Inspired by 20th-century French writer Marcel Proust, we here at Esalen have created our own version of his favorite parlor game to dig just a little deeper — and differently — into our incredible faculty and staff.
Even with over 25 years of experience in health and wellness, Deva Munay still gets butterflies before taking new students on sound journeys: “The first days of workshops are so powerful to me … I learn from the participants and grow just as much as they do.” Munay, the founder of Sacred Sound & Wonder and workshop leader of February's Nourishing the Heart Through Sound, Wonder, and Movement and June’s Tuning to the Frequency of Love: Sound Journeys to Transform Your Life, shares her thoughts on staying strong, acceptance, and how playing hundreds of alchemy crystal singing bowls helped her understand “the complexity of frequency and how we can use sound for healing.”
What is Esalen to you?
Esalen is a microcosm of the world. It is a powerful learning ground. It has its twists and turns, ups and downs, yet the core foundation is the spirit of the land, the ocean, fresh air, and the healing mineral waters. From this place of healing, safety, and support, it offers people the opportunity to look within and to expand outward in this great human potential movement.
What do you do/are you doing at Esalen?
When I moved to Big Sur over 12 years ago, I fell in love with Esalen. I remember waking up with the sunrise to start my days volunteering in the Farm & Garden. It was an incredibly lively time and a wonderful crew of people. It quickly became part of the bedrock of my community. Years later, I raised money to start the Honeybee Project on the farm, and I created a class called the Hive and the Hum (found on the Esalen Open Schedule most Thursday afternoons). Over the years, I have facilitated many sound journeys on campus. I now facilitate transformational courses on the power of sound with alchemy crystal singing bowls.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Being outside in nature with the sun kissing my cheeks and the song of life singing through my soul. I also realize that every moment is an opportunity for perfect happiness.
Which living or dead person do you most admire in your field?
His Holiness the Dalai Lama was my first teacher in mindfulness, love, and the power of laughter. I’ve also been greatly inspired by Rosita Arvigo and the many curanderos, shamans, and medicine people I have had the honor to work with over the years.
What is your greatest extravagance related to your practice?
Having over 50 alchemy crystal singing bowls in my collection allows me to create unique and customized sound journeys for groups and individuals. The quartz crystal bowls are alchemized with precious gemstones, minerals, metals, and/or earth substances that contribute to their beauty and the purity of their sound, opening us to a much wider spectrum of sound than we are accustomed to hearing in most modern-day music. Over the years I have had the opportunity to play hundreds of different bowls, which has enabled me to understand the complexity of frequency and how we can use sound for healing.
What is your current state of mind?
In awe! Joyfully optimistic and filled with love and gratitude.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Guilt. I know most people might not consider this a virtue, but growing up, my mother used to say, “Guilt is good. It keeps people from doing bad things.” You can probably guess I grew up in a Catholic household. I felt that I was always in trouble or doing something wrong. Alan Watts once said, “Christianity institutionalized guilt as a virtue, making people more aware of their shortcomings and the vast abyss between themselves and Christ.” I agree and would add that guilt is at the base of why too many people are left feeling that they don’t belong and are unworthy at their core.
What is the quality you most like in a human?
Curiosity, authenticity, and kindness.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
I feel blessed to call the land and community of Big Sur home and to be in a beautiful relationship with my best friend, guardian, and love, John K.
What about your work brings you the most happiness?
Working with dynamic groups brings me great happiness. The first days of workshops are so powerful to me that I still get butterflies of excitement. Every group is different. When I began facilitating workshops 20 years ago, we had an expression, “We are entering into a teaching, learning environment.” I learn from the participants and grow just as much as they do. The container created by the group is a dynamic living being shaped by everyone’s contribution. I love facilitating the transformations that take place and listening to the epiphanies that come through.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Following my sense of curiosity. It has led me on many adventures both around the world and ever deeper within. On a more tangible level, producing and performing on The Overlapping Halos album with Penny Vieregge and Edwin Huizinga was quite rewarding, followed by having a sold-out album release party at the Henry Miller Library.
What is your most treasured possession?
