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Healing Waters: Rites of Passage & the Embodied Masculine
November 13–17, 2023
November 13–17, 2023
Douglas Drummond and Tom Little Bear Nason with Guest Faculty Sanga of the Valley, Nick Ayers and Mac Murphy

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.

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Need a scholarship? Apply here.

Need a scholarship? Apply here.

Join us for this unique opportunity to explore the masculine traditions of the Esselen Tribe, integrated with the fundamentals of the 5Rhythms® movement practice. Answer the call of 55000 Highway 1’s healing waters and travel with Douglas and Little Bear on a hero’s journey. Together, we will explore what it means to embody the sacred masculine in this modern world. With courage, integrity, and receptivity, we will create renewed understandings of masculinity as a group and learn how we, as men, can “walk our talk.”

Healthy and uplifting rites of passage have always been an important aspect of humanity, yet they are largely missing from modern society. People from all walks of life and religions have historically gone through different experiences and coming-of-age ceremonies to prove they were ready to move into their next stage of life. Men were traditionally taught by their fathers, grandfathers, and uncles, but this traditional upbringing is now missing for many. In order to overcome today’s accepted norms of masculinity, it is important for men to be able to find solace with one another, learn from one another, and relate at the heart level.

In this weeklong workshop, we will have the opportunity to:

  • Learn about the practice of acknowledging the land.
  • Use dance, voice, and 5Rhythms® movement to feel into our bodies.
  • Participate in the reconstruction of traditional rites of passage.
  • Seek deeper connection with Mother Earth.

The intentions for our week together are to create a sacred space for men to come together and reignite our sacred fire, as well as to build a new bridge to manhood — to gentle warriorhood.

Guest Faculty: Musicians Sanga of the Valley and Nick Ayers will accompany this workshop, and faculty Mac Murphy will also join us.

Sanga of the Valley has played African drums from an early age. Sanga moved to New York City in 1970 from Trinidad, where he met Babatunde Olatunji and became one of Olatunji’s students. Sanga went on to be one of Olatunji’s lead djembe players and spent 25 years as a member of Olatunji’s Drums of Passion. Sanga of the Valley has worked with artists such as Carlos Santana, Nina Simone, the Grateful Dead, the Neville Brothers, and Stanley Jordan.

Nick Ayers has been a professional musician and dancer for over 25 years. Nick knows the sensitivities of deep listening. He is a massage practitioner at Esalen Institute and the creator of the Wavetable, a vibro-acoustic sound table that massages the body through his original musical compositions.

Mac Murphy is a practitioner of human transformation, massage, and bodywork and embodiment practices. He grew up in Mill Valley, just north of San Francisco, among the redwood ridges and beaches surrounding Mt. Tamalpais. That’s where he fell in love with the magic of nature. Mac is a fourth-generation steward of the land of Esalen Institute in Big Sur, CA. There is a pristine rawness of nature at Esalen, an ancient ground with a profound human history dating back 10,000 years, when the Esselen People first arrived there at the end of the last Ice Age. The powerful energy of the land lives inside of him.

If you would like to begin your own journey to understand the past and present of the Esselen Tribe of Monterey Country or to support the tribe in the progress of its work, please visit www.esselentribe.org.

Learn more about the requirements to receive continuing education credit.

Lead photo:
Brody Q Scotland
Douglas Drummond

Douglas Drummond

Douglas has been a conscious movement facilitator for over 12 years. He is a certified 5Rhythms® teacher. Douglas currently serves as the founder & CEO of the Weaving Waters Collective; an organization dedicated to creating healing and reconciliation centers for living beings.

Read More

Tom Little Bear Nason

Tom Little Bear Nason

Little Bear is the Tribal Chairman of the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County. He is a traditional cultural resource specialist, Tribal Archeology Monitor, and Wildland Consultant. Little Bear has a deep history at the Esalen Institute, a sacred site for the Esselen, and has led a lifetime of retreats centering around initiation, ritual and ceremony between humans and their relationship between each other, land and Spirit. 

