Self-Guided Explorations Week of March 29 - April 2, 2027

There is a rare kind of retreat where nobody hands you a schedule. Self-Guided Explorations at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California, is a five-day wellness retreat built on a simple, generous idea: you already know something about what you need, and the days can be shaped around that knowing. Structure meets freedom here, with opening and closing circles to hold the group and everything in between left to your own intuition and curiosity.

Perhaps you arrive wanting to reconnect with your dreams and desires, to wake a dormant passion, to tend an old wound, or to remember the plain joy of being alive. You might fill your mornings with yoga and breathwork, spend an afternoon writing or moving, and end the day in the hot springs under the stars. Or you might do much less: walk the property, journal, rest, and sit with the land. Both are welcome, and neither is the "right" way.

This week's Teachers in Residence program features musicians Sam Stern and Micha Merrick, who join Esalen's wider faculty on the cliffs above the Pacific. For anyone considering a wellness retreat in Big Sur that trusts you to choose your own path, this is an invitation to slow down and listen.

What to Expect

The retreat begins and ends with a circle. The opening circle grounds your cohort in shared intention, and the closing circle gives the week a place to land. Between them, the days are open.

You choose from a curated menu of classes, workshops, and healing services offered on a drop-in basis, so curiosity can lead rather than obligation. Offerings may include:

- Yoga, breathwork, and meditation
- Conscious dance and other movement practices
- Creative arts and writing
- Presentations by guest faculty
- Time in the hot springs and on the grounds

The faculty are seasoned, credentialed facilitators drawn from psychology, mindfulness, somatics, creative arts, and holistic healing. They offer a supportive framework for introspection, creativity, and inner growth without prescribing a path. You can also add Esalen Massage or holistic healing services with compassionate practitioners.

The program rests on the belief that meaningful change comes from attentiveness to your own needs and desires. Many guests leave feeling refreshed, recalibrated, and more connected to their own sense of vitality.

About the Lineup

Sam Stern is a musician in residence for this week of Self-Guided Explorations. As part of the Teachers in Residence offering, his presence adds music to a program otherwise shaped by each guest's own choices.

Micha Merrick is also a musician in residence this week. Alongside Sam Stern and the Esalen faculty, Micha contributes to the creative and contemplative atmosphere of the retreat.

Venue & Logistics

The retreat takes place at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California. Registration options include a workshop with an on-site stay, a workshop with an off-site stay, or an individual day pass. The on-site package includes housing, three meals a day, 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, tea or bar purchases, and bookstore items are extra. Self-Guided guests can join open classes but not preregistered workshops.

Scholarships are available through an application on the Esalen site. Highway 1 conditions around Big Sur can change, so please review Esalen's current travel advisory before you plan your journey.