My sound healing instruments, particularly my Egyptian Sistrums that I brought back from Abydos, Egypt, near Hathor’s Temple. I was stopped by the Department of Antiquities in both Luxor and Cairo, as they are very close replicas to the ancient sistrums that were once played in the temples. Sistrums are used to bring people into a coherent field between the heart and the head and to entrain people into a unified field of love.
How do you maintain your practice(s) during challenging times?
During challenging times, I try to remember that I am not alone, that whatever challenge I am facing, surely there are hundreds if not thousands of other people facing the same or similar challenge. I dig deep into my personal mindfulness practices and dedicate the merits to all beings that are going through a similar challenge. Whether it is a health crisis, a broken heart, or any of the other myriad challenges of being human, I pray that we may find the gold in the discomfort and advance our souls along the way.
What is your favorite component of your work?
It is dynamic and I love bringing so many of my passions together. As a child, when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would say a nurse, a teacher, an astronaut, and/or the president of something wonderful. In sound healing, group facilitation, and owning my own business, I get to play in all of these domains.
What is your most marked characteristic?
When I was living in Peru, the medicine man that I was working with, Otorongo Blanco, told me that we need to be not only strong in our minds but also physically strong. He felt that people had become too sedentary and that it was a drain on our spirits. I took this to heart. In the last 15 years, I have run the Big Sur marathon three times, competed in Olympic distance triathlons, surfed double overhead waves in Bali, climbed 19,000-foot Mt. Misti in Peru, and most recently took up tango dancing in Argentina. I hear people remark that they are amazed at my ability to lead from such a soft and gentle heart, yet strong and centered spirit. I can be very Zen and calm and determined and motivated at the same time.
What do you value most in your work/practice?
Diversity. I love working with people, universal laws, music, quantum physics, frequency, honeybees, nature harmonics, and bridging the shamanic healing practices that I have learned over the last decades with modern scientific findings.
Who are your inspirations?
Einstein, Damaris (Penny Vieregge), Mary Oliver, Hafiz, Rumi, John Lennon, and you!
Who are your heroes in real life?
There are so many! The artists, musicians, medicine people, dancers, peacemakers, and cosmic lovers who are willing to be vulnerable to create and bring more magic and love into the world.
What is your greatest regret?
The times in life when I thought I could do everything myself and struggled alone rather than asking/reaching for help and the times when I didn’t believe in myself and let my doubt and fear get in the way of following my heart.
How would you like to die?
Feeling that I have lived my life to the fullest — curious and open-hearted. Following the sound and light waves to the next dimension.
What is your motto?
Love the mystery. During my first pilgrimage to Peru to journey with Ayahuasca and Huachuma, I was both very excited and also anxious about what was going to happen to me. I was super naive and thought I was going to solve the mysteries of life and come back with some sort of superpowers. Instead, what I learned is that the mysteries of the world are so complex and dynamic that it is impossible to know the extent of them. At that moment, I decided it is better to love the mystery rather than try to solve the mystery.
“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?
Inspired by 20th-century French writer Marcel Proust, we here at Esalen have created our own version of his favorite parlor game to dig just a little deeper — and differently — into our incredible faculty and staff.
Even with over 25 years of experience in health and wellness, Deva Munay still gets butterflies before taking new students on sound journeys: “The first days of workshops are so powerful to me … I learn from the participants and grow just as much as they do.” Munay, the founder of Sacred Sound & Wonder and workshop leader of February's Nourishing the Heart Through Sound, Wonder, and Movement and June’s Tuning to the Frequency of Love: Sound Journeys to Transform Your Life, shares her thoughts on staying strong, acceptance, and how playing hundreds of alchemy crystal singing bowls helped her understand “the complexity of frequency and how we can use sound for healing.”
What is Esalen to you?
Esalen is a microcosm of the world. It is a powerful learning ground. It has its twists and turns, ups and downs, yet the core foundation is the spirit of the land, the ocean, fresh air, and the healing mineral waters. From this place of healing, safety, and support, it offers people the opportunity to look within and to expand outward in this great human potential movement.
What do you do/are you doing at Esalen?
