It’s an understatement to say that things have been challenging recently, but isn’t that the nature of human existence? We survive strife, conflict, trauma, pain and loss. We seek joy, love, triumph, success and long life. The question remains: How do we truly heal? Humans explore ways through various spiritual and cultural practices. Here at Esalen, we study, research, and experiment with different methods for this painful and transformational process.
While we all bleed red, we hurt and heal uniquely. Everyone responds to grief and challenges differently. It could be the loss of love — a romantic partner, a parent, a child, a friend — a compromise to your health, the loss of a job, an opportunity, to your dreams. Whatever anguish we face, we work to move forward. How do we find ourselves again after being left bereft? We discover different philosophies. We attempt different practices, rituals, modalities, and methodologies. We learn and observe how others manage and try what might work best for us.
We asked four faculty members with upcoming workshops to share healing practices that have worked meaningfully for them — pulled them through some darker times and back into something lighter and more manageable. If you feel comfortable, share with us what practices have helped you in the healing process.
"The Esalen Institute is one of my healing power portals on our beautiful planet. I honor the three sacred waters — the mineral hot springs, the salty ocean, and the sweet fresh creek. I ask the waters to support me in clearing, healing, blessing, and creating specific things physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and relationally. I flow gratitude to the Esselen Tribe, the first people of the land where the Esalen Institute resides, and ask for their blessings to be there in their sacred space, where they have gathered for thousands of years to heal. I remember that I am part of the Esalen legacy and do my part to give back to the place that has helped me to cultivate true self-mastery and my greater potential.”
Anne Van De Water is a life and business coach, a health and wellness teacher, a spiritual guide, and the founder and creator of True Self Mastery Coaching and Wellness.
“In traditional African contexts, healing comes through ritual, of which there are two major types: maintenance ritual and radical ritual. Maintenance ritual consists of a regular practice of acknowledging and communicating with the world of Spirit. When a more intense recalibration with Spirit is necessary, radical ritual is called upon. Radical ritual involves working with a community to remove unwanted energetic debris and restore wholeness, balance, and reconciliation. Radical ritual is a dramatic interaction with Spirit that removes blockages and opens a new space to be filled with the flowing energy of creation. When I teach at Esalen, I call forth the power of radical ritual so that we can collectively maintain the balance between body and soul, communicate with various forms of higher consciousness, open a space of safe ecstasy, and stimulate healing. You can learn more about this process here.
Marques Redd is a traditional African cosmologist, independent scholar, filmmaker, sculptor, and art curator trained in Afro-Cuban, ancient Egyptian, Yoruba, Dogon, Igbo, and Dagara spiritual systems.
“When my father passed away, I felt broken. The grief from losing a parent was enormously destabilizing. It was actually my dog who helped usher me through the healing threshold. Every morning, Rudy and I would go on long dog walks into the hills. I would take a basket and collect leaves, flower petals, rocks, feathers. I found solace on these walks. One morning when my grief overwhelmed me, I sat down under a tree and just spent an hour assembling the beautiful objects I found into a symmetrical pattern — what I've come to call a Morning Altar — a healing ritual I've been doing every morning since. This practice of creating impermanent altars from nature has given me a tangible way of expressing my grief in a creative and healing way; reconnect myself to the wonder and aliveness found in nature; and find meaning and understanding in the midst of my loss.”
Day Schildkret is an award-winning queer author, artist, ritualist, and teacher internationally known for his Morning Altars.
“Being a word nerd, it helps me to know that healing comes from the same root word as "whole," which in turn comes from the Old Norse helge, meaning holy, or sacred. For me, healing is becoming whole, a return to wholeness. It's also getting in touch with our innate holiness, our sacredness, and that of all beings and all things. It's easier to remember this, to remember or reclaim the parts of us that have become dismembered. Esalen is a spectacularly conducive environment to recall our sacred, whole, true nature. It happens for me while overlooking the ocean in the baths, when walking through the garden, when sharing a meal with friends new and old, when engaging in sacred teaching and practice. Healing is not always about physically curing. A Dine' wisdom keeper once told me that during and following a Dine sing (a healing ceremony) the person is healed and made whole, even if they pass away the next day. Healing is also not always feeling better right away. When a wound is excised, it can be painful and take quite a while to stop feeling sensitive.”
Cassandra Vieten is a clinical psychologist, executive director of the John W. Brick Mental Health Foundation, director of research at the Arthur C. Clarke Center for Human Imagination at UC San Diego, and former president of the Institute of Noetic Sciences.
