|
The Esalen
Institute
Esalen
Institute
55000 Highway One
Big Sur, CA 93920 (831-667-3000)
President: Gordon Wheeler
2007 attendance: 10,000
Website:
www.esalen.org
Located at Big Sur, California, Esalen is noted for
the extraordinary beauty of its natural surroundings. The grounds feature views
of the Pacific, Redwood trees, luxuriant tree ferns, and spectacular cliffs.
There are also mineral springs and hot tubs.
Considered the birthplace of the "human potential
movement" when it was founded in 1962, Esalen claims 10,000+ attendees yearly.
The institute is a nonprofit organization, with an annual budget of roughly
$9-10 million. Its maximum capacity is about 300, and it primarily offers
weekend and five-day seminars (although there are also about 40 "work scholars"
who stay for a month at a time.). A total of over 400 workshops are offered
each year. There is a staff of about 40. Fees cover workshop tuition, food, and
lodging, and range from $370-655 per person for a weekend and $525-$1,060 for a
five-day session, including room and board.
Esalen is a provider of continuing education
credits for nurses, psychologists, MFCCs, LCWs, and massage practitioners and
bodyworkers.
Ongoing Residence Program participants may select
any five-day workshops offered during their stay with weekends free to enjoy
Esalen’s other amenities. The specially discounted cost is $4,225 per 26 day
period for standard accommodations and $3,335 for bunk bed rooms. No other
discounts apply.
Esalen offers more than 500 public workshops and
seminars a year. Esalen is known for its research initiatives, invitational
conferences, residential work-study programs and long term internships. It is
part pioneering lab and college for alternative practices, magical restorative
retreat and creative think-tank for emerging world culture.
Workshop Prices:
|
Range |
Weekend Workshops |
Five-day Workshops |
Seven-day Workshops |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Standard Accommodation |
$655 |
$1120 |
$1715 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Own Room (off property) |
370 |
585 |
895 |
|
Bunk bed |
515 |
895 |
1310 |
During the 1960s, Esalen got the reputation of
being a pretty "far-out" place, where Timothy Leary lectured on "the ecstatic
experience" of LSD and where marijuana was openly smoked by many of the
participants. (Today, there is a policy of warning guests that illegal drugs
are strictly banned at Esalen.). But while many of the activities of the 1960s
have become taboo, some of the other practices at Esalen of the 1960s that once
seemed eccentric, such as meditation and yoga, have now become mainstream.
Just as in the '60s, nudity is considered fairly
commonplace at Esalen. The institute's website says, "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 the 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."
Esalen offers weekend workshops from Friday-Sunday,
week-long five-day sessions from Sunday-Friday, and some seven- 12-, and 30-day
programs. Its classes could be classified as being related more to “human
potential” than self-improvement, encompassing Zen, yoga, and psychology. The
founding vision was to develop educational approaches to facilitate personal and
social transformation and to encourage scientific research that might bear upon
fundamental questions of human potential.
The staff of Esalen considers their facility to be
a retreat. As such, they do not ask their clients much about their
“demographics” (age, income, reason they came, etc.). However, the male/female
split is estimated at 50/50.
The facility is recovering from wildfires in their
area, and it was closed for 3-4 weeks during that time. This resulted in lower
than usual attendance this year. Attendance was said to be up slightly in 2007
over 2006. Clients come mainly from within California, within a day’s drive.
However, with the U.S. dollar weak versus foreign currencies, there have been
more overseas tourists coming to the facility the past few years.
Some Esalen programs...(There are many others. This
is a partial list.)
-
Intimate Relationships
-
Healing (with Humor): An Introduction to Spinal
Awareness
-
Creating the Work You Love: The Anti-Career
Workshop
-
Reflexology: Seeing the Body Through Feet and
Hands
-
Big Sur Wilderness Experience
-
Writing Songs
-
Science, Spirituality, and the Search for Meaning
-
Embodiment and Psychic Experience
-
The Poetic Cosmos
-
Family Arts Program
-
Life Skills for Balancing a Whole Life
-
The Secrets of Successful Relationships
-
Yoga in Balance
-
Esalen Massage
-
Gestalt and Sensory Awareness
-
Understanding Globalization
-
Addictions and Recovery
-
The Alchemy of Personal Writing
-
Writing with Passion
-
Trigger Point Release
-
Understanding and Treating Eating Disorders
-
The Awakened Mind: Brainwave Training
-
Self-Acceptance: The Heart of Healing
-
Advanced Awakened Mind: Biofeedback. Meditation
and Consciousness Training
-
Sex and Sexability
-
Miracle Healings
-
Tai Chi Facilitator Certification Training
-
The Circle of Life Coach Certification Training
-
Win/Win: The Path to Peaceful Solutions
-
The Practice of Grief Counseling
-
Bodymind Health Professional Certification
Program
-
Truth in Dating
-
True Wealth: Fulfilling Your Legacy to the Next
Generation
-
Making a Difference: Creating a Sustainable World
-
Constructive Living
The “Experiencing Esalen” workshops offer an
introduction to practices such as: Gestalt, massage, sensory awareness, and
meditation. The work-study program is an intensive 28-day work-oriented program
for people who want to make a personal commitment to self-exploration and
growth, and a contribution to the Esalen community. Upon completion of the 28
day program, those interested may go on to the “Extended Student” program. This
is a 1 year work-study program operated much the same as the 28 day program,
however, the course of study is much more in-depth. Students are paid a small
stipend for their contributions to the Esalen community.
|
