Self-Guided Explorations Weekend of January 8–10, 2027

There is a rare kind of retreat where nobody hands you a schedule and asks you to keep up. Self-Guided Explorations at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, CA is built around that idea: a weekend to reconnect with yourself, your dreams and your desires, shaped by your own intuition and curiosity. Whether you arrive hoping to awaken a dormant passion, tend an old wound, or simply remember the joy of being alive, the invitation is to reset, refresh and recalibrate.

This winter retreat weekend, with musicians Sam Stern and Micha Merrick among the people connected to the program, begins and ends in community. Opening and closing circles with your cohort bookend the days, and everything in between is yours to choose. In the words of the program itself, it is a chance "to choose not to choose": to do a great deal, or much, much less.

If you are weighing whether this is the right retreat, it suits the seeker who wants a spacious container rather than a prescribed curriculum, with the Pacific coastline and Esalen's grounds as the backdrop.

What to Expect

The arc of the weekend is simple: gather, wander, gather again. Opening and closing circles anchor the experience in community, while the hours between remain open.

Within that open time, you might:

- Deepen your yoga practice or enjoy conscious dance
- Explore breathwork and meditation
- Immerse yourself in journaling, writing and the creative arts
- Attend presentations by guest faculty
- Take a long soak in the hot springs under the stars
- Spend quiet time on the land, in solitude
- Receive Esalen Massage or holistic healing services from compassionate practitioners (these are offered separately and are not included in the retreat price)

Daily open classes are led by Teachers in Residence, who may guide yoga and dance-based movement, journaling sessions, breathwork and other practices designed to encourage joy and mindfulness. Participants have access to these open classes, though not to preregistered workshops.

What is included: 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. Not included are Healing Arts sessions, specialty coffee, tea or alcohol purchased from the bar, and bookstore purchases.

You leave with whatever you came to find: a sense of vitality and well-being, shaped by embodiment practice, writing, solitude and time with the land.

About the Lineup

Sam Stern is listed as a musician connected with this retreat. The material provided does not include a detailed biography, so we will say only that music is part of the creative atmosphere of the weekend.

Micha Merrick is also listed as a musician connected with this retreat. As with Sam Stern, no further biographical details were provided, and the specifics of how their music will be woven into the weekend are best confirmed with Esalen.

Venue & Logistics

The retreat takes place at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California. Accommodations are offered in a range of options, from budget-conscious sleeping bag spaces to private ocean-view suites, and registration options include staying on-site, staying off-site, or an individual day pass. A scholarship application is available for those who need it.

Please note that Esalen has posted a travel advisory for Highway 1, with road closures to the north and south affecting access to Big Sur. Review the current advisory on Esalen's website and plan your travel before you go.