When I moved to Big Sur over 12 years ago, I fell in love with Esalen. I remember waking up with the sunrise to start my days volunteering in the Farm & Garden. It was an incredibly lively time and a wonderful crew of people. It quickly became part of the bedrock of my community. Years later, I raised money to start the Honeybee Project on the farm, and I created a class called the Hive and the Hum (found on the Esalen Open Schedule most Thursday afternoons). Over the years, I have facilitated many sound journeys on campus. I now facilitate transformational courses on the power of sound with alchemy crystal singing bowls.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Being outside in nature with the sun kissing my cheeks and the song of life singing through my soul. I also realize that every moment is an opportunity for perfect happiness.
Which living or dead person do you most admire in your field?
His Holiness the Dalai Lama was my first teacher in mindfulness, love, and the power of laughter. I’ve also been greatly inspired by Rosita Arvigo and the many curanderos, shamans, and medicine people I have had the honor to work with over the years.
What is your greatest extravagance related to your practice?
Having over 50 alchemy crystal singing bowls in my collection allows me to create unique and customized sound journeys for groups and individuals. The quartz crystal bowls are alchemized with precious gemstones, minerals, metals, and/or earth substances that contribute to their beauty and the purity of their sound, opening us to a much wider spectrum of sound than we are accustomed to hearing in most modern-day music. Over the years I have had the opportunity to play hundreds of different bowls, which has enabled me to understand the complexity of frequency and how we can use sound for healing.
What is your current state of mind?
In awe! Joyfully optimistic and filled with love and gratitude.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Guilt. I know most people might not consider this a virtue, but growing up, my mother used to say, “Guilt is good. It keeps people from doing bad things.” You can probably guess I grew up in a Catholic household. I felt that I was always in trouble or doing something wrong. Alan Watts once said, “Christianity institutionalized guilt as a virtue, making people more aware of their shortcomings and the vast abyss between themselves and Christ.” I agree and would add that guilt is at the base of why too many people are left feeling that they don’t belong and are unworthy at their core.
What is the quality you most like in a human?
Curiosity, authenticity, and kindness.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
I feel blessed to call the land and community of Big Sur home and to be in a beautiful relationship with my best friend, guardian, and love, John K.
What about your work brings you the most happiness?
Working with dynamic groups brings me great happiness. The first days of workshops are so powerful to me that I still get butterflies of excitement. Every group is different. When I began facilitating workshops 20 years ago, we had an expression, “We are entering into a teaching, learning environment.” I learn from the participants and grow just as much as they do. The container created by the group is a dynamic living being shaped by everyone’s contribution. I love facilitating the transformations that take place and listening to the epiphanies that come through.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Following my sense of curiosity. It has led me on many adventures both around the world and ever deeper within. On a more tangible level, producing and performing on The Overlapping Halos album with Penny Vieregge and Edwin Huizinga was quite rewarding, followed by having a sold-out album release party at the Henry Miller Library.
What is your most treasured possession?
My sound healing instruments, particularly my Egyptian Sistrums that I brought back from Abydos, Egypt, near Hathor’s Temple. I was stopped by the Department of Antiquities in both Luxor and Cairo, as they are very close replicas to the ancient sistrums that were once played in the temples. Sistrums are used to bring people into a coherent field between the heart and the head and to entrain people into a unified field of love.
How do you maintain your practice(s) during challenging times?
During challenging times, I try to remember that I am not alone, that whatever challenge I am facing, surely there are hundreds if not thousands of other people facing the same or similar challenge. I dig deep into my personal mindfulness practices and dedicate the merits to all beings that are going through a similar challenge. Whether it is a health crisis, a broken heart, or any of the other myriad challenges of being human, I pray that we may find the gold in the discomfort and advance our souls along the way.
What is your favorite component of your work?
It is dynamic and I love bringing so many of my passions together. As a child, when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would say a nurse, a teacher, an astronaut, and/or the president of something wonderful. In sound healing, group facilitation, and owning my own business, I get to play in all of these domains.
What is your most marked characteristic?
When I was living in Peru, the medicine man that I was working with, Otorongo Blanco, told me that we need to be not only strong in our minds but also physically strong. He felt that people had become too sedentary and that it was a drain on our spirits. I took this to heart. In the last 15 years, I have run the Big Sur marathon three times, competed in Olympic distance triathlons, surfed double overhead waves in Bali, climbed 19,000-foot Mt. Misti in Peru, and most recently took up tango dancing in Argentina. I hear people remark that they are amazed at my ability to lead from such a soft and gentle heart, yet strong and centered spirit. I can be very Zen and calm and determined and motivated at the same time.
