Self-Guided Explorations Week of February 15-19, 2027

There is a rare kind of retreat where the invitation is to choose not to choose. Self-Guided Explorations at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, CA, offers five days to set down the agenda and listen to what you actually need, whether that is movement, writing, stillness, or a long soak in the hot springs under the stars. It is a retreat built around your own intuition and curiosity.

Opening and closing circles with your cohort bookend the week, and everything between them is yours to shape. You might deepen a yoga practice, explore breathwork and meditation, try conscious dance, or immerse yourself in the creative arts. You might also do much less, and simply rest. Musicians Sam Stern and Micha Merrick are part of the featured lineup for this February retreat, adding their presence to a week set against Big Sur's dramatic coastline.

If you are longing to reconnect with yourself, your dreams, and your desires, this retreat offers a supportive and nurturing environment for it. Whether you are awakening dormant passions, healing past wounds, or remembering the joy of being alive, the week honors the idea that transformation comes through presence and self-knowledge rather than predetermined outcomes.

What to Expect

The week begins and ends in circle with fellow participants. In between, there is no preset schedule. You move through the days by choosing from the offerings that call to you:

- Daily open classes led by Teachers in Residence, which may include yoga and dance-based movement, journaling sessions, breathwork, and other practices designed to encourage joy and mindfulness
- Presentations by guest faculty
- Meditation, conscious dance, and creative arts
- Time in solitude, enjoying the land, the gardens, and the hot springs
- Optional Esalen Massage and holistic healing services from compassionate practitioners, available as add-ons

Participants have access to the open classes but not to preregistered workshops. You are invited to leave rested, refreshed, and recalibrated, with a renewed sense of vitality and well-being.

About the Lineup

Sam Stern is listed as a musician for this retreat. Further details about his background were not provided by the organizer, so we prefer to let his offering speak for itself during the week.

Micha Merrick is also listed as a musician for this retreat. The organizer has not shared a bio, and we would rather say less than invent what we do not know.

Daily open classes are led by Esalen's Teachers in Residence, who guide movement, journaling, and breathwork sessions.

Venue & Logistics

The retreat takes place at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, CA. The registration includes housing accommodations, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, coffee, tea, and snacks, access to the hot springs and other campus features, and classes on the open schedule. Healing Arts sessions (including Esalen Massage and holistic services), specialty coffee and tea or alcohol from the bar, and bookstore purchases are not included. Registration options include a workshop with an on-site stay, a workshop with an off-site stay, and an individual day pass. A scholarship application is available for those who need it.

Highway 1 in the Big Sur area has been subject to road closures and travel advisories, so please review Esalen's current travel advisory before planning your journey.