The Four Winds Council: Co-Stewards of the Big Sur Wilderness

Darnell Lamont Walker leading Rituals Writing Workshop

On Sunday, March 5, 2023, Esalen Institute, the New Camaldoli Hermitage, the Tassajara Zen Center, and the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County convened for a two-day gathering as the Four Winds Council. This was their first meeting in four years — an emotional assembly as they united in their mission to protect the Big Sur wilderness.

“Mostly, it's a fellowship of the spirit,” says Esalen President and Four Winds representative Gordon Wheeler. “We take it as a sacred stewardship. That's the one of the terms we like to use. We all take our shared wilderness as a sacred responsibility.” 

At each Four Winds assembly, representatives share updates on their respective institutions and spiritual practices aligned with their belief systems to center, ground, and reconnect. “It was our first meeting since the pandemic,” adds Gordon. “So that was emotional and important for all of us, and we did some sampling of each other's practices.”

The Four Winds Council is a consortium of four spiritually grounded institutes located within the Ventana Wilderness and Los Padres Forest, which began in the 1990s to share knowledge and at the urging of Mother Nature’s ongoing realities. Esalen faculty member and founding representative Steven Harper shared a desire to explore common practices, understandings, philosophies, and differences. “I’ve led nature-based programs for 44 years. It also came out of my relationship with the Hermitage, the community, and one or two monks, which goes back to a similar time,” says Harper, who received permission from Esalen’s then-president George Leonard to bring together the different institutions, with Esalen covering meals and offering some housing.

“We all share a stake in the health of the Santa Lucia Mountain and Pacific Ocean ecosystems in which we all live, and that it is a worthwhile venture to learn of our differences and similarities,” explains Harper. He also credits a quote that regularly appeared on the front page of the Esalen course catalog as his inspiration: “Contact is the appreciation of differences…” — Fritz Perls “...and the recognition of similarities.” — Dick Price.” 

“That's our basic fundamental purpose, getting together,” says Gordon. “Most of the time, that means we update each other on what we're doing. We give a report on the state of the wilderness issues — the particular challenges we're facing — some are unique to each institute and mission.”

During the very first Four Winds meeting, Harper met with Reb Anderson (head abbot of Zen Center), Teah Strozer (director of Tassajara), Robert Hale (Jungian scholar, priest, monk and previous Prior of the Hermitage along with fellow Hermitage former prior, monk, and scholar, Bruno Barnhart), Brother David Steidl-Rast (Benedictine monk and author), and Tom “Little Bear” Nason (Chairman and chief, Esselen Tribe of Monterey County). They primarily worked within the four spiritual traditions underlying the work of each center in turn: Soto Zen, Catholic monastic tradition, Esselen Tribe/Coastal native tradition, and the integral human potential tradition of Esalen Institute. Esalen, with Harper as its first representative, held the role of the convener of the dialogue. (“Not holding one single view,” says Harper, in keeping with the Esalen ethos of “no one captures the flag.”) Together, the group found a peak above 4,500 feet in Santa Lucia that they named “Four Winds Peak.” It was at this time that Tom Little Bear Nason, Tribal Chair of the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County, was invited to co-lead his first Esalen workshop.

All four organizations are regularly challenged by California’s changing climate and its effects, including  fires, storms, floods, coastal erosion, and inevitable closures. Dealing with the extreme ecological conditions this stretch of Mother Nature can aggressively present is a major concern of the council. 

“Nearly every year, we are fighting fires,” says Wheeler. “We try to prevent fires, but we are learning that much of our fire-fighting is counterproductive. By fighting every small fire, we trap ourselves in an unnatural cycle of decades-long build up of undergrowth, which only makes the eventual fires much worse. We are learning from native traditions that clearing out the undergrowth — through controlled burns and other means — we may achieve a healthier forest with less fire in the long run.”

“This is just one example of what modern forest science is learning from native traditions. The indigenous peoples of our area, once dismissed as ‘pre-agricultural hunter-gatherers,’ in fact were farming the forest and the game herd in sustainable ways.”

When it comes to other threats, political lobbying can be the most effective solution. “There was a mania for building dams from the 1930s to the 1960s,” says Gordon. “Some of them served a good purpose, but many were found to be harmful to the riverbed, to the flow of water. They didn't live up to their promise. Nowadays, the decision is more likely to be to remove a dam than to build one. A good example right here in our own wilderness is the Los Padres Dam on the Carmel River. Originally intended to supply water to Carmel and Monterey, the dam soon silted up, posing an earthquake threat and blocking the spawning season of steelhead and other fish. When the possibility of removing the dam came up in 2015, the members of the Four Winds Council, following the lead of the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County, we got behind that with our congressman and wrote a lot of letters and joined together to lend the spiritual cachet and the prestige of our four institutes to removing that dam.” The dam is now gone, and the migratory fish spawn is fast returning to the natural riverbed.