What do you value most in your work/practice?
Diversity. I love working with people, universal laws, music, quantum physics, frequency, honeybees, nature harmonics, and bridging the shamanic healing practices that I have learned over the last decades with modern scientific findings.
Who are your inspirations?
Einstein, Damaris (Penny Vieregge), Mary Oliver, Hafiz, Rumi, John Lennon, and you!
Who are your heroes in real life?
There are so many! The artists, musicians, medicine people, dancers, peacemakers, and cosmic lovers who are willing to be vulnerable to create and bring more magic and love into the world.
What is your greatest regret?
The times in life when I thought I could do everything myself and struggled alone rather than asking/reaching for help and the times when I didn’t believe in myself and let my doubt and fear get in the way of following my heart.
How would you like to die?
Feeling that I have lived my life to the fullest — curious and open-hearted. Following the sound and light waves to the next dimension.
What is your motto?
Love the mystery. During my first pilgrimage to Peru to journey with Ayahuasca and Huachuma, I was both very excited and also anxious about what was going to happen to me. I was super naive and thought I was going to solve the mysteries of life and come back with some sort of superpowers. Instead, what I learned is that the mysteries of the world are so complex and dynamic that it is impossible to know the extent of them. At that moment, I decided it is better to love the mystery rather than try to solve the mystery.
“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?
Inspired by 20th-century French writer Marcel Proust, we here at Esalen have created our own version of his favorite parlor game to dig just a little deeper — and differently — into our incredible faculty and staff.
Even with over 25 years of experience in health and wellness, Deva Munay still gets butterflies before taking new students on sound journeys: “The first days of workshops are so powerful to me … I learn from the participants and grow just as much as they do.” Munay, the founder of Sacred Sound & Wonder and workshop leader of February's Nourishing the Heart Through Sound, Wonder, and Movement and June’s Tuning to the Frequency of Love: Sound Journeys to Transform Your Life, shares her thoughts on staying strong, acceptance, and how playing hundreds of alchemy crystal singing bowls helped her understand “the complexity of frequency and how we can use sound for healing.”
What is Esalen to you?
Esalen is a microcosm of the world. It is a powerful learning ground. It has its twists and turns, ups and downs, yet the core foundation is the spirit of the land, the ocean, fresh air, and the healing mineral waters. From this place of healing, safety, and support, it offers people the opportunity to look within and to expand outward in this great human potential movement.
What do you do/are you doing at Esalen?
When I moved to Big Sur over 12 years ago, I fell in love with Esalen. I remember waking up with the sunrise to start my days volunteering in the Farm & Garden. It was an incredibly lively time and a wonderful crew of people. It quickly became part of the bedrock of my community. Years later, I raised money to start the Honeybee Project on the farm, and I created a class called the Hive and the Hum (found on the Esalen Open Schedule most Thursday afternoons). Over the years, I have facilitated many sound journeys on campus. I now facilitate transformational courses on the power of sound with alchemy crystal singing bowls.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Being outside in nature with the sun kissing my cheeks and the song of life singing through my soul. I also realize that every moment is an opportunity for perfect happiness.
Which living or dead person do you most admire in your field?
His Holiness the Dalai Lama was my first teacher in mindfulness, love, and the power of laughter. I’ve also been greatly inspired by Rosita Arvigo and the many curanderos, shamans, and medicine people I have had the honor to work with over the years.
What is your greatest extravagance related to your practice?
Having over 50 alchemy crystal singing bowls in my collection allows me to create unique and customized sound journeys for groups and individuals. The quartz crystal bowls are alchemized with precious gemstones, minerals, metals, and/or earth substances that contribute to their beauty and the purity of their sound, opening us to a much wider spectrum of sound than we are accustomed to hearing in most modern-day music. Over the years I have had the opportunity to play hundreds of different bowls, which has enabled me to understand the complexity of frequency and how we can use sound for healing.
What is your current state of mind?
