Self-Guided Explorations Weekend of March 19-21, 2027

There is a version of rest that asks nothing of you except honesty: what do I actually need right now? Self-Guided Explorations is a retreat built around that question. Instead of a fixed curriculum, it offers an open field of possibilities and trusts your intuition to choose among them, or to choose nothing at all.

Held at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, CA, this retreat gathers a cohort at the edge of the Pacific for a weekend of reconnection with yourself, your creativity, and your sense of aliveness. Musicians Sam Stern and Micha Merrick are part of the lineup, bringing sound and music into a weekend that also makes room for movement, writing, and quiet. If you have been wondering whether you can step away from daily demands long enough to hear your own inner compass, this retreat is designed for that.

What to Expect

The weekend is bookended by an opening circle and a closing circle with your cohort. Between them, the days are yours to shape. Offerings can include:

- Yoga and breathwork
- Meditation and contemplative practice
- Conscious dance and movement
- Creative writing and the creative arts
- Sound healing
- Presentations by guest faculty
- Time in nature, including a long soak under the stars

You might fill your days with classes, or you might do much less. Both are welcome here. Esalen Massage and other holistic healing services are available as additions for those who want them. Esalen's teachers are described as seasoned, credentialed facilitators with backgrounds in psychology, mindfulness, somatics, creative arts, and holistic healing, offering a supportive framework without prescribing a path.

Participants leave having tended to whatever most needed attention, whether that was rest, creative expression, embodied practice, or the simple restoration of time on the land.

One note for those registering for the self-guided option: guests have access to classes on the Open Schedule, but not to preregistered workshops.

About the Lineup

Sam Stern is a musician among the featured teachers for this Self-Guided Explorations weekend. His presence adds a musical thread to a retreat otherwise shaped by each participant's own pace and curiosity.

Micha Merrick is a musician also featured on this weekend's lineup. Together with Sam Stern, Micha contributes to the sonic and contemplative atmosphere of the retreat.

Venue & Logistics

The retreat takes place on Esalen Institute's cliffside campus in Big Sur, California, overlooking the Pacific. 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 and tea or alcohol from the bar, and bookstore purchases are extra. Several ways to register are offered, including a workshop with on-site stay, a workshop with off-site stay, and an individual day pass, and scholarships are available through Esalen.

Travel to Big Sur has been affected by Highway 1 closures, and Esalen has posted a travel advisory. Please review Esalen's current advisory and plan your route before you travel.