Self-Guided Explorations Weekend of December 18-20, 2026

There is a particular kind of rest that arrives only 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: a weekend in which you reconnect with yourself, your dreams and your desires, and let your own intuition and curiosity shape the days.

The retreat opens and closes with a circle of your cohort, and between them the schedule is yours to arrange. You might deepen a yoga practice, explore breathwork and meditation, move in conscious dance, write, or take a long soak under the stars. You might also do much less, simply resting and letting the landscape of the Big Sur coast do its quiet work.

Musicians Sam Stern and Micha Merrick are part of the lineup for this weekend, and the Esalen Teachers in Residence lead the daily open classes. For anyone weighing whether to attend, the invitation is simple. If you need a reset, a refresh, or a place to recalibrate on your own terms, this retreat offers the structure of a supportive community without a fixed curriculum.

What to Expect

The weekend moves from gathering to freedom and back to gathering.

- Opening circle: You meet your cohort and begin the journey together.
- Open classes: Teachers in Residence lead daily classes that may include yoga and dance-based movement, journaling sessions, breathwork, and other practices designed to encourage joy and mindfulness.
- Presentations: Guest faculty may offer presentations you can choose to attend.
- Unscheduled time: Solitude, quiet enjoyment of the land, creative arts, and time in the hot springs are all part of the offering.
- Healing arts: Esalen Massage and holistic healing services from compassionate practitioners are available as an addition.
- Closing circle: The cohort gathers once more to close the experience.

Participants can expect an atmosphere of choice and permission. The retreat speaks to people who want to awaken dormant passions, heal past wounds, or remember the joy of being alive, through embodiment practice, writing, and time on the land.

About the Lineup

Sam Stern is listed as a musician for this weekend. Sam's music joins the Self-Guided Explorations program at Esalen, which centers on movement, mindfulness and creative expression.

Micha Merrick is listed as a musician for this weekend. Micha's music joins the program alongside the Teachers in Residence, who lead the daily open classes.

Venue & Logistics

The retreat takes place at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, CA. Registration options include a workshop with an on-site stay, a workshop with an off-site stay, and an individual day pass. The on-site stay includes housing, 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, specialty coffee, tea or alcohol from the bar, and bookstore purchases are not included. Self-guided participants have access to open classes but not to preregistered workshops. A scholarship application is available for those who need one.

Highway 1 access around Big Sur has been affected by road closures, so please review Esalen's current travel advisory before planning your journey.