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.
Sadia Bruce tells us about living enthusiastically, cultural fluidity, internalized belonging, and maintaining her practice: “What we need today will differ from what we’ll need tomorrow.” An expert in breath-based movement, she will lead this February’s The Power of Breath: Embodied Liberation and will also co-facilitate our upcoming Live Extended Education Program, The Essence of Esalen: Heart, Mind, Body, Spirit, Community. Sadia shares an integrative, vitalizing understanding of embodied movement to challenge her students and also herself: “I heal and grow even as I offer experiences for others to do the same.”
What do you do/are you doing at Esalen?
I’m a New York City-based yoga, meditation, intuitive movement, and breathwork teacher currently serving as Teacher-in-Residence — my third go at it, but this time I’m also developing curriculum and teaching in the Live Extended Education Program (LEEP) and the Residential Extended Education Program (REEP). With each visit, I am woven a bit more deeply into the fabric of the Esalen community — and I love and am honored by it.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Savoring the juiciest, sweetest mango whilst leaning against the tree it fell from — with nothing to do and nowhere to go, and a soundtrack of lapping waves and children laughing and scheming in the distance.
What is your current state of mind?
Astounded.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Politeness.
What is the quality you most like in a human?
An abundant appetite and capacity for complexity — the ability to live enthusiastically in the liminal and to put ambiguity to good use in service of a larger vision for themselves, for their people, for the planet. I enjoy humans who enjoy scratching their heads — who privilege mystery over mastery.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My inner child.
What about your work brings you the most happiness?
Teaching is a sacred relay between hearts — an intimate act of co-creation by which the teacher herself is also transformed. The work itself brings me tremendous happiness even as it stretches and confronts me; my favorite part about teaching is that it is bi-directional; I heal and grow even as I offer experiences for others to do the same.
What is your most treasured possession?
Currently, it’s a beautiful seed rattle from Papua New Guinea.
How do you maintain your practice(s) during challenging times?
By allowing it to accommodate the movement of the moment. We often think that practice “must” look a certain way or unfold just so; in challenging times, it’s most generative to dig into our toolkits and to fashion something altogether unique: What we need today will differ from what we’ll need tomorrow. We exist on a continuum, ever changing in our relationship to ourselves and to the worlds we inhabit, and practice must shift to accommodate the dance.
What is your favorite component of your work?
Teaching and space-holding are relational jazz — and I absolutely adore making music.
What is your most marked characteristic?
My cultural fluidity; as the child of immigrants from two different countries who belong to two different ethnicities and cultures, I’ve been able to transmute an acute sense of disbelonging into a kind of relational jiujitsu that allows me a sense of internalized belonging. The gift of being able to feel at home anywhere and to forge genuine and lasting connections with a dazzling range of human beings cannot be overstated.
What do you value most in your work/practice?
Authenticity.
Who are your inspirations?
Abbey Lincoln, Haruki Murakami, Pearl Primus, Alice Coltrane, Wangari Maathai, J. Krishnamurti, bell hooks, my grandmothers, Showtime boys on the New York City subways, Eartha Kitt.
Who are your heroes in real life?
Women of the Global South.
How would you like to die?
With nothing in my hands — utterly emptied. And thrilled about it.
“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?
Join Sadia Bruce for The Power of Breath: Embodied Liberation, February 13–17, 2023 at Esalen.
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.
Sadia Bruce tells us about living enthusiastically, cultural fluidity, internalized belonging, and maintaining her practice: “What we need today will differ from what we’ll need tomorrow.” An expert in breath-based movement, she will lead this February’s The Power of Breath: Embodied Liberation and will also co-facilitate our upcoming Live Extended Education Program, The Essence of Esalen: Heart, Mind, Body, Spirit, Community. Sadia shares an integrative, vitalizing understanding of embodied movement to challenge her students and also herself: “I heal and grow even as I offer experiences for others to do the same.”
What do you do/are you doing at Esalen?
I’m a New York City-based yoga, meditation, intuitive movement, and breathwork teacher currently serving as Teacher-in-Residence — my third go at it, but this time I’m also developing curriculum and teaching in the Live Extended Education Program (LEEP) and the Residential Extended Education Program (REEP). With each visit, I am woven a bit more deeply into the fabric of the Esalen community — and I love and am honored by it.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Savoring the juiciest, sweetest mango whilst leaning against the tree it fell from — with nothing to do and nowhere to go, and a soundtrack of lapping waves and children laughing and scheming in the distance.
What is your current state of mind?
Astounded.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Politeness.
What is the quality you most like in a human?
An abundant appetite and capacity for complexity — the ability to live enthusiastically in the liminal and to put ambiguity to good use in service of a larger vision for themselves, for their people, for the planet. I enjoy humans who enjoy scratching their heads — who privilege mystery over mastery.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My inner child.
What about your work brings you the most happiness?
Teaching is a sacred relay between hearts — an intimate act of co-creation by which the teacher herself is also transformed. The work itself brings me tremendous happiness even as it stretches and confronts me; my favorite part about teaching is that it is bi-directional; I heal and grow even as I offer experiences for others to do the same.
