chants to praise the
Orisas. When we immerse ourselves in a culture, we find that the music, dance, art, and
traditions of the culture are all connected by
its spiritual teachings. In the Yoruba tradition
of Orisa worship, drumming is a highly
respected source of healing and prayer. Ori
means head, asa means to cultivate. We cultivate our head, or higher self, by drumming for
the spirits. We celebrate life by giving thanks.
This weekend will culminate with an authentic ceremonial celebration, Yoruba-style. Bring
white ceremonial dress and something for the
altar that represents all that is good and everlasting. Aboru, Aboye, Abose. May your prayers
and your offerings be accepted.
Improv Alchemy:
Brewing Something from Nothing
Moment by Moment:
The Clinician’s Guide to
Psychotherapeutic Interventions
Paula Shaw
Martha Stark
The spontaneity of theater games can open
you up to extraordinary surprises, to
unknown abilities, even to brilliance—a brilliance born of generating from a blank slate,
from the nothing and nowhere of beginner’s
mind. This workshop is an exploration of let-
How do we position ourselves, moment by
moment, in relation to our clients and how
does that position inform both what we come
to know about our clients and how we then
intervene? The objectives of this program,
presented by Harvard Medical School, are to:
• Explain the distinctions between
formulating interpretations, responding
empathetically, and engaging authentically
• Utilize different interventions to address
different clinical situations
• Understand the process of transforming
relentless hope into the capacity to relent, to
forgive, and to let go
• Analyze the role of mutual enactment in
the therapeutic encounter
• Assess the clinician’s “use of self ” to inform
both understanding and intervention
Programs, page 80.
Bhakti Urban Flow
Rusty Wells
Rusty Wells’s high-intensity and transcendent style, called Bhakti Urban Flow, blends
music, movement, and spirit. His teaching
has been influenced by elements from the
Ashtanga, Bikram, and Sivananda traditions,
as well as many teachers including Dharma
Mittra, Swami Sivananda, and Baron
Baptiste.
Wells blends challenging sequences with a
genuine and natural spirituality. His optimism and love for the practice are contagious:
you will sweat, laugh, and sing. And while it
may be the hardest thing you’ve ever done,
you’ll step away feeling peculiarly lighter,
stronger, and clearer. Wells has helped thousands of students transform through this
combination of dance and prayer. Emotions
flow, mental obstacles rise and fall, and the
heart of compassion opens: You are on your
yoga path.
Week of April 30–May 5
The MAX: Stretching the Limits of
Your Self-Expression
Paula Shaw
Standing alone onstage, looking out, breathing, making connection inside and out, brings
up what’s between you and being present,
here and now, fully able to to express yourself—emotionally, creatively, and truthfully. In
this course, a battery of acting, communica-
tion, observation, and sense-awareness skills
are used to move you out of your circumscribed system. You can go at your own pace,
with your own willingness, and experience an
extraordinary version of yourself emerge.
You do not have to do all the work yourself:
Witnessing others going through this process
encourages and inspires you to break through
along with them. You may discover yourself
far beyond who you have hitherto known
yourself to be—which is the purpose of this
workshop.
Exercises using raw emotion, role playing,
and dress-up assignments allow you to greatly
expand the arena of your expression. The typically outrageous results come directly out of
commitment and risking, and an extremely
safe structured environment is provided for
such an intense level of stretching.
This workshop is a strong metabolic
enhancer, full of heart, humor, and humanity.
It is challenging, exhilarating, and revitalizing
and can be a life-changing event. For those
who are ready (or not): Step right up, step
right up!
Note: As each segment of this workshop
builds on what comes before it, attendance at
all sessions is necessary. Workshop hours will
be longer earlier in the week and shorter later
on.
Requirement: Bring a one- to three-minute
memorized piece (monologue, passage, poem,
song, etc.).
Eidetic Imagery Training Program
Jaqueline Lapa Sussman & Leslie Dagnall
The work [eidetics] has the quality of revelation
and should be read by all.
— Joseph Campbell
The Eidetic Imagery Training Program is for
those in the helping professions, artists, poets,
philosophers, scientists, and for people wishing to heal themselves. This experiential training program joins Eastern philosophy with
Western scientific psychology using eidetic
images. (Eidetic, pronounced eye-DET-ic, is
associated with the Greek words eidos, meaning “form,” and idein, meaning “to see.”) Eidetic
images of one’s life experiences are neurologically recorded in the brain. These images
access personal history and impact current
emotions, mental states, and physiological
health and well-being. One sees the image,
feels it in all its dimensions, and knows what
it means. This knowledge resides within the
mind; the eidetic holds the key to who we are
and opens up our greater potentials.
The eidetic image, as it is known in contemporary psychology, is intimately connected with
Akhter Ahsen, Ph.D., the founder of Image
Psychology, who says: “The process of seeing is
also a process of deeply knowing the true fire in
the psyche, which connects with the third
mental eye, representing the penetrating vision
of a unifying consciousness.”
The training program will be a balance of lectures, demonstrations of methodology, experiential exercises, and case presentations.
Participants will fully explore their own eidetic
images in a step-by-step process and will learn
specific applications for their professional lives.
For more information, including special registration instructions, see Special Programs,
page 80.
Awakening The Creative
Stewart Cubley & Staff
Awakening The Creative is a journey into the
wild territory of painting directly from intuition, an unpredictable venture into color,
form, and image where no rules apply. The
potential is to tap into an extraordinary
resource: the vibrant, driving force of your
own creative spirit.
In this workshop, everyone is a beginner—
people from all levels of experience are
welcome, including those who have never
picked up a paintbrush. The goal is free
expression, with the emphasis on the creative process rather than on technique or
expertise. You will be given the environment, methods, facilitation, and overview
with which to do in-depth self-exploration
that can lead to pivotal insight and authentic
change. Awakening The Creative is an
opportunity to embark on the greatest of
all human journeys: embracing your own
path and confidently following it.
Stewart Cubley (coauthor of Life, Paint &
Passion) and his staff are passionately committed to the imperative of self-knowledge in
action. They are a group of professionals with
extensive experience working on the front
lines of human change, and they have made a
difference in the lives of countless people
interested in exploring their full range of possibilities.
All materials are supplied.
($50 materials fee paid directly the leaders)
53
Double Your Creative Power—
An Intuitional Secret-Story Writing
Workshop
S. L. Stebel
First I dream the painting, then I paint the dream.
receiving healing knowledge from the spirit
world—is familiar to much of the population.
In 1979 she came to Esalen and was sponsored by Esalen cofounder Dick Price while
she learned Spiritual Massage from Brazilian
healer Luiz Gasparetto.
— Vincent Van Gogh
This course is for everyone, from coffeehouse
scribblers to published authors, who has felt
the pull of a story struggling to emerge from
an ocean of words, only to fall back, unable to
determine the story’s direction before it slips
away. The story is not irretrievable. Using
techniques developed over decades, Sid
Stebel—whom Ray Bradbury calls “the best
writing teacher that ever was!”—will help participants realize their creative potential.
First, we dream… Through simple exercises
participants will be asked to produce, during
that twilight zone between sleep and waking,
the kind of inner-directed automatic writing
that comes from the subconscious. Next, with
input from the group, under Stebel’s guidance,
each individual will attempt to decipher what
at first may appear to be random meanderings. During this process a story emerges,
emotionally meaningful not only to its author
but to its audience as well. By its creator connecting in this deeply-felt way with the story,
the story will connect in a similar way with
its audience, becoming, almost by definition,
profound and universal.
Then we paint the dream… Once the story has
emerged, its author can bring to bear all the
storytelling talents of which s/he is capable.
Using guidelines espoused by Aristotle, as
expounded upon by Stebel in his book, a variety of structural devices and storytelling techniques for enhancing the story will be discussed, with the goal of choosing those that
best realize the story’s potential. For more
about Stebel, see www.slstebel.com.
Recommended reading: Stebel, Double Your
Creative Power!
Spiritual Massage: Lightbody Infusion
Maria Lucia Bittencourt Sauer
Spiritual Massage is a hands-on healing practice that works directly on the energy body,
balancing the chakras, cleansing old thought
forms, and gently facilitating release of emotional, physical, and spiritual blockages, allowing for infusion by the Lightbody.
Born into a family of healers with a generations-old tradition, Maria Lucia studied with
healers in her native Brazil, where Spiritism—
54
This workshop presents practical methods for
using the hands as instruments of physical
and spiritual healing. Incorporating hands-on
and energetic work, it emphasizes intentionality as the fundamental tool of any healing art
for moving energy. The course includes exercises for grounding and attuning to energy as
well as Afro-Brazilian shamanic practices for
self-protection. Special exercises will help prepare the group energy field for channeling sessions done by Maria Lucia (please bring questions). Emotional release work and group
process will be integrated as they emerge.
This work is accessible to anyone—nurses,
bodyworkers, businessmen, therapists, and all
those interested in working with energy and
people’s bodies.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy:
A Review and Clinical Update
Robert Goisman
The influence of cognitive-behavioral therapy
(CBT) is widening as the importance of costeffective, empirically validated, shorter-term
treatment increases. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a highly effective and very popular form of cognitive-behavioral treatment for
patients with borderline personality disorder.
This course, offered by Harvard Medical
School, is designed to prepare participants to:
• Utilize specific techniques for anxiety
reduction in patients with anxiety disorders
• Describe specific CBT interventions used
in panic disorders, obsessive-compulsive
disorder, phobias, and PTSD
• Apply cognitive therapy techniques to
manic patients and depressed patients
• Prepare a typical DBT curriculum
• Discuss social-skills training and cognitive
restructuring as they apply to schizophrenia
Programs, page 80.
Weekend of May 5–7
Leading Beyond Borders: Transforming
Conflict into Connection
Mark Gerzon
From our nuclear families to the global family, conflict is everywhere. What is your way of
handling it? Do you try to avoid it? Do your
efforts often just make conflict worse? Or do
you have ways to transform it into something
positive, creative, and life-affirming? “In this
workshop,” says Mark Gerzon, “we will
explore how each of us deals with conflict. As
we learn together, we will ask the deeper and
larger question: How can we help humanity
deal with the larger conflicts that threaten
human survival?”
This workshop is presented as part of Esalen’s
renewed commitment to having a positive
impact on the world. Participants from outside North America are especially invited to
bring their voices and experiences to this
workshop. Special emphasis will be focused
on cross-cultural, multinational conflicts that
emerge from the life experiences of workshop
participants.
Leonard Energy Training (LET):
An Introduction to the Extraordinary
George Leonard & Annie Leonard
There exists within each of us an inborn
capacity for manifesting the sort of special
powers that are called siddhis in Sanskrit.
Some of these powers require a lifetime of
dedicated practice. Others, largely neglected
by modern Western culture, are readily available to all of us. In this hands-on workshop,
participants will have the opportunity of
learning how what we call “mind” can influence our own bodies, others’ minds and bodies, and even the material world in ways that
bypass strictly mechanical, electronic, or sensory means. Exercises will include:
• Becoming aware of and using ki, or chi
• Scanning and balancing your own and
others’ bodies
• Becoming measurably stronger through
mental changes of context
• Learning a more relaxed and also more
powerful way of moving
• Locating partners at a distance with eyes
closed
• Remote viewing
• Deepening your connectedness with nature
and other people
Over the last three decades, the Leonards
have introduced LET to more than 50,000
people in the U.S. and abroad. Both hold
black belts in the martial art of aikido, the initial source of much of this work; George
Leonard, a fifth-degree black belt in the art, is
co-owner of Aikido of Tamalpais in Mill
Valley, Calif.
This workshop involves physical movement
but is not strenuous. All that’s needed is a generous heart and a willingness to participate.
Recommended reading: Leonard & Murphy,
The Life We Are Given; Leonard, Mastery and
The Way of Aikido.
Healing the Grieving Heart
ficult and arduous, not simply because of the
nature of the territory, but because most of us
are so ill-prepared for the journey. As inhabitants of a death-denying culture, there is little
support available for the process of coming to
terms with loss. Yet with proper guidance, we
can not only survive the unimaginable, but we
can become more whole, more loving, and
more fully human in the process.
This workshop will explore the connection
between mind, body, heart, and soul as a
roadmap to healing loss in whatever form it
has come to us. Through a blend of process
work, guided dialogue, music, and nature, participants will become aware of the tools that
most effectively support the needs of their
unique situations. This workshop is appropriate for those who have experienced grief and
loss of any form at any time in their lives.
Ken Druck & Charlie Bloom
Women and Aging:
An Ageless Conversation
Paula Shaw
We are never truly prepared for the reality of
aging. Even though we witness others going
And inevitably we get there. The free ride of
youth is over. We see the effects of aging in
the mirror, feel it in our bodies, notice it in
our minds. What, if anything, lies beyond this
deterioration? How will all of our raised consciousness help us navigate this passage?
Where is the growth in “growing old?”
“This workshop,” writes Paula Shaw, “is an
irreverent exploration of the issues inherent
in this journey. We will examine our concerns
around aging so as to actualize the wisdom
we’ve gathered along the way—to experience
that which is ageless in each of us. The course
consists of personal processes and group
interaction that explore different aspects of
our lives as we age. Themes include completion, connection, compassion, creativity, and
comedy (a high manifestation of the ageless
perspective). We will aim to transform the
experience of aging into the context of agelessness—a way to hold it all as a fascinating
and potentially inspiring adventure into the
DANIEL BIANCHETTA
Grief is perhaps the most universal, yet misunderstood emotion of all human experience. Not
simply a single feeling, grief is actually a collection of emotions, including sorrow, anger, guilt,
anxiety, and ultimately peace. The path that
begins with the experience of loss and ends
with understanding and acceptance can be dif-
through it, typically there is a high degree of
personal denial that we ourselves will grow
old—maybe we won’t live that long, maybe it
won’t happen that way for us, maybe we even
delude ourselves that old age will be conquered by the time we get there.
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essential truth of life, with its ultimately mysterious ending.”
Bring along a story, poem, or anecdote that
exemplifies your aging experience.
Pablo Piekar & Sylvia Guersenzvaig
Giving a massage is as pleasurable as receiving
a massage once we develop the qualities of
acceptance, relaxation, and peacefulness.
Discover these qualities for yourself in an
Esalen Massage® program led by two teachers
devoted to sharing their skills and their passion for Esalen Massage.
“This is a massage workshop for honoring and
celebrating the gift of touch,” say Sylvia and
Pablo. “Brief lectures, demonstrations, and
plenty of hands-on supervised class time will
lay the foundation for this healing practice.
There will be explorations in body awareness,
breath, and grounding and centering practices, together with movement, meditation,
and, of course, playtime.”
This workshop is for both beginners and
more experienced bodyworkers interested in
learning new and effortless approaches to
massage.
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Week of May 7–12
Women’s Integral Leadership Circle:
Bring All That You Are to All That
You Do
Suzanne Anderson, Susan Cannon
& Julia Smith
in spite of it. Using a whole person, integral
approach—body, mind, heart, and soul—
designed to address the unique developmental issues of women you will:
In the rush and busyness of your work and
life, how often are you able to act from your
own “ground of being,” that deepest source of
authenticity, insight, and joy that you as a
woman know? When your work environment encourages action over reflection, logic
over intuition, decisiveness over empathy,
how often are you able to listen to your own
deepest instincts? Yet how often do you feel
your actions might have been more satisfying
and effective if you’d drawn on the full spectrum of your wisdom? Possibly, in the predominantly masculine culture of work, you
feel you’re speaking a foreign language; no
matter how fluent you’ve become, it’s not your
native tongue.
• Deepen the connection to your authentic
nature
• Deconstruct beliefs that limit your
effectiveness as a leader
• Develop and integrate your feminine and
masculine capacities
• Develop intuitive and body-based ways of
knowing that complement analytical,
logical ways
• Deepen your sense of purpose and meaning
in life and work
• Develop an integrated set of practices to
support your ongoing growth as a leader
This workshop will help you explore how to
lead effectively because you are a woman, not
The workshop uses a variety of tools—creative
arts, dialogue, storytelling, somatic awareness
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exercises-—to facilitate transformation and
expand not just what you know, but fundamentally how you know. It will help you
uncover your deepest gladness, so that you
may bring all that you are to all that you do
and a make a difference in the world.
Gyrokinesis® Intensive
Juergen Bamberger
Gyrokinesis is a complete movement system
based on circular motion. Incorporating elements of yoga, dance, gymnastics, and tai chi,
Gyrokinesis uses the natural movement possibilities of the spine to increase circulation of
vital energy. Undulations, spirals, and ripples
are the movements used to stimulate and activate all tissues and systems of the body. The
movements are composed to rhythmical
movement rituals that reach the entire body.
Pressure on all joints is released while major
muscle groups are activated and gently
stretched. The result is an overall sense of
reconnection, aliveness, and an awareness of
center.
In this workshop participants will go through
these formatted movement rituals on a daily
basis as well as explore aspects of breathing,
self-massage, sound vibration, physical structure, and subtle energy flow.
This workshop is an opportunity for an indepth Gyrokinesis experience, whether you
are new to this work or have prior experience.
Please note: This is not a teacher training.
Gratitude and Kindness
Howard Joel Schechter & Barbara Lee
My religion is kindness
— The Dalai Lama
This life we are given is a precious gift. Our
natural response to this privilege, were we not
so distracted by planning and worry, is gratitude. When we are in gratitude we are passionately present and alive to the beauty of
creation. Then joy floods in, and kindness is
our response. We seek to repay the gift of Life
with our gift of kindness—kindness to our
intimate partners, friends, casual encounters,
the earth and all its creatures.
Howard and Barbara write: “In this workshop
we cultivate gratitude and kindness by allowing the dark side to arise, working with it, and
then loosening its hold upon us, following the
ancient proverb: ‘It is better to light a single
candle than to curse the darkness.’ Gratitude
and kindness help release old resentments and
pain, and serve as a force for growth. The reason so many are transformed after a life-threatening experience is that gratefulness for life
becomes predominant. Our intention is to
nourish this natural inclination—without having to experience such dire circumstances.”
Discussion, interactive exercises, and facilitation
for those who wish to work on specific issues
will be blended with interventions that meet the
needs of the group. The movement of the group
from one process to the next will be determined
by individual needs in the moment. The
approach is grounded in the spiritual traditions
of East and West and is guided by the dynamic
psychological techniques of psychosynthesis,
Gestalt, Process Oriented Psychology, family
systems, and the expressive arts.
Esalen Massage Intensive
Peggy Horan & Vicki Topp
Esalen Massage® is a creative form of somatic
bodywork that is continually evolving. The
essence of Esalen Massage is the awareness
and presence the practitioner brings to
addressing individual needs, balancing the
whole person, and honoring the healing
power of touch. This workshop will provide a
safe and supportive environment for you to
learn connection through Esalen Massage.
The fundamental elements of Esalen
Massage—breath awareness, quality of touch,
long integrative body strokes, and creative
table movements—will be presented through
brief lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on
practice. The integration of movement into
each session will allow the practitioner to
effortlessly impart a sense of fluidity and ease
to the recipient. Sessions will include plenty
of personal instruction and assistance to support the process of learning. The goal is to create a firm foundation of massage which feels
as satisfying to give as to receive.
This workshop is for individuals and partners
interested in learning the current Esalen
approach to massage and bodywork. Come
prepared to touch and to be touched, both in
the workshop and by the beauty, power, and
spirit of Esalen and the Big Sur coast. All levels of experience are welcome.
In Search of Optimum Health
Dennis Gates
We are what we eat, what we drink, what we
breathe, what we think, what we feel, what we
practice. We are our own energy. Optimum
health means having the energy to live life
without effort. Why has modern life made
our ability to understand our health, and to
have sufficient energy, so difficult and complex? Wisdom dictates it should be simple.
Andrew Weil developed a natural plan for this
in his classic book, Eight Weeks to Optimum
Health. Leonardo da Vinci, in the 15th century, discussed his concepts of “wise health”
(besides being a painter, inventor, and
astronomer, Leonardo was a nutritionist and a
“gentle vegetarian”). Dennis Gates, a former
orthopedic surgeon and currently director of
the Optimum Health Center in Chicago, has
taken the wisdom of history’s health gurus,
from the cavemen to da Vinci to Andrew
Weil, enveloped it with his own learning and
experiential knowledge, and produced a prac-
tical, commonsense workshop to help you to
reach optimum health—and have fun doing it.
Gates will gently guide you through the principles of optimum health. Nutrition is only
one aspect of health—this course goes far
beyond that. Didactic and interactive sessions,
relaxation sessions and exercise sessions, will
be intermingled so that when you leave this
workshop, you will have the knowledge to
live a healthy life in its simplest form. For
more information, go to www.optimumhealthchicago.org.
Recommended reading: Weil, Eight Weeks to
Optimum Health; Pasternak, Five Factor Fitness;
MacCurdy, The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci.
Prayer of the Heart
Olga Louchakova
The Spiritual Heart is the most important
subtle energy center in the body, opening into
universal dimensions of the Self. Heart meditation on the Self is central to the mystical
traditions of the Christian East, Sufism,
Kundalini Yoga, and Advaita Vedanta.
Awakening the Spiritual Heart leads to deeper self-knowledge and personal growth, and
promotes dialogue and lasting peace between
people of different cultures and religions. In
the West, the Prayer of the Heart was transmitted from the Gnostics to the early Desert
Fathers, Sufis, and Byzantine monks, and is
preserved to this day by Indian saints and
Russian hermits. It transcends formal religion
and can be used by spiritual seekers of any
orientation.
The practice begins with cultivating wakefulness—attention to body sensations, emotions,
energy, and thoughts. Students will be taught
how to concentrate on the Spiritual Heart and
work with the psychological and emotional
issues blocking it. They can individualize
their practice by exploring relationships with
spiritual archetypes through sacred images
and guided visualization. There will be periods of silent meditation/prayer. Participants
will learn to understand their experiences in
the light of the developmental stages of the
prayer and meditation.
The format accommodates new students and
deepens the practice for the more experienced. Working in small groups, participants
will be offered individualized guidance and
learn dialogue techniques for the practice of
the prayer. This workshop is useful both for
psychology and health professionals as well as
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anyone interested in deepening their selfknowledge and spirituality.
Harmonic Presence: Primordial
Wisdom and the Music of the Spheres
David Hykes
From the harmonic sound waves of the stillechoing Big Bang to healing sounds, from
String Theory to sacred chant, the harmonic
nature of vibrational Reality, heard inside and
out, resounds in heart, mind, and spirit. Tune
in on that eternal source through Harmonic
Chant, with the original Western overtone
pioneer and meditation teacher, David Hykes.
Harmonic Chant is a universal sacred music
integrating key principles common to Tibetan,
Indian, Tuvan, Mongolian, and European
sacred chant. You’ll undertake a deep journey
to the original template of all music and harmony, the harmonic series, present in all our
voices, and an awareness key to harmonious
relationship on every scale. You’ll experience,
in a new way, through chant and contemplative exercise, movement and visualization,
something deeper about the harmony at work
right now, and the silent listening awareness
from which it arises…pure mystery!
The (nonverbal) musical work includes deepsound meditation practices and yogic awareness exercises with the breath, listening, and
sound sensation. The sessions present the
essence of Harmonic Chant and the
Harmonic Presence work, and cover wide
ground musically and spiritually. All those
interested in source teachings relating music,
meditation, and healing practices are invited.
For more information, see www.harmonicpresence.org.
Recommended listening and reading: CDs
(including Harmonic Meditations: Music from
the Heart of the Cosmos) and writings by David
Hykes.
Sweet Mischief: A Lighthearted Path
for Self-Realization and Restoration
David Schiffman
Step right up, step right in, come and enjoy the
trouble you’re in.
— Coyote Old Man.
The radiance of a light heart changes for the
better everything it reveals. It bathes us in an
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atmosphere of playfulness, hope, and goodwill. It is born of innate wisdom and is a blessing for all who share it. If you feel that living a
passionate, lighthearted, authentic life is a
necessity, not a luxury, if presence to deeper,
wiser, more naturally uninhibited spirits
helps you balance out the needs and demands
of others with your own, if you feel being free
and whole in your own skin is the proper
foundation for a real life lived—then you’re
ready for the lighthearted path of sweet mischief.
Come join David Schiffman and friends in a
weekend of high spirits, joyful antics, and
deep contemplation amidst all things considered. “Our aim together,” writes David, “is to
express our deepest thoughts and feelings in a
dreamtime celebration of lighthearted intention. We will call on the uplifting spirit medicine of ceremony, touch, dance, music, and
song, along with the powers of spirit-family
and personal daring and sharing. Our mission: to reconnect with what is free, natural
and alive inside usÉ A joyful tune-upÉ A time
designed to leave you feeling more nimble,
poised, and able to face the challenge of making the life you hope for.
The Visionary State:
California’s Spiritual Frontiers
Erik Davis
For well over a century, California has been
host to a dizzying number of exotic religions,
new sects, and all manner of psychospiritual
practices. From Esalen to the Crystal
Cathedral, from Aldous Huxley to Starhawk,
from Hollywood astrologers to UFO cultists,
California has pushed the boundary of spiritual experience and religious community. In
this workshop, Erik Davis will explore the
idea that California’s alternative spirituality is
a distinct religious tradition on its own. Using
photographs, film clips, and music, the course
will provide an overview of “California consciousness” and the fascinating reasons that
this new-edge sensibility set down roots on
the West Coast. In particular, the course will
focus on four major dimensions of the
California consciousness: nature, the body,
the evolution of consciousness, and media
technology.
The author of the celebrated The Visionary
State: A Journey through California’s Spiritual
Landscape, lavishly illustrated with Michael
Rauner’s photography, Erik Davis spent a
number of years traveling the state, interviewing seekers, and visiting sacred sites and spiritual architecture. For this workshop, he will
be joined by Michael Rauner, who will present images of the unusual sacred spots that
tell the story of California’s spiritual history.
By discovering why the human potential
movement and other psychospiritual trends
emerged on the West Coast, participants will
encounter ancestors and secret histories
buried in the spiritual landscape that surrounds us.
Big Sur Artists Tour:
A Celebration of Living on the Edge
Jayson Fann & Big Sur Artists
Throughout its colorful history, Big Sur has
drawn distinguished artists and creative
individuals from all over the world. This
legacy, combined with its magnificent, elemental landscape, has produced a unique
cultural heritage, a rich blending of artistry
and self-sufficiency applied to every aspect
of living.
This workshop offers a rare opportunity to
visit and learn from some of the most talented
artists of the Big Sur coast at their home studios and at the Esalen Arts Center. The weekend will include classes in landscape painting,
poetry, and music, as well as other creative
adventures to stimulate, inspire, and renew
the spirit. The goal will be to maximize your
creativity and explore the magical ocean and
mountain landscapes of Big Sur.
Evolutionary Activism and the
Mutation of Consciousness
Alan Sasha Lithman
Can we resolve the unprecedented complexity
of crises we face through a return to past wisdoms? Or are these accelerating crises the evolutionary catalysts challenging the absolutes
of our spiritual and scientific traditions, pressing us toward a mutation of consciousness?
If these crises are in fact the terrestrial labor
pains preceding the birth of a new principle
of being, then we are the first sufficiently selfaware species to consciously participate in its
own mutation. But how to proceed? How do
we develop the evolutionary skills to de-traumatize the transition, discovering a more
trustworthy inner compass than ego to guide
us through the turmoil ahead?
This workshop will address these questions,
helping participants learn to think in evolutionary terms and timeframes so we can better prepare ourselves and our systems to handle the intensities of the transformational
DANIEL BIANCHETTA
process, and become more effective agents for
change at the personal, cultural, ecological
and cellular levels, integrating mysticism and
activism.
Through a series of experiential exercises, participants will explore concepts such as “evolutionary triage,” “changing our genetic psychology,” “Love as Healer,” “phased metamorphosis,” and “evolutionary activism.” This process
is designed to help participants identify practical strategies for personal/collective transformation and build community from the
group of participants to demonstrate the critical role of Community and Compassion in
our future unfolding.
Recommended reading: Lithman, An
Evolutionary Agenda for the Third Millennium: A
Primer for the Mutation of Consciousness.
Sharing the Path:
Mothers and Daughters
Carol Adrienne & Sigrid Matthews
The leaders, a mother-daughter co-facilitation
team, write: “The closest relationship we ever
have is with our mothers. We come from
mothers, and we may well become mothers.