Throughout their tenure, the Four Winds has defended the land in many different ways and with different approaches. “It’s as much about the environmental science and business operation of this shared land as it is the spiritual significance of the land,” says Director of Community Alliances Douglas Drummond. “With landslides and fires, there's lots of erosion. There are lots of sacred spaces that are disturbed, so there's a bit of listening on the inside and listening on the outside to determine the best ways to move forward and heal this sacred land.”

Although the council had not met officially since 2019, representatives from each institution came together to support the Land Acknowledgement ceremony and sage planting that took place on November 13, 2022, at Esalen Institute to formally recognize the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County as the original co-stewards of the land.

“When we have important events like that, it's very meaningful to us,” says Gordon. “We had all four representatives in attendance and that was a great sign of support. We also came together like that in 2011 when we broke ground for the new Lodge and for the meeting spaces above and the kitchen facilities and the bookstore. The whole building doubled its square footage. We didn't want to do groundbreaking without a blessing from the Tribe as the ancient stewards of this land, as well as the witnessing presence of the other two. We are four sets of watchful eyes on the environment.” 

Moving forward, the Four Winds Council plans to again meet quarterly, just as they did before the pandemic. Once they return to some semblance of normalcy, they will meet to support one another in their respective missions and continue their roles as guardians for one of the most awe-inspiring, transformative, spiritual lands on earth.

"We were all drawn to this area to create places of learning for the larger culture," says Gordon. "We also share similar interests in the land that sustains and connects us, the Los Padres Forest and the Ventana Wilderness…the wilderness is a responsibility for all of us. There's less and less of it left. And where it is, it's very precious, and it's a precious experience to get out in it. It's a great gift to be out in the wilderness, and we're very cut off from it today and most of our lives."

"For us, this land is a sanctuary, a holy place where we may meet ourselves and nature in a simple yet profound way. For that reason, we are taking an active role as advocates for this wilderness and will work with appropriate agencies — public and private — to preserve its peace, solitude, and integrity."

The council was slated to meet again in April at the new Camaldoli Hermitage. Unfortunately, that meeting has been rescheduled due to a new landslide that has blocked road access. This reality illustrates the critical importance of stewarding and protecting where we can, our precious heritage of wilderness in Big Sur. 

“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?



About

Esalen Team

< Back to all Journal posts

Darnell Lamont Walker leading Rituals Writing Workshop
The Four Winds Council: Co-Stewards of the Big Sur Wilderness

On Sunday, March 5, 2023, Esalen Institute, the New Camaldoli Hermitage, the Tassajara Zen Center, and the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County convened for a two-day gathering as the Four Winds Council. This was their first meeting in four years — an emotional assembly as they united in their mission to protect the Big Sur wilderness.

“Mostly, it's a fellowship of the spirit,” says Esalen President and Four Winds representative Gordon Wheeler. “We take it as a sacred stewardship. That's the one of the terms we like to use. We all take our shared wilderness as a sacred responsibility.” 

At each Four Winds assembly, representatives share updates on their respective institutions and spiritual practices aligned with their belief systems to center, ground, and reconnect. “It was our first meeting since the pandemic,” adds Gordon. “So that was emotional and important for all of us, and we did some sampling of each other's practices.”

The Four Winds Council is a consortium of four spiritually grounded institutes located within the Ventana Wilderness and Los Padres Forest, which began in the 1990s to share knowledge and at the urging of Mother Nature’s ongoing realities. Esalen faculty member and founding representative Steven Harper shared a desire to explore common practices, understandings, philosophies, and differences. “I’ve led nature-based programs for 44 years. It also came out of my relationship with the Hermitage, the community, and one or two monks, which goes back to a similar time,” says Harper, who received permission from Esalen’s then-president George Leonard to bring together the different institutions, with Esalen covering meals and offering some housing.

“We all share a stake in the health of the Santa Lucia Mountain and Pacific Ocean ecosystems in which we all live, and that it is a worthwhile venture to learn of our differences and similarities,” explains Harper. He also credits a quote that regularly appeared on the front page of the Esalen course catalog as his inspiration: “Contact is the appreciation of differences…” — Fritz Perls “...and the recognition of similarities.” — Dick Price.” 

