yoga retreatMetta and the Divine Abodes: Meditation, Yoga, and Wisdom to Live a Better Life
This five-day workshop at Esalen Institute explores the Brahmavihārās, classical Buddhist practices known as the divine abodes or four immeasurables. Rooted in both yogic and Buddhist traditions, the program uses guided meditation, movement, storytelling, breathwork, and somatic practices to cultivate loving-kindness (metta), compassion (karuna), sympathetic joy (mudita), and equanimity (upekka). Rather than aiming toward otherworldly transcendence, these practices help participants awaken to possibility within their actual, complex human lives. Days alternate between embodied practice sessions, communal meals, and access to Esalen's natural hot springs and coastal landscape. The workshop weaves together live music, poetry, shadow work, journaling, and ritual alongside formal meditation and yoga instruction. Faculty guide participants toward releasing self-doubt and resentment while reconnecting with the heart's capacity for unconditional acceptance and belonging.
