Self-Guided Explorations Weekend of April 23-25, 2027

There is a particular kind of rest that only arrives when no one is telling you what to do next. Self-Guided Explorations at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California, is a wellness retreat built around that idea: you arrive, you settle into the rhythm of the land, and you choose. Yoga at sunrise, a long silence, a conscious dance, or a soak in the hot springs under the stars. Or much, much less.

Rather than following a set curriculum, this weekend retreat invites you to reconnect with yourself, your dreams, and your desires. Whether you are awakening dormant passions, healing past wounds, or simply remembering the joy of being alive, the format honors a simple principle: each person knows what their own body and psyche require. Musicians Sam Stern and Micha Merrick are part of the weekend's offerings, adding sound and music to a retreat shaped by your own intuition and curiosity.

If you have been craving space to reset, refresh, and recalibrate, this Saturday-centered gathering on the Big Sur coast offers a supportive container without the pressure of a packed schedule.

What to Expect

The weekend is bookended by an opening and a closing circle with your cohort. These circles hold the community side of the retreat. Between them, the experience unfolds according to your own needs and curiosity.

Open classes and activities may include:

- Yoga practice
- Breathwork and meditation
- Conscious dance
- Creative writing and other creative arts
- Gestalt work
- Presentations by guest faculty
- Time in the hot springs and quiet enjoyment of the land

Esalen® Massage and a selection of holistic healing services are also available through compassionate practitioners, and are an optional extra. Teachers are described as seasoned, credentialed facilitators whose backgrounds span psychology, mindfulness, somatics, creative arts, and holistic healing.

Participants leave with whatever they came to find: renewed vitality, a deeper relationship with their own body and attention, or simply a few days of unhurried presence in a landscape that supports introspection and renewal.

About the Lineup

Sam Stern is a musician sharing in the Self-Guided Explorations weekend at Esalen. Within a retreat where each guest selects their own path, music offers one more doorway into presence, and Sam's participation adds to the range of experiences available during the stay.

Micha Merrick is a musician also featured on this weekend's program. Micha's presence complements the open schedule, giving guests another way to settle into the body, the senses, and the shared atmosphere of the community.

Venue & Logistics

The retreat takes place at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California. Registration options include a workshop with an on-site stay, a workshop with an off-site stay, or an individual day pass. The on-site stay includes housing, three meals a day, coffee, tea, and snacks, access to the hot springs and other campus features, and classes on the open schedule.

Healing arts sessions, specialty coffee and tea, alcohol from the bar, and bookstore purchases are extra. Self-Guided participants may join open classes but not preregistered workshops. Scholarships are available through Esalen.

Highway 1 conditions around Big Sur can affect travel, so please review Esalen's current travel advisory before you plan your journey.