Self-Guided Explorations Weekend of December 11-13, 2026

There is a weekend on the Big Sur coast where the schedule is yours to write. This wellness retreat at Esalen Institute asks very little of you except that you arrive, and then listen closely to what you actually need. For those who have been running on obligation, it offers a rare invitation: to choose not to choose.

Self-Guided Explorations is built for reconnecting with yourself, your dreams, and your desires. Whether you are awakening a dormant passion, tending an old wound, or simply remembering the joy of being alive, the weekend gives you a supportive place to reset, refresh, and recalibrate. Musicians Sam Stern and Micha Merrick are part of the program's teaching presence, and the retreat unfolds on the cliffs of Big Sur, California, where the land itself does a good share of the work.

What to Expect

Opening and closing circles with your cohort bookend the weekend. Between them, the hours are open, and you decide how to spend them. The program describes a range of possibilities, and you can take as many or as few as you like:

- Yoga and movement classes, including conscious dance
- Breathwork and meditation
- Journaling, writing, and creative arts
- Presentations by guest faculty
- A long soak in the hot springs under the stars
- Esalen Massage or holistic healing services, offered by compassionate practitioners (booked separately)
- Quiet time alone on the land

Daily open classes are led by Teachers in Residence, who guide activities that may include yoga and dance-based movement, journaling sessions, and breathwork, all designed to encourage joy and mindfulness. Nothing is required. The structure honors your intuition and curiosity, so a weekend of many classes and a weekend of deep rest are equally valid ways to take part.

You leave with whatever you came looking for, whether that is vitality, clarity, or simply the memory of what it feels like to be unhurried.

About the Lineup

Sam Stern is listed as a musician for this weekend's program. Further biographical details were not provided, so we will let the offering speak for itself: music has a natural place in a retreat built around embodiment, presence, and listening.

Micha Merrick is also listed as a musician for this weekend's program. As with Sam Stern, no additional biography was supplied. Together, the two add a musical dimension to a weekend centered on following your own rhythm.

Venue & Logistics

The retreat takes place at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California. The registration includes housing accommodations, three meals a day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), coffee, tea, and snacks, access to the hot springs and other campus features, and classes on the open schedule. Healing arts sessions such as Esalen Massage, specialty coffee and tea or alcohol from the bar, and bookstore purchases are not included. Self-Guided Explorations participants may attend open classes but not preregistered workshops.

Registration options include a workshop with an on-site stay, a workshop with an off-site stay, or an individual day pass. A scholarship application is available for those who need it. Travel to Big Sur is affected by conditions on Highway 1, so please review Esalen's current travel advisory before you plan your journey.