The Seven Flames: Winter Solstice Ritual Retreat

As darkness deepens into winter's longest night, light begins its return—and you are invited to tend the sacred fire within. The Seven Flames: Winter Solstice Ritual Retreat is a five-day immersion at the legendary Esalen Institute in Big Sur, CA, where spiritual guide and facilitator Cristi Christensen leads participants through an embodied exploration of the seven chakras as living flames of consciousness. Rather than approaching chakras as abstract spiritual concepts, this retreat invites you to awaken and investigate each energy center as a radiant gift and a shadow dimension—meeting yourself with honesty and compassion at this threshold moment when the outer world grows still.

This is not a retreat of accumulation, but of uncovering. Set against the rugged beauty of the Big Sur coastline, you'll move through meditation, kundalini kriya, dynamic and restorative asana, somatic movement, dance, crystal bowl sound journeys, breathwork, mantra, and seasonal ritual. Each day honors the winter season's natural invitation to slow down, listen inward, and recognize that your inner light persists even through seasons of apparent darkness. You'll rest deeply, walk in nature, soak in Esalen's famous hot springs, and contemplate wisdom from The Radiance Sutras—all designed to help you remember that the light you seek is already burning within you.

What to Expect

Expect to arrive as one person and leave transformed—or, more precisely, restored to yourself. Each day weaves together multiple modalities: morning and evening meditation; kundalini kriyas to activate dormant energy; both dynamic and restorative yoga practices; somatic awareness work and conscious dance; crystal bowl sound journeys for deep listening; pranayama (breathwork) techniques; chanting and mantra; reflective writing; and evening rituals honoring the winter season's sacred geometry.

Cristi Christensen holds space with wisdom and attunement, guiding you to explore each of the seven chakras not as a linear checklist but as an interconnected system of consciousness. You will work with the root flame of safety and belonging, the creative waters of your sacral center, the digestive fire of your will, the heart's luminous compassion, the throat's truth, the third eye's inner vision, and the crown's infinite connection. The retreat balances inner work with outer nourishment: time in Big Sur's wild beauty, access to Esalen's healing hot springs, and ample opportunity for rest. Participants leave with embodied practices they can carry home, a deeper relationship with their inner landscape, and renewed connection to their own radiant essence.

Venue & Logistics

This retreat takes place at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California—one of the world's most renowned retreat centers, perched on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The five-day program runs Monday, December 14–18, 2026. Wear comfortable, layered clothing suitable for both indoor practice and outdoor time in a coastal climate. Esalen's rustic elegance welcomes all bodies and levels of experience; the teaching team will offer modifications for any physical limitations.