This biological bond, potentially as strong as
the oldest oak tree, is all too often severed,
taken for granted, or in need of healing. In
this workshop, we create a warm, safe environment to explore the shared destinies and the
shadows. Whether you come alone or with
your own mother or daughter, you will have a
chance to examine how you are alike, how you
are different, and how you may be living out
the unconscious patterns of this primary relationship, which affect other realms of your life.”
Gentle yoga exercises will help to open the
body and release stored unresolved issues.
Reflective writing exercises and frank discussions—with humor—will help to spotlight the
messages you received from your mother,
what she received from her mother, and how
these may need to be transformed so that you
can both grow.
It’s never too late to clear the past. You may be
surprised at how the obstacles, concerns, or
anxieties you face in career and relationship
can be tied to family myths that keep you from
having the life you want. This workshop offers
specific strategies and principles to take the
heat off any issues you have (or have had) with
your mother, and to give you tools for improving your relationship and communication.
Week of May 14–19
Vegetarian Cooking:
Live Longer, Eat Better
Charlie Cascio
Where’s the beef? It’s hiding in such fatal diseases as cancer, stroke, and heart failure. Many
people accelerate their own failing health and
premature death by what they eat even though
medical science has proven that by changing to
a vegetarian diet you can add many more
enjoyable years to your life. Charlie Cascio, former longtime Esalen kitchen manager, is both
a culinary artist and a catalyst. He also has been
eating a vegetarian diet for the past 38 years.
His mission is to help people find a healthy
way of eating without compromising taste.
Exploring the cuisine of meatless cooking
requires creativity to be successfully accepted
by the meat-eaters that you feed.
Cascio writes: “Let’s gather up our creative
culinary interest, along with the greens, rice,
and beans, and start to learn the different
approaches to a healthy meatless cuisine.
Our topics will include: quick and easy vegetarian meals, gourmet main courses, soups,
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salads, desserts, sauces, dressings, and
breads. We will also explore vegan and
wheat-free recipes. And we’ll discuss in
depth the health benefits of a vegetarian
diet, product information, and nutrient
consideration.”
This is a hands-on course where participants
will be preparing most of the meals that they
will be eating during the week.
Systemic Constellations: Open Topic
Jane Peterson
Constellation work, as developed by Bert
Hellinger, offers an exploration of the hidden systemic orders operating in human
relationship systems. In this workshop you
will have the opportunity to work with the
internal dynamics of your own system, be it
family-based, organizational, existential, or
ecological.
Tim Beckwith
In a vast range of expression and function,
from the lightness of decorative elegance and
humor to the depths of shamanic ritual, people have since ancient times created masks
that bridge the inner and outer worlds in a
uniquely powerful way. They are both works
of art and tools for transformation.
To make a mask with the intention to wear it
can stir a deep and passionate excitement that
feels different from any other form of art
making. Using a variety of materials, this
workshop will investigate the infusion of
spirit and artistic expression in the maskmaking process while learning the basics of
how to make a mask that is truly wearable.
As a group, participants will create a supportive opportunity to wear the completed masks
and surrender into an exploration of their
spirit and nature through dramatic improvisational movement and vocalization.
Beginning Anew:
Healing the Battered Heart
Susan Weitzman
All relationships contain rocky roads, but
some contain interactions that are both disabling and undermining for the partners.
When such patterns endure, the effect is the
erosion of self-esteem, decrease in emotional
vigor, and even the decaying of physical wellbeing. So how do we recognize such patterns
and move beyond them? And how do we
recover once we have left such a situation?
This workshop, based upon Susan Weitzman’s
“Leaving Behind, Beginning Anew” retreats, is
for anyone who has experienced or is currently
involved in a life-draining relationship, and
who is seeking ways to “begin anew.”
Participants will have the opportunity to learn
how to internalize healthy-partnering communication styles and increase self-love, both of
which lead to an increasing intolerance of dysfunctional relationship patterns in our lives.
The workshop will also focus on recognizing
early warning signs that will guide us on our
paths to healthy and happy connectedness.
Using methods designed to facilitate deep
expression as well as ritual, special emphasis
will be placed on the letting go of the past and
healing the scars the battered heart sustains.
Throughout this journey, the program will
explore how the down-points can be transformed and experienced as turning points for
individual growth. This program can also be
useful for those in the helping professions.
Recommended Reading: Weitzman, Not to
People Like Us: Hidden Abuse in Upscale Marriages.
DANIEL BIANCHETTA
“Join us for this ‘open’ workshop,” Jane
Peterson writes, “as we use the deeper knowing of our bodies, our sense of relationships in
space, and the very wisdom of our bones to
explore issues ranging from family and relationship to business and existential dilemmas. We will use the form of systemic constellations as a jumping off point to discover the
truths of our soul and engage with the
Mystery in the knowing field.”
The Art and Soul of Mask Making
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The Heart of the Matter
Kathryn Altman & Jonathan Horan
“The Heart of the Matter,” the leaders write, “is a
field trip into the land of forgotten feelings,
where we learn the art of befriending our emotions, expressing them with purity and directness. In our time together we will reawaken the
fluid stream between our emotions (the heart)
and our bodies (the matter). Gradually, we’ll
shake off the layers of protection that leave so
many of us hungering for intimacy with ourselves, friends, and lovers, a community.
“Dancing Gabrielle Roth’s 5Rhythms, a cathartic form of ecstatic moving meditation, we
free our bodies and feel what is held in our
hearts. Taking refuge from the world of doing,
we’ll dance in this land where mountains
meet ocean, and remember our true nature:
the wild and tender beating hearts that lie
just below the surface. And along the way, we
reclaim our power to love.”
Recommended reading: Roth, Sweat Your
Prayers and Maps to Ecstasy.
Big Sur Wilderness Experience
Steven Harper
Esalen is the trailhead to one of the most
spectacular mountainous coastlines in the
world. With the Big Sur wilderness as the primary teacher, participants will explore the
beauty of this alive and wild coast from
ancient redwood-forested canyons to dramatic coastal beaches, from rugged rocky mountains to the soft grassy slopes of the Big Sur
hills. Drawing from nature and various experiential awareness practices, individuals will
be encouraged to open both to the natural
world and to the landscapes of their inner
world. It is said that Big Sur is not just a place
but a state of mind. This wilderness experience seeks to merge mind and place, then to
embody what is learned.
Participants in this weeklong workshop will
venture out on five day-hikes, 4-10 miles in
length. The leader will draw from a wide
range of contemporary and age-old wisdom
traditions, borrowing from psychology, meditation, aikido, ecology, and the natural sciences to weave together a wholistic experience of self and the natural world. Each hike
begins after breakfast and concludes in time
to enjoy the hot springs and dinner at Esalen.
Evening sessions include informal sharing,
basic awareness practices, and useful outdoor
skills, with attention given to incorporating
what is learned during the week into our
daily lives. All levels of experience are welcome. Be prepared for the invigorating challenge of physical activity and the opportunity
to simply sit still in quiet reflection. More
information will be sent upon registration.
Quiet Spine, Calm Heart, Restful Mind
Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen
This workshop will explore the psychophysical relationships of the spine, heart, and mind
that underlie a deep, resilient, restful state.
Bonnie Cohen writes: “We will be working
directly and specifically with our anatomical
structures in embodying small and subtle
changes in our bodies that bring profound
changes in our cores, our actions, our expression, and our communication with others.”
• Quieting your spine provides a balanced
container for your skeletal and organic
structures. It manifests as deep rest in your
central vertical core of self.
• Calming your heart provides access to your
feelings and embodied emotions. It
manifests as deep rest within the turmoil
and challenges of your karmic path.
• Balancing your senses provides a full
spectrum from which to perceive the world
you live in. It manifests as deep rest in
perceiving each moment.
Focusing: The Inner Relationship
Ann Weiser Cornell
Focusing is a body-centered technique for
reaching beyond familiar thoughts and feelings to an underlying “felt sense” of something. Instead of the usual internal chatter,
you start to listen in a relaxed and friendly
way to the parts of yourself that do not normally get attention. Out of this deeper bodily
listening, creative and transformative openings can emerge.
This experiential workshop is a deep introduction to the spirit, attitudes, and methods
of Focusing. You’ll learn how to tune in to “felt
senses,” messages from your deeper self that
are held in your body. You’ll learn how to create a climate of acceptance and welcome within so that you can hear from these parts of
yourself without judgment. You’ll learn how
to receive the messages that lead to relief and
release in your body when you do.
The workshop will provide a safe and supportive atmosphere in which your inner
sense of rightness is respected, even to
whether and when you speak in the group.
You’ll learn how to guide yourself through a
Focusing process, and you’ll practice partnership skills that support making Focusing a
regular and trusted part of your life.
Those who aren’t familiar with the Focusing
process will begin to learn to use it immediately. Those who are familiar with it will go
even deeper. Helping professionals will
learn powerful tools for working with
clients.
Eating, Food, and the Body/Self
Jerome Front
Eating, food, and the body/self are intimately
intertwined. Tapping into these connections
using the practices and metaphors of food
and the body can lead to healing, transformation, and awakening. In a retreat atmosphere,
you’ll be taught contemplative, somatic, and
psychological tools for feasting on the experience of being alive.
Dimensions of eating and food that are experienced with mindful awareness can lead to a
reopening of psychological depth, a fuller
embodiment, and a deeper sense of the creative, relational, and spiritual aspects of being
alive. Otherwise, unacknowledged hungers,
unrecognized feelings, trances, wounds, and
personal mythologies around eating and the
body misdirect our energies into filling these
voids and away from being free and fully
alive. This workshop offers neither a diet plan
nor medical advice, but it does provide tools
to help you focus on sources of true nourishment. Topics include:
• Your unique food mythologies, patterns,
and trances
• Interconnectedness of Self, Other, and
Cosmos
• Communal stories and release of shame and
secrets
• Eating and the body as practice for renewal,
contemplation, and meditation
There will be silent community meals, selfassessment stories, music and ritual, meditation, and deep relaxation. Teachings and activities will alternate with periods of silence.
Open to all, the workshop is an especially rich
resource for therapists and nurses.
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DANIEL BIANCHETTA
From Conflict to Closeness:
A Workshop for Couples
Susan Weitzman & Richard Goldwasser
This workshop is specially designed for couples who are tired of the excessive ups and
downs that are abundant in their relationship.
While any two people invested in being part
of a couple are bound to have conflicts, the
ideal situation is an atmosphere in which
your conflicts become stepping stones and
learning experiences, rather than walls and a
feeling of ever-growing distance between you.
This workshop will explore ways to increase
communication and work toward greater intimacy. The experience will include discussions, both in group and alone together, in
which to practice new skills for resolving conflict, use tools for “fighting fair,” and rekindle
the energies that drew you together in the
beginning.
The leaders write: “Having spent much of our
professional careers working with couples, as
well as devoting ourselves to the importance
of relationship in our personal lives, we are
excited about this workshop because it offers
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couples a unique opportunity to get away and
focus solely on themselves and their relationship. Hopefully, participants will take home
with them some tools for increasing communication skills, tips for negotiation and conflict resolution, and, most important, a greater
sense of closeness.”
Moving Pictures:
Video Storytelling for Beginners
Haydn Reiss
Good video cameras and affordable desktop
editing are everywhere. What’s still needed is
how to take those tools and use them to tell
your stories. The emphasis of this workshop
is away from the technical world of equipment, and toward learning the building
blocks of great documentary storytelling.
Exercises will include writing a simple script
or outline (from family history or other personal experience), developing a production
plan (identifying what are the elements your
story needs), practicing the art of the interview (the backbone of documentaries), learning about affordable resources (such as stock
footage and license-free music), and laying
out a “paper edit” of your film.
“In short,” writes Haydn Reiss, “we will imagine our film and draft a plan to create it. We
will also screen some classic documentaries
for inspiration and insight. The world of personal filmmaking is continually expanding
with plenty of room for innovation. Just as
there isn’t one way to write a story, there isn’t
one way to make a documentary. Yet, as with
any craft, there are some tried-and-true skills
that distinguish amateur from more professional work. The goal of the workshop is to
explore those skills and also discover our own
personal approaches to video storytelling.”
The Hidden Mirror: Magic and the
Byways of Western History
Marco Pasi
“What is magic?” writes Marco Pasi. “This
question has haunted generations of scholars
and intellectuals. Many answers, and different
definitions, have been given, often divergent
or contradictory. Tens of thousands of pages
have been written on the subject, whose pres-
ence remains so conspicuous, even today in
our society, despite all predictions of its
demise, finally conquered by the light of
Western rationality. Yet, magic still stands fast
against all its foes, and, well, it may even be
gaining ground.
“Positivists and fundamentalists alike may
ask, ‘What went wrong?’ Nothing at all—the
worm was in the apple right from the start (or
was it a serpent?). The aim of this workshop is
to talk with the worm and ask him what the
taste of the apple is. We will focus on a series
of key moments in the history of magic in
order to show how discourses on magic have
been instrumental, and fundamental, for the
shaping of Western cultural identity.”
Research (CTR) invitational conference on
Esotericism, May 14-19, at which Marco Pasi
is a participant/presenter.
Week of May 21–26
The Upledger Institute’s
SomatoEmotional Release I
SomatoEmotional Release (SER) is a healing
process that helps rid the mind and body of
residual effects of past trauma and associated
negative emotional experiences. Joint research
efforts by Dr. John Upledger and biophysicist
Dr. Zvi Karni led to the discovery that the
body often retains (rather than dissipates)
physical forces resulting from accident, injury,
or emotional trauma, and then isolates the
dysfunctional area, creating an “energy cyst.”
Although a reasonably healthy body can work
and adapt to “energy cysts,” extra energy is
required to perform normal bodily functions.
As the years pass, the adaptive pattern of the
body loses its effectiveness, and symptoms
and dysfunctions begin to appear which
become more difficult to ignore or suppress.
In SER I, students learn how to assist the
patient/client in physically identifying and
expelling the “energy cyst” and in reexperiencing and resolving unpleasant memories.
Before participating in this course, students
must complete Upledger CranioSacral I and
II, either at Esalen or elsewhere.
only through The Upledger Institute. Please
call 1-800-233-5880.
Practical Shape Shifting
Lavinia Plonka
O wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us!
— Robert Burns
The relationship that got away, the deal that
fell through, the awful party: The inadvertent
signals we send with our unconscious postures, gestures, and breath affect every interaction—both with others and with ourselves.
But these habitual gestures are almost impossible for us to see, like asking a fish how the
water is. Yet, there is a precise science to reading others, and a practical way to begin to
observe your own body language in order to
“shift” towards the kind of manifestations that
can get you what you really want in life.
This workshop—for teachers, performers,
healers, and students of life—is based on
Lavinia Plonka’s book, Walking Your Talk: Body
Language Keys To Unlock Your Personal Power.
Her synthesis ranges from the ancient
Sanskrit Natyasastra through 19th-century
teacher Francois Delsarte to contemporary
researchers like Paul Ekman. Applications
from commedia dell’arte to Alba Emoting blend
with lessons from The Feldenkrais Method®,
in a refreshing approach to self-study. This
wild, sometimes hilarious, sometimes moving
adventure will provide fascinating information and practical tools to align your dreams
with the life you want to be living. You’ll
never look at yourself or others the same way
again.
For more information, visit
www.laviniaplonka.com.
Recommended reading: Plonka, What Are You
Afraid Of? A Body/Mind Guide to Courageous
Living.
Stronger at the Broken Places:
Relationship Challenges as Initiatory
Experiences
Charlie & Linda Bloom
The mind seeks an easy relationship. The heart
seeks a spiritual partner.
Many factors draw us into relationships:
physical attraction, a desire for intimacy,
financial concerns, to name a few. Then there
are our deeper, often unconscious agendas,
matters of the heart that are usually less
apparent, although no less compelling. A soulmate is someone with whom we can learn the
lessons required for our deeper purposes to be
fulfilled. These lessons have to do with free-
ing ourselves from limiting patterns of behavior and beliefs that interfere with our ability
to be free, whole, and loving.
This process of liberation often pits us against
challenges that stretch our capacities, that
confront us with unhealed wounds and
incompletions. This is the deeper purpose of
relationships: to compel us to go beyond the
edges of our familiar reality and into the terrain of the unknown. Each time we successfully move into and through these painful
ordeals of the heart we claim increasingly
larger aspects of ourselves, bringing us to progressively higher levels of consciousness.
In this workshop, participants will learn how
to embrace and take full advantage of the
teachings that relationships provide for us as
we strengthen the capacity to stand more
firmly and openly in the face of the fire.
Singles as well as couples are welcome.
Recommended reading: C. & L. Bloom, 101
Things I Wish I Knew When I Got Married.
The Transformative Power of
Storytelling
Karen Dietz
Imagine what could be possible for you if you
could reach the hearts and minds of people
every time you speak. Imagine if you could
easily tell stories that inspire others. Then perhaps it’s time you turned your attention to
learning how to tell magical and powerful stories. If you want someone to remember you
or your material, then tell a story. Stories convey ideas, knowledge, and wisdom faster than
any other form of communication. They are
remembered long after facts and figures fade,
and are inspiring and fun.
In this workshop, you’ll learn to develop powerful, meaningful stories that are uniquely
yours. You’ll also find out just how enjoyable
speaking and storytelling can be. In a safe and
positive environment, you’ll experience the
magic and transformative power of storytelling, no matter what your skill level.
• Learn to transform content into a
compelling message that moves others
• Increase your ability to bring out the best
in people
• Develop material that touches the hearts
and minds of others
• Learn to find and craft the powerful stories
that are all around you
• Deliver your stories authentically
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• Discover the deeper meaning of your
stories in work and life
• Clarify your goals and intentions
If you have questions, feel free to contact
Justin Hecht at 415-673-0283 or
Justinhecht@prodigy.net.
Drumming: A Journey to the Source
Abbey Onikoyi
Everything in the universe is in rhythm. Rhythm
is a living fabric of time in which we are all woven
and making music is one of ultimate ways of
creatively participating with life itself.
— Anu Binbinjene
Embark on a rhythmic journey to the heart
and soul of the drum. Immerse yourself in the
waters of rhythm—rhythms of healing,
rhythms of strength, rhythms of celebration
and joy. This class—for all levels—is a playful
exploration of rhythmic music and percussive
instruments from around the world. You’ll
have the opportunity to learn rhythms from
Africa, the Middle East, Brazil, and the
Caribbean. In addition, you’ll explore voice
and body percussion, create your own rhythmic compositions, learn to play with others,
and, most important, you’ll find your way to
the heart and soul of music: rhythm.
Authenticity, Intuition, and
Creativity—For Gay and Bi Men
Justin Hecht
“Many gay and bisexual men long for a more
authentic and satisfying life,” writes Justin
Hecht. “Having grown up in a rejecting and
hostile culture, we may continue to feel
empty and inhibited—long after we think
we’ve dealt with our sexual orientation.
“In this healing and affirming workshop, we
will create an intentional community to support our growth and individuation. We will
develop our authenticity through sustained
group process, challenging and supporting
each other to be deeply honest. Through
music and meditation, we will allow our
intuition to emerge and inform our souls.
Through small-group and paired-coaching
exercises, we will encourage each other to take
risks and commit to living more creatively.”
Please note: Music has played an integral part
in this workshop for many years. To introduce
yourself to the group, please select two pieces
of music that are deeply meaningful to you.
Your selections should be no longer than five
minutes and should be in CD or MP3 format.
If you prefer, you are welcome to bring a
meaningful piece of art in another format,
such as poetry or painting.
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Start Over: Choose Aliveness and
Intimacy
Mary Goldenson
We have all experienced moments of feeling
totally alive, yet much of our life is spent in a
half-asleep, half-committed state of being.
While there are many life-situations beyond
our control, we choose how we respond to
these events. The choice to be passionately
alive is an act of courage. To choose life is to:
• Open ourselves to all of life—suffering, joy,
success, failure, love, and grief
• Fully acknowledge the truth of who we are
• Commit to living our deepest values and
dreams
• Define what we must change in our
relationships
• Learn new ways to heal, forgive, and
communicate
The challenge is to honestly address the ways
in which we have compromised, given up, or
lied to ourselves and others. This workshop is
designed to bring to awareness our unconscious choices of how we deaden ourselves
and to create the possibility for new aliveness
and passionate involvement.
Come alone or with a partner. A safe, supportive atmosphere will be provided, using communication skills, movement, Gestalt, and
Reichian work.
Mind, Mood, and Happiness:
Meditation and MindBody Healing
Ronald Alexander
People can learn to grow—to change their
thinking and behavior in ways that enhance
happiness and well-being. Studies in the
fields of health psychology and learned optimism confirm this. For 2,500 years, the wisdom teachings of the East have utilized what
their texts refer to as “skillful methods” for
the study and transformation of the
mind/body. These meditation and visualization practices help to cultivate self-regulation
through awareness, concentration, mindfulness, and other attention skills, leading to
clarity of mind, spaciousness of self, and
greater compassion.
Using techniques from modern psychology
and Tibetan Buddhism along with non-dual
teachings (Advaita-Vedic), participants will be
taught skills to calm the mind, regulate affect
states, develop trust with the unconscious,
and explore inner resources for activating creativity, vitality, and a sense of well-being.
Methods include:
• Developing skills for accessing the
resources of the core self
• Utilization of the unconscious for
activating internal healing resources
• Meditation (insight, Tibetan, and non-dual)
and psychological skills to deepen
concentration, promote insight, and
develop presence
• Exploration of natural mind/body healing
rhythms (yogic and somatic breathing
methods)
• Buddhist psychological methods for
dealing with unpleasant or painful
“afflictive” states of mind
• Discussion of mind, self, and happiness
from both Western Self-psychology and
Buddhist psychology perspectives
• Practices that promote lovingkindness
Recommended reading: Goleman, Healing
Emotions: Conversations with the Dalai Lama;
Csikszentmihalyi, Flow: The Psychology of
Optimal Experience: Fryba, Art of Happiness:
Teaching of Buddhist Psychology.
Anchoring into Our Inner Being:
An Anusara Yoga Journey
Ulrika Engman
Ulrika Engman writes: “For this Spring weekend we will open up the gateway of our
hearts, breathing life and love into the beautiful inner garden of our Yoga practice.
Together we will create sacred time and space
to water the seeds of inspiration deep within,
rekindling the fire that drew us into Yoga.
Through the contrast of dynamic and soft
asana/poses, universal flow of alignment, and
intention, we will surrender into the current
of breath to soften the edges of our outer
body/mind. Throughout the journey we will
stop in various poses and explore three powerful focal points of stillness: the core of the
the pelvis, the heart, and the upper palate. We
will reflect on how living fully connected to
these focal points brings us in contact with a
state of being that is Yoga, a magnetic sacred
union with the inner state of balance. By gaining this inner awareness we attain greater
access to the gateway of the heart where we
are clear, open, and freer to live our Yoga on
and off the mat, truly anchored in our inner
being.”
Please bring your own yoga mat. For more
information about Ulrika, please visit
www.Yoga-Journeys.com.
Lesbian Relationships:
Intimacy and Interdependence
Diana Gray
“Lesbians have the capacity to form intense
heart connections to each other,” writes Diana
Gray. “However, this emotional capacity also
creates for us the challenge of being loving
toward others while being loving toward ourselves. Our desire to be close can also bring up
fears of intimacy and abandonment. Often we
feel blocked in being able to create a vision of
relationship that allows us a balance between
independence and dependence.”
The workshop is open to lesbians by themselves or with their partners. It is also helpful
for professionals who work with lesbian couples. Please wear comfortable clothing.
Using Finger Signals to Tap the
Wisdom of the Inner Mind
Adam Crabtree
Everyone has experienced the power and wisdom of the inner mind for bringing about
healing and growth. The question is how to be
able to tap this rich resource when we have
the need, and, importantly, how to be able to
obtain information from the inner mind that
is free from the distortions that arise from
rigid analytical thinking, irrational subconscious complexes, and the influence of the
expectations of the group and cultural forces
that surround us.
What is needed are approaches that can
bypass these obstructions and allow the wisdom of the inner mind to come through
undistorted. This workshop will explore the
use of finger signals and other methods that
circumvent the blocks and filtering mechanisms arising from these influences.
The approaches explored make use of
“automatisms” that avoid ordinary conscious
thinking and its verbal expression. The workshop will help participants become familiar
with methods for establishing these “ideodynamic” signals for themselves and helping
others use them. It will also offer ideas for
employing finger signals as an aid in the practice of various healing arts, including psychotherapy, counseling, and emotional bodywork.
DANIEL BIANCHETTA
This workshop will use a variety of structured
experiences to help lesbians increase their
capacity to be in more satisfying, balanced,
intimate relationships with themselves and
others. Music, small- and large-group discussion, presentations, and drawing will enable
you to get closer to your relationship vision.
You will learn how to more easily connect
with your own strength, creativity, sensitivity,
flexibility, and ability to compromise. You will
leave feeling more confident about creating
the balanced heart-connection you desire.
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“Survival of Bodily Death,” May 21-26, at
which Adam Crabtree is a participant/
presenter.
tive. Your muscles tense. You can’t seem to get
in a romantic mood. Your body says, I really
don’t like the way this feels. You tell yourself,
There must be something wrong with me.
Our body, in its wisdom, continually sends us
signals. We know we should pay attention,
but our mind takes over. We reject the body as
wrong—too weak, too lustful, too fat, too old.
Instead of listening to our body’s natural wisdom we do the opposite, then wonder why
we don’t feel better.
Week of May 28–June 2
Senses Wide Open:
An Active Exploration of Presence
Johanna Putnoi
Scene: You shake hands with a stranger.
Warmth and kinship seem to flow into you.
Your body says, Pursue this relationship. You
tell yourself, I must be imagining things. You
turn away.
Scene: You go on a long walk. You return home
feeling fit and refreshed. Your body says, I feel
great. But when you look in the mirror you
tell yourself, I’ll never look the way I should.
Holistic Sexuality:
A New Integral Approach
Ramon Albareda & Marina Romero
This workshop is for individuals who wish to
access the full potential of their vital primary
energy, and explore how this energy can be
creatively expressed and integrated at somatic,
emotional, mental, and spiritual levels. It is
designed to teach you how to connect with
this energy not only as a creative force in
everyday life, but also as a bridge to the deepest dimension of reality and a catalyst for a
grounded spiritual growth. It will also assist
you in the discovery of your own unique path
of integral evolution through the grounding
of your consciousness in your own vital
potentials.
The leaders write: “We understand Sexuality to
mean the vital primary energy of the person,
and Holistic refers to the different levels—
DANIEL BIANCHETTA
Scene: Your lover’s touch feels rough, insensi-
Learning to live fully in your body changes
your relationship to everything—to yourself,
to others, to the earth. This workshop in the
Lomi Somatic tradition integrates Western
psychological and bodywork perspectives
with Eastern spiritual disciplines. The tools
are presence, perception, contact, and practice. The disciplines used are meditation,
conscious movement, bodywork, breathwork, and Gestalt. This is an opportunity to
practice interrupting your habits of body,
heart, and mind by expanding your ability
to see, hear, sense, feel, and be existentially
present.
Recommended reading: Putnoi, Senses Wide
Open: The Art and Practice of Living in Your Body.
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somatic, emotional, mental, spiritual—in
which this energy is transformed as well as
the totality of this transformation.” The principles and practices that shape Holistic
Sexuality are inspired by life’s natural processes as organic references for transformation
and healing. The fruit of decades of research
and experience, Holistic Sexuality is affiliated
with neither tantra nor other methods of
working with sexuality.
The leaders will facilitate group process as
well as counsel each participant individually
to design personalized practices. You will
learn how to safely self-regulate your own
process from an awareness of your present
capabilities and necessary boundaries. This
workshop will guide you in:
• Developing a path of self-knowledge,
regeneration, and creative evolution
• Transforming the limiting unconscious
tendencies of your vital primary world
• Working through conflicts that hinder your
sexual self-expression
• Integrating sexual and spiritual energies to
enhance the quality of your life
Please note: Instruction given in Spanish, with
English translation provided.
The Song of the Drum
Gordy Ryan & Bruce Langhorne
“Our goal,” the leaders write, “is soulful, downto-earth communication as we play and sing
on a cultural journey from West Africa to
New Orleans. As we open our ears, our voices,
and our hearts we become vehicles for the
expression of Spirit, bringing the muse of
sweet inspiration to our lives.”
