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Things To Do Central Coast
Esalen Institute
Big Sur
Route 1
Big Sur CA
831.667.3047
Website
Founded by Mike Murphy and Dick Price in the early 1960s, Esalen is a retreat center dedicated to the exploration of “Human Potential,” a phrase coined by Aldous Huxley who once taught there. The institute has long been a leader in alternative and experiential education, and the list of renown figures who have taught seminars here is endless. Henry Miller, Allen Ginsberg, Hunter S. Thompson, Fritz Perls, Alan Watts, Joseph Campbell, Timothy Leary, Gregory Bateson, and even Boris Yeltsin have been part of the Esalen programs. The institute offers seminars and workshops on mysticism, religion, psychology, Gestalt therapy, quantum physics, shamanism, acupressure, art, economics, dance, yoga, massage, bodywork, couples therapy, and many other topics. Esalen is well known for its hot springs perched on a cliff above the ocean. The Esalen pools, as the hot springs are called, are available for use only by registered guests. If you are not participating in a seminar, you can either visit Esalen between the hours of 1am and 3am for $20 per person (by telephone reservation only) or make a reservation for the famous Esalen massage ($80 an hour). You won’t be disappointed: Esalen is where massage therapists from all over the world congregate for trainings and workshops.