“We have different ways of processing our disappointments and conflicts. But one of the biggest insights we seem to have discovered is that we don’t benefit much from talking about it. It just seems to get us deeper into the pain and inability to come to some gratifying conclusion for both of us. One big problem with talking about it is that it’s hard to control your tone of voice, which often sounds accusatory and is wounding. So, we both feel blamed, and made wrong. Hand-delivered personal letters have worked better, especially when it is not about ‘how you’ve done me wrong.’ Sometimes the rift isn’t so big, so we can forgive each other on the spot, laugh it off, and let it go completely. Other times we both seem to realize, it’s not worth holding on to. As the French say, Laissez Tombé We let it drop! The best outcome is when we just acknowledge that we’re both doing the best we can, and we hug and kiss and move on.”
Stella Resnick is a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist in Los Angeles who specializes in couples and sex therapy. She has written three books, including her latest, Body-to-Body Intimacy: Transformation Through Love, Sex and Neurobiology. Alan Kishbaugh is a writer and the author of Deep Waters: Frank Waters Remembered in Letters and Commentary.
And when it comes to healing the land, Mother Nature took the wheel this winter. (A big shout out to Caltrans for all their help in clearing the road and helping us to reopen safely and smoothly as possible.) “This land right here that we sit on that we co-steward, we’re only here temporarily in this lifetime that we’re in right now — a period that we are given to do the best that we can,” said Esselen Tribe Chairman and Chief Tom Little Bear Nason during the land acknowledgment ceremony held on November 13, 2022. “This land has given so much to so many people. If you don’t give this land a break, it will take its own break. Once in a while we have to stop talking and we have to listen to what the land is speaking to us.”
“Remembering to be as self compassionate as I can and praying to the divine that we're all a part of.”
–Aaron
“Prayer, reading, meditation, walking.”
–Karen
“Erratically — which is an ongoing stream of practice to find peace.”
–Charles
“Try on a daily basis to be kind to myself and to realize that making mistakes is a part of the human condition. Learning from our mistakes is a journey. But it starts with compassion and caring. First for oneself.”
–Steve
“Physically: aerobic exercise, volleyball, ice hockey, cycling, sailing. Emotionally: unfortunately I have to work to ‘not care’ about people or situations which may end painfully. Along the lines of ‘attachment is the source of suffering’, so best to avoid it or limit its scope. Sad though because it could also be the source of great joy. Is it worth the risk?“
–Rainer
“It's time for my heart to be nurtured on one level yet contained on another. To go easy on me and to allow my feelings to be validated, not judged harshly. On the other hand, to let the heart rule with equanimity and not lead the mind and body around like a master.”
–Suzanne
“I spend time thinking of everything I am grateful for, and I try to develop my ability to express compassion for myself and others without reservation. I take time to do the things I need to do to keep myself healthy and happy. This includes taking experiential workshops, fostering relationships, and participating within groups which have a similar interest to become a more compassionate and fulfilled being.“
–Peter
“Self-forgiveness for my own judgments. And oh yeah, coming to Esalen.”
–David B.
“Hmm, this is a tough one! I guess I take care of my heart through fostering relationships with people I feel connected to. Spending quality time with them (whether we're on the phone, through messages/letters, on Zoom, or in-person). Being there for them, listening to them, sharing what's going on with me, my struggles and my successes... like we do in the Esalen weekly Friends of Esalen Zoom sessions!”
–Lori
“I remind myself in many ways of the fact that " Love is all there is!" LOVE is the prize and this one precious life is the stage we get to learn our lessons. I get out into nature, hike, camp, river kayak, fly fish, garden, I create, I dance (not enough!), and I remain grateful for each day, each breath, each moment. Being in the moment, awake, and remembering the gift of life and my feeling of gratitude for all of creation.”
–Steven
“My physical heart by limiting stress and eating a heart-healthy diet. My emotional heart by staying in love with the world and by knowing that all disappointment and loss will pass.“
–David Z.
Today, September 29, is World Heart Day. Strike up a conversation with your own heart and as you feel comfortable, encourage others to do the same. As part of our own transformations and self-care, we sometimes ask for others to illuminate and enliven our hearts or speak our love language.
What if we could do this for ourselves too, even if just for today… or to start a heart practice, forever?