This workshop is a celebration of funk and
fun in an environment of compassion and
interaction among friends on the path of a living cultural energy. Each session includes a
clear presentation of hand-drumming fundamentals that will be applied in the rhythmic
arrangements of the songs to be played. There
is a place in this orchestra for everyone who
loves music—begining to advanced players are
equally welcome. Songwriting and creativity
will be nurtured.
treating schoolmates with homemade herbal
remedies. Later she spent two and half years
in the Ozarks eating only wild plants. She
brings a lifetime of experience to this workshop.
Participants will explore the edible and
healthful properties of local plants, herbal
preparations, effective dosages, and safety
issues. Brigitte will provide information on
using herbs to treat common health conditions such as insomnia, fatigue, and depression; to improve immunity; as natural first
aid; and to enhance energy, sexuality, and
longevity.
The workshop will provide participants with
an understanding of how the flavors of plants
correspond to their properties. Participants
will learn to incorporate herbs, food, and
essential oils for health and vitality.
The Writer’s Way: Another Path
Through the Wilderness
Nancy Bacal
At the tip of the pen confusion blossoms into riches.
This is an invitation to join a dynamic community of writers, gathered together for five
days to experiment, share material, permit our
writing to be coaxed to a new level. The mission: to explore the human condition by writing the stories of our own lives, to move
courageously past the critic, beyond blocks
and shame, to translate the bittersweet paradoxes of life onto the page. The process is
risky, evocative, joyous. Each writer is met
with wisdom and compassion on his or her
own level, challenged to move beyond habit
into the realm of art.
Life is not tidy. Writing will not change this,
but it will provide a grateful container to
receive it.
Old students are particularly welcome. For
new people interested in this process, an open
mind, heart, and some writing experience is
preferred.
The Realm of the Sensuous:
Esalen Massage® and Partner Yoga
Ellen Watson & Daniela Urbassek
Herbal Medicine
Brigitte Mars
Brigitte Mars first became interested in herbs
watching her French-Canadian grandmother
practicing folk medicine. As a teenager she
developed her passion for herbal medicine by
“Partner yoga is an exciting new development
in the ancient practice of yoga,” writes Ellen
Watson. “While individual practice cultivates
awareness, focus, and clarity of oneself, partner asana takes us a step further, into the
world of relationship with another. Working
with a partner can support deeper, stronger
poses, greater balance, and requires the consistent dance to and from awareness of self to
awareness of another. This supports development of the desired presence for learning the
fine art of Esalen Massage.”
“Esalen Massage is a healing art form, evolved
over 45 years at the Esalen baths. Influenced
by the rhythms of the Pacific, this form of
touch engages all the senses and offers deep
release and relaxation to both giver and
receiver. The dynamics of partner yoga translate well to the relationship that develops on
the massage table: giving and receiving energy and weight, while paying exquisite attention to oneself and another.”
Mornings will begin early with chanting,
meditation, and ecstatic dance. After breakfast, Ellen and Daniela will teach the essentials of Esalen Massage. As the sun lowers
over the Pacific, the group will gather again
for partner yoga to cultivate awareness and
presence and develop inner balance and harmony. Friday morning, there will be a special
closing ritual at the baths.
This workshop is designed for every body,
regardless of yoga or massage experience—
bodyworkers, lovers, family, and friends.
Bring loose, comfortable clothing, an open
heart, and an inquiring mind.
Recommended reading/viewing: (book)
Ackerman, A Natural History of the Senses;
(DVDs) Watson, The Art of Essential Touch;
White, Partner Yoga; The Esalen Massage DVD.
Weekend of June 2–4
Self-Healing: Awakening Your Power
to Create Health and Vitality
Meir Schneider
Do you want to see better or get rid of your
glasses? Release chronic tension from stress
and computer use? Overcome problems that
lead to suffering and paralysis?
Meir Schneider is an internationally
respected health educator, pioneer, therapist, author, and founder of the San
Francisco-based School for Self-Healing.
Self-Healing is body-mind work that grew
out of Meir’s personal journey as a teenager
from blindness, caused by congenital
cataracts and other serious vision disorders,
to full functional vision, using eye exercises.
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During this period of intense self-discovery,
with Braille-sensitive hands, Meir began to
craft massage and movement regimens for
disabled people that brought about dramatic
improvements.
Self-Healing can unlock the healing potential
within you. Experience specific techniques—
through gentle movement exercises, self-massage, visual imagery, and breathwork—that
teach you to use your body in balance. Release
physical limitations and the restricted concepts of health which accompany them.
Highlights include:
• Methods to let go of deeply-held tension
and stress
• Natural vision improvement exercises,
including a starlight walk to improve
nighttime/peripheral vision, weather
permitting
• Pool/hot tub exercises to enhance joint
mobility
• Exercises to overcome back pain and
stiffness
• Strategies for preventing and overcoming
repetitive strain injuries
Recommended reading: Schneider, The
Handbook of Self-Healing.
Transforming Awareness: Buddhist
Insights for Psychotherapists
Constance Hills & Daijaku Judith Kinst
At the heart of Buddhism and psychotherapy
is a deep commitment to compassionate
awareness. This awareness is essential for successful psychotherapy, and can also be a
source of support for the psychotherapist.
The leaders write: “In this workshop we will
kindly tend to our bodies and minds, practice meditation, and explore, through teachings and dialogues, how Buddhist practice
enriches and restores our personal and professional lives. Meditation instruction will
be given in both the Soto Zen and Vipassana
traditions. Periods of formal silent meditation will be interspersed with walking meditation, guided body awareness and scanning
meditation, and metta or lovingkindness
meditation.”
Topics in Buddhism and psychotherapy presented will include: (1) Buddhist insights
into the nature of the self/no self; (2) tools for
supporting the capacity to be simply present
and for applying the insight that arises from
meditation to psychotherapy with clients;
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and (3) how meditation can be useful in
reducing and managing psychological stress.
The instructors will facilitate discussions on
the integration of Buddhism and psychotherapy in three areas: theory, in meditation practice, and in working with clients. Nonlicensed psychotherapists are welcome to
attend.
Walk on the Wild Side:
Hiking the Big Sur Country
Steven Harper
“What’s the quickest way out of the city?”
John Muir is reported to have asked a
stranger on the street of the metropolis in
which Muir had just arrived. “Where do you
want to go?” the man asked. “Anywhere that is
wild,” Muir replied.
“This week is simple,” says Steve Harper. “We
day-hike the mountainous paths into the wilds
of Big Sur, breathe in the fresh mountain air,
we soak in Esalen’s natural hot springs overlooking the waves of the Pacific—in short, we
let ourselves touch and be touched by Nature.”
“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread,
places to play in and pray in, where Nature
may heal and cheer and give strength to body
and soul,” said Muir. Drawing from various
wisdom traditions the group will be introduced to practices that encourage openness to
self and nature. As Muir discovered, “I only
went out for a walk, and finally concluded to
stay out till sundown, for going out, I found,
was really going in.”
Hikes (3-10 miles in length) begin after breakfast and return in time to enjoy the hot
springs and wholesome food of Esalen.
Participants should be prepared for the challenge of invigorating physical activity as well
as the opportunity to simply sit still in quiet
contemplation. More information will be sent
upon registration.
Muir wrote, “The mountains are calling me
and I must go.”
Dare to Say Yes to the Givens of Life
David Richo
Everything changes and ends. Suffering is part of
growth. Things do not always go according to plan.
Things are not always fair.
These are not just conditions of existing but
of evolving. They make us the fascinating
characters we are and our human story the
intriguing plot that it is. Only in a transitory
world can we aim for the timeless. Only
through suffering do we find inner strength,
compassion, and our need for others. Only in
an unpredictable universe do we expend all
the effort we can muster. Only in the face of
injustice do we work for justice and act with
mercy. “The biggest risk,” says Han Hung, “is
to trust that these conditions are all that we
need to be ourselves.”
This workshop offers specific techniques to
declare, in Jung’s words, “an unconditional yes
to the conditions of existence without protest.”
When this happens, the givens open and we
find the best of religion and depth psychology:
Everything changes and endsÉ yet can be
renewed—the archetype of Resurrection.
Suffering is part of growthÉ yet we keep finding
ways to bring good from evil—the archetype
of Redemption. Things do not always go according to planÉ yet we can find the equanimity to
say yes to what is—the archetype of
Synchronicity, of a divine plan that makes our
destiny a larger one than ever we imagined.
Things are not always fairÉ yet we can be fair,
even generous, giving us a sense of justice and
a commitment to fight for it—the archetype of
Karma, of atonement and forgiveness.
Relationship Enrichment for
Male Couples
Michael Cohen & Daniel Merchant
“For many gay men,” write the leaders, “finding a good relationship is a challenge. Once
we are in one, the real work begins. Most of
us are surprised at the work it takes to make a
relationship succeed, and we often feel unprepared. Relationships between men need special support in our culture, which is so
steeped in homophobia.
“If you and your partner find yourselves in
need of enrichment and/or new skills to
deepen your relationship, this workshop will
help. We will create a safe group of couples
where we can learn about ourselves individually and as partners. We will have an opportunity to support one another toward a mutual
goal: building and sustaining a rich, meaningful, and dynamic partnership.
“The time will be spent working mostly with
your partner, as a couple, and working together with other couples. The intentions are to:
• Help you appreciate the current strengths
of your relationship
• Identify areas that need your attention
• Learn exercises that will deepen your
communication
• Feel a true heart connection with each
other
• Experience physical and emotional support
from your partner
• Learn techniques to resolve repetitive
disagreements
• Receive support from other couples
“We’ll use storytelling, intentional dialogues,
movement, and humor to achieve a safe and
nurturing community of male couples.”
This workshop provides in-depth training in
shamanic healing. At its core lies a cross-cultural overview of the nature of illness, healing, and healthcare. Hank Wesselman writes:
“We will expand our connections to inner
sources of power and wisdom, and deepen
our contacts with ancestral spirits and healing
masters, as well as the elementals. We will
experience the initiation of spiritual dismemberment, work with shamanic extraction
methods, and Jill will provide her unique
approach to soul retrieval.”
The Visionseeker workshops provide a
shamanic perspective derived from the
Hawaiian kahuna tradition in which knowledge of the personal soul cluster, as well as the
Week of June 4–9
Soul Motion: Sanctuary
nature of reality, forms the foundation. This
training will be most useful to those who
have completed the Visionseeker I workshop
or its equivalent. If in doubt, please contact
Hank Wesselman before registering at PO
Box 2059, Granite Bay, CA 95746, or e-mail
him at hank@sharedwisdom.com.
Note: Bring a rattle, a drum, a notebook, a bandanna or eyeshade, and a light blanket. Please
refrain from alcohol use during the workshop.
Recommended reading: Wesselman &
Kuykendall, Spirit Medicine; Wesselman, The
Journey to the Sacred Garden, and The
Spiritwalker Trilogy.
Vinn Martí
sanc•tu•ar•y n, pl, sanc•tu•ar•ies. 1. A sacred
place, such as a church, temple, or mosque.
2. A place of refuge or asylum.
The wild holy man entreats us to “dance as if
no one is watching.” Okay then, says Vinn
Martí, let’s take that directive and create
sacred space for all to move within. Soul
Motion is the dance practice design developed by Martí for his mystical movement
ministry which allows inquiry into consciousness through dance and expressive arts.
“During this week together,” he writes, “we
awaken the spirit of innovative action and
creativity as we hold a high watch for one
another to stumble and fumble our way
toward awareness. The four relational landscapes of Soul Motion—self, other, all, One—
become the ground we launch our dances
from. We will identify and release what no
longer serves and restore our vision to clearly
see who we are and what we are doing here.
“This Soul Motion experience begins and
ends with the viewpoint that each and every
one of us sings a song no other can. We gather
alone together to support and encourage this
crooning.”
Visionseeker II: Spirit Medicine
Hank Wesselman & Jill Kuykendall
DANIEL BIANCHETTA
Today interest in complementary and alternative therapies is on the rise, and increasing
numbers of people are rediscovering the healing modalities pioneered by indigenous peoples. The time-tested techniques of the traditional shamans are being reconsidered and
reworked, providing nontribal Westerners
with effective methods for healing and problem solving.
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Janina Fisher
Using a multimodal approach (integrating
lecture, videotapes, experiential exercises, and
live demonstration), this workshop will present new advances in treatment that address
the bodily effects of trauma, as well as the
effects on trust, hope, and sense of safety in
the world. The objectives of this course, presented by Harvard Medical School, are to:
• Summarize the implications of
neuroscience research for assessment and
treatment of traumatized individuals
• Recognize the common somatic markers of
traumatic activation
• Identify appropriate body-based
interventions for specific trauma-based
symptoms
• Describe the therapist’s role as
neurobiological regulator of the client
Programs, page 80.
Natural Powers: Making a Real Life
out of Our Heart’s Desire
The Longevity of Massage:
An Advanced Massage Workshop
the fire with its own imprint of the Big Sur
coast.”
Carl Chase (CC) & David Streeter
No previous experience is required to enjoy
this workshop, and it provides an opportunity
to truly immerse oneself in a uniquely compelling medium of self-expression.
If you are a massage professional or an
advanced student of massage, this workshop
is designed for you. Bodywork can be a lifetime exploration and with proper preparation
and self-care the practitioner’s body can be a
lifelong instrument.
Carl Chase (CC) and David Streeter both have
strong practices in Chi Gung and Asian movement disciplines; they make it part of their
daily practice not only for personal growth
and maintenance but also for their professional careers as massage therapists. They
believe that it is possible to work productively
and efficiently in a demanding workplace and
still avoid burnout or injuries to the hands,
wrists, forearms, and other parts of the body.
In this workshop they will demonstrate how
to incorporate movement forms into a massage practice, turning it into a vehicle for
mindfulness, centering, and transformation.
The focus will be on body mechanics for the
more advanced moves, presenting alternatives
to meet the needs of each individual style and
body type.
Come and explore the creative edge of movement in bodywork.
David Schiffman
“This workshop,” writes David Schiffman, “is
for people who seek the courage, skill, and
support to live their lives with true originality, passion, and integrity. It will be a time to
explore the realms of unconventional logic
and the mysteries of spirit, the fundamental
realities of those who are self-made, spiritually independent, and visionary in orientation
and ways. Our aim will be to cultivate the
resources, rhythms, and wisdom that come
from deep self-knowledge and self-mastery.
“In a climate of mutual support, simple trust,
and honest interest in each other, our aim will
be to bring ourselves entirely toward whatever we hope for and cherish. A wide variety of
psychological themes and attunement practices, both dynamic and meditative, will be
used to illuminate the character of our commitment to ourselves and our style of relating
to others. Together we will see what we can do
to strengthen our faith and adeptness at
applying the logic of our hearts to our own
self-care as well as to our relationships,
careers, community, and the understanding of
our life’s true mission.”
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Ceramic Insights
Embree De Persiis
“This workshop explores the infinite creative
possibilities offered by that most primal of
substances: clay,” Embree De Persiis writes.
“The material used will be a smooth and tactile porcelaneous clay that is ideally suited to
the ancient method of stone-burnishing with
agates to produce a lustrous sheen. A palette
of colored clays will be available to further
enrich the surfaces of our work. As spontaneous forms emerge, many techniques can be
investigated to help achieve one’s personal
vision: inlaying of colored clays, pinching,
coiling, and sculpting.
“A variety of firing techniques based on ageold methods of pit-firing will be applied in
daily (and nightly) firings, so that the results
of our work can be studied on an ongoing
basis. Big Sur seaweed will be an important
ingredient in our firings as it imparts its minerals to the clay surfaces. The concluding
event will be a celebratory pit-firing on a cliff
above the ocean—each piece will emerge from
The Future of Love
Daphne Rose Kingma
Relationships are changing dramatically. Half
of all marriages now end in divorce.
Multitudes of people live in relationships that
don’t follow the traditional marriage format.
Have we become a culture of relationship failures, or are these changes like Roman candles
lighting the way to a higher love?
This provocative/comforting workshop
reveals how love is being born anew. As old
forms fall apart, we have an opportunity to
inhabit the powerful place where soul energy
enters our intimate relationships and invites
them to become the chalice for an even
greater love. If your relationship life has followed an unfamiliar path—if you aren’t still
married to your high-school sweetheart, if
you’ve changed your gender preference midway in your relationship life, if you’ve had a
lifelong series of relationships—you may have
wondered why the norm has eluded you.
Through meditation, lecture, exercises, and
conversation, this workshop uncovers the
deeper meaning of these new relationship
forms, explores what it means to be a relationship pioneer, and reflects the peace and illumination that come when we realize that the
soul itself is urging us to expand our capacity
for love. The workshop is for all individuals—
those who are baffled or inspired by their
seemingly unusual relationships, singles
whose paths haven’t followed the norm, those
in committed relationships (marriage or otherwise)—who want to take their relationships
to a place of greater spiritual depth.
Recommended reading: Kingma, The Future of
Love.
Introduction to Living Foods and
the Raw Food Diet
Charlie Cascio
This is an introductory course in preparing
live raw foods. The raw, or living food, diet is
based on eating organic, uncooked plantbased foods, which have a high content of
essential living-food enzymes. These enzymes
help to digest and assimilate the food we eat
without putting extra work on the body.
When we cook food above 116°F the heat
destroys these essential enzymes, along with a
large amount of the food’s vitamins and minerals. Digestion takes longer and the body
works harder to complete this task. Many of
the fats, proteins, and carbohydrates of
cooked food don’t completely digest and end
up clogging arteries and intestines.
The benefits of a living raw-food diet are
increased energy levels, improved digestion,
weight loss, reduced risk of heart disease, and
improved appearance of skin. This course will
introduce various methods used in preparing
live foods, including sprouting seeds, nuts,
grains, and beans; growing wheat and other
grasses; making sauerkraut and other fermented foods; making nut milks; using a
dehydrator; and the art of blending, juicing,
and chopping to prepare raw meals with creativity and taste.
This is a hands-on workshop in which participants will be eating the meals they prepare for
themselves.
($15 special-foods fee paid directly to the leader)
Mindfulness and Heartfulness:
The Healing and Transformation
of Mind and Body
Mark Abramson & Fred Luskin
This program is designed to integrate the
practice of mindful awareness with directed
heartfulness in order to facilitate growth,
healing, and change. It is based on Dr. Luskin’s
research at Stanford Medical School on the
healing effects of forgiveness and heartfulness and Dr. Abramson’s work as the director
of Stanford’s Mindfulness Based Stress
Reduction Program.
The workshop introduces the practical application of techniques of mindfulness and
heartfulness to transform emotional states
and unleash the great potential for deep healing of the body. The goal: to learn new ways of
relating to experience that allow greater opening, understanding, and the possibility of
transformation. “Our work,” write the leaders,
“has shown us that this creates an increasing
experience of gentleness, kindness, and
respect for oneself and others.”
The program offers guided practice in mindfulness meditation, body movement, breath-
ing practices, and heart opening, interspersed
with lecture and interactive discussion. While
the practices are especially helpful for people
who are experiencing emotional or physical
concerns, the universality of the experience
makes this program valuable for all.
jump-start their creativity. It will introduce
the ancient process of open-faced sand casting, using a small-scale propane-fired furnace.
The course will explore the allure of molten
metal as a metaphor for transforming your
fluid ideas into artistic form. The workshop
will also utilize visualization and the beauty
of Big Sur to support group members in carrying their ideas forward to completion.
Healing Back Pain Without Surgery:
Techniques for Relieving the
Experience of Pain
Participants will return home with a finished
bronze of their own design. All levels of experience, from beginner to professional, are welcome.
Stephen Sideroff & Michael Sinel
Back pain affects approximately 80% of
Americans at some point in their lives and is a
leading cause of disability in persons under
the age of 45. There is considerable confusion
as to the actual cause and best treatment
approaches for low back pain. This results in a
significant amount of avoidable back surgeries
and often unnecessary pain and suffering.
Stress, tension, and long-standing habit patterns have been determined to be leading
causes of back pain but are often misdiagnosed. You can learn to reduce many of these
factors. Dr. Michael Sinel is a nationallyrenowned back-pain expert who has specialized in diagnosing and treating stress-related
back pain. Along with Dr. Stephen Sideroff, a
recognized expert in stress management, this
workshop will assist you in diagnosis and
treatment strategies for curing back pain
without surgery. Self-diagnosis and management of stress-related back pain will be
explored.
The workshop will also help you recognize
and release physical and emotional holding
patterns that contribute to back pain, and
learn more effective responses to stress. The
format will combine lecture and discussion
with experiential work designed to facilitate
self-awareness, relaxation, and resilience.
Participants will be given their own biofeedback monitoring devices during the workshop to assist in the process of retraining the
body. The workshop will conclude with participants creating their own personalized
healing program.
Molten Memory:
A Short Course in Bronze
Bob Lamp
This workshop is for all those looking to
The Body of Sacred Ground:
Moving Dialogues between Life,
Art, and Healing
Rana Halprin
Rana Halprin writes: “This workshop is
designed to embrace the territory of the body
as sacred ground. Our life experiences are
embedded into our physical being; attending
to the body and listening to its messages
brings opportunity for healing.
“The weekend will be an experiential introduction to the Halprin Life/Art Method. This
world-renowned method of movement-arts
and expressive-arts work is grounded in bodily experience. The approach will be multimodal: Students will learn tools for heightened movement awareness, integrating the
universal language of the body with breath,
kinetic drawing, body dialogues, imagery, creative writing, and dreams.
“Individuals will learn to identify feeling
states and have the opportunity for selfexpression through the creative process. The
tools presented will include movement rituals
and games, breath, and authentic feeling
responses to body states linking feelings to
movement. We will explore self-images
through the use of graphic visualization, and
relationship to Nature through our own inner
nature and Esalen’s awesome natural environment. We will vitalize the spirit that moves us
to express our ‘story’ which longs to speak
out.”
Though much of this weekend will be experiential, time will be set aside for personal integration, supportive dialogue, feedback, and
applications. Individuals will have the opportunity to explore in groups, dyads, and individually.
Please come prepared to move—and have fun.
Wear comfortable clothing and bring a journal
with pencil or pen and a large drawing pad.
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Yoga of Action, Action of Yoga
Week of June 11–16
The Esalen
Yoga Retreat
Shiva Rea Bailey, Mark Whitwell,
Seane Corn, Thomas Michael Fortel &
special guest Michael Franti
Why just stretch when we can reach?
W
elcome to Esalen’s second annual Yoga Retreat. This year’s gathering explores yoga as a form of
spiritual activism. How can we show up in
the world once we’ve stepped out of the
yoga room? How can we begin to use what
we’ve cultivated internally to make a difference in our external environment? Join our
circle for a week of consciousness raising,
high vibration, and global consideration.
Karma Yoga is the yoga of selfless action and
service. According to Hindu philosophers, it
is by means of action that one promotes a harmonious relationship between people, deities,
flora, and fauna, and thus keeps the “wheel of
creation” moving. All created beings are interdependent. Thus action has a cosmic significance; when done without any desire for personal gain it becomes spiritual action.
The retreat begins on Sunday evening with
an opening gathering to set intentions for the
week to come. Early mornings will be devoted to pranayama and meditation, followed by
a variety of active asana practices: dynamic
vinyasa flow, energetic and alignment-based
hatha yoga, and the breath-centered teachings of Krishnamacharya. Afternoons will be
free to receive massages, soak in Esalen’s hot
springs overlooking the Pacific, rest, recharge,
and connect with other yogis. Sessions will
reconvene in the late afternoons to explore
restorative yoga and PM asana yoga. Evenings
will feature dance and speakers, along with
performances by special guest, socially conscious singer and spiritual yogi Michael
Franti. The final evening will be a celebration
and a reflection on the week spent together.
During this week, immersed in the natural
splendor of Esalen, we will practice yoga
asana and pranayama, chant and meditate,
dance and sing, and participate in a beautiful
yajna, a fire offering. We will be working
together through our practice, learning
about causes, and gathering resources to
help a community in need. You’ll have an
opportunity to do a yoga mala—108 sun salutations—with the intention of invoking
global awareness and healing.
DANIEL BIANCHETTA
This retreat will be full and spirited—expect
to sweat and be in full classes with yoga
mats close together. There will be some mats
and props on hand but we recommend you
bring your own for hygienic purposes. You’ll
need a yoga mat, towel, a zafu or cushion for
meditation, block, strap, and two blankets
for restorative yoga.
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When registering, please choose the level
that best fits your practice. All classes will
integrate inner yoga, energetics, philosophy,
and meditation but the physical dimensions
of each class are described here so that you
can safely register for the group that matches
your experience. Every level will have each
teacher at least twice; it’s important that you
stay with your group throughout the week.
Level 1: Less than three months of practice (about ten classes)—For students who
are new to yoga and may have physical limitations or are working with very tight muscles or injuries. Learn the fundamentals of
posture, breathing, and relaxation.
Level 2: From three months to one year
of practice (about thirty classes)—Refine
the basics and gain more awareness of the
body through more advanced breath work.
Classes introduce and focus on alignment,
relaxation, bodily awareness, yogic breathing,
and energy flow as students deepen their
understanding of how their bodies work.
Level 3: From one to three years of
practice—Practice will explore advanced
standing and seated poses and begin integrating inversions. A firm understanding of
bodily alignment and stamina is essential
for this class. Students must be able to do
both handstand at the wall and Urdhva
Dhanurasana with straight arms without
assistance.
Level 4: More than three years of devoted practice with a home practice—For
very experienced yogis who want to intensify their strong asana practice by developing
a deeper internal understanding of yoga.
This class practices more complex pranayama and asanas such as arm balances, binding
poses, headstand and handstand away from
the wall, lotus, and deep backbends. Not
suitable for yogis with major physical limitations or injuries.
Teachers:
Seane Corn—A longtime activist for various
political, social, and health efforts, Seane
uses her influence and national platform as
a yoga teacher to raise awareness and money
for important causes. She was honored with
the 2005 Sacred Sounds of Arts Conscious
Humanitarian Award for her “Off the Mat,
Into the World” campaign to benefit
YouthAIDS, and is committed to helping
globalize the yoga community to raise awareness and funds for HIV/AIDS. Her vinyasa
classes are an eclectic fusion of various healing
and spiritual modalities making them challenging, intuitive, insightful, and uplifting.
Thomas Michael Fortel—“Over the years,”
writes Thomas, “I have learned the value of
going on retreat, being in uplifting company
and doing work for the community. As we
come to our yoga retreat, we pay to be here,
we do our practices, and we offer our seva
(selfless service) for the uplift of the community. This mutual respect and way of service
is basic in the practices of yoga and in the
Esalen community: we do our part for the
maintenance of the whole.”
Mark Whitwell—Yoga is love and love is
action, known in the traditions as Karma
Yoga. Mark Whitwell gives every type of per-
son an authentic yoga practice that is powerful, efficient, and safe. It restores health and
transforms your everyday life to intimacy
with everything. Mark has enjoyed a lifelong relationship with the teachings of
Krishnamacharya, “the Teacher of our teachers.” He has studied for many years with
Desikachar and Srivatsa Ramaswami.
Shiva Rea—“Yoga serves life in all forms.
Just to relax the control of our breath is a
form of spiritual activism. We have all been
transformed by personal forms of service
and activism. For me, this has been both
local and global while living in Africa and
India, and currently with the Sva Dharma
Project, empowering visionary change.
Being on retreat in nature allows us to
reflect, transform, and align ourselves with a
deep connection to our life force, individually and collectively giving fuel to the healing
fires of love and change at this time of need.
The rhythmic and breath-infused flow that I
offer will be for this transformative fire.”
Michael Franti—In nearly two decades of
music-making, Michael has grown from a
black-booted voice of youthful rage as lead
singer of Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy into
a barefoot clarion for social justice with
Spearhead and with his solo albums. It has
always been his aim to enrage, enlighten,
and inspire through his words and music.
“Right now, people ask me, ‘What can one
person do to change what’s going on with
the world?’ I don’t know what one person
can do except to connect with other people.
In doing that, each of us play our roles,” he
says. “My role is as a storyteller and a songwriter. I’m somebody who is trying to keep
the spirits of other people up, despite all the
chaos and fear around us”.
