The Rewilding of Eros: Un-Domesticating the Erotic Body and Reclaiming Erotic Sovereignty

What if the distance you feel from your own body's aliveness is not a personal failure, but a cultural inheritance? This three-day workshop at the legendary Esalen Institute invites you to reclaim what civilization has conditioned away—your erotic sovereignty, the capacity to inhabit your sexuality with presence, integrity, and wholeness.

The Rewilding of Eros explores a rarely named tension: between our evolutionary biology and the shame-based narratives we've internalized about desire, pleasure, and the body. Through somatic practices, consensual touch work, and deep group dialogue, you'll examine how modern conditioning has created distance from embodied erotic aliveness. This is not a sexual workshop in the explicit sense; it's a healing and exploratory journey into the relationship between shame, grief, and sexual expression. Whether you've felt disconnected from desire, struggled with shame around your body, or simply yearned for a more integrated, alive sexuality, this container welcomes your presence.

Set in Big Sur's transformative landscape, surrounded by redwoods and ocean, Esalen Institute provides the ideal retreat space for this vulnerable, embodied work. You'll emerge with practical tools and a deeper understanding of your own erotic nature—not as a source of guilt or conquest, but as a gateway to authenticity, presence, and personal power.

What to Expect

Over three days, you'll move through guided somatic practices designed to reconnect you with sensation and desire in your own body. Small-group and full-circle dialogues create safety for honest conversation about sexuality, shame, and longing. Consensual touch practices—always within clear boundaries—help you reclaim your skin as a source of information and belonging. The arc of the workshop builds from awareness and exploration toward integration and embodied sovereignty.

The atmosphere honors both rigor and tenderness. This work welcomes people of all genders, sexual identities, and relationship configurations. No overt sexual behavior occurs during sessions; instead, you'll engage in healing inquiry and embodied practices that help you see your sexuality as inseparable from your spiritual wholeness. You'll leave with concrete practices, a community of fellow seekers, and renewed permission to inhabit your own erotic aliveness.

Pre-workshop reading recommendations include Emily Nagoski, Sobonfu Somé, and Sonya Renee Taylor, which deepen your preparation.

Venue & Logistics

This workshop takes place at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California, September 11–13, 2026. The iconic retreat center sits on a cliffside perch overlooking the Pacific, offering an immersive, contemplative environment. Wear comfortable clothing and bring an open heart. The work involves floor-based movement and touch, so wear clothing you can move freely in. Please contact Esalen directly regarding accessibility accommodations.