It’s an understatement to say that things have been challenging recently, but isn’t that the nature of human existence? We survive strife, conflict, trauma, pain and loss. We seek joy, love, triumph, success and long life. The question remains: How do we truly heal? Humans explore ways through various spiritual and cultural practices. Here at Esalen, we study, research, and experiment with different methods for this painful and transformational process.
While we all bleed red, we hurt and heal uniquely. Everyone responds to grief and challenges differently. It could be the loss of love — a romantic partner, a parent, a child, a friend — a compromise to your health, the loss of a job, an opportunity, to your dreams. Whatever anguish we face, we work to move forward. How do we find ourselves again after being left bereft? We discover different philosophies. We attempt different practices, rituals, modalities, and methodologies. We learn and observe how others manage and try what might work best for us.
We asked four faculty members with upcoming workshops to share healing practices that have worked meaningfully for them — pulled them through some darker times and back into something lighter and more manageable. If you feel comfortable, share with us what practices have helped you in the healing process.
"The Esalen Institute is one of my healing power portals on our beautiful planet. I honor the three sacred waters — the mineral hot springs, the salty ocean, and the sweet fresh creek. I ask the waters to support me in clearing, healing, blessing, and creating specific things physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and relationally. I flow gratitude to the Esselen Tribe, the first people of the land where the Esalen Institute resides, and ask for their blessings to be there in their sacred space, where they have gathered for thousands of years to heal. I remember that I am part of the Esalen legacy and do my part to give back to the place that has helped me to cultivate true self-mastery and my greater potential.”
Anne Van De Water is a life and business coach, a health and wellness teacher, a spiritual guide, and the founder and creator of True Self Mastery Coaching and Wellness.
“In traditional African contexts, healing comes through ritual, of which there are two major types: maintenance ritual and radical ritual. Maintenance ritual consists of a regular practice of acknowledging and communicating with the world of Spirit. When a more intense recalibration with Spirit is necessary, radical ritual is called upon. Radical ritual involves working with a community to remove unwanted energetic debris and restore wholeness, balance, and reconciliation. Radical ritual is a dramatic interaction with Spirit that removes blockages and opens a new space to be filled with the flowing energy of creation. When I teach at Esalen, I call forth the power of radical ritual so that we can collectively maintain the balance between body and soul, communicate with various forms of higher consciousness, open a space of safe ecstasy, and stimulate healing. You can learn more about this process here.
Marques Redd is a traditional African cosmologist, independent scholar, filmmaker, sculptor, and art curator trained in Afro-Cuban, ancient Egyptian, Yoruba, Dogon, Igbo, and Dagara spiritual systems.
“When my father passed away, I felt broken. The grief from losing a parent was enormously destabilizing. It was actually my dog who helped usher me through the healing threshold. Every morning, Rudy and I would go on long dog walks into the hills. I would take a basket and collect leaves, flower petals, rocks, feathers. I found solace on these walks. One morning when my grief overwhelmed me, I sat down under a tree and just spent an hour assembling the beautiful objects I found into a symmetrical pattern — what I've come to call a Morning Altar — a healing ritual I've been doing every morning since. This practice of creating impermanent altars from nature has given me a tangible way of expressing my grief in a creative and healing way; reconnect myself to the wonder and aliveness found in nature; and find meaning and understanding in the midst of my loss.”
Day Schildkret is an award-winning queer author, artist, ritualist, and teacher internationally known for his Morning Altars.
“Being a word nerd, it helps me to know that healing comes from the same root word as "whole," which in turn comes from the Old Norse helge, meaning holy, or sacred. For me, healing is becoming whole, a return to wholeness. It's also getting in touch with our innate holiness, our sacredness, and that of all beings and all things. It's easier to remember this, to remember or reclaim the parts of us that have become dismembered. Esalen is a spectacularly conducive environment to recall our sacred, whole, true nature. It happens for me while overlooking the ocean in the baths, when walking through the garden, when sharing a meal with friends new and old, when engaging in sacred teaching and practice. Healing is not always about physically curing. A Dine' wisdom keeper once told me that during and following a Dine sing (a healing ceremony) the person is healed and made whole, even if they pass away the next day. Healing is also not always feeling better right away. When a wound is excised, it can be painful and take quite a while to stop feeling sensitive.”
Cassandra Vieten is a clinical psychologist, executive director of the John W. Brick Mental Health Foundation, director of research at the Arthur C. Clarke Center for Human Imagination at UC San Diego, and former president of the Institute of Noetic Sciences.
