Esalen Institute is open! However, Highway 1 to the south is closed — please review the alternate route directions.
Please note: On Wednesday September 20, online registration may be unavailable for up to 15 minutes while system maintenance is performed. If the 'Register Now' page does not load, please wait about 15 minutes and try again.
Are you longing to be in the beauty of the outdoors to relish in the wonder of nature? After a long year spent looking at too many screens, step outside and meditate, serenaded by the lulling sounds of the ocean, cradled by rolling hills, and uplifted by exquisite gardens.
Following ancient spiritual traditions that value the transformative power of nature, this experiential workshop will be spent meditating entirely outdoors, surrounded by the natural beauty and mystery of Esalen. Whether under a blazing sunset or in the stillness of a copse of cypress trees, we will open to the profound serenity and wisdom of nature. We will cultivate mindfulness — being present to ourselves while developing a contemplative relationship with our natural environment. This practice leads to beautiful states of joy, peace, wonder, love, and connection with oneself, one another, and the larger web of life.
During our time together, there will be:
Guest faculty Hakim Davy Tafari will teach alongside Mark and Lori, blending his meditative practice with street and trail running.
This workshop is appropriate for beginning and experienced meditators who are curious about meditation, mindfulness, and how to deepen their connection with the beauty and mystery of the natural world. Be prepared for unexpected rapture, delight, mystery, and stillness.
Special Note: This workshop will be held as a 2-night, 3-day, and also have the option to extend your time and workshop content into a third night and fourth day. To extend your time with Mark and Lori, select the “Additional Night” option when completing your reservation.
Recommended reading: Awake in the Wild by Mark Coleman and A Field Guide to Nature Meditation by Mark Coleman
Learn more about the requirements to receive continuing education credit.
Mark Coleman is a Buddhist meditation teacher who has been teaching insight meditation for 20 years. He is author of Awake in the Wild, From Suffering to Peace, and Make Peace with Your Mind, and leads nature-based meditation retreats and mindfulness teacher trainings in the U.S. and Europe.
Read More
Lori Schwanbeck weaves her passion for nature into her work as a mindfulness teacher, retreat leader, and Hakomi certified psychotherapist. She is a senior teacher and program developer with the Google-born program “Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute”, where she teaches mindfulness-based emotional intelligence programs internationally. Her current project is called “Re-wilding our Feminine Nature” where she integrates embodied, relational, and presence-based practices to rekindle vitality, joy, and awe through immersion in nature.
Read More
Guest faculty Hakim Davy Tafari is a Buddhist Dharma practitioner and meditation facilitator who blends his meditative practice with street and trail running. After an injury and illness led him to acupuncture in the mid-90s, Tafari was introduced to mindfulness and herbal medicines, which helped him adopt a lifestyle that supports well-being. He shares how the practices of running and mindfulness offer a place of refuge for those seeking peace and balance in their lives.
Read More
Friday
8:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Saturday
7:30 am – 8:15 am
9:30 am – 12:45 pm
3:00 pm – 6:15 pm
Sunday
7:30 am – 8:15 am
9:30 am – 12:45 pm
3:00 pm - 6:15 pm (Extended Stay)
Monday
10:00 am - 12:00 pm (Extended Stay)
Summer Groovers will experience Esalen in a format similar to our Self Guided Explorations workshops. Each Summer Groove week or weekend will open and close with a circle, and be filled with festive, nostalgic activities that harken back to those days of yore.
More activities can be found on our open class schedule.
See general schedule information including arrival, departure and meal times.
Click Register Now to view availability of accommodations and all-inclusive, program-specific tuition. Please note that not all accommodation levels are available for every workshop and additional faculty fees may apply.
We offer scholarship funds for those with financial need. Learn more.
Please note: On Wednesday September 20, online registration may be unavailable for up to 15 minutes while system maintenance is performed. If the 'Register Now' page does not load, please wait about 15 minutes and try again.
Click Register Now to view availability of accommodations and all-inclusive tuition that includes lodging, three meals per day, access to the baths, and all activities on the Summer Groove schedule.
We offer scholarship funds for those with financial need. Learn more.
For this workshop, you will register and pay for accommodations and tuition in two separate steps.
Second, click Book Accommodations from this page and enter the password to complete your reservation to stay at Esalen.
Prices for accommodations include your lodging, meals, open classes, and use of the baths and other facilities. View partner program accommodations pricing.
As of June 30, 2023 we no longer require a negative COVID test at the time of check in. Please read our current COVID safety guidelines for complete details prior to booking your stay.
All guests and faculty must provide proof of negative test results at time of check-in. Please read our current COVID safety guidelines for complete details prior to booking your stay.
In addition to proof of vaccination, all guests and faculty must provide proof of negative test results at time of check-in. Please read our current COVID safety guidelines for complete details prior to booking your stay.
Effective January 7, 2022 in response to the rapid spread of the new Omicron variant, all guests and faculty will provide proof of negative PCR, NAAT, or antigen test results at time of check-in. The test must be taken within 72 hours nd results must come from a laboratory or healthcare provider.Please read our updated COVID safety guidelines prior to booking your stay.
Effective December 15 in accordance with new guidance from Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Health, all guests, students, staff, residents, and faculty are required to wear masks in all indoor public settings, irrespective of vaccine status, for the next four weeks (December 15, 2021 through January 15, 2022). Please read our updated COVID safety guidelines prior to booking your stay.
Effective November 19, 2021, in accordance with new guidance from the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, all guests, students, staff, residents, and faculty are no longer required to wear masks indoors on campus. Please read our updated COVID safety guidelines prior to booking your stay.
Starting November 5, 2021, due to substantial levels of COVID-19 transmission in Monterey County, a mask mandate established by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors will go into effect. Please read our COVID safety guidelines prior to booking your stay.
