Body

Restore yourself with an intentional moment. The author of "Deep Listening" and faculty lead for the workshop "Flowing Through Transition" guides us through a short, everyday healing practice to calm the body, break away from the feelings of never-ending stress, and create space to fully experience who we are.

“I went from hating my body to loving my body,” shares Dave Morin. The concept of accepting our physical selves and the healing power of touch developed holistically for Western curiosity at Esalen. "Celebrating the body and pleasure supported by the freedom of the '60s and '70s became central,” recalls Peggy Horan.

At the baths, have you ever thought…I wish I could bottle this up? Our newest addition to the Esalen store taps you into a bit of healing at home. Learn about the Bathing & Spa collection inspired by local woods, meadows, and historical bathing rituals.

When did you first connect to your breath? Jovinna Chan remembers being surprised by her own limitations. Today, she gives us insight into how she turns to breath to shift her confidence, mood, and attention.

Did we forget how to communicate love and compassion through touch? Social distancing dominated our lexicon for the past two years. Two experts in Esalen massage give us insight into the comeback of a forgotten language.

A simple meditation may help with spaciness, anxiety, and challenges with concentration as world events continue to shift our realities from day to day. Bring your intention and a candle to your seat, and see where this journey takes you.

We get it now: you love layers! Our last collection sold out so quickly, we had to add some fresh summer options by popular demand. Learn how Heather Martin curated the new Summer Capsule Collection and why your purchase gives back.

Learn more about some of our favorite CBD wellness brands, which we're excited to announce are now available for purchase in our online store.

Wrapping yourself in a blanket conjures up emotions of comfort, safety and sometimes the best memories of a vacation or retreat. As I began my research to find the perfect blanket for Esalen, I knew it had to be both functional and aesthetically representative of the land.

Developing our Spring collection was not an easy task. Many steps are required when building out apparel collections for an average retailer. Adding Esalen’s additional information — such as history, the value of sustainability, eco-friendly choices and the desire to embrace change — made it important for me to simply bring forth a modern nod to nostalgia.

Dancer and spiritual explorer Gabrielle Roth's 5Rhythms Method is practiced widely today thanks to a global community of dance teachers who’ve been certified in her approach. One such teacher is Lucia Horan, who was born and raised at Esalen Institute and grew up dancing with Roth, and has taught the 5Rhythms method since 1998.

When I was single in my 30s, I searched for a man who would treat me like a goddess. The more I studied yoga and blended in the sister science, Ayurveda, the more I realized this: I need to treat myself like a goddess. 

As a longtime integrative doctor and author of four books, most recently BodyWise: Discovering Your Body Intelligence for Lifelong Health and Healing, Esalen faculty Rachel Carlton Abrams assists patients with anxiety and sleep and more during these turbulent times. Her upcoming workshop, September 25-27, at Esalen, explores how to access body wisdom to navigate life in the direction of vitality, joy and contribution.

"The most under-utilized technology out there today is the human body,” says Esalen faculty Susan Fisher. “I discovered this when I learned there are nine physiologically different kinds of people and each of them have what we call a ‘Natural Energy’ system. The amount of confusion that comes from not knowing about this is vast. If we don’t have the same natural energy as somebody else, then we each have no clue how the experiences life. It’s fundamentally important to know and so vital now when we’re all experiencing a global crisis because it helps us become more aware of ourselves and understanding of others.”

During challenging times, we can turn to the plant world to discover some of our greatest allies. Esalen faculty, herbalist and acupuncturist Darren Huckle knows this all too well and relishes the fact that herbal allies powerfully promote the health of our body, mind and physical energy.

When spinach, fennel, apple and cucumber cavort with mint, basil and culinary sage, the result is GayaTree Green, a new fresh juice offering recently introduced at the Esalen Espresso and Juice Bar.“This juice is very special to me and its creation is an intuitive and meditative practice,” says Yzzy Demmon, who has facilitated weekly art and yoga classes on the Experiential Program at Esalen and works in Guest Services.

During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we’re reminded of a sobering fact: While most women have a one-in-eight chance of developing breast cancer in their lifetime, women with mutated BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes may have as much as a four in five chance, and are more likely to develop cancer at an early age.

Fresh beets, cucumbers, fennel, pineapple, lime, spirulina and a kiss of pear coexist beautifully in one of the many delicious fresh juices offered at Esalen’s Juice and Espresso Bar, which opened in January. This is just one example of the many innovative creations crafted from ingredients grown in Esalen’s lush Farm & Garden.

When we feel disconnected from ourselves, we can often feel a sense of restriction and limitation. According to Russell and Linda Delman, who are returning to Esalen this fall to teach The Embodied Life: Meditation, Guided Inquiry and the Teachings of Moshe Feldenkrais, we find freedom by simply being aware of our body, in the present moment. And as we become more grounded and aware, we begin to experience a sense of wholeness and ultimately the integration of mind, body and spirit.

The most common request received by the professional massage and bodywork practitioner sounds something like this: “Could you please do something for my back?” Many of the most valuable tools that I have developed over the last 38 years focus on relieving the pain that many people experience at some point in their life along the back and spine.

This delicious take on a favorite winter squash combines beautifully with the earthy flavor of Shiitake mushrooms. Enjoy!

Ingredients: 2 bunches of fresh asparagus, in season Lemon-Miso dressing Small handful of chives, thinly sliced Toasted sliced almonds (optional)

Sierra Botanica founder Rachel Berry has a passion for both herbal medicine and empowering others to live a healthier life. This past month she celebrated her fourth year teaching at Esalen, returning to the Farm & Garden to guide others in identifying and harvesting plants to make into oils, creams, and salves for “do it yourself” organic skin and body care.

The Esalen Kitchen, led by Chef Phillip Burrus, shared their world-class Kale salad as part of the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s annual Seafood Watch fundraiser Cooking for Solutions on October 3rd. As a partner for Seafood Watch, Esalen only purchases seafood that is sustainably and responsibly sourced. The Esalen kitchen crew has participated in the annual fundraiser, hosted at the Aquarium, for the last 10 years.

As the creator of the Gokhale Method®, Esther Gokhale's mission is to provide posture and movement re-education to help people eradicate unnecessary pain and live life to the fullest. After experiencing crippling back pain during her first pregnancy and the subsequent, unsuccessful back surgery, Gokhale decided to devote her professional life to vanquishing back pain. Her studies at the Aplomb Institute in Paris and years of research in non-industrial cultures led her to develop the Gokhale Method, a unique, systematic approach to help people find their way back to pain-free living.