Self-Guided Explorations Week of November 30 - December 4, 2026

Some retreats hand you a schedule. This one hands you a question: what do you actually need right now? Self-Guided Explorations at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, CA is a wellness retreat built around the idea that renewal comes less from prescribed sequences than from listening inward to what the body and psyche are asking for.

Over the course of a week that begins on a Monday and runs through Friday, you arrive to a cohort, a coastline, and a wide field of choices. Yoga, breathwork, meditation, conscious dance, journaling, and creative arts are all on offer, alongside presentations by guest faculty. You might fill your days with them, or take much, much less. The invitation is to choose, and sometimes to choose not to choose.

Whether you are awakening a dormant passion, tending an old wound, or simply remembering the joy of being alive, this retreat gives you room to do it at your own pace. Musicians Sam Stern and Micha Merrick are listed among the featured artists for the week.

What to Expect

The week is bookended by an opening circle and a closing circle with your cohort, which anchor the experience in shared intention. The hours in between belong to you.

- Open classes: Teachers in Residence lead the daily open classes, which may include yoga and dance-based movement, journaling sessions, breath work, and other practices designed to encourage joy and mindfulness.
- Time on the land: Solitude, quiet enjoyment of the grounds, and a long soak under the stars are as much a part of the program as any class.
- Healing arts: Esalen Massage and a selection of holistic healing services from compassionate practitioners are available as additions to your stay.
- Access to campus: Your stay includes the hot springs and other campus features.

Participants leave having reset, refreshed, and recalibrated in whatever way they most needed. Note that Self-Guided Explorations guests have access to the open classes but not to preregistered workshops.

About the Lineup

Sam Stern is a musician featured with this week of Self-Guided Explorations. Beyond that listing, the organizer has not published a detailed biography, so we will let the offering speak for itself and point you to Esalen for more on how music may shape the week.

Micha Merrick is also a musician featured with this program. Further details about Micha's background and role during the week have not been published by the organizer.

The daily open classes are led by Esalen's Teachers in Residence, who guide movement, breath, and reflective writing throughout the retreat.

Venue & Logistics

The retreat takes place at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California, on the Pacific coast. Registration options include a workshop with an on-site stay, a workshop with an off-site stay, and an individual day pass. On-site stays include housing, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, coffee, tea, and snacks, access to the hot springs and campus features, and classes on the open schedule. Healing arts sessions, bar purchases, and bookstore purchases are not included. Scholarships are available through an application.

Road conditions along Highway 1 near Big Sur have affected travel to Esalen, and a travel advisory has been in effect. Please review the current advisory on Esalen's website and confirm your route before you travel.