“That's our basic fundamental purpose, getting together,” says Gordon. “Most of the time, that means we update each other on what we're doing. We give a report on the state of the wilderness issues — the particular challenges we're facing — some are unique to each institute and mission.”

During the very first Four Winds meeting, Harper met with Reb Anderson (head abbot of Zen Center), Teah Strozer (director of Tassajara), Robert Hale (Jungian scholar, priest, monk and previous Prior of the Hermitage along with fellow Hermitage former prior, monk, and scholar, Bruno Barnhart), Brother David Steidl-Rast (Benedictine monk and author), and Tom “Little Bear” Nason (Chairman and chief, Esselen Tribe of Monterey County). They primarily worked within the four spiritual traditions underlying the work of each center in turn: Soto Zen, Catholic monastic tradition, Esselen Tribe/Coastal native tradition, and the integral human potential tradition of Esalen Institute. Esalen, with Harper as its first representative, held the role of the convener of the dialogue. (“Not holding one single view,” says Harper, in keeping with the Esalen ethos of “no one captures the flag.”) Together, the group found a peak above 4,500 feet in Santa Lucia that they named “Four Winds Peak.” It was at this time that Tom Little Bear Nason, Tribal Chair of the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County, was invited to co-lead his first Esalen workshop.

All four organizations are regularly challenged by California’s changing climate and its effects, including  fires, storms, floods, coastal erosion, and inevitable closures. Dealing with the extreme ecological conditions this stretch of Mother Nature can aggressively present is a major concern of the council. 

“Nearly every year, we are fighting fires,” says Wheeler. “We try to prevent fires, but we are learning that much of our fire-fighting is counterproductive. By fighting every small fire, we trap ourselves in an unnatural cycle of decades-long build up of undergrowth, which only makes the eventual fires much worse. We are learning from native traditions that clearing out the undergrowth — through controlled burns and other means — we may achieve a healthier forest with less fire in the long run.”

“This is just one example of what modern forest science is learning from native traditions. The indigenous peoples of our area, once dismissed as ‘pre-agricultural hunter-gatherers,’ in fact were farming the forest and the game herd in sustainable ways.”

When it comes to other threats, political lobbying can be the most effective solution. “There was a mania for building dams from the 1930s to the 1960s,” says Gordon. “Some of them served a good purpose, but many were found to be harmful to the riverbed, to the flow of water. They didn't live up to their promise. Nowadays, the decision is more likely to be to remove a dam than to build one. A good example right here in our own wilderness is the Los Padres Dam on the Carmel River. Originally intended to supply water to Carmel and Monterey, the dam soon silted up, posing an earthquake threat and blocking the spawning season of steelhead and other fish. When the possibility of removing the dam came up in 2015, the members of the Four Winds Council, following the lead of the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County, we got behind that with our congressman and wrote a lot of letters and joined together to lend the spiritual cachet and the prestige of our four institutes to removing that dam.” The dam is now gone, and the migratory fish spawn is fast returning to the natural riverbed.

Throughout their tenure, the Four Winds has defended the land in many different ways and with different approaches. “It’s as much about the environmental science and business operation of this shared land as it is the spiritual significance of the land,” says Director of Community Alliances Douglas Drummond. “With landslides and fires, there's lots of erosion. There are lots of sacred spaces that are disturbed, so there's a bit of listening on the inside and listening on the outside to determine the best ways to move forward and heal this sacred land.”

Although the council had not met officially since 2019, representatives from each institution came together to support the Land Acknowledgement ceremony and sage planting that took place on November 13, 2022, at Esalen Institute to formally recognize the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County as the original co-stewards of the land.

“When we have important events like that, it's very meaningful to us,” says Gordon. “We had all four representatives in attendance and that was a great sign of support. We also came together like that in 2011 when we broke ground for the new Lodge and for the meeting spaces above and the kitchen facilities and the bookstore. The whole building doubled its square footage. We didn't want to do groundbreaking without a blessing from the Tribe as the ancient stewards of this land, as well as the witnessing presence of the other two. We are four sets of watchful eyes on the environment.” 

Moving forward, the Four Winds Council plans to again meet quarterly, just as they did before the pandemic. Once they return to some semblance of normalcy, they will meet to support one another in their respective missions and continue their roles as guardians for one of the most awe-inspiring, transformative, spiritual lands on earth.

