Encounter: Meeting the Moment

Encounter: Meeting the Moment is a five-day movement and somatic workshop at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California, led by Andrea Juhan, a licensed psychotherapist with a PhD in Dance/Movement Therapy. It is for people who want to practice staying present, honest and responsive in the face of the unexpected, and for mental health professionals who want continuing education credit alongside their own embodied practice.

The premise is simple. To encounter something means meeting what you did not plan for. In movement practice, you train to stay open, curious, centered and responsive at the front edge of that meeting, rather than falling back on the old reflexes to fight, flee, freeze or please.

What to Expect

The work is relational and physical. Within a setting that is both supportive and challenging, the group creates "safe emergencies": situations intense enough to command your attention, yet held with care and support. They give you a chance to risk stepping out of habitual, self-defeating patterns. You receive real feedback from other participants and get plenty of practice making new choices in relation to others. The aim is to express opinions, feelings, discontents and appreciations skillfully, while staying open to outcome and change.

The week begins on Monday with a How to Drop into Esalen orientation in the late afternoon, followed by an evening session of arrival and opening. Tuesday through Thursday each have a morning workshop session and an afternoon session, moving from core practice to deepening to integration. Friday brings a final morning session and closure, with departure by early afternoon. Mornings run from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm, and afternoon sessions run late in the afternoon, ending around 6:00 pm.

About Andrea Juhan

Andrea Juhan is a licensed psychotherapist with a PhD in Dance/Movement Therapy. She is fascinated by the process of becoming an attuned, skillful inhabitant of a human body. Her embodiment approach reaches people through bodywork, yoga, dance, psychotherapy, meditation, professional trainings and academic programs, all supported by constant dedicated practice. She has written about this work in relation to Open Floor, encounter, dance therapy and transformation, and that writing is offered as recommended reading.

The Setting

Esalen Institute sits on the Big Sur coast, overlooking the Pacific. Meals are served buffet-style in the dining hall: breakfast from 8:30 am, lunch from 12:30 pm and dinner from 6:00 pm, with coffee, tea and snacks available through the day. Guests also have access to the hot springs and campus facilities.

Lodging comes in a range of room types. Budget options include shared sleeping bag space on the floor (bring your own bedding) and bunk rooms for four to six guests. Standard rooms are shared or private, with queen or two-bed layouts. Premium rooms offer ocean or forest views, and some have a private deck or patio. You can also attend as an off-site guest or with a day pass.

Before You Go

Twenty continuing education credits are available for full attendance. They are provided through the Spiritual Competency Academy, which is approved by the American Psychological Association. The California Board of Behavioral Sciences accepts such credits for LCSW, LPCC, LEP and LMFT renewal, and licensed nurses in California are also covered. Professionals licensed in other states should check with their own board.

Workshop registration includes the program, lodging, all meals, hot springs access and open-schedule classes. Healing arts sessions such as massage, specialty coffee, tea and bar purchases, and bookstore items are extra. A scholarship application is available for those who need it.

Highway 1 access to Big Sur has been affected by road conditions, with Caltrans-operated convoys running at set times each day. Check the current travel advisory and plan your arrival and departure accordingly.