The Esalen Intitute; Big Sur

(above) a man enjoying a flower design some people had made that day.


(above) one of the great sunsets..



(above) the usual sunrise ..


(above) a man during the closing Yoga ceremony.


(above) Some friends I met over the visit.



(left) A path at Esalen. Highway 1 above. (right) Just a view to part of the garden.

(below) The house of an employee at Esalen. To the left you can see the fire and the Sweat Lodge.





(above) the view from Julia Pfiefer State Park.



(above) Myself after the sweat lodge. Whew! Was I chilled out. Had to take a picture.




Esalen is one of the most magical places I have been. Nestled on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Eslaen is a place of spiritual growth.

From the Esalen website:

"What is Esalen Institute?

Esalen is a non-profit organization that has been devoted to the exploration of human potential since the 1960's. Historical luminaries like Aldous Huxley, Joseph Campbell, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Joan Baez, and countless others have gathered here to develop revolutionary ideas, transformative practices, and innovative art forms. Today Esalen is a retreat center where people live and work in a communal setting. Residents and guests participate in an incredible variety of alternative education and personal growth programs in subjects ranging from meditation to massage, yoga, psychology, ecology, spirituality, art, music, and much more."

I stayed at Esalen for about 4 days. It was a wonderful time of self reflection. I met some amazing people and really pushed myself to to experience things where my natural tendency is to hold back.

The highlight of my time at Esalen was to take part in a sweat lodge ceremony. This was one of the most powerful experiences I have had in my life. It was incredibly spiritual. It really pushed me to the edge of my physical comfort level- and then some. Not only did I reach my physical boundary, but pushed past it. And that's were the process becomes so purifying. There's a photo of the Sweat Lodge and the fire next to it, heating the stones.