What is your most treasured possession?
Currently, it’s a beautiful seed rattle from Papua New Guinea.
How do you maintain your practice(s) during challenging times?
By allowing it to accommodate the movement of the moment. We often think that practice “must” look a certain way or unfold just so; in challenging times, it’s most generative to dig into our toolkits and to fashion something altogether unique: What we need today will differ from what we’ll need tomorrow. We exist on a continuum, ever changing in our relationship to ourselves and to the worlds we inhabit, and practice must shift to accommodate the dance.
What is your favorite component of your work?
Teaching and space-holding are relational jazz — and I absolutely adore making music.
What is your most marked characteristic?
My cultural fluidity; as the child of immigrants from two different countries who belong to two different ethnicities and cultures, I’ve been able to transmute an acute sense of disbelonging into a kind of relational jiujitsu that allows me a sense of internalized belonging. The gift of being able to feel at home anywhere and to forge genuine and lasting connections with a dazzling range of human beings cannot be overstated.
What do you value most in your work/practice?
Authenticity.
Who are your inspirations?
Abbey Lincoln, Haruki Murakami, Pearl Primus, Alice Coltrane, Wangari Maathai, J. Krishnamurti, bell hooks, my grandmothers, Showtime boys on the New York City subways, Eartha Kitt.
Who are your heroes in real life?
Women of the Global South.
How would you like to die?
With nothing in my hands — utterly emptied. And thrilled about it.
“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?
Join Sadia Bruce for The Power of Breath: Embodied Liberation, February 13–17, 2023 at Esalen.
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.
Sadia Bruce tells us about living enthusiastically, cultural fluidity, internalized belonging, and maintaining her practice: “What we need today will differ from what we’ll need tomorrow.” An expert in breath-based movement, she will lead this February’s The Power of Breath: Embodied Liberation and will also co-facilitate our upcoming Live Extended Education Program, The Essence of Esalen: Heart, Mind, Body, Spirit, Community. Sadia shares an integrative, vitalizing understanding of embodied movement to challenge her students and also herself: “I heal and grow even as I offer experiences for others to do the same.”
What do you do/are you doing at Esalen?
I’m a New York City-based yoga, meditation, intuitive movement, and breathwork teacher currently serving as Teacher-in-Residence — my third go at it, but this time I’m also developing curriculum and teaching in the Live Extended Education Program (LEEP) and the Residential Extended Education Program (REEP). With each visit, I am woven a bit more deeply into the fabric of the Esalen community — and I love and am honored by it.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Savoring the juiciest, sweetest mango whilst leaning against the tree it fell from — with nothing to do and nowhere to go, and a soundtrack of lapping waves and children laughing and scheming in the distance.
What is your current state of mind?
Astounded.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Politeness.
What is the quality you most like in a human?
An abundant appetite and capacity for complexity — the ability to live enthusiastically in the liminal and to put ambiguity to good use in service of a larger vision for themselves, for their people, for the planet. I enjoy humans who enjoy scratching their heads — who privilege mystery over mastery.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My inner child.
What about your work brings you the most happiness?
Teaching is a sacred relay between hearts — an intimate act of co-creation by which the teacher herself is also transformed. The work itself brings me tremendous happiness even as it stretches and confronts me; my favorite part about teaching is that it is bi-directional; I heal and grow even as I offer experiences for others to do the same.
What is your most treasured possession?
Currently, it’s a beautiful seed rattle from Papua New Guinea.
How do you maintain your practice(s) during challenging times?
By allowing it to accommodate the movement of the moment. We often think that practice “must” look a certain way or unfold just so; in challenging times, it’s most generative to dig into our toolkits and to fashion something altogether unique: What we need today will differ from what we’ll need tomorrow. We exist on a continuum, ever changing in our relationship to ourselves and to the worlds we inhabit, and practice must shift to accommodate the dance.
What is your favorite component of your work?
Teaching and space-holding are relational jazz — and I absolutely adore making music.
What is your most marked characteristic?
My cultural fluidity; as the child of immigrants from two different countries who belong to two different ethnicities and cultures, I’ve been able to transmute an acute sense of disbelonging into a kind of relational jiujitsu that allows me a sense of internalized belonging. The gift of being able to feel at home anywhere and to forge genuine and lasting connections with a dazzling range of human beings cannot be overstated.
What do you value most in your work/practice?
Authenticity.
Who are your inspirations?
Abbey Lincoln, Haruki Murakami, Pearl Primus, Alice Coltrane, Wangari Maathai, J. Krishnamurti, bell hooks, my grandmothers, Showtime boys on the New York City subways, Eartha Kitt.
Who are your heroes in real life?
Women of the Global South.
How would you like to die?
With nothing in my hands — utterly emptied. And thrilled about it.
“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?
Join Sadia Bruce for The Power of Breath: Embodied Liberation, February 13–17, 2023 at Esalen.
Esalen Institute
55000 Highway 1
Big Sur, CA 93920
US: 1-831-667-3000
info@esalen.org