73
Working Toward More Aliveness,
Pleasure, and Joy
Brooke Deputy
A Weekend of Restorative/
Regenerative Yoga
Mark Whitwell
In this workshop, Mark Whitwell, one of
the teachers in the just concluded Esalen
Yoga Retreat, offers a weekend of restorative
Yoga especially for Yogis and Yoginis who
have just performed a week of intensive
Yoga at Esalen and would like to unwind
with regenerative, healing Yoga. Suitable for
all levels of experience, this course will help
you continue to refine your own individualized practice.
Actors are Wounded Healers:
Method Acting for Non-Actors
Shelley Mitchell
Our society has achieved startling results with the
discovery of new mechanical processes of
communication, but we have somehow forgotten
that the process of living demands the ability to
respond, to make contact, and to communicate one’s
experience to another human being. Only artists
have managed to break through this vicious wall
by using their special sensitivity and particular
skill in communicating their experiences… It is my
firm belief that the discoveries and procedures
essential for the actor’s capacities are equally, if not
more, necessary for the layman.
— Lee Strasberg
Method Acting is closely associated with
Stanislavsky, the Actors Studio, and legendary acting coach Lee Strasberg. Shelley
Mitchell was one of Strasberg’s favorite
students.
This workshop offers a rare opportunity to
work with an extraordinary artist with over
20 years’ experience teaching “Method” acting
as a spiritual path for non-actors. Shelley
Mitchell writes: “We will learn how and why
actors are constantly searching for meaning,
intention, and grace in the ordinary and extraordinary interactions of everyday life.”
Workshop exercises focus on self-awareness,
self-expression, and moment-to-moment
communication skills. Participants will enact
scenes from classic plays and films, transforming withheld emotional energy into the
creative and healing realm of art where “we
gain insights into ourselves as well as the
inner life of the characters we are playing
and the big picture of the story they are
telling.”
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It is the opening of eyes long closed
It is the vision of far off things
seen for the silence they hold.
It is the heart after years of secret conversing
speaking out loud in the clear air.
— David Whyte
What is the feeling of being grounded? What
is it like to feel alive? What is the experience
of having energy, freedom of movement,
awareness? Working with the body and mind
to find new ways of being can bring new
aliveness and lead to increased pleasure and
joy on a daily basis. Once we begin to discover
the nature of our character armor—the chronic muscular shapes and tensions of the body—
of which we are largely unconscious, we can
begin to free the silence and “speak out loud”
by releasing the flow of energy held in our
bodies. Open, we naturally experience more
pleasure and vitality.
Participants will focus on finding those sensations and feelings that have been held inside,
often beneath conscious awareness.
Individuals will work to bring about the
healthy integration of body, heart, mind, and
spirit in order to have energy—energy for
pleasure instead of for maintaining the defensive processes. With an emphasis on understanding our patterns of defense, holdings,
tension-releasing emotion, and freeing energy,
the workshop will use bioenergetics, meditation, and dance as well as bodywork and conscious movement to expand the ability to see,
hear, sense, and feel.
Understanding and Celebrating
What It Means to Be Gay
Arnie J. Vargas
Although the Gay Movement has come a
long way since its beginning in 1969, various
factors in society at large continue to contribute to a negative image of what it means
to be gay in today’s world. In this workshop,
participants will have the opportunity to
reflect on the messages they have received
about what it means to be gay, how these
messages have been internalized and continue to play a role in every gay man’s life, and
how to embrace one’s identity in order to celebrate and live a happy, integrated life with a
self-image in which sexuality plays such a
major role.
Through group dynamics, exercises, and dialogue, this workshop is designed to enable
participants to walk away with greater awareness and positivity in order to move toward
whichever next step they feel called to take.
Awakening the Mind: Mastering the
Power of Your Brainwaves
Anna Wise
Inside each person lives a wealth of knowledge, capacities, and power rarely transmitted
to the conscious mind. Brainwave training,
combined with meditation and biofeedback
monitoring, can help develop these deeper
resources, allowing access to greater creativity,
reduced stress, and a deeper awareness and
understanding of the inner self.
After assessing the brainwave patterns of
hundreds of unusually high-functioning people, the late C. Maxwell Cade of London’s
Institute for Psychobiological Research began
to see similarities in the patterns of optimal
states of mind. Drawing upon Cade’s work,
Anna Wise has developed a program to help
access these optimal states.
Brainwaves are affected in specific ways by
different methods of meditation, visualization, and psychophysiological relaxation, as
well as by specific acts such as tongue, eye,
and body positions. This workshop presents
techniques for brainwave development of
beta, alpha, theta, and delta, and helps you
determine which practices are best for your
particular brainwave pattern. It also addresses
how to use these optimum states for creativity, mental flexibility, self-healing, problem
solving, and spiritual development.
The Mind Mirror™ EEG will be utilized to
demonstrate brainwave patterns, and each
participant will be able to use an Electrical
Skin Resistance Meter to measure the depth
of arousal or relaxation of the nervous system.
Before You Write Your Memoir…
Linda Trichter Metcalf & Tobin Simon
Every successful memoir writer, before beginning Chapter One, has had to extract her life’s
themes from her experiences. For some of us
these themes may be unclear or obscure. This
workshop presents a method for delving into
your experience to recognize your own life
themes, and in the writings you produce here
it can help you pinpoint some of those themes.
DANIEL BIANCHETTA
increasingly refined awareness practices to
enhance sensitivity to all that wilderness can
offer, to reawaken those elements of wilderness within. During the indoor Continuum
sessions, participants will explore movements
that express and embody what they have
taken in during the hikes, enlivening their
ability to feel what they experience in nature
as well as in their own inner nature. In this
sensual environment, the group will play
with movement, breath, sound, dreams, and
ritual. This will be a time for contact with
nature and wilderness, inside and out.
Participants need not have previous experience in hiking or movement practices.
Co-leaders Steven and Susan are a brotherand-sister team who have taught this everevolving program annually for 20 years.
Proprioceptive Writing (PW) is a simple but
powerfully effective method that teaches you
to listen to your thoughts and reflect on them
in writing. An adjunct to the healing arts, it is
practiced to music in twenty-minute sessions,
under stress-free conditions, alone or in
groups. Through practice you can learn to
transform your most personal subject matter
into a rich storehouse of raw material to draw
on for your memoir. Led by the creators of
PW, this workshop can teach you to:
•
•
•
•
•
Be bold
Banish confusion
Find your voice
Mine your experience
Identify your themes
Recommended reading: Metcalf & Simon,
Writing the Mind Alive: The Proprioceptive
Method for Finding Your Authentic Voice.
arms, and elbows, allowing the practitioner to
work deeper without causing pain afterward.
With the use of chilled stones it is possible to
promote reduction of inflammation caused
by deep tissue work, injury, or chronic or
acute pain. The cool stones break the painspasm-pain cycle and reduce the chemical
response that causes muscle tissue damage.
Physiologically this treatment can balance the
sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous
systems through the use of alternating shortand long-term temperatures. LaStone Therapy
is designed to enhance muscle relaxation, tissue repair, grounding, balancing, and release
of blocked memories.
Please note: This course is for massage therapists
with a minimum of two years’ experience.
LaStone® Therapy:
The Original Hot Stone Treatment
Mountains and Waves:
Wilderness and Continuum
Mary Nelson & Ardell Hill
Susan Harper & Steven Harper
LaStone Therapy is a massage modality that
offers the ability to bring sustained temperature to a massage through the use of hot and
cold stones (heat through basalt stones,
chilled temperatures through marble, sardonyx, or jade stones). This workshop, led
by LaStone Therapy originator Mary Nelson
and reflexologist Ardell Hill, provides a
comprehensive introduction to this unique
blend of deep tissue massage, energy work,
and ritual.
Wilderness is a primary teacher of movement,
creativity, and awareness whose richness and
beauty awakens our senses to the world
around us. Continuum is a unique movement
practice, an inquiry into our capacity to innovate and participate with the essential movement processes of life. Continuum takes us
inward in a dynamic inquiry, rotating between
inner investigation and the flow of unfolding
creative expression. Integrating day-hiking in
the magnificent Big Sur backcountry with the
subtle internal explorations of Continuum
movement, this workshop combines and
weaves together these two practices.
Warmed muscle tissue is easier to address,
manipulate, and massage. Using heated
stones to warm the tissue is grounding for the
client and easier on the therapist’s hands, fore-
The hikes will introduce participants to
Vision Painting
Helen Jerene Malcolm
What is your vision for your life? What makes
your heart sing and brings peace and fulfillment into your life?
Vision Painting will help you to access deeper
levels of consciousness and bring to light your
soul’s vision. In Vision Painting, you explore
how your intuitive responses to color reveal
information about the state of your body,
mind, and soul. In Vision Painting’s meditations, you allow color to express itself through
you—in any shape and form. Concepts of
“right” and “wrong” are dropped in order to
enter a flow state in which you learn to paint
with intuitive receptivity, letting the painting
unfold of its own accord. Natural feelings of
excitement and fear that often accompany
creative endeavors become catalysts to transform emotion into color and passion into
imagery.
Prompted by guided meditations, music, and
movement, you’ll translate the unique perspective of your experiences through your Vision
Paintings. Allowing your “inner light” to be
expressed in a wide variety of colors brings
awareness to the areas of your life that seek
healing. Release your expectations of how you
should paint and you’ll be surprised at the
power and wisdom of what comes through you.
Meditation and the Brain
Zoran Josipovic
Through the inspiration of the Dalai Lama,
research into the effects of meditation on the
brain is gaining unprecedented public and
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scientific attention today. Current research
shows that the practice of meditation has profound effects on the brain, inducing changes
both in the functioning and, over time, in the
anatomy of the brain itself, thus permanently
optimizing human potential.
Experiencing Esalen
This seminar will introduce the fascinating
field of meditation and brain research. Theoretical presentations in the form of lectures
and videos will be combined with meditations
and experiential exercises. The workshop will
explore a gamut of meditation techniques, from
basic to advanced, and examine how they
affect our being and consciousness. The material in this seminar will be easily accessible to
all, as participants visit one of today’s liveliest
and most interesting fields of study, combining science and the humanities: research into
the nature of human consciousness.
M.J. Ryan
Life is short and it’s up to you to make it sweet.
— Sarah Delaney
Does the experience of happiness frequently
elude you? It’s often said that happiness is a
choice. That’s a bit simplistic. No one can be
happy on demand. Rather, happiness is a feeling that arises as a result of thoughts we
choose to hold and actions we choose to take.
Based on current brain research, this experiential workshop is intended to help anyone,
regardless of their life circumstances, to experience greater happiness. Through discussion,
lecture, journaling, and one-on-one and smallgroup interactions from a blend of emotional,
DANIEL BIANCHETTA
The Happiness Makeover: How to
Train Your Brain to Enjoy Life More
No matter what challenges we face, we can
experience happiness on a daily basis, rather
than just as “peak moments” on special occasions—our wedding, a trip to an exotic place,
the birth of a child. This doesn’t mean that we
ignore or deny the challenges, sorrows, and
grief in our lives. They are real. And it doesn’t
mean that we feel fabulous all the livelong
day. But the possibility of experiencing the
joy of being alive, of appreciating what we
can, of letting go of unnecessary burdens, of
giving to others, is also real. In every moment,
we can choose where to focus our attention
and therefore how we feel.
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spiritual, and practical perspectives, participants will practice how to enjoy life more.
inspired by the magic of Esalen and the natural beauty of Big Sur.
The difficulties of our lives get a lot of our
mental airtime and sap our life force. How
about giving equal time to happiness?
Suitable for individuals or couples.
Building A Vision
Judith Blackstone
Mark Nicolson & Gordon Bloom
All spiritual traditions refer to an essential
dimension of existence, calling it fundamental consciousness, True Self, non-duality, and
many other names. This dimension is not an
abstract concept. It is the core of our own true
nature and can be experienced by anyone
willing to approach it with patience and
openness. Fundamental consciousness is
experienced as clear, luminous space, pervading our bodies and our environment, transcending the duality of self and object. It is
deeper than the physical and energetic levels
of our being and beyond our psychological
defenses, projections, images, and archetypes.
Realization Process is a precise method of
attuning to fundamental consciousness.
Developing a vision is a courageous act.
Making it public can be even more daunting—
raising the possibility of skepticism, loss of
momentum, or disappointment. Yet with a
vision we are able to inspire the participation
of others and to discipline our choice of
action. A particular challenge we face is that
many of us are trying to develop our vision in
relative isolation. This is a dynamic and creative workshop with four essential elements:
constructive but nonjudgmental support, dialogue that helps us connect deeply to our
inspiration and purpose, the mentoring of
insightful guides, and a framework for support and action.
“You have within you more resources of energy than have ever been tapped, more talent
than has ever been exploited, more strength
than has ever been tested, more to give than
you have ever given” wrote John Gardner.
With these aspirations, first you will articulate and write down the two essentials of any
vision: the guiding values and philosophy
behind it, and a tangible description of it. You
will also develop a creative strategy for identifying the support and resources to make it
happen. This is a workshop devoted to dreaming boldly and finding the capabilities to
advance your vision, be it for yourself, your
family, your business, or your organization.
Realization Process:
Attuning to the Essence of Being
This workshop offers ways to: integrate fundamental consciousness with the body and
breath/energy system; experience oneness
with nature and people (while remaining
grounded in one’s body); and see, hear, and
touch on a subtler level. Realization Process
attunement exercises will be combined with
sitting and movement meditations, sound and
breath work. This workshop will also discuss
how fundamental consciousness can facilitate
psychological and physical healing. Please
come prepared for deep, concentrated work.
Recommended reading: Blackstone, The Subtle
Self, The Enlightenment Process, Living
Intimately.
Dean Marson & Rachel Fann
During this weekend participants will receive
a hands-on introduction to the basic concepts
of Esalen Massage®. The essence of this style
of bodywork consists of long, flowing strokes
that contribute to deep relaxation and a feeling of wholeness. The format of the course
will be experiential with demonstrations followed by time for practice. Special attention
will be given to quality of touch, breath
awareness, and grounding techniques. The
workshop will also include an introduction to
meditation and body awareness to develop a
deeper ability for presence and connection.
There will be ample time to enjoy and be
Women Can’t Hear What Men
Don’t Say
Warren Farrell
I’ve never heard a couple say, “Warren, I want a
divorce, my partner understands me.”
Warren Farrell’s workshops help both sexes
understand each other via role-reversal exercises in which the sexes “walk a mile in each
other’s moccasins,” not just intellectually but
emotionally. As each participant “becomes”
the other sex, the laughter transforms criticism into compassion. For example, women
who feel critical of men’s “fear of commitment
and intimacy” or “preoccupation with sex and
success” increase their compassion for men’s
perspective. Conversely, men who feel that
women say they want sensitive men but, in
fact, choose successful men, learn compassion
for women’s perspective.
Farrell’s research (in Women Can’t Hear What
Men Don’t Say) identifies the Achilles’ heel of
most relationships as our inability to handle
personal criticism, not only with our significant other but with co-workers, family, and
friends. Innovative group-participation exercises will assist both sexes in giving and
receiving personal criticism. Farrell will
incorporate the findings from his latest
books, Father and Child Reunion (2001) and
Why Men Earn More (2005).
Recommended reading: Farrell, Why Men
Earn More, Father and Child Reunion, Women
Can’t Hear What Men Don’t Say, Why Men Are
The Way They Are, The Myth of Male Power.
June 25–July 2
Integral Leadership and
Transformative Practice for
Generation Next
Jamie Wheal
In hearing of the Way, the best study it,
The mediocre pick it up for a while and then
put it down.
But the fool, on hearing of the Way, just laughs,
and if it were not so, it would not be the Way.
— Lao Tzu
Jamie Wheal writes: “Are you committed to
making a life of meaning and purpose, but
tired of sifting through practices and teachers
that promise far more than they deliver? Do
you strive for excellence in your academic,
athletic, or professional life, and insist that
same standard inform your personal growth?
“This is a ‘crash course’ in integral leadership
and transformative practice, studying the
works of Michael Murphy, George Leonard,
Robert Kegan, Ken Wilber, and others, learning proven practices that allow you to take
the reins of your future and reach for your
deepest potentials. Each day will begin with
focused physical training, ranging from
Astanga yoga to Aikido to proprioceptive
balance play. From there, we will spend
mornings developing our own Integral
Transformative Practice: comprehensive lifeplans that address our intelligence—kinesthetic, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual.
We will begin to assemble custom-designed
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Come and join this comprehensive immersion into an ancient healing art.
Required reading: Gold, Thai Massage: A
Traditional Medical Technique.
Dreaming the Soul Back Home:
Self-Healing and Everyday Magic
Robert Moss
DANIEL BIANCHETTA
Soul-loss, in shamanic understanding, is a primary source of illness, depression, and mental
confusion. We lose vital soul energy through
pain, trauma, and heartbreak, through
wrenching life choices, and by giving up on
our big dreams and ceasing to live the soul’s
purpose. When we lose the energy of soul, the
magic goes out of life. We are often fatigued
for no apparent reason, we can’t experience
joy or love, and there is a gaping hole we try
to fill with addictive behaviors. Soul-loss can
put us among the walking dead, playing roles
that other people cast us for, not knowing
why we are in this world. The Iroquois say
that if we have lost our dreams, we have lost
our souls. But when we reopen to our dreams,
they can show us where our soul energy has
gone, and how to bring it home.
integral practices that cultivate our deepest
needs for alignment, authenticity, and effectiveness, and encourage us to lead ourselves
as a vital prerequisite for leading others.
Evenings will be dedicated to exploring common ‘sticking points’ of practice, like sex,
money, drugs, and gurus. We will share our
thoughts in Council and celebrate being
alive together, including regular soaks in
Esalen’s hot springs.
“This course demands that students—between
the ages of 18 and 22—bring their best to it. It
is not for the cynical or gullible, but rather, for
the Rational Mystic who insist that the roots
of his or her life anchor as deeply into the
earth as the branches aspire towards heaven.”
For further information, contact Jamie at
mountainmontessori@earthlink.net or
410-259-7003.
Traditional Thai Massage:
Sacred Bodywork
Richard Gold
What in the Western world we call Traditional
Thai Massage is known in Thailand as “Nuad
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Bo’Rarn.” Nuad is a Thai word that translates as
“to touch with the intention of imparting healing.” Bo’Rarn is derived from Sanskrit and
translates as “something ancient and revered.”
Historians date this system of traditional medical practice from approximately 500 B.C. Thai
Massage fulfills the Buddhist principle of
bringing spiritual philosophy into everyday
life and work, allowing both practitioner and
recipient an opportunity to experience the
four Divine States of Mind: Loving Kindness,
Compassion, Mental Equanimity, and
Vicarious Joy.
This workshop is an immersion into the practice of Thai Massage. An extensive curriculum
in Northern (Chiang Mai) style will be taught
and practiced. The course will focus on the
meditative aspects of this traditional healing
art, with significant emphasis on proper body
mechanics. Combining aspects of yoga, acupressure, and assisted stretching, Thai
Massage is a highly therapeutic and deeply
relaxing form of bodywork.
Practitioners learn to work with their feet,
knees, forearms, and elbows, as well as with
their hands. Thai Massage is practiced very
slowly, on a futon or mat placed the floor,
with the client dressed in loose-fitting clothing. No oils or lotions are utilized.
“In this adventure in healing and transformation,” writes Robert Moss, “we’ll help each
other to open the dreamgates, become
shamanic healers for our own family of selves,
and welcome the energy and magic of soul
back into our bodies and our daily lives. We’ll
learn how to grow a dream for someone who
does not have one. We will practice Active
Dreaming techniques including Lightning
Dreamwork, dream reentry and journeying,
shared dreaming, timefolding, dream theater,
and navigating by synchronicity. We’ll learn
how to enter each other’s dreamspace (with
permission) to facilitate soul recovery and
recall our sacred contracts. We’ll grow the
sacred space and compassionate circle energy
that make the extraordinary easy.”
Recommended reading: Moss, Dreamways of
the Iroquois and The Dreamer’s Book of the Dead.
Free Your Breath, Free Your Life
Dennis Lewis
The ever-increasing speed, stress, and disharmony of the modern world not only conditions us to a way of living in which the future
is often felt to be more important than the
present, but also cuts us off from the immediate experience of ourselves as living, breath-
ing beings. As a result, many of us live as
unconscious, breathless automatons, rushing
faster than time itself into an imaginary
future, seldom present to the mystery and
miracle of our lives right now and here. Our
breathing is so constricted and incomplete
that it undermines our health, our vitality,
and our consciousness. Such breathing also
deprives us of one of the great joys of living
on this earth: the expansive sensation of a
free, easy, boundless breath that engages the
whole of ourselves and opens us to the miracle of “the breath of life.”
Using ideas, insights, and practices from his
book Free Your Breath, Free Your Life, Dennis
Lewis will take you on a journey of presence
into the physiology, psychology, and spirituality
of natural, boundless breathing. You will learn
and practice the seven basic self-directed ways
of working with the breath: conscious; controlled; focused; movement-supported; position-supported; touch-supported; and soundsupported breathing. Through safe, powerful
exercises—as well as through special movements, postures, sounds, meditations, qigong
practices, dialogue, and work with presence—
you will learn how to integrate conscious,
whole-body breathing into your life to support
your health and your quest for self-realization.
Recommended reading and listening: Lewis,
(book) Free Your Breath, Free Your Life; (CD)
Natural Breathing.
Heal Yourself Through Service:
A Bodhisattva Approach to Living
Stan Goldberg
People look inward to change what they don’t
like about themselves. It may involve career
choices, relationships, or a multitude of other
things. They hope through self-analysis they
can change into what they wish to be. But the
inward journey is often endlessly repeated.
These failures have less to do with effort, and
more with not knowing where to look.
This workshop is about looking outward for
healing and growth, incorporating 2000-yearold principles of the Bodhisattva’s approach to
living. You’ll heal, not by spending time on
what you don’t like, but rather by channeling
your passions into serving others. You’ll learn
how to receive lessons in living as you provide service to others—lessons so profound
they act as self-correcting tools, removing or
lessening those things about your life you find
unacceptable. The workshop will explore:
• Using what you are passionate about to
serve others
• Using universal principles of change to
become a better person
• How to receive and understand lessons in
living
• How to heal by serving others
• Identifying specific lessons coming from
service (e.g., compassion, letting go,
gratitude, patience)
The workshop rests on lessons drawn from 40
years of service beginning with the civil
rights movement of the 1960’s, advocating for
the rights of the disabled and poor, training
and counseling parents, and serving at the
bedside of dying adults and children.
Vinyasakrama Yoga
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future
programs
The programs listed below are scheduled for
the next catalog period. This is not an invitation
to register, but information to assist you in your
long-range plans to participate. Please call the
Esalen office or see the next catalog for more
specific information.
July 2–7, 2006
Esalen Arts Festival
This will be the third annual celebration of
the Creative Spirit, in whose name the entire
Esalen property is turned over to arts and
arts-related programs.
Srivatsa Ramaswami
“Vinyasakrama Yoga is an ancient practice of
physical and spiritual development,” Srivatsa
Ramaswami writes. “It is a systematic method
to study, practice, teach, and adapt yoga. This
Vinyasa Krama (movement and sequence
methodology) approach to Yogasana practice
is unique in all of yoga. The legendary 20thcentury yogi Sri T. Krishnamacharya, my guru
of 30 years, brought this method of yoga back
to use and prominence. By integrating the
functions of mind, body, and breath in the
same time frame, a practitioner will experience the real joy of yoga practice. Each of the
important postures (asanas) is practiced with
many elaborate vinyasas (variations and
movements). Each variation is linked to the
next one by a succession of specific transitional movements, synchronized with the
breath. The mind closely follows the slow,
smooth, deliberate Ujjayi yogic breathing, and
the yoking of mind and body takes place with
the breath acting as the harness.”
During the course of the program about 500
vinyasas contained in ten classical sequences
will be taught. Further important yogic
breathing exercises like Kapalabhati pranayama will be explored in depth. An introduction to yoga philosophy, key chants, and
important aspects of meditation will also be
presented. This program will be useful to serious students. Teachers can add considerably
to their knowledge base of yoga.
November 5–10, 2006
Esalen Yoga Retreat
Esalen will host another Yoga Retreat, as these
popular events become a biannual happening.
Some of the teachers on tap for the fall retreat
are Judith Lasater, Scott Blossom, Elise
Browning Miller, Ramanand Patel, and Jillian
Chelson.
November 19–December 17, 2006
28-Day Massage Practitioner
Certification Program
The Esalen monthlong massage program provides comprehensive instruction in basic massage skills. The training provides a minimum of
150 hours. After the monthlong program, students wishing to fulfill certification requirements have six months to complete and document 30 massage sessions. Upon payment of a
$100 processing fee, a California state-approved
Certificate of Completion will be issued. To
request an application, contact the Esalen office
at 831-667-3000.
Recommended reading: Ramaswami, The
Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga, Yoga for the Three
Stages of Life, and Q&A on Yoga—An American
Student Talks with his Indian Teacher (Summer,
2006).
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special programs
T
he programs listed below are either
part of an ongoing series, formatted
unusually, or longer than the standard
Esalen workshop.
March 31–April 28
28-Day Massage Practitioner
Certification Training: An Embodied
Philosophy
another. Body mechanics, self-care, and innovation will be emphasized.
Upon satisfactory completion, and after documenting 30 additional massages at home, students will be issued a California State-approved
Certificate of Completion. The certification fee
is $100.
This is a professional training with limited
admission. Please request an application from
the Esalen office (831-667-3000).
Dean Marson, Brita Ostrom & Pablo Piekar
This training is for those who plan to pursue
massage (or any other body-mind discipline)
professionally, as well as for those seeking an indepth experience in bodywork. It offers the Big
Picture of the Esalen approach: an interweave of
body-mind-spirit, sensory awareness practice,
meditation, psychological aspects, self-care, and
more.
Friends rate: Standard accommodations: $4620
Bunk bed room: $3590
Regular rate: Standard accommodations: $4670
Bunk bed room: $3640
The Santa Barbara Graduate
Institute Embodied Psychotherapy
Certificate Program in Relational
Somatic Psychology
The Certificate Program gives participants a
foundation in the leading-edge field of somatic
psychology. It is designed to meet the needs of
The Embodied Psychotherapy Certificate
Program is composed of six five-day courses at
Esalen. The program is derived from the graduate-level classes and provides experiential learning, current theory, and practical applications.
Each of the six segments may be taken individually for a certificate of attendance. The Embodied
Psychotherapy Certificate is awarded to participants who have satisfactorily completed all six
segments. The segments are offered approximately every four months with the entire program
presented in approximately two years. Graduate
course credit is also available (see below).
The Six Courses for the Complete
Certificate Program
Brain, Attachment, and Early Development:
Practical Interpersonal Neurobiology and Somatic
Interventions with Individuals and Groups—
Faculty: Marti Glenn, PhD, and SBGI Faculty;
February 19-24
Bodily Expression and Experience in Psychotherapy:
Character and Somatic Dimensions of
DANIEL BIANCHETTA
Massage will be studied as a tool for optimal
well-being and stress-reduction as well as a valued component of transpersonal growth. The
teachers distill more than a half century of experience to offer 150 hours of comprehensive massage basics: centering skills, lengthening integrative strokes, movement and stretches,
detailed structural work, and an energetically
balanced approach. Brief anatomical explorations will link each segment. Students will
have ample time for guided practice with one
Recommended reading: Kripal, On the Edge of the
Future: Esalen and the Evolution of American
Culture.
professionals and practitioners (educators,
healthcare professionals, therapists, psychologists) as well as individuals interested in learning
an in-depth somatic/psychological perspective.
SBGI faculty or affiliates teach all courses. An
approved application is required. Complete the
application on the Internet at www.esalen.sbgi.edu
and allow one week for processing and for you
and Esalen to be informed of your status.
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Developmental Psychology—Faculty: Michael
Sieck, PhD, Dyrian Benz, PsyD, and JoAnna
Chartrand; Summer 2006
The Body, Soul, Self, and the Relational Field in
Somatic Psychotherapy: Enhancing Immediacy
and Intimacy—Faculty: Dyrian Benz, PsyD, and
JoAnna Chartrand; Fall 2006
Somatic Psychology: The Essentials for Embodied
Psychotherapy Practice—Faculty: Dyrian Benz,
PsyD, and JoAnna Chartrand; Spring 2007
Integrating Somatic Awareness, Breath, and Touch
into Clinical Practice: Principles, Ethics, and
Practice—Faculty: Christine Caldwell, PhD, and
Dyrian Benz, PsyD; Dates to be announced.
