Self-Guided Explorations Week of March 22-26, 2027

There is a 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 retreat built around that kind of rest: a few days to reconnect with yourself, your dreams and your desires, with the Pacific below and the coastal land around you.

The week begins on a Monday and unfolds as a gentle framework. Opening and closing circles with your cohort bookend the journey, and what happens between them is yours to choose. Musicians Sam Stern and Micha Merrick are part of the teachers in residence, and the program draws on faculty from psychology, mindfulness, somatics, creative arts and holistic healing. If you are weighing whether to attend, this retreat suits someone who wants to follow their own intuition rather than a fixed schedule.

What to Expect

The arc is simple: gather, explore, gather again. An opening circle sets the tone with your cohort. In the days that follow, you decide how to spend your time. The material describes a range of possibilities:

- Deepening a yoga practice
- Exploring breathwork and meditation
- Conscious dance
- Immersing yourself in the creative arts
- Embodiment practice and writing
- Presentations by guest faculty
- A long soak in the hot springs under the stars
- Solitude and quiet enjoyment of the land, or "much, much less"

Esalen® Massage and a selection of holistic healing services are also available for those who want to add them. The intention is to help you reset, refresh and recalibrate, whether that means awakening dormant passions, healing past wounds or simply remembering the joy of being alive. A closing circle brings the cohort back together at the end.

Teachers at Esalen are described as seasoned, credentialed facilitators who offer a supportive framework for introspection, creativity and inner growth.

About the Lineup

Sam Stern is listed as a musician among the teachers in residence for this retreat. Further biographical details were not provided, so we invite you to explore his work through the Esalen program listing.

Micha Merrick is also listed as a musician among the teachers in residence. As with Sam, no additional biographical details were supplied, and the Esalen program listing is the best place to learn more about what they offer during the week.

Venue & Logistics

The retreat takes place at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, CA, and is held in person. The registration includes housing accommodations, 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, tea or alcohol purchases from the bar, and bookstore purchases are extra. Participants in Self-Guided Explorations have access to open classes but not to preregistered workshops.

Registration options include a workshop with an on-site stay, a workshop with an off-site stay, and an individual day pass. Scholarships are available through an application on the Esalen site. Because travel along Highway 1 has been affected by road closures and advisories, please review Esalen's current travel advisory before planning your journey.