Read More

Sanga of the Valley | Guest Musician

Sanga of the Valley | Guest Musician

Sanga of the Valley has played African drums from an early age. Sanga moved to New York City in 1970 from Trinidad, where he met Babatunde Olatunji and became one of Olatunji’s students. Sanga went on to be one of Olatunji’s lead djembe players and spent 25 years as a member of Olatunji’s Drums of Passion. Sanga of the Valley has worked with artists such as Carlos Santana, Nina Simone, The Grateful Dead, the Neville Brothers, and Stanley Jordan.

Read More

Nick Ayers | Guest Musician

Nick Ayers | Guest Musician

A musician and dancer for over 20 years, Nick has seen the immediate effect of music on people physically, psychologically and emotionally. He is a constant student of global music and culture, and understands that music is one common language between all humans.

Read More

Mac Murphy

Mac Murphy

Mac Murphy is a practitioner of Esalen Massage & Bodywork and Human Transformation, and he guides students in harnessing their innate power. Mac teaches a variety of breathwork practices, including Daoist Qi Gong, Tumo breathwork, Kundalini, and Pranayama

Read More

Categories:
Category :   
Workshop Schedule

Monday
5:00 pm – 5:45 * How to Drop into Esalen *
7:15 pm – 9:30 pm
Tuesday
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
4:15 pm – 6:15 pm
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Wednesday
9:30 am – 12:30 pm
4:15 pm – 6:15 pm
Thursday
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
4:15 pm – 6:15 pm
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Friday
10:00 am – 12:00 pm

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.

Accommodations & Tuition

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.

Accommodations & Tuition

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.

Accommodations & Tuition

For this workshop, you will register and pay for accommodations and tuition in two separate steps.

First, sign up and pay tuition directly to

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.

COVID Update

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.

COVID Update

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.

COVID Update

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.

COVID Update

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.

COVID Update

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.

COVID Update

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.

COVID Update

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.

COVID Update

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.

COVID Update

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.

All-inclusive Pricing

Douglas Drummond and Tom Little Bear Nason with Guest Faculty Sanga of the Valley, Nick Ayers and Mac Murphy

November 13–17, 2023
Register Now

Join us for this unique opportunity to explore the masculine traditions of the Esselen Tribe, integrated with the fundamentals of the 5Rhythms® movement practice. Answer the call of 55000 Highway 1’s healing waters and travel with Douglas and Little Bear on a hero’s journey. Together, we will explore what it means to embody the sacred masculine in this modern world. With courage, integrity, and receptivity, we will create renewed understandings of masculinity as a group and learn how we, as men, can “walk our talk.”

Healthy and uplifting rites of passage have always been an important aspect of humanity, yet they are largely missing from modern society. People from all walks of life and religions have historically gone through different experiences and coming-of-age ceremonies to prove they were ready to move into their next stage of life. Men were traditionally taught by their fathers, grandfathers, and uncles, but this traditional upbringing is now missing for many. In order to overcome today’s accepted norms of masculinity, it is important for men to be able to find solace with one another, learn from one another, and relate at the heart level.

In this weeklong workshop, we will have the opportunity to:

  • Learn about the practice of acknowledging the land.
  • Use dance, voice, and 5Rhythms® movement to feel into our bodies.
  • Participate in the reconstruction of traditional rites of passage.
  • Seek deeper connection with Mother Earth.

The intentions for our week together are to create a sacred space for men to come together and reignite our sacred fire, as well as to build a new bridge to manhood — to gentle warriorhood.

Guest Faculty: Musicians Sanga of the Valley and Nick Ayers will accompany this workshop, and faculty Mac Murphy will also join us.

