Mind

Language can guide us through our deepest and subtlest encounters with ourselves and the world. Upcoming workshop leaders Sravana Borkataky-Varma and Erik Davis offer a simple exercise to help show how writing can help us work out and work through mysteries that surround us, including the mysteries that we are.

The great psychedelic resurgence is upon us. If your curiosity is piqued, we’ve created a reading list that will expand the mind and understanding of psychedelics today while also honoring the galaxy’s most distinguished pioneers: Huxley, Fadiman, McKenna, Grof — each with a long history at Esalen.

Leading up to her November workshop, Dr. Sravana Borkataky-Varma gifts our readers with an everyday meditation practice, explores the five elements of the physical body, and reveals how she feels about her own practice and Hindu Tantra: “Meditation to me is when the mirror turns inward.”

Is writing a “zen” and mindful practice? Author and guest blogger Janis Cooke Newman shares how support during the pandemic came from her own mind and “free writing” practice.

Do your actions today reflect your personal vision for the future? If the answer is no, there’s one thing that could be standing in your way: your daily pace. Zen meditation teacher Deborah Eden Tull shares thoughts on how to notice signs of imbalance, and offers tools for restoration.

Nine. That’s the magic number for the array of personality types that give you a clue about your deepest, authentic gifts. Each personality type indicates patterns of our own behavior based on our human psyche. Christin Chen interviews Russ Hudson, Enneagram Typologist and co-founder of the Enneagram Institute, to find out more.

It’s easier to meditate when it’s quiet. Or is it? Dan Zigmond is a Zen priest, writer, and data scientist. His short answer is: yes, and that is where you begin. 

Yes, there is such a thing as a happiness spectrum, and you have agency to choose where you want to be on it, according to Ira Israel, psychotherapist and author of Beginner’s Guide to Happiness.

In advance of his May 24-28 workshop at Esalen, longtime energetic body worker, yoga nidra guide, and meditation coach John Vosler chatted with Esalen’s Christine Chen about the mind’s role in well-being and Yoga Nidra as a transformational tool.

Ismail Ali is the Policy & Advocacy Counsel for the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), where his job is to advocate for the elimination of barriers to psychedelic therapy and research by developing and implementing legal and policy strategy. Ali joined Voices of Esalen’s Sam Stern recently for a wide-ranging discussion about the future of drug policy reform in the United States.

Fred Dust, Esalen faculty and Former Senior Partner of IDEO, was not immune to adjusting personally and professionally this year as the pandemic captured the global spotlight. In fact, it inspired him to write a new book, Making Conversation: Seven Essential Elements of Meaningful Communication, which will be released Dec. 1.

Like many people during COVID-19, Esalen faculty Ira Israel was forced to create significant shifts in the ways he interacts with his extended community. One of the more enterprising endeavors he recently launched is 'Authenticity and Awakening for Lovable Idiots!', an online course that is free for the Esalen community.

Ken Dychtwald has been involved with Esalen for more than 50 years. A former resident, group leader, donor and supporter, he is also a psychologist, gerontologist, best-selling author, and CEO of Age Wave, the nation's foremost thought leader on issues relating to an aging population.

Susan Hess Logeais’s thought-provoking new documentary 'The Way of the Psychonaut' explores the life and work of longtime Esalen scholar-in-residence Stanislav Grof, a Czech-born psychiatrist and psychedelic psychotherapy pioneer.

For many people, 2020 has become a time of deep reflection, contemplation and oftentimes discomfort. “There are so many things that are currently out of our control,” notes Esalen faculty Ben Geilhufe. “People are fighting for their lives due to COVID-19 and other health issues. People are continually fighting for social justice, physical safety and emotional safety in the face of more than 400 years of systemic racism and white supremacy in this country. People are fighting to feed themselves and their families and to stay housed or locate housing. There are so many sources of overwhelm.”

One phrase emerged strongly this spring: “stay at home.” By now, many of us have had time to reflect on our lives, where we have been placing our attention and how we have been directing our life force. These insights are like jewels shining in the shadows of COVID-19.

