Self-Guided Explorations Weekend of January 1-3, 2027

There is a rare kind of freedom in arriving somewhere with no assigned schedule. Self-Guided Explorations at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, CA, is a wellness retreat built around that freedom: a New Year's weekend in which you decide what your days hold, from a morning movement class to an afternoon of nothing at all.

The retreat is designed to help you reconnect with yourself, your dreams, and your desires. Some people come to awaken a dormant passion or tend an old wound. Others simply want to remember the joy of being alive. Musicians Sam Stern and Micha Merrick are part of the gathering, and the open schedule invites you to follow your own intuition and curiosity rather than a prescribed path.

If you are weighing whether this is the right way to begin the year, consider what you need most. For those who want to reset, refresh, and recalibrate, the combination of embodiment practice, writing, solitude, and quiet time on the land offers a supportive setting for it.

What to Expect

The weekend opens and closes with group circles with your cohort, which bookend a journey that presents you with options. Between them, you choose. The open schedule of classes may include:

- Yoga practice
- Breathwork and meditation
- Conscious dance
- Creative arts and journaling
- Presentations by guest faculty

You might also take a long soak under the stars, spend time alone on the land, or do much less than any of this. Esalen Massage and a selection of holistic healing services are available for those who want to deepen the experience, and they are booked separately.

Daily open classes are led by Teachers in Residence, who may guide yoga and dance-based movement, journaling sessions, breath work, and other pursuits designed to encourage joy and mindfulness. The atmosphere is nurturing and unhurried, with the shape of each day left to you.

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, specialty coffee, tea or alcohol from the bar, and bookstore purchases are not included. Self-Guided Explorations participants have access to open classes but not to preregistered workshops.

About the Lineup

Sam Stern is a musician joining this Self-Guided Explorations weekend. Further details about his background were not provided by the organizer, so we leave his story to be discovered in person.

Micha Merrick is a musician joining this Self-Guided Explorations weekend. Further details about their background were not provided by the organizer, so their work is best met in the room.

Alongside the musicians, the Teachers in Residence lead the daily open classes that make up much of the schedule.

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, and an individual day pass. A scholarship application is available for those who need one.

Esalen has posted a travel advisory for Highway 1, with road closures to the north and south affecting access. Please review the current advisory on Esalen's website before you travel and plan your arrival accordingly.