All courses taught by faculty or affiliates of
Santa Barbara Graduate Institute.
Graduate Ph.D. Course Credit in
Relational Somatic Psychology
This program can also be taken as a more
scholarly course of study which includes
additional reading and writing for students
who would like to earn graduate credit
toward a doctoral degree program at Santa
Barbara Graduate Institute. To use this training as credit towards a Ph.D. degree, students
must first apply and be accepted in the
Professional Specialty Ph.D. program at SBGI.
Information on the Somatic Psychology
Foundations Certificate and Ph.D. Professional
Specialty Program is available on the SBGI
website: www.sbgi.edu. For information or to
register, call 805-963-6896 or email
hfranklin@sbgi.edu.
Please note: An approved application is
required; contact Esalen for registration only
after your application has been accepted by
SBGI.
The International Imagery
Association Eidetic Image
Psychology Certificate
Training Program
The Certificate Program gives participants a
foundation in the cutting-edge field of Eidetic
Image Psychology, a mind/body consciousness psychology, founded by Akhter Ahsen,
Ph.D. It is designed to meet the needs of
healthcare professionals, bodyworkers, educators, psychologists and mental-health professionals, as well as those interested in the use
of eidetic imagery in various applications for
themselves and for their professions. Faculty
from the International Imagery Association’s
Master Practitioners teach all courses. Dr.
Akhter Ahsen will be a special guest lecturer.
The Eidetic Imagery Training Program is
comprised of four five-day courses at Esalen.
The curriculum is the comprehensive program used in National and International
Eidetic Centers and in graduate schools that
leads to certification. The program, both
didactic and experiential, provides a solid
foundation in Eidetic methodology and practice and encourages individual applications
for specialized research projects. Each of the
four segments may be taken individually. The
Eidetic Imagery Training Certificate, sponsored
by the International Imagery Association, is
awarded to participants who have completed
all four segments and a special project either
concurrent with, or following, the training
program. There will be reading assignments
from books and articles, which will be an
additional fee (about $250 over the course of
the entire program). The segments are offered
approximately every six months during two
years. Graduate course credit is also available
(see below).
The Four Required Segments for the
Certificate in Eidetic Training Program
1. Eidetic Imagery: A consciousness psychology; The Essential Eidetic (ISM) and discriminating other imagery processes; How
to use this image in mind/body healing
practice; Eidetic empathy; Hemispheric
images; Test to targeting developmental
themes; Marital, family, relationship counseling; Expanded principles and techniques
of Eidetic Therapy.
April 30–May 5.
2. The mythological dimensions in Imagery
of Healing; Age Projection Test 1; Eidetic
targeting and resolution of hysterias, phobias, and traumatic themes; Brief Treatment
therapy models; Principles and practice of
group work: Eidetic empathy groups.
Dates to be announced
3. Comprehensive overview of Ahsen’s Image
Psychology; Accident trauma and post-traumatic stress syndrome; consciousness and
the traumatic image.
Dates to be announced.
4. Imagery and altered states of consciousness;
Imagery treatment of alcohol and drug abuse;
Hot and cold Imagery and neurophysiology;
Heart images; sexuality, self, and society.
Dates to be announced.
Graduate MA & Ph.D. Courses in
Eidetic Image Psychology
added readings and writing assignments, case
presentations, supervision, and research projects supervised by Ph.D.s in psychology.
Each student must apply to her/his educational program for approval of the course of
study. For information please contact
katyswaffordphd@sbcglobal.net.
To Register: An approved application is
required: contact Esalen for registration only
after your application has been accepted by
the Eidetic Training Institute. For application
information and fees, please contact
Jackielsus@aol.com or LJDag@aol.com. The
application form can be found on www.jaquelinesussman.com or www.eidetictraining.com.
The Harvard Medical School
Continuing Education Series
Esalen has been selected to host Continuing
Education courses offered by Harvard Medical
School (HMS). To reserve a space in any of
these courses, you must first contact HMS at
617-998-5028. Only after you have reserved
your place in the course through Harvard will
you be able to reserve your accommodations
through Esalen at 831-667-3005 (course fees
and accommodations are separate). The dates,
instructors, and courses offered during this
catalog period are:
April 2-7: John Schott, MD—
The Psychology of Investing:
A Survival Guide for 2006 and Beyond
April 14-16: Dan Brown, PhD, ABPP—
in Sports, the Performing Arts, and
the Worksite
April 23-28: Anna Ornstein, MD & Paul
Ornstein, MD—The Conduct, Process,
and the Curative Factors in
Contemporary Psychotherapy
April 28-30: Martha Stark, MD—
Moment by Moment: The Clinician’s
Guide to Psychotherapeutic
Interventions
April 30-May 5: Robert Goisman, MD—
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy:
A Review and Clinical Update
June 4-9: Janina Fisher, PhD—
This program can also be taken as a graduate
program, on Masters and Ph.D. level, with
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invitational conferences
S
ince 1962, Esalen has convened invitational conferences that promote personal and social transformation. From
these meetings have come pioneering projects and frontier inquiry in education, medicine, ecopsychology, somatics, meditation and
consciousness research, physics, SovietAmerican relations, global ecology, evolutionary theory, and other fields.
Esalen Center for Theory and
Research (CTR) Invitational
Conferences 2006
In 1998, to solidify our commitment to pioneering conferences and collaborative projects, Esalen created the Center for Theory
and Research (CTR). The Center gathers
scholars, innovators, and activists from a variety of fields to explore the growing edges of
their work, promote creative fellowships, and
critically evaluate new theories and research
that are often neglected by mainstream academic and religious institutions. Some conference series have resulted in long-term partnerships and projects.
In 2006, CTR will be convening several exciting conferences. Some of the highlights are:
Beyond Religious Fundamentalism:
Eminent theologian and President of the
Foundation for a Global Ethic, Hans Kung has
said that there can be no global peace without
peace among the religions. In concert with
this premise, CTR’s conference series on religious fundamentalism is directing Esalen’s
attention and resources toward the thoughtforms and worldviews that are most resistant
to fostering an ecumenical peace in our time.
In April, CTR will host and co-sponsor with
TRACK II: A Center for Citizen Diplomacy
the third symposium in a five-part series on
global fundamentalism. Having addressed
Hindu and Islamic forms of fundamentalism
in previous symposia, the April meeting will
turn attention closer to home with a discussion about Christianity. Facilitated by a pioneer in international diplomacy and conflict
resolution, Joseph Montville (who facilitated
the previous events as well), this conference
will gather scholars, activists, ministers, and
theologians to discuss the psychological, historical, and political roots behind the growing
religious intolerance on the part of some
forms of Christianity. It will focus on forging
new alliances that can bring greater healing,
transformation, and open-mindedness to
intolerant and rigidly self-reinforcing strains
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of Christianity. After this conference at Esalen
has concluded, the participants will move forward with various action steps, including
proactive community networking among key
ministers and voices in the Christian community. Overall, the participants will use the
Esalen conference as both an inspirational
springboard and a time for planning practical
steps toward spreading greater tolerance within the polarized forms of this religion.
In September, CTR and Track II will join
forces once again for the fourth conference in
the fundamentalism series, which will
address Jewish, and particularly Zionist,
forms of fundamentalism. Joseph Montville
has already started building networks and
attracting key figures to make this a highimpact event. Like the previous conferences,
the goal will be to forge strong networks of
solidarity and hope among key leaders who
can then influence the broader public. Some
of the goals for this conference include: 1)
developing greater understanding of the complex psychological and cultural undercurrents
that have driven the political and territorial
ambitions of the extreme Zionist movement;
2) building greater empathy on the part of
Christian participants in the conference
toward acknowledging their historic role in
oppressing Jewish communities in Europe
and America; 3) coordinating tactical
approaches toward beneficially influencing
the corrosive relationship between fundamentalist Christians in America (some of
whom financially support the Zionist movement) and their counterparts in Israel. The
anticipated outcomes of this conference
include not only creating greater empathy
and understanding between these diverse
groups, but also mapping out effective strategies toward reducing the militancy that
informs the psychology and political platforms of the most extreme Zionist groups.
Citizen Diplomacy: In April 2006, the CTR
and TRACK II: An Institute for Citizen
Diplomacy (formerly the Russian-American
Center) will gather many of the primary participants involved in the citizen diplomacy
projects initiated by Esalen’s Soviet-American
Exchange Program during the 1980s, as well
as those involved thereafter in the citizen
diplomacy projects initiated by The RussianAmerican Center. Some of the most notable
achievements of what are now sister organizations include:
• initiating the entry of the Soviet Writer’s
Union into the International Pen Club as a
primary part of Gorbachev’s glasnost;
• helping start the Association of Astronauts
and Cosmonauts;
• creating the first Soviet-American live
television exchanges, or “space bridges”;
• organizing groundbreaking Soviet-American
environmental and health conferences;
• holding symposia for Soviet and American
athletes, coaches, and sport psychologists;
• sponsoring Boris Yeltsin’s first trip to
America in 1989; and
• creating the Loutchkov Library of
Psychological Literature at Moscow State
University—Russia’s largest English-language
library of psychological literature
(a TRACK II project).
The reunion of participants in this groundbreaking diplomatic work will have three main
aims: first, to share what we have learned about
citizen diplomacy; second, to archive our reflections; and third, to explore ways in which we
can apply what we’ve learned to some contemporary global issues, such as Muslim-American
relations and peace in the Middle East.
Survival of Bodily Death: In late May, the
CTR will host its 8th annual gathering of
scholars who are inquiring into the evidence
for life beyond the death of the human body.
The conference has been approaching this
often marginalized and deeply misunderstood
topic with both scientific rigor and philosophical open-mindedness. Currently, the conference facilitator, Ed Kelly, of the University of
Virginia, is nearing publication of a book that
was inspired by the discussions in these conferences. Titled Irreducible Mind: Toward a
Psychology for the Twenty-first Century, it will
look at the broad range of issues and evidence
that bear upon a more complete understanding of the human mind and consciousness. At
the upcoming 2006 gathering the conference
participants will be looking at different theoretical models that might help explain some of
the evidence that is suggestive of the “survival
hypothesis.” The conference participants are
not dogmatic about belief in survival of death,
but they do seriously assess the current evidence that is suggestive of this possibility. In
short, they are looking for better ways to
explain it, rather than explain it away.
For further information about the CTR and
its conferences, including longer conference
summaries and many colorful pictures of the
conferences themselves, please see our website at http://www.esalenctr.org. To discuss
making a tax-deductible gift to Esalen’s CTR,
please contact Jane Hartford at 415-459-5438.
S
work study program
The goal is to study what can be used to call
up native intelligence and spirituality to maximize our physical, emotional, and soulful
realization in dealing with life changes. In
addition to the evening sessions, there will be
weekly time for counsel and problem solving
in smaller groups.
DANIEL BIANCHETTA
In massage and bodywork, there is a depth
that comes not from physical pressure but
from being contacted by a quality of presence,
acceptance, and clarity of intention. This kind
of touch affects not only our bodies, but our
total being. A month with Pablo Piekar focuses on the healing power of touch, beginning
with an exploration of self, our innate talents,
and the qualities that we most value, then
uncovering the powerful healing effect we can
have upon others as these qualities translate
into presence and touch. Practices from various bodywork and massage modalities will be
introduced, together with concepts from
somatic and humanistic psychology. The
process is one in which trust and emotional
safety are valued, and the boundaries, timing,
and needs of each participant are honored.
T
he Work Study Program is a 28day program for those interested in an
intense involvement with the Esalen
environment. A work- and service-oriented
program, it is emotionally and physically
challenging, and only rarely is it restful.
Participants work 32 hours per week in one
of Esalen’s departments and participate in
that department’s program.
During four to five evenings a week and one
weekend intensive, work scholars are together in one of two groups (see below). Each group
emphasizes one type of growth practice, such
as Gestalt, meditation, creative arts, massage,
or somatics work, and has a specifically
assigned leader(s) who is with the group
throughout the month, coordinating the
study schedule and facilitating many of the
evening sessions. Applicants must state their
preferred group and be prepared to stay at
Esalen for the entire month.
In addition to the evening program, work
scholars may participate in regularly scheduled movement classes, use the Art Barn (if
available), attend the weekly Wednesday
night programs, and enjoy round-the-clock
access to the Esalen baths.
Selection of work students is done by Student
Services Coordinator Mary Anne Will. Since
this is a work and service program, preference
CE credit for nurses and bodyworkers.
is given to applicants who are open and willing to learn about themselves within the
work context as well as within the study/
process groups. Because the work can be
physically challenging (lifting, bending, etc.),
it may not be suitable for all who wish to
apply. First-month work students, in particular, are assigned to departments largely on the
basis of community need (usually the kitchen
or housekeeping).
Please note: The Work Study Program is
designed to explore and apply human values and
potentials. It is not intended as a substitute for
therapy or as a “cure.”
Work Study Programs scheduled for this
catalog period are as follows:
January 8 –February 5
A month with David Schiffman is intended
for people in transition who would like to
cultivate the life skills necessary for dealing
effectively with change and uncertainty. The
program will focus on individual and community reflection using movement, ceremony,
and guided group exercises. A unique blend
of ancient and modern practices, the curriculum will emphasize developing resourcefulness, imagination, and honest self-assessment.
February 5–March 5
Shamanism is the oldest spiritual system in
the world. David Corbin & Nan Moss offer a
monthlong exploration of the shaman’s ancient
and universal methods to enter non-ordinary
reality for problem solving, well-being, and
healing. Participants will be guided to enter the
shamanic state of consciousness and be initiated into the shamanic journey to experience the
same sources of profound wisdom and compassion known to our ancestors. The group
will seek to restore spiritual power and to
apply shamanism in contemporary daily life to
help heal oneself, others, and the planet.
Experiencing and expressing emotions are
integral to being alive. Yet, for many of us,
emotions remain mysterious, confusing, and
difficult to constructively express. As a result,
our relationships may be unsatisfying and the
choices we make may not reflect our innermost desires or our true selves. Learning to
fully experience feelings and express them in
healthy ways enables us to be authentic and
to have more fulfilling relationships. In this
month of Gestalt Awareness Practice and
group process with Dorothy Charles, participants will develop awareness of self and other,
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explore feelings as sensations in the body, and
learn self-expression and communication
skills. Mini-lectures, paired exercises, and
expressive arts will be part of the curriculum.
March 5–April 2
“Soul” is a quality of being that we know
when we experience it, yet may find difficult
to define or even describe. A moment of deep
reflection, a lover’s touch, a sense of awe in the
presence of great beauty, a broken heart—all
these are soulful experiences. A soulful life
has depth, meaning, and passion. The world
in which we live, however, is geared toward
matter rather than essence, doing rather than
being, attachment rather than presence.
Despite the pull of the outer world, it is possible to create soulfulness in our lives on a daily
basis. Charlie Bloom will facilitate a journey
into the province of soul in which participants can experience what it means to live a
more soulful life. This inquiry will include
process work, guided meditation, mindfulness practice, and interpersonal dialogue.
CE credit for MFTs, LCSWs, and nurses.
Helen Jerene Malcolm guides a month of
Vision Painting—painting as a process to
expose the limitations of the conditioned
mind. An atmosphere of exploration and
acceptance encourages participants to suspend
judgment, enabling the creative impulse to
play, take risks, and face fears. The course utilizes emotional awareness, visualization, meditation, music, and dream images to evoke creative expression from a deep inner source of
intuitive wisdom. Through the language of
color, the soul can unfold its message to the
painter. There will be painting-gestalt sessions
to explore the soul-talk of Vision Painting.
April 2–30
Maria Lucia Bittencourt Sauer will lead a
monthlong program teaching spiritual massage and healing—the laying on of hands. This
practice integrates both hands-on and energetic healing. Beginning Silat (Balinese martial art) movements, dance, and shamanic
practices will be incorporated to complement
this energy work and to help bring participants in tune with their bodies. The program
will integrate emotional release work as it
organically emerges.
The highest qualities of yoga and improvisation arise from silence and express themselves uniquely through each individual. This
program, “Laughter and Silence,” will be a liberating month of improv and yoga, exploring
the joyful meeting place of the expressive and
the healing arts. Jim Gallas will lead sessions
of improvised games, movement, and storytelling, followed by deeply relaxing restorative yoga practices. Other yoga sessions
throughout the week will focus on asana (postures), pranayama (breath), and meditation.
The weekend intensive will include guest performers to inspire the group with their singular approach. Open to the moment and just
say “Yes!” Beginners are welcome. Please bring
a yoga mat, belt, and block.
April 30–May 28
Demand is growing for practitioners who have
mastered the art of moving into the body’s
deeper soft-tissue layers with skill and sensitivity. Perry Holloman will lead a month in the
healing art of deep bodywork: deep-tissue techniques for massage practitioners. The program
will focus on freeing the deep soft-tissue layers
surrounding the spine as a way to give the body
greater ease of movement and freedom from
chronic pain. Following work on the back, the
program will cover techniques for the neck,
chest, and hips, presenting material designed
to give participants a well-rounded set of deeptissue skills to enhance any bodywork practice.
Some experience is recommended.
We come to Esalen, a place of safety, risk, and
growth, with many agendas, most involving
change from one stage of life to another. This
program with Alan Schwartz will identify
where we are along that life-continuum and
deepen the strength and clarity to enhance
our journey. This involves recognizing that
we exist as a range of polarities. We are, for
example, good and bad, honest and dishonest,
courageous and fearful. We love and hate,
accept and reject. Acknowledging these elements of self and allowing them to be seen by
others contributes to the strength necessary
to achieve wholeness. Wholeness is our
ground, our stability, as we face what life
offers us. The curriculum includes Gestalt
processes, experimenting with how our physical energy moves or is restricted, becoming
friendly with risk as well as with the fun of
pure joy and foolishness.
CE credit for MFTs and LCSWs.
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May 28–June 25
Each of us is born with an inherent drive for
self-expression. As we grow up, our sense of
self and our ability to be spontaneous often
become blocked. Knowing who we are, and
what we feel and want, can be difficult when
our self-knowledge is distorted by family
experiences and cultural expectations. The
focus of a month with Dorothy Charles will
be Gestalt Practice, using group process to
enhance communication and conflict resolution skills and to develop empathy for self and
others. Expressive arts will be part of the curriculum.
The theme of a month led by Johanna
Holloman & Nora Matten is “Moving Into
Presence.” Yoga, dance, and Esalen Massage
are powerful tools for expanding beyond the
armor of our habitual tension patterns and
into an immediate experience of the present
moment. Within the safe container of the
group, participants will engage in the practice of “fully landing” and staying in contact
with their own experience—in the midst
of life and relationship. The art of Esalen
Massage will support the sensitivity and
mindfulness necessary for this exploration
of authentic contact. The program is
designed to increase presence as it manifests
through body-awareness, vitality, and a sense
of connectedness to oneself, others, and the
unfolding mystery of life.
June 25–July 23
A month with Peter Meyers will be a
dynamic exploration of theater as a playground and a springboard to personal discovery. The group will develop ensemble skills in
movement, voice, and improvisation while
promoting individual self-assurance, physical
presence, and communication skills. The program is designed to create a safe and supportive environment for experiencing heightened
awareness within the group and developing a
form to communicate a collective vision.
Emphasis will be on listening to the creative
impulse, trusting the intuitive response,
expanding expressive skills, and, finally,
preparing an original theater performance
for the Esalen community.
Patrick Douce will lead a month of healing
(with humor), an in-depth experience of
Spinal Awareness. Spinal Awareness is a way
of learning that improves body awareness,
flexibility, posture, and most chronic and
acute conditions of the body. Taught with
movement, touch, and group interaction, it is
based on the work of Moshe Feldenkrais,
Chinese-Indonesian martial art, and the
Esalen Experience. Spinal Awareness emphasizes learning how to move in ways that stimulate your awareness of your own body. The
month will include hands-on lessons, safe
and noninvasive, to greatly speed improvements. The program will evolve with humor
and playfulness. Fun partner lessons will be
intermixed to help bring about not only freedom in the body but a return to the childlike
energy essential to us all.
July 23–August 20
Many of us live suspended between the
yearning for self-expression and the fear of
exposure, the tendency to hide and the desire
to offer ourselves to the world, the oneness of
spiritual unity and the complexity of human
interactions. These paradoxes are the focus of
a month led by Zuza Engler. Exploring movement from the inside out and the practice of
presence—through SoulMotion™ and Gestalt
Awareness Practice—students will be guided
in discovering the unfolding of their own
dance and supported in opening to life’s constant pulsation between contraction and
expansion, between dropping into oneself
and extending toward another. Participants
will practice skills for moving fluidly with the
challenges of relationship, attuning to the
generosity of an undefended heart, and
accessing the larger Presence that breathes us
into Being.
A month with Ann Bradney is about becoming fully alive. Core Energetics will be used to
free the frozen feelings and history in the
body by working with blocked and held energy. Through individual and group processes
participants will work to reconnect with deep
parts of themselves from which they disconnected as children. They will experience the
power and goodness at the source of their
most destructive patterns. Relationship and
deep connection to self and others will be
explored through work with transforming
and releasing the past. Participants will have
opportunities to develop power, presence, and
pleasure. Expect to discover parts of yourself
you never knew.
August 20–September 17
Jim Gallas leads “Streams Of Energy,” a pro-
gram of Eastern bodywork and movement,
including Reiki 1 Certification, a thorough
overview of Shiatsu Massage, an introduction
to meridian theory, and an easy-to-learn, powerful Chi Kung form. Various meditations,
self-massage, and improv games will be used
to encourage awareness and expression. The
program is designed to open students to their
own innate healing potentials, to the power of
safe, therapeutic touch, and to being more
fully present in their ongoing unfolding.
Participants will also receive valuable tools to
facilitate the healing of others. In a spirit of
compassion, laughter, and expanding awareness, students will be nurtured and nourished
by the group interaction and by a deeper connection to Self.
“We spend most of our lives building an identity, thinking that is who we really are,” says
Oliver Bailey. “At some point, we begin to
question what we have created and ask ourselves, ’Who am I?’” This program explores
that question using meditation to still the
mind and self-inquiry to probe the identity
that the ego and mind have created.
Combined, these methods can create a deep
transformation and assist in our journey from
the perimeter of identity to the still center of
Being. This exploration requires a sense of fun
and adventure and a willingness to explore
using art, guided imagery, movement, Gestalt
awareness, individual and group process, and
a sweat lodge. The process will enhance your
ability to see, moment to moment, how psychological habit and personal “stories” block
our connection to essence.
Commitment to the Work Study Program
is from 4 PM of the first Sunday to 7:30 PM
of the final Sunday. Inasmuch as the Work
Study Program is a complete program in itself,
please do not plan to take regularly scheduled
catalog workshops during your stay.
Fees: A deposit of $400 in U.S. currency is
required with your application. You may pay
in full at the time you apply. The work scholar
fee schedule is $895 for the first month, $845
for the second month, and $795 for the third
month. Work students may be invited to
remain for a second or third month depending on space available and community needs
(foreign nationals should contact the Work
Study office for information on staying
longer than one month). There are no scholarships available for the first month of the
Work Study Program.
Occasionally it is possible to stay for a longer
period as an Extended Student.
Food and Housing: Accommodations are
shared (occasionally co-ed), with up to four
people to a room, usually at South Coast
Center, a staff complex located 1.5 miles north
of Esalen. Housing and meals, often with
home-grown organic produce, are included in
your tuition.
Transportation: When making travel plans,
note that the closest airport to Esalen is
Monterey. With at least 48-hour advance
reservations, van service to Esalen is available
from the following locations on the Sunday of
your arrival:
Monterey Airport: Departs 2 pm. Cost: $40
Monterey Transit Center: Departs 2:20 pm.
Cost: $40
San Francisco Airport: Departs 11:45 am.
Cost: $80
For van reservations call 831-667-3010 or
e-mail workstudy@esalen.org.
Please note: Application is not registration
in the program. Registration is made only
after approval of application. If you do not
pay in full at the time of application, the balance of the fee is due on arrival and is nonrefundable thereafter.
Cancellation policy: : If you choose to cancel,
you will be charged the following amount:
15+ days prior to start, $100; 8-14 days, $200;
3-7 days, $300; 0-2 days, $400.
Please mail the application form (see next
page) with your personal statement and
deposit to:
Work Study Program
Esalen Institute
55000 Hwy 1
Big Sur, CA 93920
or fax to:
Work Study Program
831-667-3069
We will contact you regarding your status
within 14 days of receipt of your application.
For more information contact the Work
Study Office at the above address or phone:
831-667-3010; fax: 831-667-3069; e-mail:
workstudy@esalen.org
85
Q
work study program application
please print legibly.
Name _______________________________________________________________________________________
o Male o Female
Today’s Date __________________________________________
Phone: Evening ( ————— ) ____________________________________ Day ( ————— ) ____________________________________ Cell ( ————— ) _______________________________________
Home Address __________________________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip __________________________________________________________________________
Country _____________________________ E-mail Address _________________________________________________________________ Date of Birth _________________________ Age ___________
Occupation (previous, if retired)_________________________________________________________________________
Do you have any limiting physical/emotional conditions (e.g., bad back, severe depression) which might affect your full participation in this
program? o Yes o No Are you currently taking any medication? o Yes o No
If yes to either of these questions, please include details in your personal statement.
If a former Work Scholar, list where you worked and approximate dates _________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Work Study Program is for 28 days, beginning at 4 pm on Sunday and ending at 7:30 pm on the final Sunday. Sometimes particular dates
and/or leaders are not available. List below, in order of preference, the dates/leaders for which you are available.
Please note: Space may become available up until the program start date. You must let us know if you wish to be removed from a wait list; if you’re on a wait
list and space becomes available, you will be automatically placed and then notified. If you cancel after placement, you will be charged a cancellation fee.
start date
Choice 1 ________________________________________ Preferred Leader __________________________________________ If full, wait list? o Yes o No
Choice 2 ________________________________________ Preferred Leader ___________________________________________ If full, wait list? o Yes o No
If your application is approved and we cannot give you your first choice, we will place you in your next available choice.
Work students may be invited to remain for a second or third month, depending on space availability and the needs of the Esalen community.
Please indicate your availability for such an invitation (no obligation): o No extension o One-month extension o Two-month extension
We encourage ridesharing. Are you bringing a vehicle? o Yes o No; Are you willing to give a ride? o Yes o No; Receive a ride? o Yes o No;
I wish to rideshare from (if different from above address) ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Assignments to departments are made according to community labor needs (usually kitchen or housekeeping). However, if you have preferences
in housekeeping, kitchen, maintenance, gardening, or groundskeeping, please list them below (skills not always necessary).
o Place me wherever I’m most needed – or – note my preferences below.
Choice 1 __________________________________________________ Skills/Experience ________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Please attach a personal statement about your interest in the Work Study Program, telling us why you’d like to participate
and what you hope to take with you when you leave.
All applicants are required to sign a standard release-from-liability and assumption-of-risk form as a condition of participation
in the Work Study Program. This form will be mailed to you upon acceptance to the program.
Do you want van service? From o Monterey Airport, 2 pm ($40 fee); o Monterey Transit, 2:20 pm ($40); o San Francisco Airport, 11:45 am ($80).
Payment
o $400 deposit
o $895
Card No. _______________________________________________________________________________
o Check (U.S. banks only), attached and payable to Esalen Institute
Credit Card Expiration Date _____________________________________________________
o MasterCard o VISA o American Express
Name and phone number (if different from above) _______________________
If you are making a credit card deposit, the balance will be
automatically charged to your card five days before your arrival.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Authorizing signature ______________________________________________________________
Please Note: No pets, drugs, or violence allowed. We cannot accommodate children of work scholars.
Applications cannot be considered without a deposit and a personal statement included.