"We were all drawn to this area to create places of learning for the larger culture," says Gordon. "We also share similar interests in the land that sustains and connects us, the Los Padres Forest and the Ventana Wilderness…the wilderness is a responsibility for all of us. There's less and less of it left. And where it is, it's very precious, and it's a precious experience to get out in it. It's a great gift to be out in the wilderness, and we're very cut off from it today and most of our lives."

"For us, this land is a sanctuary, a holy place where we may meet ourselves and nature in a simple yet profound way. For that reason, we are taking an active role as advocates for this wilderness and will work with appropriate agencies — public and private — to preserve its peace, solitude, and integrity."

The council was slated to meet again in April at the new Camaldoli Hermitage. Unfortunately, that meeting has been rescheduled due to a new landslide that has blocked road access. This reality illustrates the critical importance of stewarding and protecting where we can, our precious heritage of wilderness in Big Sur. 

“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?



About

Esalen Team

The Four Winds Council: Co-Stewards of the Big Sur Wilderness

About

Esalen Team

< Back to all articles

Darnell Lamont Walker leading Rituals Writing Workshop

On Sunday, March 5, 2023, Esalen Institute, the New Camaldoli Hermitage, the Tassajara Zen Center, and the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County convened for a two-day gathering as the Four Winds Council. This was their first meeting in four years — an emotional assembly as they united in their mission to protect the Big Sur wilderness.

“Mostly, it's a fellowship of the spirit,” says Esalen President and Four Winds representative Gordon Wheeler. “We take it as a sacred stewardship. That's the one of the terms we like to use. We all take our shared wilderness as a sacred responsibility.” 

At each Four Winds assembly, representatives share updates on their respective institutions and spiritual practices aligned with their belief systems to center, ground, and reconnect. “It was our first meeting since the pandemic,” adds Gordon. “So that was emotional and important for all of us, and we did some sampling of each other's practices.”

The Four Winds Council is a consortium of four spiritually grounded institutes located within the Ventana Wilderness and Los Padres Forest, which began in the 1990s to share knowledge and at the urging of Mother Nature’s ongoing realities. Esalen faculty member and founding representative Steven Harper shared a desire to explore common practices, understandings, philosophies, and differences. “I’ve led nature-based programs for 44 years. It also came out of my relationship with the Hermitage, the community, and one or two monks, which goes back to a similar time,” says Harper, who received permission from Esalen’s then-president George Leonard to bring together the different institutions, with Esalen covering meals and offering some housing.

“We all share a stake in the health of the Santa Lucia Mountain and Pacific Ocean ecosystems in which we all live, and that it is a worthwhile venture to learn of our differences and similarities,” explains Harper. He also credits a quote that regularly appeared on the front page of the Esalen course catalog as his inspiration: “Contact is the appreciation of differences…” — Fritz Perls “...and the recognition of similarities.” — Dick Price.” 

“That's our basic fundamental purpose, getting together,” says Gordon. “Most of the time, that means we update each other on what we're doing. We give a report on the state of the wilderness issues — the particular challenges we're facing — some are unique to each institute and mission.”

During the very first Four Winds meeting, Harper met with Reb Anderson (head abbot of Zen Center), Teah Strozer (director of Tassajara), Robert Hale (Jungian scholar, priest, monk and previous Prior of the Hermitage along with fellow Hermitage former prior, monk, and scholar, Bruno Barnhart), Brother David Steidl-Rast (Benedictine monk and author), and Tom “Little Bear” Nason (Chairman and chief, Esselen Tribe of Monterey County). They primarily worked within the four spiritual traditions underlying the work of each center in turn: Soto Zen, Catholic monastic tradition, Esselen Tribe/Coastal native tradition, and the integral human potential tradition of Esalen Institute. Esalen, with Harper as its first representative, held the role of the convener of the dialogue. (“Not holding one single view,” says Harper, in keeping with the Esalen ethos of “no one captures the flag.”) Together, the group found a peak above 4,500 feet in Santa Lucia that they named “Four Winds Peak.” It was at this time that Tom Little Bear Nason, Tribal Chair of the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County, was invited to co-lead his first Esalen workshop.

All four organizations are regularly challenged by California’s changing climate and its effects, including  fires, storms, floods, coastal erosion, and inevitable closures. Dealing with the extreme ecological conditions this stretch of Mother Nature can aggressively present is a major concern of the council. 