Sanga of the Valley has played African drums from an early age. Sanga moved to New York City in 1970 from Trinidad, where he met Babatunde Olatunji and became one of Olatunji’s students. Sanga went on to be one of Olatunji’s lead djembe players and spent 25 years as a member of Olatunji’s Drums of Passion. Sanga of the Valley has worked with artists such as Carlos Santana, Nina Simone, the Grateful Dead, the Neville Brothers, and Stanley Jordan.

Nick Ayers has been a professional musician and dancer for over 25 years. Nick knows the sensitivities of deep listening. He is a massage practitioner at Esalen Institute and the creator of the Wavetable, a vibro-acoustic sound table that massages the body through his original musical compositions.

Mac Murphy is a practitioner of human transformation, massage, and bodywork and embodiment practices. He grew up in Mill Valley, just north of San Francisco, among the redwood ridges and beaches surrounding Mt. Tamalpais. That’s where he fell in love with the magic of nature. Mac is a fourth-generation steward of the land of Esalen Institute in Big Sur, CA. There is a pristine rawness of nature at Esalen, an ancient ground with a profound human history dating back 10,000 years, when the Esselen People first arrived there at the end of the last Ice Age. The powerful energy of the land lives inside of him.

If you would like to begin your own journey to understand the past and present of the Esselen Tribe of Monterey Country or to support the tribe in the progress of its work, please visit www.esselentribe.org.

Learn more about the requirements to receive continuing education credit.

Lead photo:
Brody Q Scotland
Douglas Drummond

Douglas has been a conscious movement facilitator for over 12 years. He is a certified 5Rhythms® teacher. Douglas currently serves as the founder & CEO of the Weaving Waters Collective; an organization dedicated to creating healing and reconciliation centers for living beings.

Read More

Tom Little Bear Nason

Little Bear is the Tribal Chairman of the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County. He is a traditional cultural resource specialist, Tribal Archeology Monitor, and Wildland Consultant. Little Bear has a deep history at the Esalen Institute, a sacred site for the Esselen, and has led a lifetime of retreats centering around initiation, ritual and ceremony between humans and their relationship between each other, land and Spirit. 

Read More

Sanga of the Valley | Guest Musician

Sanga of the Valley has played African drums from an early age. Sanga moved to New York City in 1970 from Trinidad, where he met Babatunde Olatunji and became one of Olatunji’s students. Sanga went on to be one of Olatunji’s lead djembe players and spent 25 years as a member of Olatunji’s Drums of Passion. Sanga of the Valley has worked with artists such as Carlos Santana, Nina Simone, The Grateful Dead, the Neville Brothers, and Stanley Jordan.

Read More

Nick Ayers | Guest Musician

A musician and dancer for over 20 years, Nick has seen the immediate effect of music on people physically, psychologically and emotionally. He is a constant student of global music and culture, and understands that music is one common language between all humans.

Read More

Mac Murphy

Mac Murphy is a practitioner of Esalen Massage & Bodywork and Human Transformation, and he guides students in harnessing their innate power. Mac teaches a variety of breathwork practices, including Daoist Qi Gong, Tumo breathwork, Kundalini, and Pranayama

Read More

Workshop Schedule

Monday
5:00 pm – 5:45 * How to Drop into Esalen *
7:15 pm – 9:30 pm
Tuesday
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
4:15 pm – 6:15 pm
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Wednesday
9:30 am – 12:30 pm
4:15 pm – 6:15 pm
Thursday
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
4:15 pm – 6:15 pm
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Friday
10:00 am – 12:00 pm

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.

Accommodations & Tuition

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.

Accommodations & Tuition

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.

Accommodations & Tuition

For this workshop, you will register and pay for accommodations and tuition in two separate steps.

First, sign up and pay tuition directly to

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.

COVID Update

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.

COVID Update

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.

COVID Update

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.

COVID Update

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.

COVID Update

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.

COVID Update

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.

COVID Update

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.

COVID Update

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.

COVID Update

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.

All-inclusive Pricing