86
R
biographical information
A
Mark Abramson is a part of the
Stanford Center for Integrative Medicine
and heads the Mindfulness Based Stress
Reduction Program at Stanford Hospital
and Stanford University. He teaches at
Stanford’s School of Medicine and is on
staff at Stanford Hospital. p. 71
Ayo Adeyemi was born in Ijebu,
Nigeria and cofounded (with his wife
Carole) Yoruba House in Los Angeles. In
addition to being a master of the Yoruba
rhythms, he is a Babalowo in the Ifa’ religion. p. 52
Carole Zeitlin Adeyemi cofounded
Yoruba House in Los Angeles in 1992 with
her husband Ayo. Together they have introduced thousands of people to the Yoruba culture and the spirituality of community
drum and dance. p. 52
Carol Adrienne is an internationally
known life coach and author of The
Purpose of Your Life as seen on Oprah.
She and her daughter Sigrid Matthews
have taught together for 9 years. p. 59
Mandy Aftel is an artisan natural perfumer and author of three books on natural
perfume including Essence and Alchemy:
A Natural History of Perfume. p. 17
Ramon V. Albareda is a clinical
psychologist, theologian, and sexologist. He
is the founder/director of Estel, a center of
personal growth and school of integral studies in Barcelona, and creator of Holistic
Sexuality. He is the coauthor of Nacidos
de la Tierra: Sexualidad Origen del Ser
Humano. p. 66
Ronald Alexander has explored
Buddhist meditation and healing disciplines
since 1971. He conducts trainings in the
U.S., Europe, and Australia in MindBody
Healing Therapies. A psychotherapist and
consultant to the entertainment industry, he
focuses on leadership coaching, creativity
and communication. His website is
www.ronaldalexander.com. p. 41, 64
Martine Amita Algier, a founding
member of the West Marin Community
Mediation Board, teaches and consults privately with families, business groups, schools
and other organizations. She is passionate
about community building and a culture of
peace. p. 46
Kathy Altman is on the teaching faculty for Gabrielle Roth’s institute, The Moving
Center, and has studied with Gabrielle for
25 years. She cofounded The Moving Center
School in California, and maintains a
teaching practice in Mill Valley. p. 61
Esperide Ananas leads seminars on
healing, inspiration, and perception worldwide. A graduate of Damanhur’s School of
Spiritual Healers in Italy, she is a member
of Damanhur’s Way of the Oracle, researching dreaming and subtle energies. She is the
author of Damanhur: City of Light. p. 19
Suzanne Anderson is a leadership
consultant, executive coach, and president of
Kore Leadership. Through her research,
workshops, retreats, and individual coaching she assists women to develop leadership
capacity able to meet the challenges of today.
Her website is www.koreleadership.com.
p. 56
Joseph Arpaia, coauthor of Tibetan
Wisdom for Western Life, is a psychiatrist who integrates spirituality and medicine in his private practice. He also teaches
for the doctor of ministry program at Rev.
Matthew Fox’s University of Creation
Spirituality in Oakland, Calif. p. 20
B
Nancy Bacal, lyricist, screenwriter, and
longtime Esalen leader, edited Leonard
Cohen’s anthology Stranger Music and
wrote and produced Raga, a film starring
Ravi Shankar. She conducts ongoing writing workshops in Los Angeles and San
Francisco. p. 67
Ingrid Bacci is the author of The Art
of Effortless Living and Effortless Pain
Relief. A somatically-based healer in private practice near New York City, she is certified in the Alexander Technique and
Craniosacral therapy, and teaches
Craniosacral nationally for the Upledger
Institute. p. 11
Oliver Bailey is a practitioner and
instructor of Esalen Massage. His background includes training in Gestalt Practice,
neurolinguistic programming, intuitive
work, and meditation. p. 85
Richard Balaban, a licensed clinical
psychologist and certified group psychotherapist, has taught at Indiana University and
SUNY at Buffalo. His passion is for his family, his work, and life’s journey. p. 44
Juergen Bamberger, a Gyrotonic
Master Trainer, is an internationally recognized educator and a pioneer in Gyrotonic.
His teaching, encompassing 20 years, is
infused with his background in dance and
bodywork, as well as his spiritual practice
based on “The Light Body” and the
“Roselight” school. p. 56
James Baraz has taught vipassana
insight meditation retreats and classes since
1977. Cofounder of Spirit Rock Meditation
Center in Marin County, Calif., he holds an
MA in psychology and has a counseling
practice in Berkeley. p. 39
John Baron worked as an actor with
many leading theater companies in the
U.K. and played several leading roles in TV
films. He has been a teacher of the
Alexander Technique for 20 years in the
U.S. and Europe. p. 41
Ellen Bass has supported and inspired
writers for 30 years. Her books include No
More Masks!, The Courage to Heal, and
Mules of Love. She’s received the Pablo
Neruda Prize, Larry Levis Prize, and a
Pushcart Prize. p. 40
Rob Bauer has been working with gay
men for over 17 years as a body-centered psychotherapist. His workshops have been presented across North America, including
Omega and Esalen Institutes, Easton
Mountain, and Rowe. He has a practice in
Saratoga Springs, N.Y. p. 30
Jeri Bodemar, certified in
Psychosynthesis and Transpersonal
Integration, has been involved in the healing arts for over 20 years, specializing in the
body/mind therapies, self-care movement,
astrology, chakra work, and SoulCollage.
p. 14
Tim Beckwith is a mask maker, sculptor, painter, and musician with over 20
years’ teaching experience. He has a lifelong
passion for the art of mask making and his
work has been seen worldwide in films, television, and dance performances. His website
is www.beckwithdesign.com. p. 60
Kenneth Bortin is a spcialist in internal medicine with a practice in cardiovascular disease in Milwaukee, Wisc. p. 43
Baxter Bell is featured in Yoga
Journal’s DVD Yoga Step-by-Step for
Stress Management, and has written articles for Yoga Journal and International
Journal of Yoga Therapy. Trained at the
Piedmont Yoga Studio Advanced Studies
Program, he teaches workshops throughout
the U.S. p. 23
Richard Berrett has committed the
past 35 years of his professional life to
enhancing awareness. A clinician, university professor, and past president of Imagery
International, he has a background in body
awareness, imagery, family systems, Gestalt,
and deep learning. p. 12, 46
Judith Blackstone is founder of
Realization Process, a method of integrating nondual realization, embodiment, and psychological and relational
healing. She is a psychotherapist and
author of The Subtle Self, The
Enlightenment Process, Living Intimately,
and the upcoming Intersubjectivity and
Nonduality. p. 77
Richard Blasband, an internationally recognized exponent of Wilhelm Reich’s
work, is a psychiatrist in private practice in
Sausalito, Calif. Formerly on the medical
faculty of Yale University, he is past-president of the American College of Orgonomy.
p. 51
Charlie Bloom is an educator, therapist, and seminar leader. He and his wife
Linda are cofounders of Bloomwork and
coauthors of the widely acclaimed book, 101
Things I Wish I Knew When I Got
Married. He has facilitated workshops
throughout the world since 1982. p. 25, 55,
63, 84
Gordon Bloom teaches about, and
inspires the development of, social change
organizations at Harvard University’s
Kennedy School, where he is founder and
director of the Social Entrepreneurship
Collaboratory (SE Lab). p. 77
Linda Bloom is a licensed clinical
social worker, educator, and seminar leader.
She and her husband Charlie are
cofounders of Bloomwork and coauthors of
the widely acclaimed book, 101 Things I
Wish I Knew When I Got Married. She
has facilitated workshops throughout the
world since 1986. p. 25, 63
Julie Bowden, psychotherapist and
author, specializes in childhood trauma,
substance abuse, and forgiveness. Coauthor
of Recovery: A Guide for Adult
Children of Alcoholics and Genesis:
Spirituality in Recovery from
Childhood Traumas, she has been teaching at Esalen for 17 years. p. 44
Ann Bradney was a senior faculty
member of Core Energetics East for many
years. She teaches and leads workshops on
Core Energetics internationally and is codirector of the Community Healing and
Leadership program in El Cerrito, Calif.
She has a private practice in New York
City. p. 21, 85
Daniel Brown is an assistant clinical
professor of psychology at Harvard Medical
School. He is author of 12 books, including
Transformations of Consciousness
(with Ken Wilber and Jack Engler) and
Hypnotherapy and Hypnoanalysis
(with Erika Fromm). p. 48
C
Piovra Caffe is an accomplished
painter and sculptor who specializes in artistic glass techniques, including Tiffany. She
supervises all artwork for the Temple of
Humankind at Damanhur (Italy) and is
directly involved in designing and making
art pieces for its halls. p. 19
Susan Cannon is a developmental
futurist and scholar-practitioner of transformative learning in human systems. She is
currently affiliated with Kore Leadership,
The Arlington Institute, and Pacific
Integral, participating in projects supporting
the unfolding of integral consciousness
worldwide. p. 56
Seymour Carter, Gestalt and Sensory
Awareness teacher at Esalen for more than
three decades, is a lifelong student of the
ever-evolving models of personal identity.
He combines studies in family systems theory with Buddhism and other body/mind
practices. p. 11, 32
Charlie Cascio managed the Esalen
kitchen for 6 years. He is a chef, restaurateur, consultant, and lecturer on vegetarian
and living foods who has worked and
taught in the U.S. and throughout Europe
for more than 30 years. p. 59, 70
Tom Case has been practicing massage
for the past 13 years. He has been on the
Esalen massage staff since 1993. p. 42, 50
87
Joyce Catlett coauthored Fear of
Intimacy and is collaborative author with
Robert W. Firestone on 7 books including
The Fantasy Bond. She also produced
Glendon Association’s 37 video productions,
and has just coauthored a new book, Sex and
Love in Intimate Relationships. p. 28
Joseph Cavanaugh is a licensed psychotherapist in private practice in the Sierra
foothills and a psychology instructor at a
local community college. He has facilitated
personal-growth workshops throughout
California for the past 30 years. p. 38
Dorothy Charles is a teacher of
Gestalt Awareness Practice. She leads workshops in the U.S. and Asia. p. 50, 83, 84
Carl Chase (CC), developer of the CC
Flow, is a renowned teacher of massage, the
gift of touch, and its life-enhancing power.
He has worked and taught at some of the
world’s leading spas and healing centers,
and is currently on the Esalen massage staff.
p. 47, 70
Kenn Chase has taught traditional
Yang-style T’ai Chi Ch’uan for 30 years and
has studied with several T’ai Chi masters. A
certified Feldenkrais teacher, he is a stress
management consultant for Cardiology
Associates of Marin. p. 32
Michael Christie, trained at the
Royal College of Music, London, England, is
a cellist, composer, and teacher. His opera,
“The Standard Bearer,” was performed by
the Royal Opera House in 1991 to considerable critical acclaim. p. 27
Jean Couch, author of The Runner’s
Yoga Book, is director of the Balance
Center in Palo Alto, Calif., gleaning new
knowledge about fitness by studying populations of people who have no back or joint
pain. p. 45
Drew Dellinger is a spoken-word poet,
teacher, and activist. He is founder of Poets
for Global Justice, and author of the collection
of poems, love letter to the milky way.
Dellinger has presented and performed at hundreds of conferences across the country. p. 48
Adam Crabtree is a Toronto psychotherapist and writer in the history of
hypnosis, multiple consciousness, and psychotherapy. He is a member of the Esalen
Survival Colloquium. His latest book,
Trance Zero, is about trance states in
everyday life. p. 65
Embree De Persiis has worked and
taught at her Big Sur studio for more than
20 years. Her work has been exhibited in
galleries and private collections throughout
the United States and Canada. p. 70
Stewart Cubley’s work has carried
him throughout the world in facilitating
groups to access the potential within the
human heart and imagination. Originally
a scientist, he has led seminars in creativity
for more than 25 years. p. 53
Raphael Cushnir, a popular contributor to O, The Oprah Magazine, has been a
teacher, activist, screenwriter, and film
director. His own heart was rekindled after
a period of profound grief. Since then, he has
developed the Living the Questions process
and shared it around the globe. p. 28
D
Leslie Dagnall, past president of the
Humanist Society of New York, is Director
of Training for the International Imagery
Association and has presented programs
across the U.S. and abroad on the use of
eidetic imagery applications. She has
trained extensively with Dr. Akhter Ahsen.
p. 53
Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen is the
founder and educational director of the
School for Body-Mind Centering. She began
studying yoga in 1968 and continues to
explore its essence through the body systems
and developmental movement. She is the
author of Sensing, Feeling, and Action.
p. 61
Julie Daniels is an actress, playwright,
and speech teacher. She has worked on the
regional theatre stage as well as in voiceover and television. Her Los Angeles company, Professionally Speaking, coaches clients
in oral and written presentation. p. 27
Michael Cohen works as a psychotherapist and as a life coach. A certified
Imago Couples Therapist and an erotic educator for the Body Electric School, he travels
the country teaching men about the ecstatic
potential of their bodies and hearts. Find him
at www.lifecoachmichael.com. p. 68
David Darling is a cellist, teacher, and
composer. He is cofounder of Music for
People, an organization dedicated to selfexpression through music and improvisation. His latest recordings include 8-String
Religion, Darkwood, and the Grammynominated Cello Blue. p. 19, 20
David Corbin is a shamanic practitioner and teacher with a private practice in
shamanic counseling and healing in Maine.
He is a faculty member of the Foundation
for Shamanic Studies. p. 20, 83
Erik Davis is a writer, editor, and lecturer living in San Francisco. Author of The
Visionary State: A Journey through
California’s Spiritual Landscape, as well
as the cult classic TechGnosis, he has led
workshops at Esalen, the California
Institute of Integral Studies, and the New
York Open Center. p. 58
Seane Corn is an accomplished yogini
who has been featured in numerous magazines (including Allure, Self, and Yoga
Journal). Chosen by Nike to represent yoga
in a national campaign, she was seen in
commercials and print worldwide. p. 72
Ann Weiser Cornell has taught
Focusing in fifteen countries on five continents. She is a student and colleague of Gene
Gendlin, the developer of Focusing. Her book
is The Power of Focusing: A Practical
Guide to Emotional Self-Healing. p. 61
Bruce Cornwell has combined Gestalt,
yoga, meditation, and dynamic theater
forms for the past three decades—whether
leading workshops, working with clients
and actors in his L.A.-based psychotherapy
practice, or directing and acting in professional films and theater productions. p. 30
88
David Deamer is Professor of
Biomolecular Engineering at UC Santa
Cruz. His research interests are DNA
sequencing and the origin of life. He and
Ellen Suckiel initiated a course in bioethics
and have co-taught it over the past four
years. p. 14
Lorie Eve Dechar has been practicing Chinese medicine for 20 years. She is the
creator of Alchemical Acupuncture, a healing system that integrates acupuncture,
archetypal psychology, and Taoist alchemy.
She is the author of Five Spirits. p. 21
Brooke Deputy has been a student of
bioenergetics for more than 20 years, studying with some of the world’s senior teachers,
including founder Alexander Lowen. An
Esalen-trained massage practitioner, she has
studied tai chi and dance, and teaches in the
Esalen Movement Arts Program. p. 74
Karen Dietz is executive director of the
National Storytelling Network, an association of storytellers across the U.S. She has
over 20 years of experience working with
Fortune 500 executives, professional speakers, community leaders, and activists in stories and storytelling. p. 63
Patrick Douce, one of Moshe
Feldenkrais’s first American students, has
been associated with Esalen since 1972.
Since 1986 he lives half of each year in Bali,
developing programs with Indonesian Silat
martial-arts-for-health schools. p. 13, 84
Ken Druck began the Jenna Druck
Foundation in 1996 following the death of
his daughter Jenna. The Foundation’s
Families Helping Families program reaches
thousands of bereaved parents annually. He
leads “Healing Your Life After the Loss of a
Child” workshops throughout the U.S. p. 55
Barry Duncan is an international lecturer, a therapist with over 17,000 hours of
clinical experience, the author of 13 books,
and a frequent national media guest, with
appearances including “Oprah” and “The
View.” p. 24
Emile Hassan Dyer, vocalist, percussionist, dancer, storyteller, and teacher,
believes it is imperative for the future of the
planet that the songs, chants, and dances
from the world’s many cultures be shared.
He recently had the honor of performing
inside Stonehenge in a ceremony for the
victims of 9/11. p. 50
E
Erica Elliott is board-certified in family
practice and environmental medicine, with
a busy practice in Santa Fe. She lectures frequently on nutrition and the health effects
of environmental toxins and allergens and
is the author of Prescriptions for a
Healthy House. p. 17
Zuza Engler has been passionate about
movement and awareness practice as a path
of healing and self-discovery for over 15
years. She has taught Tibetan energy work,
yoga, and dance since 1992. Her website is
www.transformativedance.com. p. 85
Ulrika Engman has been dancing on
the Yoga path for 15 years, leading workshops worldwide. Certified in Anusara Yoga
and the Halprin Life/Art Process, she combines the transformative power of Yoga with
the expressive arts into a celebration of the
heart. p. 64
Fariba Enteshari was born in Shiraz,
Iran, where she grew up with the poetry of
two famous Sufi poets, Hafiz and Saadi.
Fariba has studied the Mathnawi, Rumi’s
book of Enlightenment, in its original Farsi
for 10 years, and has taught Rumi at USC
and Santa Barbara City College. p. 23
F
Jessica Fagan, a member of the Esalen
massage staff, is a dancer and performer
who is deeply immersed in the practice and
teaching of Eastern and Western somatic
therapies as well as Vinyasa Yoga. Her website is www.firewithin.ws. p. 46
Mark Fairfield is the clinical director
at Common Ground-The Westside HIV
Community Center in Santa Monica and is
in private practice in West L.A. His particular interest is community building and
group work. He is the current president of
the Gestalt Therapy Institute of Los Angeles.
p. 42
Jayson Fann, Esalen Arts Center coordinator, has 17 years of experience as a
musician, performer, visual artist, costume
designer, composer, and musical director. He
studied music in Africa and the Caribbean,
and has taught at Cal State University,
Monterey Bay. p. 12, 48, 58
Rachel Fann joined the Esalen massage
staff in 1993. Her work integrates Esalen
Massage with approaches from CranioSacral Therapy, aikido, Chi Kung, breathwork, and meditation. p. 17, 77
Robin Fann-Costanzo has a lifelong background in dance and movement.
An Esalen Massage practitioner,
CranioSacral practitioner, and certified
yoga instructor, she has taught and assisted
Esalen Massage trainings, yoga retreats, and
Upledger Institute trainings. p. 32, 50
Warren Farrell, author of Why Men
Are the Way They Are; Why Men Earn
More; Father and Child Reunion; The
Myth of Male Power; and Women Can’t
Hear What Men Don’t Say, has been a
pioneer in both the women’s and men’s
movements, and has appeared on over 1,000
television and radio shows. p. 20, 77
Lisa Firestone is Director of Research
and Education with the Glendon
Association. A practicing clinical psychologist, Dr. Firestone is coauthor of Conquer
Your Critical Inner Voice, Creating A
Life of Meaning and Compassion, and
the new Sex and Love in Intimate
Relationships. p. 28
Janina Fisher is an instructor and
supervisor at the Trauma Center in Boston,
and a consultant on trauma to the
Cambridge Hospital Family Clinic. She is
also an EMDRIA consultant, a certified
teacher of Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, and
a former instructor at Harvard Medical
School. p. 70
Thomas Michael Fortel is a longtime yoga practitioner/teacher, influenced
by the Iyengar, Ashtanga, and Anusara
styles of hatha yoga, and drawing from his
devotional experience in Bhakti yoga. He
travels widely, sharing his love for yoga. His
website is www.yogawiththomas.com.
p. 14, 29, 47, 72
Michael Franti is the lead singer of
the band Spearhead, an accomplished songwriter, and producer of the annual Power
to the Peaceful festival. For 20 years, he has
been a leader in the struggle for social and
political justice. His website is
www.michaelfranti.com. p. 72
Marti Glenn, founding president of
Santa Barbara Graduate Institute, has been
a pioneering psychotherapist in prenatal,
perinatal, and somatic psychology for over
25 years, as well as a professor of clinical psychology, working with early development,
attachment, and trauma. p. 29
Patricia Frisch is a licensed psychologist, Reichian therapist, family therapist,
and experienced group leader. She is director
of Counseling and Training Consultants,
which provides communications training
for inmates and staff in California State
prisons. p. 51
Robert Goisman is director of medical student education at Massachusetts
Mental Health Center and associate
professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical
School. In 2001 Dr. Goisman received the
Outstanding Psychiatrist Award from the
Massachusetts Psychiatric Society for Public
Sector Service. p. 54
Jerome Front is an adjunct faculty at
Pepperdine University and teaches about
eating, food, and mindfulness-based
approaches. He has worked at the Rader
Institute for Eating Disorders, leads retreats,
and is an MFT in private practice in Studio
City, Calif. p. 61
Seena Frost is a psychotherapist whose
present practice consists mostly of teaching
the SoulCollage process that she originated
and developed with her clients over many
years. Jean Houston was a primary influence in birthing this process, and the work of
James Hillman is central. p. 14
G
Kate Gale teaches at Cal Arts. She is
managing editor of Red Hen Press, president
of Pen USA, and editor of The Los Angeles
Review. She is the author of seven books
and editor of four anthologies. p. 22
Jim Gallas, a Shiatsu teacher for over
10 years, has led workshops in California
and internationally. Creator of the video
Table Shiatsu: Deep and Effective Body
Work With Ease, Jim also teaches Reiki,
yoga, and Chi Kung, and is a member of a
theater improvisation group. p. 84, 85
Gangaji, internationally renowned
teacher, has since 1990 offered thousands of
people the invitation to directly experience
the true peace and absolute freedom that are
our essential nature. Her books include The
Diamond in Your Pocket and Freedom
and Resolve. p. 39
Dennis Gates is an integrative medicine physician in Chicago, after practicing
orthopedic surgery for 27 years. He teaches
optimum health and the integration of
holistic and standard medical care. A graduate fellow of Andrew Weil, he has conducted
workshops for patients as well as medical
staffs. p. 57
Mark Gerzon, author of the forthcoming Leading Beyond Borders, has conducted leadership trainings worldwide. He
is the director of the Global Leadership
Network, a team of 20 practitioners from
every continent who each brings his/her
unique skills and experience to their work.
p. 54
Mariah Fenton Gladis,
founder/director of the Pennsylvania
Gestalt Center for Psychotherapy and
Training for nearly three decades, leads
workshops and trainings around the U.S.
and in Europe. She is recognized for the sensitive and creative way she practices the art
of Gestalt. p. 29, 30
Richard Gold has been practicing and
teaching Oriental healing arts since 1978. A
graduate in Thai Massage from the Old
Medicine Hospital in Chiang Mai,
Thailand, he is chairman of the board of the
International Professional School of
Bodywork in San Diego. p. 78
Stan Goldberg is a prolific writer and
winner of many honors including the
Templeton Foundation’s Power of Purpose
award. He lectures and leads workshops in
the United States, Central America, Europe,
and Asia. He currently serves as a hospice
volunteer and change consultant. p. 79
Lynda Greenberg is an exhibiting
sculptor who has taught drawing nationwide since 1981. She has been a colleague of
the center for the Educational Applications
of Brain Hemisphere Research since its
founding in 1985. p. 15
Ricky Greenwald is founder and
director of the Child Trauma Institute in
Greenfield, Mass. He is the author of
EMDR in Child and Adolescent
Psychotherapy, Trauma and Juvenile
Delinquency, and the forthcoming Child
Trauma Handbook. p. 15
Robert Greenway, a transpersonal
psychologist, counselor, and writer, is one of
the founders of the field of ecopsychology.
Professor emeritus from Sonoma State
University and founding dean of Franconia
College, he is currently an organic farmer in
northwest Washington State. p. 17
Sylvia Guersenzvaig is a student of
intuitive pathways to healing with over 20
years of experience in the fields of somatic
and visionary practices. She has been a massage practitioner and an astrologer at Esalen
since 1982. p. 28, 56
H
Mary Goldenson is a clinical psychologist, chiropractor, and certified Radix
teacher in Los Angeles. She has a private
practice specializing in relationship therapy
and transitions, and leads mediation trainings and workshops around the country.
p. 18, 22, 43, 64
Rana Halprin has been professionally
involved in dance, the expressive arts, and
integrated fields throughout her life, and has
performed and taught nationally and internationally. Her primary focus is to share
healing work with the most vulnerable population: children of war and poverty. p. 71
Richard Goldwasser, director/
founder of the Biofeedback and Stress
Management Clinics of Manchester and
Chicago, has spent 30 years training people
in self-regulatory techniques, anxiety reduction, and pain control. He is the inventor of
Validation: A Test To Monitor Memory©.
p. 62
Steven Harper is a wilderness guide,
author, artist, and Big Sur resident. He has
led both traditional and experimental
wilderness expeditions internationally for
over 25 years. He has an MA in psychology
and his work focuses on wild nature as a
vehicle for awakening. p. 50, 61, 68, 75
Harriet Goslins originated Cortical
Field Reeducation. A Feldenkrais practitioner and Integrated Awareness teacher, her
background is in psychosynthesis, applied
kinesiology, muscle energy, craniosacral
work, and social anthropology. She has been
teaching at Esalen for 23 consecutive years.
p. 31
Connie Grauds, a shamana of the
Amazon jungle tradition, is president of
the Association of Natural Medicine
Pharmacists, assistant professor of Clinical
Pharmacy at UCSF, director of the Center
for Spirited Medicine, and author of The
Energy Prescription and Jungle
Medicine. p. 25
Diana Gray is a lesbian psychologist in
San Francisco specializing in working with
the lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender community. She has written articles and presented workshops on lesbian issues, and
trains helping professionals to facilitate psychotherapy groups. p. 65
David Greenan, a psychologist and
family therapist, is executive director of The
Minuchin Center for the Family in New
York City where he consults to programs for
inner-city families. He is on the faculty of
Columbia University, Teachers College, and
NYU/Bellevue Hospital Center. p. 33
Susan Harper teaches Continuum
workshops in the U.S., Canada, Europe,
and Japan. She also offers Quest trips—for
celebrating what is still wild, inside and
out—in the wilderness and in Asia. p. 75
Sam Harris is the author of the international bestseller The End of Faith:
Religion, Terror, and the Future of
Reason. He is a graduate in philosophy
from Stanford University and has studied
both Eastern and Western religious traditions, along with a variety of spiritual disciplines, for 20 years. p. 19
Justin Hecht is a Jungian psychologist
in private practice and a clinical faculty
member of the department of psychiatry at
UCSF. He teaches meditation and leads
groups and workshops designed to awaken
authenticity and creativity. p. 64
Ardell Hill is a licensed massage therapist and reflexologist experienced in a variety of modalities. Author of Spiritual
Reflexology, she also offer integrations
using quantum physics theories. p. 27, 75
Constance G. Hills has practiced
Vipassana meditation for 15 years, and is a
student of Dr. Rina Sircar. She is the director of the Psychology Program at the
Institute on Aging, and maintains a private
practice in San Francisco. She is a licensed
psychologist. p. 68
Ginger Holladay’s first calling was
as a professional singer, recording with Elvis
Presley, Linda Ronstadt, and Joan Baez. Her
personal journey led her to the healing arts,
and she now works as a massage practitioner, yoga instructor, and voice coach for individuals and groups. p. 31
Johanna Holloman is a Germanborn clinical psychologist, Gestalt and deep
bodywork practitioner, and teacher. Now
living in Big Sur, she is a certified Esalen
Massage teacher and a professional yoga
teacher on the Esalen Movement staff.
p. 15, 51, 84
Perry Holloman has taught at Esalen
and in Europe for over 20 years, focusing on
the physical, energetic, and emotional causes
of chronic pain. He is on Esalen’s bodywork
staff and teaches somatic approaches to
Gestalt Therapy at the Gestalt Institute in
Dortmund, Germany. p. 15, 45, 51, 84
Jonathan Horan is Gabrielle Roth’s
son and closest collaborator. He is on the
core faculty of her international institute,
The Moving Center. Jonathan has been
immersed in the 5Rhythms practice
throughout his life and continues to be a key
catalyst in its evolution. p. 61
Peggy Horan has been practicing and
teaching massage at Esalen for 35 years. She
has also been involved in childbirth education and has practiced midwifery in Big Sur
for 15 years. p. 27, 57
Chungliang Al Huang teaches Tai Ji
philosophy, East/West synthesis, and the art
of movement meditation. He is the founderpresident of the Living Tao Foundation and
director of Lan Ting Institute in the Sacred
Mountains of China. p. 39, 42
David Hykes, composer, singer, meditation guide, founder of the Harmonic
Presence work and the Harmonic Chant,
and pioneer in harmonic sound and related
meditative practices, has released 10 CDs,
co-hosted evenings with the Dalai Lama
and the Gyuto and Gyume monks, and
teaches and performs worldwide. p. 58
I
Ione is the author of Pride of Family:
Four Generations of American Women
of Color, a New York Times Notable Book.