“Nearly every year, we are fighting fires,” says Wheeler. “We try to prevent fires, but we are learning that much of our fire-fighting is counterproductive. By fighting every small fire, we trap ourselves in an unnatural cycle of decades-long build up of undergrowth, which only makes the eventual fires much worse. We are learning from native traditions that clearing out the undergrowth — through controlled burns and other means — we may achieve a healthier forest with less fire in the long run.”

“This is just one example of what modern forest science is learning from native traditions. The indigenous peoples of our area, once dismissed as ‘pre-agricultural hunter-gatherers,’ in fact were farming the forest and the game herd in sustainable ways.”

When it comes to other threats, political lobbying can be the most effective solution. “There was a mania for building dams from the 1930s to the 1960s,” says Gordon. “Some of them served a good purpose, but many were found to be harmful to the riverbed, to the flow of water. They didn't live up to their promise. Nowadays, the decision is more likely to be to remove a dam than to build one. A good example right here in our own wilderness is the Los Padres Dam on the Carmel River. Originally intended to supply water to Carmel and Monterey, the dam soon silted up, posing an earthquake threat and blocking the spawning season of steelhead and other fish. When the possibility of removing the dam came up in 2015, the members of the Four Winds Council, following the lead of the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County, we got behind that with our congressman and wrote a lot of letters and joined together to lend the spiritual cachet and the prestige of our four institutes to removing that dam.” The dam is now gone, and the migratory fish spawn is fast returning to the natural riverbed.

Throughout their tenure, the Four Winds has defended the land in many different ways and with different approaches. “It’s as much about the environmental science and business operation of this shared land as it is the spiritual significance of the land,” says Director of Community Alliances Douglas Drummond. “With landslides and fires, there's lots of erosion. There are lots of sacred spaces that are disturbed, so there's a bit of listening on the inside and listening on the outside to determine the best ways to move forward and heal this sacred land.”

Although the council had not met officially since 2019, representatives from each institution came together to support the Land Acknowledgement ceremony and sage planting that took place on November 13, 2022, at Esalen Institute to formally recognize the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County as the original co-stewards of the land.

“When we have important events like that, it's very meaningful to us,” says Gordon. “We had all four representatives in attendance and that was a great sign of support. We also came together like that in 2011 when we broke ground for the new Lodge and for the meeting spaces above and the kitchen facilities and the bookstore. The whole building doubled its square footage. We didn't want to do groundbreaking without a blessing from the Tribe as the ancient stewards of this land, as well as the witnessing presence of the other two. We are four sets of watchful eyes on the environment.” 

Moving forward, the Four Winds Council plans to again meet quarterly, just as they did before the pandemic. Once they return to some semblance of normalcy, they will meet to support one another in their respective missions and continue their roles as guardians for one of the most awe-inspiring, transformative, spiritual lands on earth.

"We were all drawn to this area to create places of learning for the larger culture," says Gordon. "We also share similar interests in the land that sustains and connects us, the Los Padres Forest and the Ventana Wilderness…the wilderness is a responsibility for all of us. There's less and less of it left. And where it is, it's very precious, and it's a precious experience to get out in it. It's a great gift to be out in the wilderness, and we're very cut off from it today and most of our lives."

"For us, this land is a sanctuary, a holy place where we may meet ourselves and nature in a simple yet profound way. For that reason, we are taking an active role as advocates for this wilderness and will work with appropriate agencies — public and private — to preserve its peace, solitude, and integrity."

The council was slated to meet again in April at the new Camaldoli Hermitage. Unfortunately, that meeting has been rescheduled due to a new landslide that has blocked road access. This reality illustrates the critical importance of stewarding and protecting where we can, our precious heritage of wilderness in Big Sur. 

“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?



About

Esalen Team

< Back to all Journal posts

Darnell Lamont Walker leading Rituals Writing Workshop
The Four Winds Council: Co-Stewards of the Big Sur Wilderness

On Sunday, March 5, 2023, Esalen Institute, the New Camaldoli Hermitage, the Tassajara Zen Center, and the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County convened for a two-day gathering as the Four Winds Council. This was their first meeting in four years — an emotional assembly as they united in their mission to protect the Big Sur wilderness.

“Mostly, it's a fellowship of the spirit,” says Esalen President and Four Winds representative Gordon Wheeler. “We take it as a sacred stewardship. That's the one of the terms we like to use. We all take our shared wilderness as a sacred responsibility.” 

At each Four Winds assembly, representatives share updates on their respective institutions and spiritual practices aligned with their belief systems to center, ground, and reconnect. “It was our first meeting since the pandemic,” adds Gordon. “So that was emotional and important for all of us, and we did some sampling of each other's practices.”

