Robin's Write Living: Esalen, the Place of Three Waters

Sunset View from the Lodge

Ful Moon rising over Esalen

I learned about Esalen at massage school, some of the founders of IPSB had been present in the early days at Esalen and trained and formulated their own visions in that community. We learn about the Esalen style of massage, Esalen being one of the first places in California training people in the art of massage. It is a retreat center, perched on the cliffs between mountains ascending to the sky, green with coastal redwoods, and the pacific below. The infinite view of the ocean and the sound of her waves is the backdrop to everywhere and everything. The site is named for the Esalen native Americans who frequented this area, sometimes establishing a settlement on the site. They named the area the place of the three waters, where the ocean, the freshwater stream, and the deep sulfur waters coming from 200 feet below the land are all present. Today there is an exquisite bathhouse where you can watch the marine life while bathing in silky, warm mineral water. On this most recent visit, I could see Sea Otters and Grey Whales daily from the baths.

Walking up the path from the baths, notice the massage tables and one tub.

You come to Esalen to learn something, to experience something. There are weekend retreat and five day retreats as well as month long study programs and all sorts of levels of work scholars and staff. Workshops range from massage, psychology, yoga and other moving arts, art and creative writing, meditation, somatic practices, gardening, hiking, music...Once you arrive, there is no need to leave. A stay at Esalen includes your workshop classes, 3 amazing meals a day, 24 hour access to the baths, and your room accommodations of which there is much diversity in cost and amenities. If you are more of a bohemian, they offer a sleeping bag accommodation that is very affordable. You can also do work exchange and spend some time helping out on the property for a small discount. I have most recently returned from a workshop on Homesteading Arts where I learned bread, cheese, honey bees and fermentation of veggies. In the past I have attended Kirtan retreats with Deva Premal and Miten as well as Jai Uttal and have taken an Anusara Yoga training at Esalen quite a few years ago.

The Murphy House was my headquarters this visit.

The view from my classroom in the Murphy House

The fireplace from my Murphy Room sleeping bag dormitory

The high yielding Esalen garden fed with the rich compost created here

Another stunning feature at Esalen is the garden. The land is cultivated for vegetables served in the lodge as well as flowers and herbs. Exquisite rows of lettuce, chard, broccoli and flowers have beautiful trails running throughout them leading you from one area of activity to another. On the backside of the property is the farm, a larger scale production area that also houses a large scale composting operation.

The Ecstatic Matriarch of the Garden

Monster Kale Trees!

Esalen Honey Bee, there home has a view of the whales passing.

Pathway through the Garden

California Poppies

The Esalen Chickens, Bantam breeds

Bee Hive with Farm in the background

While observing the Bee Hive I saw Whales pass very close to shore, what a view!

Esalen is a community in the truest sense of the word. Living in community is a powerful ctalyst for personal transformation. If you don't know what I'm talking about I recommend you visit an Ashram, Kibbutz, Commune or take a long camping trip in a group, and you'll discover what I mean. The key to a successful community is organization and cooperation. In general, work is divided. This means you'll do a lot of one type of work, but in exchange, other things will be taken care of for you. You might do laundry all day, but someone else grows your food in the garden, prepares it for you, and does your dishes. Full paying guests offer their fee to be invited into the community of Esalen for a short period of time. All of their needs are met, and they need do nothing. Those who stay at Esalen for a longer period of time have a job within the community such as in the office, garden, kitchen, laundry, grounds, etcetera. Other communites I have visited, everyone offers some bit of service each day, even if for only an hour. I enjoy the practice, sometimes called Seva, and I often seek it out. Working in the community is an opportunity to meet those who may be on extended programs or are staff members. It can be fascinating to see how things are done in a big operation, and it connects you to the land nd resources you are utilizing during your stay. On this recent visit to Esalen I did a work exchang program. For my five day stay I did eight hours of work and received a $100 discount of my workshop fee. I worked alternately in the laundry, folding clean sheets and towels, and the kitchen, slicing vegetables, unfourtunately I didn't get any photos of the laundry, but here's some photos of the kitchen..