Russell Delman has dedicated his life to the study of human transformation and is deeply indebted to his more than 40 years of both Zen meditation and marriage. He has helped train more than 2,500 Feldenkrais® practitioners, founded The Embodied Life School and leads The Embodied Life™: Meditation, Guided Inquiry and the Teachings of Moshe Feldenkrais September 25-27 at Esalen with his wife, Linda.

Throughout the ages, wisdom teachers near and far have invited humanity to pay attention to thoughts and thought patterns that populate the mind. Buddha said, “When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow.” To help us find ways in which we can experience that “purity,” this month we turn to Esalen faculty Ramesh Srinivasan, Chris Murchison and Eve Ekman, all of whom have upcoming workshops at Esalen: Ramesh in Conversations on the Edge: Beyond the Valley – How Innovators Around the World Are Overcoming Inequality and Creating the Technologies of Tomorrow; and Chris and Eve in The Science and Practice of a Meaningful Life: Fostering Purpose through Connections and Dedication to the Greater Good.

Elissa Epel, Ph.D. is such a passionate expert on stress, she’ll be the first to tell you to not immediately make a mad dash away from it, avoiding it. Rather, by taking a mindful look at our reactions during stressful situations, we can, in fact, “stress” in a good way. And if we have unwanted stressful circumstances, we can use these situations to live even more fully and deeply.

Are you feeling exhausted? Do you catch yourself feeling more negative about your job? Do you feel like you have less control of your work day? ‍According to the World Health Organization these are the most common symptoms of burn-out syndrome, a state of health resulting from chronic stress that hasn’t been successfully managed.

Whether you’re forest bathing or taking a plunge into an ocean wave, more and more health professionals are recognizing the importance of nature to our sense of wellbeing. When Dr. Wallace J. Nichols began work on his groundbreaking book Blue Mind over a decade ago, the tie between wellness and the environment was just beginning to emerge. The marine biologist and avid traveler knew intuitively that being in, under, and around water created a positive impact on our emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing; his curiosity to learn more set him on a 10-year journey to document the science behind it.

As a founding teacher of Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California, and creator of Awakening Joy: 10 Steps to a Happier Life, James Baraz has helped thousands of people open their minds and hearts to more awareness, authenticity and yes, joy. Together with his wife Jane, James has developed mindfulness-based courses for families, and now teaches with his son, Adam.

In 1968, philosopher Sam Keen was a straight-laced professor from Kentucky with Calvinist tendencies. When he read about a “human potential” movement happening in California, immediately he felt a call to adventure. “These were modes of thought that emphasized present-moment awareness and body therapies,” Sam says. “This was very alien to me, and I was fascinated; I felt compelled to investigate.”

Compassion might not be the first quality you think of when considering what it takes to succeed at work. Deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it — not exactly the stuff of water cooler conversation. But for researcher, consultant and author Leah Weiss, who teaches leadership in the Stanford Graduate School of Business, compassion is one of the keys to a fulfilling professional life.

Whether Baby Boomer, Generation X, Millennial or Generation Z, we are all reckoning with a tech-filled world. Right now the screen seems to reign supreme, serving as news source, workplace, community center and movie theater all rolled into one.

In 2006, neurobiologist and cognitive scientist David Presti was at Esalen giving an evening presentation on the human mind and brain. By that time he’d been teaching Esalen workshops for nine years, leading seminarians deep into the confluence of neuroscience, psychopharmacology and more elusive aspects of mind studies.

After working in robotics at MIT and NASA, engineer and Stanford University lecturer Mikey Siegel heeded a different calling: to create technology that helps people on their path toward self-actualization and awakening. Tech is here to stay, says Mikey, and now is the time to shift the paradigm and start using it in ways that support deep human connection.

As a Ministry Innovation Fellow at Harvard Divinity School and now as a contributor to the popular public radio show and podcast On Being, Angie Thurston is exploring the boundaries of meaningful community. She will be a featured speaker at Esalen’s unique lecture series Conversations on the Edge: How We Gather—The Rise of the Unaffiliated Community, taking place August 8-10.

