Come all the way back to yourself
A retreat is the deep end of this work: multiple days of breath, stillness, play, and ensemble on the cliffs of Big Sur. No performing, no experience, nothing to prepare. In fact, coming unprepared is the whole assignment. Allow yourself to come back to yourself.
Book the January retreat January 1 to 3, 2027 · Esalen Institute, Big Sur · Booked directly with Esalen
Three days, one descent
Every retreat follows the same arc as a single session, stretched wide enough to change something. Days begin with breathwork and meditation, move through nonverbal play and ensemble, and close soft, with time to share and time alone with the cliffs.
Arrive & drop in
You land, you eat well, and the first evening session takes the week off your shoulders. Stillness first. The mind gets quieter faster than you expect it to.
Descend & play
The full practice: breath, music, movement, and the games, morning and evening, with the baths and the coastline in between. This is the day people talk about for years.
Integrate & return
A closing practice, a closing circle, and the drive home as someone slightly lighter. What you found comes with you; that's the entire point.
Two dates at Esalen. Booked directly with Esalen.
Both retreats are all-inclusive: lodging, meals, the baths, and every session. Esalen handles booking, lodging options, and pricing on their site, from simple sleeping-bag spaces to premium rooms.
Clown Church: Mindfulness, Healing, and Your Deepest Self
Esalen Institute · Big Sur, CaliforniaA weekend inside the flagship practice: descend from the mind, access the clown state, and remember what your deepest self sounds like when it laughs. This one filled; the waitlist moves as spots open.
Join the waitlist at EsalenSacred Clown: Presence In Play
Esalen Institute · Big Sur, CaliforniaStart the year descended instead of resolved. Three days of breath, play, and ensemble on the first days of January, so the year begins from presence, not pressure.
Book at Esalen"It was like five years of transformation crammed into one."Retreat participant
New year. Same you, but lighter.
Three days at Esalen, starting January 1. The kindest possible way to begin a year.
Book the January retreat January 1 to 3, 2027 · Esalen, Big Sur · Booked directly with Esalen