Self-Guided Explorations Weekend of January 15-17, 2027

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 is a wellness retreat built around that kind of freedom: three days on the Big Sur coast to reconnect with your own inner landscape, your creativity, and the simple pleasure of being alive.

The weekend opens with a circle among your cohort and closes with another. Between them lies a stretch of genuine choice. You might move through yoga or conscious dance, sit with breathwork and meditation, write in a journal, spend an afternoon in quiet on the land, or soak in the hot springs under the stars. Musicians Sam Stern and Micha Merrick are part of the offering, bringing sound and music into a program that trusts you to follow your own curiosity.

If you are carrying something you want to process, hoping to deepen a practice you already have, or simply need to reset and recalibrate, this retreat meets you where you are. Nothing is prescribed. You decide how much to do, and how much to leave undone.

What to Expect

The retreat unfolds in three parts: an opening circle, a open stretch of self-directed days, and a closing circle.

- Opening and closing circles: gatherings with your cohort that bookend the experience.
- Open schedule: daily classes led by Teachers in Residence, which may include yoga and dance-based movement, journaling, breathwork, and other practices that encourage joy and mindfulness.
- Guest faculty presentations: optional sessions you can attend as the mood strikes.
- Creative and quiet time: immersion in the creative arts, writing, solitude, and time on the land.
- Hot springs and campus features: included with your stay.

The atmosphere is supportive and unhurried. Faculty offer structure and support without telling you what to choose, and you are invited to follow intuition over itinerary. Many guests leave feeling refreshed and more attuned to their own needs and desires, whether that means awakening a dormant passion, tending an old wound, or remembering joy.

Esalen Massage and holistic healing services are available as an optional addition for those who want to deepen the journey.

About the Lineup

Sam Stern is a musician taking part in this Self-Guided Explorations weekend. Music at a retreat like this can open a doorway into feeling and presence, and Sam's participation adds that dimension to the days at Esalen.

Micha Merrick is a musician also part of this weekend's program. Alongside the movement, breath, and writing offerings, Micha's music contributes to the contemplative atmosphere of the Big Sur setting.

Venue & Logistics

The retreat takes place at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California, on the coast. Registration options include a workshop with an on-site stay, a workshop with an off-site stay, or an individual day pass. Your registration with a 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 such as Esalen Massage, specialty coffee or tea and alcohol from the bar, and bookstore purchases are not included. Self-Guided Explorations guests can join open classes but not preregistered workshops. Scholarships are available by application.

Highway 1 in the Big Sur area has been subject to road closures and travel advisories, so please review Esalen's current travel advisory before planning your journey.