In his upcoming book, Wisdom @ Work: The Making of a Modern Elder, best-selling author, hospitality entrepreneur, and self-described business rebel Chip Conley challenges us to liberate “elder” from the word “elderly” and rethink life after 50. He captures his own experience coming out of “retirement” after serving as founder of the boutique hotel brand Joie de Vivre to join as an advisor/intern for the then-tech start-up Airbnb.

As one of the founders of the popular public radio show To the Best of Our Knowledge, Steve Paulson has made a career of asking thoughtful questions of fascinating thinkers and curating conversations to expand our perspective on the world. ‍

A scientist, educator, activist, and author of many bestsellers including The Tao of Physics, Fritjof Capra has helped to connect conceptual changes in science with broader changes in society. His most recent book, The Systems View of Life, integrates the biological, cognitive, social, and ecological dimensions of life into one unified vision.

These days, we seem to live in a time of unprecedented challenge. Climate change, social and economic inequality, political turmoil, and other headline news can illicit feelings of worry and frustration that deplete our capacity for positivity.

What exactly is the mind? Neuropsychiatrist, best-selling author, and Esalen teacher Daniel Siegel poses this question – and invites readers to join him on a personal and professional journey to discover possible answers – in his new book, MIND: A Journey to the Heart of Being Human.

As CEO of the Stand & Deliver Group, Peter Meyers consults with organizational and political leaders as well as artists and athletes. He and his team of 40 consultants foucs on developing leaders and their teams to inspire great performances. Oftentimes that ability is achieved through the power of storytelling – a talent Peter began to develop more than 30 years ago working as a Gazebo Park School teacher.

This Fall, Charles Eisenstein will be one of a number of featured speakers and artists participating in Esalen’s Benefit Weekend celebration. Charles is author of Sacred Economics and The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible and has taught workshops at Esalen, including participating in an upcoming Conversations on the Edge in September. His work focuses on themes of civilization, consciousness, money, and human cultural evolution.

For years, renowned mythologist and lecturer Joseph Campbell would celebrate his March 26th birthday at Esalen. Known for his groundbreaking book The Hero with a Thousand Faces, the former Sarah Lawrence College professor’s research in mythology and comparative religions would inspire multiple generations as well serve as the creative catalyst behind such blockbusters as Star Wars and Watership Down.

There’s a gathering happening, according to entrepreneur Alison Raby, a tribe of tribes where circles are coming together to touch and connect. “There’s a quote by Thich Nhat Hanh that says, 'It is possible that the next Buddha will not take the form of an individual. The next Buddha may take the form of a community, a community practicing lovingkindness, a community practicing mindful living. This may be the most important thing we can do for the survival of the Earth.' I believe that the next Buddha may be community of communities. That’s what I’m really seeing happening with Shift2016.”

More than 25 years ago, Wisdom 2.0 founder and author Soren Gordhamer came to Esalen as an Extended Student from Lubbock, Texas. He was introduced to Esalen by way of his father, a single parent who made annual treks to Big Sur as his one trip away from the family. Today Soren is the catalyst behind Wisdom 2.0, an annual event where 3,000 people from more than 20 countries and a variety of sectors and disciplines come together with a shared desire to live with greater wisdom and meaning using technology to create a more open and healthy culture. Past speakers have included the founders of Facebook, Twitter, and eBay, along with spiritual teachers like Eckhart Tolle.

This month Nora Bateson and Mark Watts lead a unique journey into Esalen’s audio archive which holds the voices of many of the Institute’s most pioneering minds, including those of their own fathers: anthropologist Gregory Bateson and philosopher Alan Watts. Nora directed an award-winning documentary about her father, An Ecology of Mind, and is president of the International Bateson Institute. She spoke with Esalen about her workshop with Mark entitled Radical Thinkers Breakout! A Journey into the Archives with Bateson and Watts.

It's that time of year again when our children and grandchildren head back to school. While many parents may be (literally) sighing in relief, the transition to a more structured schedule may cause some anxiety for kids. According to Esalen's own Gazebo Park School director, Jessica Tamayo, we can help alleviate stress for even young children by introducing — and modeling — mindfulness practices.