All guests will be required to provide proof of vaccination upon arrival starting September 3, 2021. Please read our COVID safety guidelines prior to booking your stay.
Masks are no longer mandated indoors or outdoors, except during massage sessions. Guests are not required to provide testing or vaccination verification before arriving on campus. Please read our COVID safety guidelines prior to booking your stay.
Are you longing to be in the beauty of the outdoors to relish in the wonder of nature? After a long year spent looking at too many screens, step outside and meditate, serenaded by the lulling sounds of the ocean, cradled by rolling hills, and uplifted by exquisite gardens.
Following ancient spiritual traditions that value the transformative power of nature, this experiential workshop will be spent meditating entirely outdoors, surrounded by the natural beauty and mystery of Esalen. Whether under a blazing sunset or in the stillness of a copse of cypress trees, we will open to the profound serenity and wisdom of nature. We will cultivate mindfulness — being present to ourselves while developing a contemplative relationship with our natural environment. This practice leads to beautiful states of joy, peace, wonder, love, and connection with oneself, one another, and the larger web of life.
During our time together, there will be:
Guest faculty Hakim Davy Tafari will teach alongside Mark and Lori, blending his meditative practice with street and trail running.
This workshop is appropriate for beginning and experienced meditators who are curious about meditation, mindfulness, and how to deepen their connection with the beauty and mystery of the natural world. Be prepared for unexpected rapture, delight, mystery, and stillness.
Special Note: This workshop will be held as a 2-night, 3-day, and also have the option to extend your time and workshop content into a third night and fourth day. To extend your time with Mark and Lori, select the “Additional Night” option when completing your reservation.
Recommended reading: Awake in the Wild by Mark Coleman and A Field Guide to Nature Meditation by Mark Coleman
Learn more about the requirements to receive continuing education credit.
Mark Coleman is a Buddhist meditation teacher who has been teaching insight meditation for 20 years. He is author of Awake in the Wild, From Suffering to Peace, and Make Peace with Your Mind, and leads nature-based meditation retreats and mindfulness teacher trainings in the U.S. and Europe.
Lori Schwanbeck weaves her passion for nature into her work as a mindfulness teacher, retreat leader, and Hakomi certified psychotherapist. She is a senior teacher and program developer with the Google-born program “Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute”, where she teaches mindfulness-based emotional intelligence programs internationally. Her current project is called “Re-wilding our Feminine Nature” where she integrates embodied, relational, and presence-based practices to rekindle vitality, joy, and awe through immersion in nature.
Guest faculty Hakim Davy Tafari is a Buddhist Dharma practitioner and meditation facilitator who blends his meditative practice with street and trail running. After an injury and illness led him to acupuncture in the mid-90s, Tafari was introduced to mindfulness and herbal medicines, which helped him adopt a lifestyle that supports well-being. He shares how the practices of running and mindfulness offer a place of refuge for those seeking peace and balance in their lives.
May 12–14, 2023
This program is full. Find another.
Applications are closed.
Applications are closed.
Are you longing to be in the beauty of the outdoors to relish in the wonder of nature? After a long year spent looking at too many screens, step outside and meditate, serenaded by the lulling sounds of the ocean, cradled by rolling hills, and uplifted by exquisite gardens.
Following ancient spiritual traditions that value the transformative power of nature, this experiential workshop will be spent meditating entirely outdoors, surrounded by the natural beauty and mystery of Esalen. Whether under a blazing sunset or in the stillness of a copse of cypress trees, we will open to the profound serenity and wisdom of nature. We will cultivate mindfulness — being present to ourselves while developing a contemplative relationship with our natural environment. This practice leads to beautiful states of joy, peace, wonder, love, and connection with oneself, one another, and the larger web of life.
During our time together, there will be:
Guest faculty Hakim Davy Tafari will teach alongside Mark and Lori, blending his meditative practice with street and trail running.
This workshop is appropriate for beginning and experienced meditators who are curious about meditation, mindfulness, and how to deepen their connection with the beauty and mystery of the natural world. Be prepared for unexpected rapture, delight, mystery, and stillness.
Special Note: This workshop will be held as a 2-night, 3-day, and also have the option to extend your time and workshop content into a third night and fourth day. To extend your time with Mark and Lori, select the “Additional Night” option when completing your reservation.
Recommended reading: Awake in the Wild by Mark Coleman and A Field Guide to Nature Meditation by Mark Coleman
Learn more about the requirements to receive continuing education credit.
Mark Coleman is a Buddhist meditation teacher who has been teaching insight meditation for 20 years. He is author of Awake in the Wild, From Suffering to Peace, and Make Peace with Your Mind, and leads nature-based meditation retreats and mindfulness teacher trainings in the U.S. and Europe.
Lori Schwanbeck weaves her passion for nature into her work as a mindfulness teacher, retreat leader, and Hakomi certified psychotherapist. She is a senior teacher and program developer with the Google-born program “Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute”, where she teaches mindfulness-based emotional intelligence programs internationally. Her current project is called “Re-wilding our Feminine Nature” where she integrates embodied, relational, and presence-based practices to rekindle vitality, joy, and awe through immersion in nature.
Guest faculty Hakim Davy Tafari is a Buddhist Dharma practitioner and meditation facilitator who blends his meditative practice with street and trail running. After an injury and illness led him to acupuncture in the mid-90s, Tafari was introduced to mindfulness and herbal medicines, which helped him adopt a lifestyle that supports well-being. He shares how the practices of running and mindfulness offer a place of refuge for those seeking peace and balance in their lives.
Esalen Institute
55000 Highway 1
Big Sur, CA 93920
US: 1-831-667-3000
info@esalen.org