The Four Winds Council is a consortium of four spiritually grounded institutes located within the Ventana Wilderness and Los Padres Forest, which began in the 1990s to share knowledge and at the urging of Mother Nature’s ongoing realities. Esalen faculty member and founding representative Steven Harper shared a desire to explore common practices, understandings, philosophies, and differences. “I’ve led nature-based programs for 44 years. It also came out of my relationship with the Hermitage, the community, and one or two monks, which goes back to a similar time,” says Harper, who received permission from Esalen’s then-president George Leonard to bring together the different institutions, with Esalen covering meals and offering some housing.

“We all share a stake in the health of the Santa Lucia Mountain and Pacific Ocean ecosystems in which we all live, and that it is a worthwhile venture to learn of our differences and similarities,” explains Harper. He also credits a quote that regularly appeared on the front page of the Esalen course catalog as his inspiration: “Contact is the appreciation of differences…” — Fritz Perls “...and the recognition of similarities.” — Dick Price.” 

“That's our basic fundamental purpose, getting together,” says Gordon. “Most of the time, that means we update each other on what we're doing. We give a report on the state of the wilderness issues — the particular challenges we're facing — some are unique to each institute and mission.”

During the very first Four Winds meeting, Harper met with Reb Anderson (head abbot of Zen Center), Teah Strozer (director of Tassajara), Robert Hale (Jungian scholar, priest, monk and previous Prior of the Hermitage along with fellow Hermitage former prior, monk, and scholar, Bruno Barnhart), Brother David Steidl-Rast (Benedictine monk and author), and Tom “Little Bear” Nason (Chairman and chief, Esselen Tribe of Monterey County). They primarily worked within the four spiritual traditions underlying the work of each center in turn: Soto Zen, Catholic monastic tradition, Esselen Tribe/Coastal native tradition, and the integral human potential tradition of Esalen Institute. Esalen, with Harper as its first representative, held the role of the convener of the dialogue. (“Not holding one single view,” says Harper, in keeping with the Esalen ethos of “no one captures the flag.”) Together, the group found a peak above 4,500 feet in Santa Lucia that they named “Four Winds Peak.” It was at this time that Tom Little Bear Nason, Tribal Chair of the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County, was invited to co-lead his first Esalen workshop.

All four organizations are regularly challenged by California’s changing climate and its effects, including  fires, storms, floods, coastal erosion, and inevitable closures. Dealing with the extreme ecological conditions this stretch of Mother Nature can aggressively present is a major concern of the council. 

“Nearly every year, we are fighting fires,” says Wheeler. “We try to prevent fires, but we are learning that much of our fire-fighting is counterproductive. By fighting every small fire, we trap ourselves in an unnatural cycle of decades-long build up of undergrowth, which only makes the eventual fires much worse. We are learning from native traditions that clearing out the undergrowth — through controlled burns and other means — we may achieve a healthier forest with less fire in the long run.”

“This is just one example of what modern forest science is learning from native traditions. The indigenous peoples of our area, once dismissed as ‘pre-agricultural hunter-gatherers,’ in fact were farming the forest and the game herd in sustainable ways.”

When it comes to other threats, political lobbying can be the most effective solution. “There was a mania for building dams from the 1930s to the 1960s,” says Gordon. “Some of them served a good purpose, but many were found to be harmful to the riverbed, to the flow of water. They didn't live up to their promise. Nowadays, the decision is more likely to be to remove a dam than to build one. A good example right here in our own wilderness is the Los Padres Dam on the Carmel River. Originally intended to supply water to Carmel and Monterey, the dam soon silted up, posing an earthquake threat and blocking the spawning season of steelhead and other fish. When the possibility of removing the dam came up in 2015, the members of the Four Winds Council, following the lead of the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County, we got behind that with our congressman and wrote a lot of letters and joined together to lend the spiritual cachet and the prestige of our four institutes to removing that dam.” The dam is now gone, and the migratory fish spawn is fast returning to the natural riverbed.

Throughout their tenure, the Four Winds has defended the land in many different ways and with different approaches. “It’s as much about the environmental science and business operation of this shared land as it is the spiritual significance of the land,” says Director of Community Alliances Douglas Drummond. “With landslides and fires, there's lots of erosion. There are lots of sacred spaces that are disturbed, so there's a bit of listening on the inside and listening on the outside to determine the best ways to move forward and heal this sacred land.”