“We have different ways of processing our disappointments and conflicts. But one of the biggest insights we seem to have discovered is that we don’t benefit much from talking about it. It just seems to get us deeper into the pain and inability to come to some gratifying conclusion for both of us. One big problem with talking about it is that it’s hard to control your tone of voice, which often sounds accusatory and is wounding. So, we both feel blamed, and made wrong. Hand-delivered personal letters have worked better, especially when it is not about ‘how you’ve done me wrong.’ Sometimes the rift isn’t so big, so we can forgive each other on the spot, laugh it off, and let it go completely. Other times we both seem to realize, it’s not worth holding on to. As the French say, Laissez Tombé We let it drop! The best outcome is when we just acknowledge that we’re both doing the best we can, and we hug and kiss and move on.”
Stella Resnick is a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist in Los Angeles who specializes in couples and sex therapy. She has written three books, including her latest, Body-to-Body Intimacy: Transformation Through Love, Sex and Neurobiology. Alan Kishbaugh is a writer and the author of Deep Waters: Frank Waters Remembered in Letters and Commentary.
And when it comes to healing the land, Mother Nature took the wheel this winter. (A big shout out to Caltrans for all their help in clearing the road and helping us to reopen safely and smoothly as possible.) “This land right here that we sit on that we co-steward, we’re only here temporarily in this lifetime that we’re in right now — a period that we are given to do the best that we can,” said Esselen Tribe Chairman and Chief Tom Little Bear Nason during the land acknowledgment ceremony held on November 13, 2022. “This land has given so much to so many people. If you don’t give this land a break, it will take its own break. Once in a while we have to stop talking and we have to listen to what the land is speaking to us.”
Photo: Angie Smith
“Remembering to be as self compassionate as I can and praying to the divine that we're all a part of.”
–Aaron
“Prayer, reading, meditation, walking.”
–Karen
“Erratically — which is an ongoing stream of practice to find peace.”
–Charles
“Try on a daily basis to be kind to myself and to realize that making mistakes is a part of the human condition. Learning from our mistakes is a journey. But it starts with compassion and caring. First for oneself.”
–Steve
“Physically: aerobic exercise, volleyball, ice hockey, cycling, sailing. Emotionally: unfortunately I have to work to ‘not care’ about people or situations which may end painfully. Along the lines of ‘attachment is the source of suffering’, so best to avoid it or limit its scope. Sad though because it could also be the source of great joy. Is it worth the risk?“
–Rainer
“It's time for my heart to be nurtured on one level yet contained on another. To go easy on me and to allow my feelings to be validated, not judged harshly. On the other hand, to let the heart rule with equanimity and not lead the mind and body around like a master.”
–Suzanne
“I spend time thinking of everything I am grateful for, and I try to develop my ability to express compassion for myself and others without reservation. I take time to do the things I need to do to keep myself healthy and happy. This includes taking experiential workshops, fostering relationships, and participating within groups which have a similar interest to become a more compassionate and fulfilled being.“
–Peter
“Self-forgiveness for my own judgments. And oh yeah, coming to Esalen.”
–David B.
“Hmm, this is a tough one! I guess I take care of my heart through fostering relationships with people I feel connected to. Spending quality time with them (whether we're on the phone, through messages/letters, on Zoom, or in-person). Being there for them, listening to them, sharing what's going on with me, my struggles and my successes... like we do in the Esalen weekly Friends of Esalen Zoom sessions!”
–Lori
“I remind myself in many ways of the fact that " Love is all there is!" LOVE is the prize and this one precious life is the stage we get to learn our lessons. I get out into nature, hike, camp, river kayak, fly fish, garden, I create, I dance (not enough!), and I remain grateful for each day, each breath, each moment. Being in the moment, awake, and remembering the gift of life and my feeling of gratitude for all of creation.”
–Steven
“My physical heart by limiting stress and eating a heart-healthy diet. My emotional heart by staying in love with the world and by knowing that all disappointment and loss will pass.“
–David Z.
Today, September 29, is World Heart Day. Strike up a conversation with your own heart and as you feel comfortable, encourage others to do the same. As part of our own transformations and self-care, we sometimes ask for others to illuminate and enliven our hearts or speak our love language.
What if we could do this for ourselves too, even if just for today… or to start a heart practice, forever?
