Esalen Institute is a retreat community located in Big Sur, California. It was founded in the early 60's and has a rich history of attracting artists, musicians, writers, psychologists, philosophers and alternative healers. I've been wanting to go for about 15 years and finally got around to booking a weekend retreat this past summer with Buddhist priest, entrepreneur and executive coach, Marc Lesser, titled, "Accomplishing More By Doing Less." Workshops are experiential and didactic.
For a more complete experience I highly recommend booking a shared cabin, going solo and bringing an open mind. For more information, visit www.esalen.org.
Below are images from my stay...
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| Clothing optional bath house and massage area. | | |
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Meditation nooks are everywhere.
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The grounds are gorgeous. No
cell phone coverage, TVs, radio or Skype allowed, so you can truly
escape distractions and immerse yourself in the experience.
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| Greenhouse, organic garden and chickens! |
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| Love this sign in the greenhouse. |
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| There is a working Sweat Lodge on site. If you're lucky, they might have one going on during your stay. |
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| This area was once inhabited by the Essalen Indians, hence the name. |
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| My dream house |
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Big House is where my workshop was held.
We had a roaring fire in the huge fireplace on the last evening. Felt like summer camp. | | | |
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| View outside our workshop space. |
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| Main Office and space for group activities like Kirtan, Yoga, Movement Classes. |
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| Dining Hall in foreground. There's a silent table for those who wish to eat in silence. |
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| Cabins. |
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