Although the council had not met officially since 2019, representatives from each institution came together to support the Land Acknowledgement ceremony and sage planting that took place on November 13, 2022, at Esalen Institute to formally recognize the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County as the original co-stewards of the land.

“When we have important events like that, it's very meaningful to us,” says Gordon. “We had all four representatives in attendance and that was a great sign of support. We also came together like that in 2011 when we broke ground for the new Lodge and for the meeting spaces above and the kitchen facilities and the bookstore. The whole building doubled its square footage. We didn't want to do groundbreaking without a blessing from the Tribe as the ancient stewards of this land, as well as the witnessing presence of the other two. We are four sets of watchful eyes on the environment.” 

Moving forward, the Four Winds Council plans to again meet quarterly, just as they did before the pandemic. Once they return to some semblance of normalcy, they will meet to support one another in their respective missions and continue their roles as guardians for one of the most awe-inspiring, transformative, spiritual lands on earth.

"We were all drawn to this area to create places of learning for the larger culture," says Gordon. "We also share similar interests in the land that sustains and connects us, the Los Padres Forest and the Ventana Wilderness…the wilderness is a responsibility for all of us. There's less and less of it left. And where it is, it's very precious, and it's a precious experience to get out in it. It's a great gift to be out in the wilderness, and we're very cut off from it today and most of our lives."

"For us, this land is a sanctuary, a holy place where we may meet ourselves and nature in a simple yet profound way. For that reason, we are taking an active role as advocates for this wilderness and will work with appropriate agencies — public and private — to preserve its peace, solitude, and integrity."

The council was slated to meet again in April at the new Camaldoli Hermitage. Unfortunately, that meeting has been rescheduled due to a new landslide that has blocked road access. This reality illustrates the critical importance of stewarding and protecting where we can, our precious heritage of wilderness in Big Sur. 

“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?



About

Esalen Team

The Four Winds Council: Co-Stewards of the Big Sur Wilderness

About

Esalen Team

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Darnell Lamont Walker leading Rituals Writing Workshop

On Sunday, March 5, 2023, Esalen Institute, the New Camaldoli Hermitage, the Tassajara Zen Center, and the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County convened for a two-day gathering as the Four Winds Council. This was their first meeting in four years — an emotional assembly as they united in their mission to protect the Big Sur wilderness.

“Mostly, it's a fellowship of the spirit,” says Esalen President and Four Winds representative Gordon Wheeler. “We take it as a sacred stewardship. That's the one of the terms we like to use. We all take our shared wilderness as a sacred responsibility.” 

At each Four Winds assembly, representatives share updates on their respective institutions and spiritual practices aligned with their belief systems to center, ground, and reconnect. “It was our first meeting since the pandemic,” adds Gordon. “So that was emotional and important for all of us, and we did some sampling of each other's practices.”

The Four Winds Council is a consortium of four spiritually grounded institutes located within the Ventana Wilderness and Los Padres Forest, which began in the 1990s to share knowledge and at the urging of Mother Nature’s ongoing realities. Esalen faculty member and founding representative Steven Harper shared a desire to explore common practices, understandings, philosophies, and differences. “I’ve led nature-based programs for 44 years. It also came out of my relationship with the Hermitage, the community, and one or two monks, which goes back to a similar time,” says Harper, who received permission from Esalen’s then-president George Leonard to bring together the different institutions, with Esalen covering meals and offering some housing.

“We all share a stake in the health of the Santa Lucia Mountain and Pacific Ocean ecosystems in which we all live, and that it is a worthwhile venture to learn of our differences and similarities,” explains Harper. He also credits a quote that regularly appeared on the front page of the Esalen course catalog as his inspiration: “Contact is the appreciation of differences…” — Fritz Perls “...and the recognition of similarities.” — Dick Price.” 

“That's our basic fundamental purpose, getting together,” says Gordon. “Most of the time, that means we update each other on what we're doing. We give a report on the state of the wilderness issues — the particular challenges we're facing — some are unique to each institute and mission.”

During the very first Four Winds meeting, Harper met with Reb Anderson (head abbot of Zen Center), Teah Strozer (director of Tassajara), Robert Hale (Jungian scholar, priest, monk and previous Prior of the Hermitage along with fellow Hermitage former prior, monk, and scholar, Bruno Barnhart), Brother David Steidl-Rast (Benedictine monk and author), and Tom “Little Bear” Nason (Chairman and chief, Esselen Tribe of Monterey County). They primarily worked within the four spiritual traditions underlying the work of each center in turn: Soto Zen, Catholic monastic tradition, Esselen Tribe/Coastal native tradition, and the integral human potential tradition of Esalen Institute. Esalen, with Harper as its first representative, held the role of the convener of the dialogue. (“Not holding one single view,” says Harper, in keeping with the Esalen ethos of “no one captures the flag.”) Together, the group found a peak above 4,500 feet in Santa Lucia that they named “Four Winds Peak.” It was at this time that Tom Little Bear Nason, Tribal Chair of the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County, was invited to co-lead his first Esalen workshop.