It’s an understatement to say that things have been challenging recently, but isn’t that the nature of human existence? We survive strife, conflict, trauma, pain and loss. We seek joy, love, triumph, success and long life. The question remains: How do we truly heal? Humans explore ways through various spiritual and cultural practices. Here at Esalen, we study, research, and experiment with different methods for this painful and transformational process.
While we all bleed red, we hurt and heal uniquely. Everyone responds to grief and challenges differently. It could be the loss of love — a romantic partner, a parent, a child, a friend — a compromise to your health, the loss of a job, an opportunity, to your dreams. Whatever anguish we face, we work to move forward. How do we find ourselves again after being left bereft? We discover different philosophies. We attempt different practices, rituals, modalities, and methodologies. We learn and observe how others manage and try what might work best for us.
We asked four faculty members with upcoming workshops to share healing practices that have worked meaningfully for them — pulled them through some darker times and back into something lighter and more manageable. If you feel comfortable, share with us what practices have helped you in the healing process.
"The Esalen Institute is one of my healing power portals on our beautiful planet. I honor the three sacred waters — the mineral hot springs, the salty ocean, and the sweet fresh creek. I ask the waters to support me in clearing, healing, blessing, and creating specific things physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and relationally. I flow gratitude to the Esselen Tribe, the first people of the land where the Esalen Institute resides, and ask for their blessings to be there in their sacred space, where they have gathered for thousands of years to heal. I remember that I am part of the Esalen legacy and do my part to give back to the place that has helped me to cultivate true self-mastery and my greater potential.”
Anne Van De Water is a life and business coach, a health and wellness teacher, a spiritual guide, and the founder and creator of True Self Mastery Coaching and Wellness.
“In traditional African contexts, healing comes through ritual, of which there are two major types: maintenance ritual and radical ritual. Maintenance ritual consists of a regular practice of acknowledging and communicating with the world of Spirit. When a more intense recalibration with Spirit is necessary, radical ritual is called upon. Radical ritual involves working with a community to remove unwanted energetic debris and restore wholeness, balance, and reconciliation. Radical ritual is a dramatic interaction with Spirit that removes blockages and opens a new space to be filled with the flowing energy of creation. When I teach at Esalen, I call forth the power of radical ritual so that we can collectively maintain the balance between body and soul, communicate with various forms of higher consciousness, open a space of safe ecstasy, and stimulate healing. You can learn more about this process here.
Marques Redd is a traditional African cosmologist, independent scholar, filmmaker, sculptor, and art curator trained in Afro-Cuban, ancient Egyptian, Yoruba, Dogon, Igbo, and Dagara spiritual systems.
“When my father passed away, I felt broken. The grief from losing a parent was enormously destabilizing. It was actually my dog who helped usher me through the healing threshold. Every morning, Rudy and I would go on long dog walks into the hills. I would take a basket and collect leaves, flower petals, rocks, feathers. I found solace on these walks. One morning when my grief overwhelmed me, I sat down under a tree and just spent an hour assembling the beautiful objects I found into a symmetrical pattern — what I've come to call a Morning Altar — a healing ritual I've been doing every morning since. This practice of creating impermanent altars from nature has given me a tangible way of expressing my grief in a creative and healing way; reconnect myself to the wonder and aliveness found in nature; and find meaning and understanding in the midst of my loss.”
Day Schildkret is an award-winning queer author, artist, ritualist, and teacher internationally known for his Morning Altars.
“Being a word nerd, it helps me to know that healing comes from the same root word as "whole," which in turn comes from the Old Norse helge, meaning holy, or sacred. For me, healing is becoming whole, a return to wholeness. It's also getting in touch with our innate holiness, our sacredness, and that of all beings and all things. It's easier to remember this, to remember or reclaim the parts of us that have become dismembered. Esalen is a spectacularly conducive environment to recall our sacred, whole, true nature. It happens for me while overlooking the ocean in the baths, when walking through the garden, when sharing a meal with friends new and old, when engaging in sacred teaching and practice. Healing is not always about physically curing. A Dine' wisdom keeper once told me that during and following a Dine sing (a healing ceremony) the person is healed and made whole, even if they pass away the next day. Healing is also not always feeling better right away. When a wound is excised, it can be painful and take quite a while to stop feeling sensitive.”
Cassandra Vieten is a clinical psychologist, executive director of the John W. Brick Mental Health Foundation, director of research at the Arthur C. Clarke Center for Human Imagination at UC San Diego, and former president of the Institute of Noetic Sciences.