In awe! Joyfully optimistic and filled with love and gratitude.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Guilt. I know most people might not consider this a virtue, but growing up, my mother used to say, “Guilt is good. It keeps people from doing bad things.” You can probably guess I grew up in a Catholic household. I felt that I was always in trouble or doing something wrong. Alan Watts once said, “Christianity institutionalized guilt as a virtue, making people more aware of their shortcomings and the vast abyss between themselves and Christ.” I agree and would add that guilt is at the base of why too many people are left feeling that they don’t belong and are unworthy at their core.
What is the quality you most like in a human?
Curiosity, authenticity, and kindness.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
I feel blessed to call the land and community of Big Sur home and to be in a beautiful relationship with my best friend, guardian, and love, John K.
What about your work brings you the most happiness?
Working with dynamic groups brings me great happiness. The first days of workshops are so powerful to me that I still get butterflies of excitement. Every group is different. When I began facilitating workshops 20 years ago, we had an expression, “We are entering into a teaching, learning environment.” I learn from the participants and grow just as much as they do. The container created by the group is a dynamic living being shaped by everyone’s contribution. I love facilitating the transformations that take place and listening to the epiphanies that come through.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Following my sense of curiosity. It has led me on many adventures both around the world and ever deeper within. On a more tangible level, producing and performing on The Overlapping Halos album with Penny Vieregge and Edwin Huizinga was quite rewarding, followed by having a sold-out album release party at the Henry Miller Library.
What is your most treasured possession?
My sound healing instruments, particularly my Egyptian Sistrums that I brought back from Abydos, Egypt, near Hathor’s Temple. I was stopped by the Department of Antiquities in both Luxor and Cairo, as they are very close replicas to the ancient sistrums that were once played in the temples. Sistrums are used to bring people into a coherent field between the heart and the head and to entrain people into a unified field of love.
How do you maintain your practice(s) during challenging times?
During challenging times, I try to remember that I am not alone, that whatever challenge I am facing, surely there are hundreds if not thousands of other people facing the same or similar challenge. I dig deep into my personal mindfulness practices and dedicate the merits to all beings that are going through a similar challenge. Whether it is a health crisis, a broken heart, or any of the other myriad challenges of being human, I pray that we may find the gold in the discomfort and advance our souls along the way.
What is your favorite component of your work?
It is dynamic and I love bringing so many of my passions together. As a child, when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would say a nurse, a teacher, an astronaut, and/or the president of something wonderful. In sound healing, group facilitation, and owning my own business, I get to play in all of these domains.
What is your most marked characteristic?
When I was living in Peru, the medicine man that I was working with, Otorongo Blanco, told me that we need to be not only strong in our minds but also physically strong. He felt that people had become too sedentary and that it was a drain on our spirits. I took this to heart. In the last 15 years, I have run the Big Sur marathon three times, competed in Olympic distance triathlons, surfed double overhead waves in Bali, climbed 19,000-foot Mt. Misti in Peru, and most recently took up tango dancing in Argentina. I hear people remark that they are amazed at my ability to lead from such a soft and gentle heart, yet strong and centered spirit. I can be very Zen and calm and determined and motivated at the same time.
What do you value most in your work/practice?
Diversity. I love working with people, universal laws, music, quantum physics, frequency, honeybees, nature harmonics, and bridging the shamanic healing practices that I have learned over the last decades with modern scientific findings.
Who are your inspirations?
Einstein, Damaris (Penny Vieregge), Mary Oliver, Hafiz, Rumi, John Lennon, and you!
Who are your heroes in real life?
There are so many! The artists, musicians, medicine people, dancers, peacemakers, and cosmic lovers who are willing to be vulnerable to create and bring more magic and love into the world.
What is your greatest regret?
The times in life when I thought I could do everything myself and struggled alone rather than asking/reaching for help and the times when I didn’t believe in myself and let my doubt and fear get in the way of following my heart.
How would you like to die?
Feeling that I have lived my life to the fullest — curious and open-hearted. Following the sound and light waves to the next dimension.
What is your motto?
Love the mystery. During my first pilgrimage to Peru to journey with Ayahuasca and Huachuma, I was both very excited and also anxious about what was going to happen to me. I was super naive and thought I was going to solve the mysteries of life and come back with some sort of superpowers. Instead, what I learned is that the mysteries of the world are so complex and dynamic that it is impossible to know the extent of them. At that moment, I decided it is better to love the mystery rather than try to solve the mystery.
“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