She is a counselor and educator specializing
in heritage and women’s issues. She is also a
playwright and director who teaches
throughout the world. p. 16
J
Roger Jahnke has practiced Chinese
medicine clinically for over 25 years. He has
traveled to China eight times to explore the
secrets of Qi in hospitals, temples, and sacred
sites. He is the author of the acclaimed The
Healer Within and, more recently, The
Healing Promise of Qi. p. 28
Eli Jaxon-Bear teaches and leads retreats
worldwide through The Leela Foundation,
a nonprofit organization dedicated to world
peace and freedom through universal s
elf-realization. His books include The
Enneagram of Liberation: From Fixation
to Freedom and Sudden Awakening—
Into Direct Realization. p. 39
89
Dave Jeffers has been an innovative
entrepreneur in his 27 years with John
Deere, a traditional manufacturing company. His varied life experiences have helped
prepare him for this work (including a stint
as a nightshift supervisor at the Arizona
State Mental Hospital for the Criminally
Insane). p. 33
Arthur Samuel Joseph is a teacher
of voice who over 40 years ago established
the Vocal Awareness system, a method integrating mind/body/spirit in the vocal arts.
He is author of Vocal Power—Harnessing
the Power Within plus other books and
multiple audio and video series. p. 13
Zoran Josipovic is a research associate
at Rutgers University, studying the neural
correlates of nondual awareness and the
effects of meditation on visual/spatial cognition. He has also worked as a psychotherapist, bodyworker, and workshop leader for
over 20 years. p. 75
Andrea Juhan is an enthusiastic student, scholar, and teacher of the 5Rhythms
movement work of Gabrielle Roth. She is on
the teaching faculty for the Institute for
Integrative Body Psychotherapy (IBP) and a
long-term practitioner of Gestalt Awareness
Practice. p. 28, 29
K
Jim Kepner is a psychologist and the
author of Body Process and Healing
Tasks. He teaches internationally on the
application of Gestalt Body Process
Psychotherapy to healing in trauma, stress,
and illness. Jim is the co-originator of
Nervous System Energy Work (www.pathwaysforhealing.com). p. 35
Hala Khouri is earning a Doctorate in
Somatic Psychology and works with
Somatic Experiencing. She has a private
counseling practice, teaches yoga, and leads
workshops nationally. Her website is
www.halakhouri.com. p. 49
John King is a nationally recognized
senior teacher, coach, and program leader
who, over the past three decades, has trained
and coached more than 25,000 people to
excellence in their fields. He coauthored The
Coaching Revolution and Managing
Across Generations. p. 30
Daphne Rose Kingma is a therapist, lecturer, and teacher of relationships as
a spiritual art form. She is the best-selling
author of seven books on relationships,
including Coming Apart, Finding True
Love, and the forthcoming 9 Types of
Lovers. p. 70
Galway Kinnell has taught poetry in
colleges and universities around the globe.
Most recently he has been Erich Maria
Remarque Professor of Creative Writing at
NYU. He has published a dozen books of his
poetry and his translations of Villon, Rilke,
and Bonnefoy. He lives in northern
Vermont. p. 32
Daijaku Judith Kinst, is a Soto Zen
teacher and priest who leads retreats in a
variety of settings and teaches graduate
courses in Buddhism and contemplative psychology. She is a Marriage and Family
Therapist and maintains a psychotherapy
and consulting practice in San Francisco.
p. 68
90
Pauline Kirby, a teacher and health
practitioner for over 25 years, has a background in both traditional medicine and a
variety of complementary medical practices
including acupuncture, herbs, and homeopathy. p. 40
Joe Kort is a psychotherapist and author
of 10 Smart Things Gay Men Can Do to
Improve Their Lives. He works with gay
men individually, in couples, and in group
therapy, and leads workshops as well. His
website is www.joekort.com. p. 47
Pamela Kramer is a certified ITP
trainer and coordinator of Community ITP
in Mill Valley. She is a performance consultant, career counselor, and transformational
teacher who has worked with individuals
and organizations for 25 years to facilitate
positive growth and authentic creative
expression. p. 37
Sybil Krauter teaches Integrated
Awareness and Cortical Field Reeducation.
Her background is in clinical hypnosis, neurolinguistic programming, and education.
Currently her focus is on how we create
reality. p. 31
Jill Kuykendall is a physical therapist
and transpersonal medical practitioner who
has worked in the standard Western medical paradigm for 25 years. She is now in
private practice specializing in soul retrieval,
and is the author (with Hank Wesselman)
of Spirit Medicine. p. 41, 69
L
Bob Lamp is a mixed-media artist. He
spent four years as the foundry technician
for the School of Art and Design at San Jose
State University. He currently teaches a
wide range of sculpture classes at Monterey
Peninsula College and maintains a studio
in Ben Lomond, Calif. p. 71
Bruce Langhorne is a legendary
recording artist and composer who has been
nominated for an Academy Award in film
scoring. He is the inspiration for the Bob
Dylan song “Tambourine Man,” as his
playing is infectiously joyous. p. 67
Leonard Laskow is a Stanfordtrained physician who has studied the healing power of love for more than 25 years. He
is the developer of Holoenergetic healing
and author of Healing With Love: A
Breakthrough Mind/Body Medical
Program for Healing Yourself and
Others. p. 40
George Leonard is the author of 12
books, including Mastery, The Ultimate
Athlete, and The Way of Aikido. He is
a fifth-degree black belt in aikido, founder o
f Leonard Energy Training (LET), and
cofounder (with Michael Murphy) of Integral
Transformative Practice (ITP). p. 37, 54
Peter Levine is an internationally recognized authority on trauma and a pioneer
in stress research and healing practices for
trauma survivors. Dr. Levine is the founder
of the Foundation for Human Enrichment
in Lyons, Colo. p. 30, 33, 34
Ronald Levine is an ordained rabbi
and licensed clinical psychologist in Van
Nuys, Calif. Upon receiving his Ph.D. in
1978, he participated in the Human
Sexuality Training Program at UCLA. For
the past 25 years his private practice has
focused on marital and sex therapy. p. 17
Dennis Lewis, a longtime student of
the Gurdjieff Work, Taoism, and Advaita,
teaches the transformative power of presence
through breathing, qigong, and meditation.
He is the author of Free Your Breath,
Free Your Life, The Tao of Natural
Breathing, and the audio program (CD)
Natural Breathing. p. 78
Alan Sasha Lithman, author,
visionary, evolutionary activist, spent 21
years in Auroville, India, where he integrated body-based transformational practices
with multicultural community-building
and hands-on environmental restoration.
p. 58
Tias Little brings to his teaching a wonderful play of metaphor and imagination.
He is trained in Iyengar and Ashtanga
Vinyasa Yoga, massage, Rolfing, and cranial-sacral therapy. Tias earned a Masters
degree in Eastern Philosophy and directs
Yogasource in Santa Fe, N.M. p. 18
Ron Loeb, a retired corporate lawyer,
has served on the board of directors of
Mattel, Inc., since 1970. Former Senior Vice
President and General Counsel of WilliamsSonoma, Inc., he is presently engaged in projects related to the role of business in society
and spirituality in business. p. 30
Olga Louchakova, founding director
of the Hridayam School, has for more than
20 years guided spiritual awakening in
Eastern Europe and the U.S. She teaches
Prayer of the Heart and Kundalini Yoga,
and is a core faculty member at the Institute
of Transpersonal Psychology. p. 57
Barbara Lee has been a circlemaker for
more than 25 years. Her primary focus is on
the heart-centered remembrance of the
Divine. She is the author of Loving
Yourself. p. 49, 57
Frederic Luskin is a Senior Fellow at
the Stanford Center on Conflict and
Negotiation. A licensed psychologist, he
directs the Stanford Forgiveness Projects and
is the author of Forgive for Good: A
Proven Prescription for Health and
Happiness. p. 71
Mickey Lemle is a multi-award-winning filmmaker who has been called
“Cinema’s Soul Man” by the Utne Reader
because of the intimate, moving films he has
made about some of the great spiritual
teachers and themes of our time. p. 33
M
Annie Styron Leonard is executive
director of the Energy Training Institute in
Mill Valley, Calif., the certifying organization for Leonard Energy Training (LET).
She holds a black belt in the martial art of
aikido and is one of the founding leaders of
Integral Transformative Practice. p. 37, 54
Constance Jones Maas, an MFT
for over 10 years, developed the human sexuality course material at Mt. San Jacinto
College. She currently teaches at Chapman
University in San Diego, and practices and
provides facilitation in Gestalt and family
systems training. p. 11
Helen Jerene Malcolm is an artist,
consultant, and teacher who works with a
visionary consulting team designing longrange vision paintings for individual clients
and Fortune 500 corporations. p. 32, 75, 84
Jane Malek trained with Marion
Rosen. She is a teacher of Rosen Method
Bodywork and a Rosen Movement Training
teacher who began studying Rosen Method
in 1980. Jane has a practice in the Monterey
area as well as teaching internationally.
For more information visit
www.JaneMalek.com. p. 35
Brigitte Mars is an herbalist and
nutritional consultant from Boulder, Colo.,
who has been working with natural medicine for over 30 years. She is the author of
Rawsome, Addiction-Free Naturally,
and Sex, Love, and Health. p. 67
Dean Marson teaches in Esalen’s
Massage Program and Movement Arts
Program, incorporating meditation and selfcare practices to assist people in awakening
and de-stressing their bodies. He has led
workshops at Esalen, in Europe, and in Asia
for over 20 years. p. 28, 31, 42, 77, 80
Vinn Martí is a movement artist,
teacher, and spiritual friend, living in
Portland, Ore. He teaches SoulMotion internationally, and is a certified Chaplain and
Prayer Practitioner through the New
Thought Alliance of Churches. p. 15, 69
Guillermo Martinez, a native
tribesman from the highlands of Michoacan,
Mexico, is a master instrument maker who
lives in Modjeska, Calif. He has performed
as part of the group America Indigena,
which has been nominated for three
NAMMYs (Native American Music
Awards). p. 44
Charlea Massion is a family physician and women’s health specialist. She
teaches in the Division of Family and
Community Medicine at Stanford
University Medical Center and is on the
advisory board of the American College
of Women’s Health Physicians. p. 39
Sarah Mata is a certified yoga teacher
trained in the traditions of Krishnamacharya.
Her work ranges from the vigorous flow for
the very fit to the user-friendly application of
yoga for people with heart disease and musculoskeletal injuries. p. 22
Nora Matten-Lindborg is a member of the Esalen massage and movement
staffs. Her work draws on a wide range
of teachings, especially Vinn Marti’s
SoulMotion, Forrest yoga, vipassana meditation, and Gestalt Awareness Practice.
p. 84
Sigrid Matthews is a certified personal trainer and yoga instructor with 20 years’
experience. She and her mother Carol
Adrienne have taught together for 9 years.
p. 59
Camille Maurine is the coauthor of
Meditation 24/7 and Meditation
Secrets for Women. A dancer and performing artist who has been teaching since
1975, she is the creator of kinAesthetics and
the transformational Moving Theater
process. p. 27
Sheryl McGavin maintained private
practices simultaneously in Ohio and
Florida for more than eight years, working
with pediatrics, Post-Traumatic Stress
Disorder, and addictive behaviors. In 1999
she joined the Upledger staff and today she
lectures, teaches, and works with clients.
p. 23
Rebecca McLean is a national trainer and author of The Circle of Life who
has worked in mind/body healthcare and
life coaching for over 25 years. She has facilitated support groups for hospitals, schools,
parishes, agencies, and businesses, and
coached hundreds of individuals. p. 19
Deborah Anne Medow, Esalen
workshop leader and bodywork practitioner
since 1969, teaches yoga, massage, creative
movement, awareness practices, and related
healing disciplines throughout the U.S. and
Europe. She is also a certified nutrition educator. p. 40, 45
Daniel Merchant is a Gestalt therapist practicing in New York City who has
integrated 30 years as a student of Buddhism
and the healing teachings of indigenous
cultures into his work. A certified Imago
Couples Therapist, he regularly presents a
workshop called The Healing Power of
Imagination. p. 68
Linda Trichter Metcalf, author
and educator, created the practice of
Proprioceptive Writing (PW) in the mid1970s. Founder of the Proprioceptive
Writing Center in New York City, she
teaches group and online PW classes, conducts PW therapy, and leads the PW
Teacher Certification Program. p. 74
Michael Meyer has taught Cortical
Field Reeducation at Esalen since 1993 and
The Feldenkrais Method for the past ten
years. He lives in Laguna Beach, where he
specializes in working with seniors and
those with neurological impairment. p. 31
Peter Meyers, founder and director
of the Vector Theater Conservatory in San
Rafael, Calif., received the Golden Bell
Award for outstanding achievement in educational planning. He has directed numerous theater shows and performed on television and film. p. 84
Emmett Miller is widely recognized as
a founder of mind/body medicine and as the
inventor of the guided-imagery audiocassette/
CD. He is the author of Deep Healing and
has recorded more than 50 deep-relaxation
meditations and talks. p. 25
Shelley Mitchell is best known for
her acclaimed performance of the 1943
Holocaust diary Talking with Angels. She
is artistic director of The Actors Center of
San Francisco and was recently nominated
as best solo performer by the Bay Area
Theater Critics Circle. Visit www.shelleymitchell.org. p. 74
Joseph Montville spent 23 years as a
diplomat in the Middle East. He became a
political psychologist, wrote articles, edited
books, and conceived of track-two citizen
diplomacy at Esalen Institute while working on the Russian-American relationship.
p. 45
Jean Morrison began her career in
communication coaching, training, and
mediation after her foundational work in
the fields of health, education, business,
and restorative justice. She is a founding
member of NVC Santa Cruz
(nvcsantacruz.org). p. 46
Sharon Olds teaches in New York
University’s Graduate Creative Writing
Program and is the New York State Poet
Laureate. She has published many books
of poems, including The Father, The
Wellspring, and, most recently, Blood,
Tin, Straw. p. 51, 52
Beverly Kitaen Morse is a marriage and family therapist in private practice in Santa Monica, Calif., and executive
director of the Rosenberg-Kitaen Integrative
Body Psychotherapy Central Institute and
the 12 IBP International Institutes. She is
coauthor of The Intimate Couple. p. 37
Abbey Onikoyi, a native of Nigeria,
grew up in a family that was one of the
founding royal families of Lagos, with a tradition rooted in arts and culture. His goal is
to impact humanity with “a whole new
love” through art, music, and communication. p. 64
Nan Moss is a faculty member of the
Foundation for Shamanic Studies. As a
shamanic practitioner she teaches workshops on shamanism, and has a shamanic
counseling and healing practice in Maine.
p. 20, 83
Anna Ornstein is a lecturer on psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and professor of child psychiatry (Emerita) at the
University of Cincinnati. Dr. Ornstein
authored numerous papers on the process of
psychotherapy, aspects of self-psychology, and
survival following extreme conditions. p. 52
Robert Moss is a world-renowned
dream teacher, a shamanic counselor, a novelist, and a former professor of ancient history at the Australian National University.
Among his many books are Dreamgates
and the new Dreamways of the Iroquois.
His website is www.mossdreams.com.
p. 78
N
Mary Nelson is the originator and
founder of LaStone Therapy, Inc. A former
bionutritionist, she is a licensed massage
therapist with a private practice in Tucson,
Ariz. Her work is inspired by her metaphysical studies of Christian and Native
American traditions. p. 75
Maria Nemeth is a psychologist, master coach, speaker, and author of The
Energy of Money. Founder of the
Academy for Coaching Excellence, an ICFaccredited program, Dr. Nemeth’s work,
using coaching methods she designed, has
touched thousands of lives. p. 20
Michael Newman is an attorneymediator, surfer, and lifelong resident of the
Big Sur coast. He has an MA in psychology
and promotes the integration of wilderness
into contemporary life. p. 50
Mark Nicolson runs Ventana Group,
a consultancy which facilitates transformative learning in leaders and organizations
committed to social change. He is a graduate
of Oxford, Stanford, and the Esalen
Extended Student program. p. 12, 77
Wes “Scoop” Nisker is a radio
commentator, Buddhist meditation teacher,
and performer who has practiced Buddhist
meditation for 30 years. His books include
Essential Crazy Wisdom and The Big
Bang, The Buddha, and the Baby Boom.
He is the founder and coeditor of the
Buddhist journal Inquiring Mind. p. 52
O
Gael Ohlgren met and trained with
Ida Rolf at Esalen in 1968 and ‘69 and later
served on the Rolf Institute faculty. After
studying and practicing Continuum for 25
years she became a Continuum teacher both
at home and internationally. p. 24
Paul Ornstein is a lecturer on psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and professor
of psychiatry and psychoanalysis (Emeritus)
at the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Ornstein,
in addition to authoring many papers, edited and introduced the four volumes of The
Search for the Self. p. 52
Wendy Oser is a filmmaker and producer of the award-winning documentary
Let’s Face It: Women Explore their
Aging Faces. She pioneered the use of video
feedback for self-discovery, leading workshops internationally since 1976. Most of the
time she enjoys looking her age. p. 14
Brita Ostrom, a licensed MFT, has led
massage and other workshops at Esalen for
over 20 years. She is trained in Gestalt
awareness work and participated in Esalen’s
two-year somatics education project. p. 40,
42, 80
P
Ken Page is a psychotherapist, lecturer,
and the director and cofounder of numerous
well-known GBT men’s spiritual retreats,
including the Rowe Labor Day Retreat and
the Spring Retreat for GBT Men. He is the
founder of Deeper Dating (www.deeperdating.com). p. 33
Laurie Lioness Parizek graduated
from the Montreal General Hospital School
of Nursing, McGill University. She studied
and teaches hands-on, interactive, and energy healing and is a longtime teacher of
Esalen bodywork. p. 42
Bert Parlee, a licensed clinical psychologist and published author, serves as Chief
of Staff and lead seminar trainer at Ken
Wilber’s Integral Institute in Colorado. Bert
has a private psychotherapy and personal
and executive coaching practices in Mill
Valley, Calif. p. 35
Laurel Parnell is a clinical psychologist
and author of Transforming Trauma:
EMDR and EMDR in the Treatment of
Adults Abused as Children. She is currently writing her latest book The Art of
EMDR: Eye Movement Desensitization
and Reprocessing in Clinical Practice.
p. 34, 37
Marco Pasi is an assistant professor in
the History of Hermetic Philosophy at the
University of Amersterdam. He is the
author of several essays on modern Western
esotericism and of a book on Aleister
Crowley and politics. p. 62
Donna Dreyer Pérez-Venero
studied the shamanic tradition of the
Hmong hill tribes in Thailand. She is a
transpersonal psychiatrist and serves on the
faculty of the University of Maryland
Medical School. p. 37
Richard Yensen Pérez-Venero
studied the shamanic tradition with Carlos
Castaneda and Maria Sabina. A psychologist, he has served on the faculties of
Harvard Medical School and Johns
Hopkins University. p. 37
Carole Pertofsky is director of
Stanford University’s Health Promotion
Services, co-founder of Spiritual Tools For
Healing Center for cancer survivors, life
coach, and national facilitator of health and
wellness seminars and workshops. p. 14
Jane Peterson is a master practitioner
of neurolinguistic programming, a certified
clinical hypnotherapist, and a Ph.D. student
at Fielding Graduate Institute. Involved
with Hellinger’s work since 1998, she has
developed an innovative training program
for constellation facilitators. p. 60
Maggie Phillips is an expert in the
field of abuse and trauma, and in the treatment of posttraumatic and dissociative disorders. Coauthor of Healing the Divided
Self and author of Finding the Energy
to Heal, Dr. Phillips is director of the
California Institute of Clinical Hypnosis.
p. 33
Char Pias, a member of the Esalen
Massage Staff since 1980, teaches internationally, focusing on the energetic, emotional, and spiritual aspects of bodywork. She is
a Reiki Master/Teacher, a Circle of Life
facilitator/coach, and a licensed graduate of
The Center for Spiritual Healing. p. 46
Pablo Piekar, originally a psychotherapist from Argentina, has been on the
Esalen Staff since 1988. In addition to being
a leadership and team development consultant, he has been practicing bodywork professionally for 15 years. He teaches Esalen
Massage internationally. p. 32, 42, 56, 80,
83
Lavinia Plonka spent 25 years in theater before discovering The Feldenkrais
Method. Her book, What Are You Afraid
Of? A Body/Mind Guide To
Courageous Living has been translated
into 5 languages. She is director of the
Asheville Movement Center and teaches
workshops internationally. p. 63
David Presti is a neuroscientist and
clinical psychologist who teaches at the
University of California in Berkeley. His
expertise ranges from the treatment of drug
addiction to the use of drugs and plant medicines for healing through ritual and alterations of consciousness. p. 36
Christine Stewart Price is a
teacher and ongoing student of Gestalt
Awareness Practice and other approaches to
developing awareness. p. 21
91
Johanna Putnoi is a dancer, writer,
and somatics educator who leads workshops
and trainings in Lomi somatics, the movement arts, and the enneagram throughout
the U.S. and in Europe. She has a private
practice in Menlo Park, Calif. p. 66
R
Gustavo Rabin is a licensed psychologist with a practice based in Palo Alto, Calif.
He specializes in the personal and professional development of individuals, teams,
and organizations. Gustavo’s work is also
focused on facilitating life transitions. p. 12
Srivatsa Ramaswami studied for
over three decades with the legendary Sri T.
Krishnamacharya and was his longeststanding student outside of the teacher’s
family. He has written scores of articles,
three books, and recorded about 40 CDs and
cassettes of Sanskrit mantras. p. 79
Shiva Rea has been living yoga for 17
years. She is known for bringing the roots of
yoga alive for modern practitioners through
the integration of movement meditation,
yogic philosophy and art, nature’s vitality,
spontaneous humor, and joy. p. 72
Laura Regalbuto, in addition to
being a psychiatric social worker and psychotherapist, teaches yoga, tai chi, and
dance. She leads yoga retreats and seminars.
p. 33
Haydn Reiss is the producer of the
award-winning film Rumi: Poet of the
Heart. Other credits include William
Stafford and Robert Bly: A Literary
Friendship and How Democrats and
Progressives Can Win: Solutions from
George Lakoff. p. 62
David K. Reynolds is recognized as
the leading Western authority on Japanese
psychotherapies. Former faculty of UCLA
and the USC School of Medicine, his
books include The Quiet Therapies,
Constructive Living, A Handbook for
Constructive Living, and Playing Ball
on Running Water. p. 10
David Richo is a psychotherapist,
teacher, and writer in Santa Barbara and
San Francisco, who emphasizes Jungian,
transpersonal, and spiritual perspectives. He
is the author of When Love Meets Fear,
Shadow Dance, and How To Be An
Adult in Relationships. p. 16, 68
Lorin Roche has been in love with
meditation since 1968. His work, Instinctive
Meditation, is set forth in Meditation
24/7, Meditation Secrets for Women,
Meditation Made Easy, Breath Taking,
and Whole Body Meditations. p. 27
Karen Roeper is a senior teacher at
the Rosen Bodywork Institute in Berkeley,
Calif., and has maintained a private practice in bodywork and movement for over 15
years. Her lifelong focus has been to explore
the relationships between body, emotions,
mind, and spirit. p. 24
Marina T. Romero is a therapist and
teacher. She is director of Estel, a center of
personal growth and school of integral studies in Barcelona, and creator of Holistic
Sexuality. She is the coauthor of Nacidos
de la Tierra: Sexualidad Origen del Ser
Humano. p. 66
92
Marion Rosen trained in Munich in
the 1930’s, giving breathwork and massage
to the psychoanalytic patients of Carl Jung.
She devotes much of her time to Rosen
workshops and trainings in Europe and the
U.S. She is the author of Rosen Method:
Accessing the Unconscious through
Touch. p. 35
Jack Lee Rosenberg is in private
practice in Venice, Calif. Founder and clinical director of the Rosenberg-Kitaen
Integrative Body Psychotherapy Central
Institute and the 12 IBP International
Institutes, he authored Total Orgasm, and
coauthored Body, Self, and Soul and The
Intimate Couple. p. 37
Peter Rosselli cofounded Cor
Communications, LLC, a consulting and
training company specializing in communication skills. Developer of programs in
improvisation, presentation skills, and team
building, he has consulted with companies
such as Apple, AT&T, and IBM. p. 24
Adam Rudolph is a composer, percussionist, and educator who has released
numerous CDs and performed extensively
worldwide for the past 30 years. His book
Pure Rhythm will be published in early
2006. p. 11
Gordy Ryan performed worldwide
with Babtunde Olatunji for three decades
while maintaining a prolific career as a
recording artist and composer. His band
OBA has released two CDs, One Breath
Away and Beautiful Game. See
www.obatheband.com. p. 67
M.J. Ryan is one of the creators of the
Random Acts of Kindness series and the
author of The Happiness Makeover, The
Power of Patience, The Giving Heart,
and 365 Health and Happiness
Boosters. Her work utilizes current brain
research to maximize the cultivation of wisdom. p. 76
S
Larry Santoyo, ecological land use
planner and director of Earthflow Design
Works, is among the most experienced
Permaculture educators in the U.S. His
designs, combining artistry with ecology for
home, business, and community, integrate
eco-economic development strategies with
natural-systems management. p. 45, 47
David Schiffman is a longtime group
leader at Esalen. His primary interest is in
facilitating people in transition toward a
more heartful, unstrained existence. p. 11,
26, 27, 47, 48, 58, 70, 83
Meir Schneider, an internationallyknown therapist and educator, is the
founder of the School for Self-Healing in
San Francisco and the author of SelfHealing: My Life and Vision, The
Handbook for Self-Healing, Yoga for
the Eyes, and his latest book, Movement
for Self-Healing. p. 67
John Schott is a clinical instructor in
psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Dr.
Schott was also a stockbroker for ten years,
and for many years pursued a dual career as
a practicing psychiatrist/psychoanalyst and
a practicing investment advisor. p. 44
Alan Schwartz is a first-generation
Gestalt therapist and one of the early teachers to conduct bioenergetic workshops some
thirty-plus years ago at Esalen. His research
deals with the superimposition of characterology on the workplace and culture. p. 15, 84
Richard Schwartz is a former associate
professor in the Department of Psychiatry,
University of Illinois College of Medicine.