“We have different ways of processing our disappointments and conflicts. But one of the biggest insights we seem to have discovered is that we don’t benefit much from talking about it. It just seems to get us deeper into the pain and inability to come to some gratifying conclusion for both of us. One big problem with talking about it is that it’s hard to control your tone of voice, which often sounds accusatory and is wounding. So, we both feel blamed, and made wrong. Hand-delivered personal letters have worked better, especially when it is not about ‘how you’ve done me wrong.’ Sometimes the rift isn’t so big, so we can forgive each other on the spot, laugh it off, and let it go completely. Other times we both seem to realize, it’s not worth holding on to. As the French say, Laissez Tombé We let it drop! The best outcome is when we just acknowledge that we’re both doing the best we can, and we hug and kiss and move on.”
Stella Resnick is a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist in Los Angeles who specializes in couples and sex therapy. She has written three books, including her latest, Body-to-Body Intimacy: Transformation Through Love, Sex and Neurobiology. Alan Kishbaugh is a writer and the author of Deep Waters: Frank Waters Remembered in Letters and Commentary.
And when it comes to healing the land, Mother Nature took the wheel this winter. (A big shout out to Caltrans for all their help in clearing the road and helping us to reopen safely and smoothly as possible.) “This land right here that we sit on that we co-steward, we’re only here temporarily in this lifetime that we’re in right now — a period that we are given to do the best that we can,” said Esselen Tribe Chairman and Chief Tom Little Bear Nason during the land acknowledgment ceremony held on November 13, 2022. “This land has given so much to so many people. If you don’t give this land a break, it will take its own break. Once in a while we have to stop talking and we have to listen to what the land is speaking to us.”
“Remembering to be as self compassionate as I can and praying to the divine that we're all a part of.”
–Aaron
“Prayer, reading, meditation, walking.”
–Karen
“Erratically — which is an ongoing stream of practice to find peace.”
–Charles
“Try on a daily basis to be kind to myself and to realize that making mistakes is a part of the human condition. Learning from our mistakes is a journey. But it starts with compassion and caring. First for oneself.”
–Steve
“Physically: aerobic exercise, volleyball, ice hockey, cycling, sailing. Emotionally: unfortunately I have to work to ‘not care’ about people or situations which may end painfully. Along the lines of ‘attachment is the source of suffering’, so best to avoid it or limit its scope. Sad though because it could also be the source of great joy. Is it worth the risk?“
–Rainer
“It's time for my heart to be nurtured on one level yet contained on another. To go easy on me and to allow my feelings to be validated, not judged harshly. On the other hand, to let the heart rule with equanimity and not lead the mind and body around like a master.”
–Suzanne
“I spend time thinking of everything I am grateful for, and I try to develop my ability to express compassion for myself and others without reservation. I take time to do the things I need to do to keep myself healthy and happy. This includes taking experiential workshops, fostering relationships, and participating within groups which have a similar interest to become a more compassionate and fulfilled being.“
–Peter
“Self-forgiveness for my own judgments. And oh yeah, coming to Esalen.”
–David B.
“Hmm, this is a tough one! I guess I take care of my heart through fostering relationships with people I feel connected to. Spending quality time with them (whether we're on the phone, through messages/letters, on Zoom, or in-person). Being there for them, listening to them, sharing what's going on with me, my struggles and my successes... like we do in the Esalen weekly Friends of Esalen Zoom sessions!”
–Lori
“I remind myself in many ways of the fact that " Love is all there is!" LOVE is the prize and this one precious life is the stage we get to learn our lessons. I get out into nature, hike, camp, river kayak, fly fish, garden, I create, I dance (not enough!), and I remain grateful for each day, each breath, each moment. Being in the moment, awake, and remembering the gift of life and my feeling of gratitude for all of creation.”
–Steven
“My physical heart by limiting stress and eating a heart-healthy diet. My emotional heart by staying in love with the world and by knowing that all disappointment and loss will pass.“
–David Z.
Today, September 29, is World Heart Day. Strike up a conversation with your own heart and as you feel comfortable, encourage others to do the same. As part of our own transformations and self-care, we sometimes ask for others to illuminate and enliven our hearts or speak our love language.
What if we could do this for ourselves too, even if just for today… or to start a heart practice, forever?
Esalen Institute
55000 Highway 1
Big Sur, CA 93920
US: 1-831-667-3000
info@esalen.org