All four organizations are regularly challenged by California’s changing climate and its effects, including  fires, storms, floods, coastal erosion, and inevitable closures. Dealing with the extreme ecological conditions this stretch of Mother Nature can aggressively present is a major concern of the council. 

“Nearly every year, we are fighting fires,” says Wheeler. “We try to prevent fires, but we are learning that much of our fire-fighting is counterproductive. By fighting every small fire, we trap ourselves in an unnatural cycle of decades-long build up of undergrowth, which only makes the eventual fires much worse. We are learning from native traditions that clearing out the undergrowth — through controlled burns and other means — we may achieve a healthier forest with less fire in the long run.”

“This is just one example of what modern forest science is learning from native traditions. The indigenous peoples of our area, once dismissed as ‘pre-agricultural hunter-gatherers,’ in fact were farming the forest and the game herd in sustainable ways.”

When it comes to other threats, political lobbying can be the most effective solution. “There was a mania for building dams from the 1930s to the 1960s,” says Gordon. “Some of them served a good purpose, but many were found to be harmful to the riverbed, to the flow of water. They didn't live up to their promise. Nowadays, the decision is more likely to be to remove a dam than to build one. A good example right here in our own wilderness is the Los Padres Dam on the Carmel River. Originally intended to supply water to Carmel and Monterey, the dam soon silted up, posing an earthquake threat and blocking the spawning season of steelhead and other fish. When the possibility of removing the dam came up in 2015, the members of the Four Winds Council, following the lead of the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County, we got behind that with our congressman and wrote a lot of letters and joined together to lend the spiritual cachet and the prestige of our four institutes to removing that dam.” The dam is now gone, and the migratory fish spawn is fast returning to the natural riverbed.

Throughout their tenure, the Four Winds has defended the land in many different ways and with different approaches. “It’s as much about the environmental science and business operation of this shared land as it is the spiritual significance of the land,” says Director of Community Alliances Douglas Drummond. “With landslides and fires, there's lots of erosion. There are lots of sacred spaces that are disturbed, so there's a bit of listening on the inside and listening on the outside to determine the best ways to move forward and heal this sacred land.”

Although the council had not met officially since 2019, representatives from each institution came together to support the Land Acknowledgement ceremony and sage planting that took place on November 13, 2022, at Esalen Institute to formally recognize the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County as the original co-stewards of the land.

“When we have important events like that, it's very meaningful to us,” says Gordon. “We had all four representatives in attendance and that was a great sign of support. We also came together like that in 2011 when we broke ground for the new Lodge and for the meeting spaces above and the kitchen facilities and the bookstore. The whole building doubled its square footage. We didn't want to do groundbreaking without a blessing from the Tribe as the ancient stewards of this land, as well as the witnessing presence of the other two. We are four sets of watchful eyes on the environment.” 

Moving forward, the Four Winds Council plans to again meet quarterly, just as they did before the pandemic. Once they return to some semblance of normalcy, they will meet to support one another in their respective missions and continue their roles as guardians for one of the most awe-inspiring, transformative, spiritual lands on earth.

"We were all drawn to this area to create places of learning for the larger culture," says Gordon. "We also share similar interests in the land that sustains and connects us, the Los Padres Forest and the Ventana Wilderness…the wilderness is a responsibility for all of us. There's less and less of it left. And where it is, it's very precious, and it's a precious experience to get out in it. It's a great gift to be out in the wilderness, and we're very cut off from it today and most of our lives."

"For us, this land is a sanctuary, a holy place where we may meet ourselves and nature in a simple yet profound way. For that reason, we are taking an active role as advocates for this wilderness and will work with appropriate agencies — public and private — to preserve its peace, solitude, and integrity."

The council was slated to meet again in April at the new Camaldoli Hermitage. Unfortunately, that meeting has been rescheduled due to a new landslide that has blocked road access. This reality illustrates the critical importance of stewarding and protecting where we can, our precious heritage of wilderness in Big Sur. 

“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?



About

Esalen Team