Esalen® Massage and Energy Work

Esalen® Massage and Energy Work is a five-day healing workshop at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California, led by Char Pias and Seema Christie. It teaches the Esalen Massage developed at the Institute, with its flowing, integrated strokes, and adds an awareness of the energy patterns around and through the body. All levels of experience are welcome, from curious beginners to practitioners and caregivers looking for a fresh focus.

What to Expect

The premise is simple: each of us moves within an energy halo, and when two people touch, an energetic exchange begins. That felt relationship is the heart of Esalen Massage. The work is slow and detailed, offered from a grounded, centered place, and it opens the way to relaxation, connection and balance. This course brings energetic awareness into that practice, with meditation woven through to help participants notice their own deeper patterns.

Teaching combines experiential exercises, brief lecture demonstrations, shared self-reflection and a good deal of supervised hands-on practice with classmates. The teachers describe the class as informative and fun.

The week begins on Monday with an orientation, "How to Drop into Esalen," in the early evening, followed by an opening session that introduces the work. Tuesday through Thursday follow a steady rhythm of a morning session from 9:30 am to 1:00 pm and an afternoon session from 4:00 pm to 6:30 pm, moving from foundations into integration and deepening practice. Thursday also includes an evening exploration. On Friday a final session and closing circle run from 9:45 to 11:45 am.

The workshop carries 24 hours of continuing education authorized by the NCBTMB, offered through Esalen Massage and Bodywork Association Teachers. Participants should check with their local authorities about whether it is recognized where they practice.

About Char Pias

Char Pias has taught Esalen Massage at Esalen since 1984, and also teaches throughout California and in Europe, Japan and Canada. She describes her teaching as based on awareness practice, the principles of energetics, unlocking the nervous system, and an emphasis on self-care.

About Seema Christie

Seema Christie infuses Esalen Massage with subtle energy work, creating an experience that is safe as well as deeply felt. Her background includes work on the Esalen Institute Healing Arts staff, spiritual massage, cranio-sacral therapy, Reiki mastership and advanced healing touch. She co-founded Healing Home, a wellness studio in Carmel, California.

The Setting

Esalen Institute sits on the Big Sur coast, and guests have access to the hot springs and other campus features, including the classes on the open schedule. Accommodation ranges from a budget sleeping bag space and shared bunk rooms to private rooms, premium rooms with forest or ocean views, wooden yurts, and named suites such as the Price House Suite, the Rolf Suite and the Point House Suite. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served, with coffee, tea and snacks.

Getting there currently takes planning. A travel advisory is in effect for Highway 1, and visitors reach northern Big Sur by Caltrans-operated convoys that run only at 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. each day. These are the only times to travel into and out of Big Sur.

Before You Go

No prior massage experience is required. The workshop can be taken with on-site lodging, with off-site lodging, or as an individual day pass. A workshop with on-site stay includes the five-day program with instruction and supervised practice, housing, all meals, coffee, tea and snacks, hot springs access and open schedule classes. Additional Healing Arts sessions, including Esalen Massage appointments, specialty coffee and tea or bar drinks, and bookstore purchases are extra. A scholarship application is available for those who need one.