He is director of the Center for Self
Leadership in Oak Park, Ill. Author of six
books, he is the developer of the Internal
Family Systems model. p. 13
Susie Self is a singer/composer who has
starred in London’s West End and sings in
Europe’s finest opera houses. Her opera
“Heroic Women” tours internationally, and
her second symphony “Memories, Dreams
Reflections,” based on the life of Jung, is
released this spring. p. 27
Paula Shaw, a professional actress and
acting teacher for over 25 years, conducts
workshops in expanding self-expression,
well-being, and creativity for non-actors
across the United States and Canada. p. 13,
52, 55
Jeremy Sherman has spent over 35
years in idea marketing. Former director of
public affairs for the Body Shop, and campaign designer for several big green companies, he has spent the last decade conveying
complex ideas at the cross between Taoism,
evolutionary biology, and decision theory.
p. 33
Maria Lucia Bittencourt Sauer
has practiced spiritual healing in Brazil and
the U.S. since 1982. She has been a resident
student and teacher at Esalen and conducts
trainings and seminars internationally.
p. 54, 84
Donald W. Shriver, Jr. is president
emeritus of Union Theological Seminary in
New York, and is an author, lecturer, and
Presbyterian pastor. His most recent books
are An Ethic for Enemies: Forgiveness
in Politics and Honest Patriots: Loving a
Country Enough to Remember its
Misdeeds. p. 42
Bill Say codirects the Community
Healing & Leadership Training, is a faculty
member of JFK and Naropa universities,
and has had a private practice in body/
mind/relationship therapy in Berkeley,
Calif., since 1989. His website is
www.CoreCommunity.com. p. 49
Peggy L. Shriver former Assistant
General Secretary of the National Council
of Churches, is a religious researcher, social
activist, and poet, whose books also include
The Divided Church: Moving from
Diatribe to Dialogue and The Bible
Vote: Religion and the New Right. p. 42
Howard Joel Schechter is interested in learning and teaching about emotional and spiritual liberation. He is the author
of Rekindling the Spirit in Work and
Jupiter’s Rings: Balance from the Inside
Out. p. 57
Henry Sibbing is a licensed professional counselor with the Lake Geneva Wellness
Clinic in Lake Geneva, Wisc. His emphasis
is in family and cardiac counseling, and he
is a heart transplant recipient (2002) and
frequent speaker on organ-donor awareness.
p. 43
Stephen Sideroff is a clinical psychologist and peak-performance consultant
in Santa Monica, Calif. He is an assistant
professor in the Department of Psychiatry
and Biobehavioral Sciences at UCLA and
the author of several audiocassette programs
in behavioral medicine. p. 19, 71
Eric Simon is a renowned expert in
clinical and medical hypnosis. He has published extensively on how mental states can
improve clinical outcomes, and is certified by
the American Board of Professional
Psychology. p. 39
Tobin Simon, author, educator, and
poet, cofounded the Proprioceptive Writing
(PW) Center in the mid-1970’s, formerly in
Maine, now in New York City. A devoted
coach, he has long used PW to teach poetry
as well as to help students articulate their
deepest feelings. p. 74
Michael Sinel is director of Physical
Medicine and Rehabilitation, California
Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, Beverly
Hills, in private practice, and an assistant
professor in the school of medicine at UCLA.
He is the coauthor of Win the Battle
Against Back Pain and Back Pain
Remedies for Dummies. p. 19, 71
Michael Skelton teaches dance in Los
Angeles, where he cofounded Fumbling
Toward Ecstasy, a movement class attended
by more than 150 people weekly. He leads
workshops in Australia, Bali, and across the
U.S., and has performed and choreographed
internationally for 15 years. p. 47
Gerald Smith is a licensed psychologist
in private practice in San Mateo, Calif. He
has written two books about relationships,
Couple Therapy and Hidden Meanings.
He has been leading couples groups at
Esalen since 1966. p. 14
Huston Smith, Professor Emeritus of
Philosophy, Syracuse University, is the
country’s preeminent scholar of world religions. Author of The Religions of Man
(republished as The World’s Religions)
and the best-selling Why Religion
Matters, Smith has influenced generations
of seekers. p. 24
Julia Smith is a physician, somatic educator, and coach promoting conscious embodiment as an essential literacy for health,
well-being, and sustainable living. Julia
leads programs in Body Literacy and is an
associate and program faculty member with
Kore Leadership in Seattle, Wash. p. 56
Bob Stahl is the director of mindfulnessbased stress reduction programs at hospitals
in Santa Cruz and the Bay Area. He is a
longtime meditation practitioner who lived
in a Buddhist monastery for over eight
years, and has trained with Dr. Jon KabatZinn. p. 39
Martha Stark is a clinical instructor in
psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and
on the faculty at the Boston Psychoanalytic
Institute. She has authored four books,
including Working with Resistance and
Engagement in Relationship: A
Clinician’s Guide to Psychotherapeutic
Interventions. p. 52
Alli Chagi Starr founded Dancers
Without Borders and Cultural Links in San
Francisco, and is cofounder of Art and
Revolution, a multi-city movement of artistactivists who revitalize political action using
nonviolence, street theater, dance, music,
poetry, and giant puppetry. p. 48
Laurel True is a Bay Area artist specializing in ceramic tile, glass, and mixedmedia mosaic works. Her True Mosaics
Studio specializes in architectural mosaics,
public art, and community mosaic projects.
She is the founder and director of the
Institute of Mosaic Art in Oakland. p. 12
S. L. Stebel, award-winning screenwriter, playwright, and novelist, has won
wide renown as a story “dowser,” working as
a consultant on novels, plays, and scripts for
the publishing and film industries. He is a
popular teacher at major writers’ conferences
and universities. p. 54
Lynne Twist is a global activist,
fundraiser, author, and founder of the Soul
of Money Institute. She has devoted her life
to service in support of ending world hunger,
global sustainability, human rights, economic integrity, and spiritual authenticity.
p. 38
Brother David Steindl-Rast,
Benedictine monk, psychologist, and author,
has lectured on five continents. He was
Spiritual Teacher in Residence at Esalen,
and is concerned with the unique challenges
and opportunities of our time. p. 30
David Streeter, a certified sports massage practitioner on the Esalen massage
staff, has taught yoga and anatomy and
worked as an athletic trainer. Before joining
the Esalen faculty, he lived as a Camaldolese
monk. p. 17, 70
Ellen Suckiel is Professor of Philosophy
and Provost of Stevenson College at UC
Santa Cruz, teaching courses in the ethics of
genetics and ethics of biotechnology. She is
the author of two books on William James
and numerous scholarly articles. p. 14
Jaqueline Lapa Sussman, psychotherapist and seminar leader, is the
Director of Projects for the International
Imagery Association, one of the foremost
practitioners of Eidetic Imagery, and a collaborator with Dr. Akhter Ahsen. She is the
author of Images of Desire and Freedom
From Failure. p. 53
T
Russell Targ is a physicist and author
who was a pioneer in the development of the
laser and laser applications, and was
cofounder of the Stanford Research
Institute’s investigation into psychic abilities in the 1970s and 1980s. p. 21
Amaran Tarnoff, a licensed MFT, is
the founder of Results/Support Seminars,
and has been teaching the Inquiry Process
for over 20 years as a professional coach. He
is currently writing a book titled The
Inquiry Process: Learning Together to
Produce Results. p. 36
Paula Thomson, professor in the
areas of attachment, neurobiology, and clinical practice, is a licensed clinical psychologist and sport psychologist in Tarzana, Calif.
She works primarily with those who have
trauma histories, dissociative disorders,
and/or issues with blocked creativity. p. 29
Vicki Topp is a senior practitioner and
instructor of Esalen Massage and somatic
bodywork. She teaches workshops and training groups internationally and is a
Registered Movement Therapist and practitioner of Body-Mind Centering. p. 57
U
Daniela Urbassek is a longtime
member of the Esalen massage staff. Her
work is strongly influenced by her studies in
craniosacral work, movement, yoga, and
dance. p. 67
V
John Valenzuela is a horticultural
consultant and teacher with over 15 years’
experience working with a diversity of
ecosystems in Hawaii, Costa Rica,
Washington State, and California. He
specializes in an ecologic approach to home
gardening using aboriginal agriculture
systems and ethnobotany. p. 45, 47
Bessel van der Kolk is a clinical
psychiatrist whose work integrates developmental, biological, psychodynamic, and
interpersonal aspects of the impact of trauma and its treatment. He is the author of
Psychological Trauma and over a hundred scientific articles. p. 26, 30
W
Robert Walter, Joseph Campbell’s
editor for a decade, is president of the Joseph
Campbell Foundation and a poet/playwright with several decades of experience as
group leader, teacher, publisher, and theatrical producer/director/designer. p. 39, 41
Christine Warren has led programs
at Kripalu Center for 27 years. Former
director of Kripalu’s Leadership Center and
cofounder of New Resources for Growth, she
has led more than 50 corporate retreats in
vision and team building. p. 24
Ellen Watson is a teacher/student of
transformational practices including
Gabrielle Roth’s 5Rhythms, Trance Dance,
yoga, and Esalen Massage. She has been at
Esalen since 1984, practicing and teaching
on the massage and movement arts staff.
p. 67
Arthur Weinfeld is a clinical psychologist and passionate stone carver. He has
been able to blend the two into helping himself and others along the journey to self-discovery. p. 22
Susan Weitzman has a doctorate in
clinical social work and is a psychotherapist
in Chicago. She has researched, treated, and
lectured on relationships and narrative theory both nationally and internationally.
She conducts her “Beginning Anew” healing
retreats nationally. p. 60, 62
Rusty Wells teaches Bhakti Urban
Flow in the Bay Area. He has been inspired
by many teachers including Shri Dharma
Mittra, Swami Sivananda, Baron Baptiste,
and pretty much everyone he gets to meet.
His classes fuse together elements from
Ashtanga, Bikram, and Sivananda. p. 53
Betta de Boer-van der Kolk is a
licensed clinical social worker in private
practice at the Center for Integrative Healing
in Watertown, Mass. She is trained in
hypnotherapy, EMDR, Internal Family
Systems (IFS), Pesso-Boyden Systems
Psychomotor Therapy (PBSP), and the
Rubenfeld Synergy Method (RSM). p. 26
Hank Wesselman is an anthropologist who conducts research in Ethiopia and
teaches in two colleges in Northern
California. He is the author of The
Spiritwalker Trilogy; The Journey to
the Sacred Garden; and (with Jill
Kuykendall) Spirit Medicine. p. 41, 69
Arnie J. Vargas is a psychoanalytically trained psychotherapist with a private
practice in New York City and Cape May,
N.J. For the past 15 years he has worked
with various populations specializing in the
integration of spirituality, sexuality, and
psychology. p. 74
Jamie Wheal has devoted his career to
empowering learners of all ages. A scholar
and outdoorsman, he writes and lectures on
transformative experiential education, is
trained in wilderness medicine, surf rescue,
and ski patrol, and has led students to
23,000’ on the Tibetan North face of Everest.
p. 77
Cida Vieira, born at the heart of the
dance circles of Brazil, has choreographed
and performed in the U.S., South America,
and Europe, with dance groups and artists
including Xuxa, Ray Charles, Daniela
Mercury, and Airto. Currently, Cida is on
the Movement Program staff at Esalen.
p. 12
Alberto Villoldo, psychologist and
medical anthropologist, has studied with
shamans and healers in the Amazon and
Andes for over 20 years. He is the author of
Shaman, Healer, Sage and directs the
Healing the Light Body School, which
trains practitioners in Energy Medicine.
p. 36
Mark Whitwell has enjoyed a lifelong
relationship with the teachings of
Krishnamacharya through his students
T.K.V. Desikachar and Srivatsa
Ramaswami. He travels the world teaching
Yoga and is the author of Yoga of Heart:
The Healing Power of Intimate
Connection. p. 33, 35, 72, 74
Anna Wise is an internationally recognized authority on EEG and consciousness.
She is the author of The High-Performance
Mind: Mastering Brainwaves for
Insight, Healing, and Creativity and
Awakening the Mind: A Guide to
Mastering the Power of Your
Brainwaves. p. 31, 74
Nina Wise is a performance artist whose
provocative and original works have been
honored with seven Bay Area Critics’ Circle
awards and three National Endowment for
the Arts fellowships. Her written pieces have
appeared in numerous magazines. p. 10
Adam Wolpert is a painter, teacher,
and art program director at the Occidental
Arts and Ecology Center (www.oaec.org)
in west Sonoma County. He has offered
workshops and exhibited extensively
throughout California. His work can be
viewed at www.adamwolpert.com. p. 51
Y
Gary Young is executive director of the
Lifetime Achievement Foundation as well
as a nationally produced playwright. He has
20 years of experience with illness and death
issues, and has conducted workshops nationwide since 1969. p. 46
Kathy Young has 15 years of experience
with illness and death issues. A former
schoolteacher who has authored several
children’s books, Kathy has traveled extensively around the world and has worked
with children in Afghanistan and
Indonesia. p. 46
Z
Dana Zed has been making glass talismans and temples for over 20 years. She has
exhibited in museums and galleries
throughout the U.S. and has been published
worldwide. p. 13
Nina Zolotow is the coauthor (with
Rodney Yee) of Yoga: The Poetry of the
Body and Moving Toward Balance.
Trained at the Yoga Room Advanced
Studies Program, she loves sharing what she
knows about home practice and yoga for
emotional well-being. p. 23
Ofer Zur is a licensed psychologist in
practice in Sonoma, Calif., as well as a
forensic consultant on therapeutic ethics
and boundaries. He coauthored Dual
Relationships and Psychotherapy and
The HIPAA Compliance Kit, and offers
online courses and free articles at
www.drzur.com. p. 22
Nicholas Wilton has been working
professionally as an artist for over 19 years.
His paintings are exhibited in numerous
galleries and private collections, and have
been featured internationally in magazines,
children’s books, and print and digital
media. p. 29
93
Q
reservation information
Making Contact with Us
General information on Esalen workshops,
massages, Personal Retreats, FAQs, and
other information is available via our website, by e-mail, or by phone. Phone messages for guests can be left through the
general information voicemail.
Website: http://www.esalen.org
Reservations can now be made on-line.
E-mail: info@esalen.org
General Information: 831-667-3000
Mailing address: Esalen Institute,
55000 Highway 1, Big Sur, CA 93920
Workshop Reservation Fax: 831-667-2724
Workshop Registration & Reservations
Preregistration for workshops is required
prior to arrival. The most effective way to
register is on-line. You may also mail or fax
your reservation, making sure to include a
completed reservation form (available on
page 88).
Phone Reservations: 831-667-3005
Our phone lines can be busy at peak times.
For those who have previously taken a
workshop at Esalen, reservation information can be left on our Express
Reservations voicemail.
Express Workshop Reservations:
831-667-3000 ext 7321
Phone Reservation Hours (Esalen can be
extremely difficult to reach by phone. The
most opportune hours to call are after 2PM .
Web registration is also available at
www.esalen.org.):
Monday–Thursday: 9 am to 7 pm
Friday–Sunday:
9 am to 5 pm
Other Reservations (besides workshops):
Preregistration is also necessary for
Personal Retreats, massage, transportation,
and night bathing. Reservations for these
can be made through the general information voicemail: 831-667-3000.
Messages: 831-667-3000 ext 7402
Fees and Accommodations
All workshop fees include:
• Workshop tuition
• Food: Esalen serves a wide variety of food.
Whenever meat is served, a vegetarian and a
vegan option are available. Much of Esalen’s
produce is organically grown on our farm
and picked fresh just hours before mealtime.
• Lodging: Friday and Saturday night
accommodations for weekend workshops;
Sunday through Thursday night
accommodations for 5-day workshops;
Sunday through Saturday night
accommodations for 7-day workshops
94
• 24-hour use of hot mineral-spring bath
facilities, the Arts Center (except when a
workshop is scheduled), meditation Round
House, and the entire Esalen grounds
• Participation in movement classes
scheduled during time on property
• One-year subscription to the Esalen Catalog
Accommodations at Esalen are almost always
shared. Couples will be housed privately.
A variety of accommodation options is possible
with workshop registration. Since some of these
fill more quickly than others, it is advisable to
sign up as early as possible. Please indicate your
second choice for accommodations and workshop in case your initial choice is unavailable.
We cannot guarantee specific room requests.
Mid-Point House: Esalen’s Mid-Point House
is available as an upgraded accommodation
alternative. Nestled behind the Esalen Garden
at the cliff edge, the Mid-Point House is a selfcontained suite with a furnished living room,
full kitchen, and redwood deck overlooking
the Pacific. It can house up to 2 adults and 2
children. The Mid-Point House is available for
workshops or Personal Retreat at $500 per day
(in addition to Own Accomodation fees).
Reduced Rate Options
Various rate reduction options are available.
Please request the discount at the time of
registration.
Scholarship: Esalen is able to provide some
scholarship assistance to workshop participants in exchange for a work commitment
(housekeeping/kitchen). Scholarship is limited to one scholarship per person, per year, to
allow as many guests as possible to benefit.
Approved scholarship recipients will receive
their work schedules upon arrival at Esalen.
Weekend: $50, 4 hrs 5–7 days: $100, 8 hrs
Prepayment: A $10 per workshop discount
is available if payment in full is received at the
time of reservation. Prepayment also allows
for express check-in upon arrival. This discount does not apply to scholarship recipients, sleeping bag or own accommodations, or
the Ongoing Residence Program.
Senior Citizen Discount: A discount is available for workshops only to guests over 65
years of age. Please note, this discount is
available for workshops only.
Discounts: Weekend: $25; 5 days or longer: $50
Standard Accommodations:
This is shared housing, two or three persons
per room. In some cases, bathrooms are shared.
Friends Rate
Regular Rate
Weekend
5-Day
7-Day
$545
$595
$1010
$1060
$1605
$1655
Bunk Bed Accommodations:
This is shared housing, four or more persons
per room.
Friends Rate
Regular Rate
Weekend
5-Day
7-Day
$405
$455
$745
$795
$1200
$1250
Sleeping Bag Accommodations:
Esalen meeting rooms are sometimes used as
shared sleeping bag space. Storage space outside the meeting rooms is available for those
using sleeping bag space when the rooms are
being used for meetings (9 am–11 pm).
Friends Rate
Regular Rate
Weekend
5-Day
7-Day
$260
$310
$475
$525
$785
$835
Own Accommodations:
If you are attending a workshop, and staying
off property, the following rates apply:
Friends Rate
Regular Rate
Weekend
5-Day
7-Day
$320
$370
$580
$630
$950
$1000
Single housing sometimes is available on a
limited basis for an additional $100 per day.
Workshop Deposit
In order to reserve a space in any workshop, we
require full payment of the following deposits:
Weekend: $150
12-14 day: $400
5-7 day: $300
More than 14 days: $600
Deposits paid by credit card will automatically have the workshop balance drawn from
your credit card five days before arrival.
Deposits are payable in U.S. currency only;
overseas residents must pay by checks drawn
on U.S. banks or credit cards and are nonrefundable.
Workshop Cancellation Policy: Workshop
cancellations must be made by phone with
one of our reservations staff. If you cancel or
change any part of your reservation at least 5
full days before the start of the workshop(s),
your nonrefundable deposit, less a $50-perworkshop processing fee, will be transferred
to a credit account in your name to be used
within 12 months and the balance returned
to you.
If you cancel with less than 5 days’ notice, the
entire deposit will be forfeited. If the entire
fee was paid in advance, Esalen will retain the
deposit and return the balance to you. Donations
to the Friends of Esalen are nonrefundable.
Ongoing Residence Program
Offered beginning mid-September and ending mid-June, the Ongoing Residence
Program is designed for those who would like
an intensive workshop program over a long
term. A Residence Program stay is 26 days
(four “weeks” and three weekends).
Participants may select any of the five-day
workshops offered during their stay, with
weekends open to enjoy room and board.
Occasionally workshops are cancelled, so
second choices are advised.
The specially discounted cost is $4225 per 26-day
period for standard accommodations and $3335
for bunk-bed rooms. No other discounts apply.
If you cancel or change any part of your
Residence Program reservation at least five
full days before its start, there will be a $150
cancellation fee. If you cancel with less than
five days’ notice, the cancellation fee is $330.
Personal Retreat Fees
A Personal Retreat at Esalen offers an opportunity for individual education and personal
growth. Resources available to Personal
Retreatants are drawn from movement, yoga,
somatics, dance, and improv classes, as well
as Art Barn facilities, meditation center, contemplative baths, and community presentations. To book a Personal Retreat you must be a
current Friend of Esalen by making a taxdeductible donation of $50 or more. Additional
benefits of becoming a Friend are listed on
page 3.
Rates (including meals) are per person, per day:
Fri/Sat
Sun-Thurs
Standard
Accommodations
(2-3 persons per room)
$180
$150
Bunk Bed (4 or more
persons per room)
$110
tion, other types of sessions may also be available to outside guests. Reservations must be
made and paid for in advance by credit card
through our reservation line: 831-667-3005.
Public Bathing in the Hot Springs
In addition to round-the-clock availability for
Esalen guests, the hot springs are open to the
general public, by reservation only, between
1 am and 3 am, for a cost of $20 per person,
payable by credit card only upon reservation.
Reservations can be made at 831-667-3047.
Transportation to Esalen
Ridesharing: We encourage ridesharing to
reduce the number of cars on the road and at
Esalen. See the reservation form for ridesharing options.
Van Service: A van service is available
between Monterey Airport/Monterey Transit
Plaza and Esalen on Fridays and Sundays. The
incoming service departs Monterey Airport at
approximately 4 pm, and arrives at Monterey
Transit Plaza approximately 4:20 pm. Return
service departs Esalen at approximately 5:30
pm. The drive is approximately 1 1/4 hours to
Monterey Airport, so please plan plane flights
accordingly. Van service reservations must be
made with Esalen at least 24 hours prior to
arrival. The $60 one-way fee (subject to
change) is payable to Esalen upon arrival.
Gazebo School Reservations
Reservations for Gazebo School should be
made at least a month in advance. Call the
Gazebo Farmhouse, 831-667-3026, for more
information and reservations.
Weekend: $250
$105
Personal Retreat Cancellation Policy:
Personal Retreat cancellations must be made
by phone with one of our reservations staff.
If you cancel or change any part of your reservation at least 5 full days before the start of
your personal retreat, you will be charged a
$50 processing fee, per reservation.
If you cancel with less than 5 days’ notice, 50%
of your fee will be forfeited and the balance will
be returned to you.
Massage
Many Esalen guests choose to enhance their
experience by receiving a luxurious Esalen
Massage or other bodywork during their stay,
usually provided at our new baths. In addi-
Week: $450
Internship Program: This is a three-month
program for those who wish to have intense
exposure to life at the Gazebo School Park and
its unique educational resources. The Internship Program offers experience with children,
the Gazebo environment, and its teaching
philosophy. Applicants must have completed
at least three work scholar months at Esalen
before being considered for this program.
Call the Gazebo Farmhouse, 831-667-3026, for
more information or reservations.
1st month: $450; 2nd: $400; 3rd: $350
Schedules
Check-in/Check-out: Guests are welcome to
arrive at Esalen any time after 2 pm; rooms
become available after 4 pm. Check-out time
is 12 noon on departure day.
Workshops: Workshop schedules normally
begin on 8:30 pm on the first evening and end
at 11:30 am on the final day.
For Your Information
Esalen is located approximately 45 miles from
“civilization.” This isolation and tranquility can
deepen your experience at Esalen yet for many
guests it can be a significant change in environment. We have minimal electronic communications available (there are some pay phones
and terminals available for internet connection, though speed is slow and availability limited). There is no cell phone service at Esalen.
Health Services: Esalen has no medical ser-
vices or pharmacy on site. If you will require
medical attention or supplies during your
stay, please come prepared to administer to
your own needs.
Money: Esalen is able to accept cash, checks,
and credit cards. Please bring sufficient funds
for incidentals as Esalen does not have an
ATM, nor are we able to cash checks.
Smoking: Esalen is a non-smoking community.
Smoking is not permitted in any accommodations, meeting rooms, or other indoor spaces.
Snoring: All of our accommodations are
shared. You or your roommate may snore.
Please come prepared (nose guards, ear plugs,
etc.) for this possibility.
Illegal Drugs: In accordance with state and
federal laws, the possession or use of illegal
drugs on Esalen grounds is strictly prohibited.
Camping: To limit the impact on our land,
camping is not available at Esalen. A variety of
campgrounds is available in the Big Sur area.
Pets: Other than animals in service, pets are
not allowed on the property.
Guests as Volunteers: Esalen is a learning
community/organization made up of guests,
students, staff, and volunteers. A variety of
contributions goes toward enhancing this
community. Guests contribute to this in
many ways, including making their beds and
bussing their dishes. Guests are also welcome
to contribute a couple of hours to work with
the Esalen staff, usually in the kitchen. Your
help enables us to meet the pressures of peak
working times and enables you to experience
Esalen from the inside out.
Recommended Reading and Mail Order
Merchandise: All recommended reading
is available online through our website
www.esalen.org. All other bookstore merchandise is available via mail order. For ordering
information, please call 831-667-3049.
95
S
esalen institute reservation form
and each workshop applied for must accompany this form. (Please see
Reservation Information, page 94, under Fees and Accommodations,
Making Contact with Us, and Cancellation Policy.) Reservations can
This form is for your convenience in reserving a space in Esalen workshops. If you wish to make reservations for more than one person,
please photocopy this form so that each registrant has his/her own
form, unless you are registering as a couple with the same address and
phone number. A nonrefundable deposit for each person registering
now be made on-line at www.esalen.org.
Name of Registrant___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
PLEASE PRINT
Address ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sex: M o F o Couple o
E-mail _____________________________________________________
City ______________________________________________________________________________________
State __________________________________________________
Home Phone ( __________ ) ____________________________________________________________
Work Phone ( __________ )___________________________________________________________________
o Check if you have previously been to Esalen and this is a new address.
Passenger Van Service:
I want transportation from (check one):
o Monterey Airport at approximately 4:00 pm on
Ridesharing: We support ridesharing and hope you will too. If you are driving to
Esalen and willing to give a ride to someone from your area, check here o
Occasionally there are unexpected situations that require us to contact you immediately
before your stay here. If you will not be at the above numbers during the two weeks prior
to the workshop, where may we reach you?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Please mark your first and second choices for housing after referring to page 94 for accommodation descriptions and rates. Total cost includes workshop fees, lodging, and meals.
o
o
o
o
Zip _______________________________
Check for standard accommodations, if available.
Check for bunk bed room, if available.
___________________________________________________________________________________
(date of arrival, Fridays and Sundays only).
o Monterey Transit Plaza at approximately 4:20 pm
(corner of Pearl and Alvarado, next to Ordway Drug)
The $60-per-person charge (subject to change) is payable on
arrival at Esalen. Please prepare to arrive at the airport well before
4:00pm so you do not miss our van. Esalen cannot be responsible
for taxi fare or other transportation costs. If your plans for use
of the passenger van service change after you have made
your reservation, please notify us. The only departing van
Check for sleeping bag space, if available.
service from Esalen is on Fridays and Sundays at approximately
5:30 pm. If you plan on taking this van please make sure that your
plane reservations are after 8:00 pm. Passenger van service is not
available at any other time.
Check if you wish to room as a couple.
Write here the name(s) of any person(s) with whom you wish to room.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Other Notes:
All workshop reservations require a nonrefundable deposit. The balance will be
All of our rooms are non-smoking. If you smoke, please plan to
do so outside.
automatically drawn from your credit card five days before your arrival.
Your signature below authorizes Esalen to charge your credit card for the balance.
No pets allowed.
Workshop Date
Leader’s Name
Fee
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Workshop Deposits Enclosed __________________________
Tax-deductible contribution to Friends of Esalen (Optional, see page 4) __________________________
$5 Catalog Contribution (Optional) __________________________
Subtotal __________________________
Total Amount Enclosed __________________________
o
o
o
o
Check here for $10 prepay discount (see page 94).
Check here if this is your first visit to Esalen.
Check here if you need directions to Esalen.
Check here if you are a senior.
o Check here if you do not want your phone number given out
for ridesharing.
Please make checks payable to Esalen Institute, in U.S. currency
only. (There will be a $15 fee for returned checks.) Overseas residents must pay by checks drawn on U.S. banks or with one of the
charge cards below. Checks or credit card information must
accompany the reservations form. Or, you may fax this form to us
at 831-667-2724. If you do so, you must include payment
via one of the credit cards below.
Your reservation can be charged to:
o MasterCard
o Visa
o American Express
Name on Card ____________________________________________________________________
Card No. ____________________________________________________________________________
Expiration Date __________________________________________________________________
Authorizing Signature _________________________________________________________
FOR OFFICE USE ONLY
DATE REC.
RES INITIALS
CIRCLE DEPOSIT
DEPOSIT AMT.
RES. BK
CC AUTH. #
DATE TYPED
TYPED INITIALS
96
Snoring: All of our accommodations are shared. Please come prepared for the possibility of rooming with a snorer.
PP
SCHOL
CC
CK
LIMO
CA
SUS
SENIOR
Thank you for your reservation. As soon as it is processed you will
receive by return mail a receipt for your deposit and a notice of
confirmation. Please review your confirmation for accuracy.
Esalen Institute is a center to encourage work in the
humanities and sciences that promotes human values
and potentials. Its activities consist of public seminars,
residential work-study programs, invitational conferences, research, and semi-autonomous projects.
If you move, please let us know your new
address. It helps us save trees and money.
Esalen Institute
55000 Highway 1
Big Sur, California 93920-9546
Non-Profit Organization
U.S. Postage
PA I D
Permit No. 2543
Las Vegas, NV

January 2006 Esalen Catalog

Transcription

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