Spending a weekend in Esalen was equivalent to weeks of vacation. This magical hidden California gem channeled to me its positive energy, simplicity, authenticity and beauty. You are probably wondering what is about The Esalen Institute that makes it so magical?
To start with, I visited Esalen as part of a yoga weekend retreat organized by my one of my favorite yoga instructors Doron Hanoch. The theme was "Activating your seven shakras". Couldn't be a more fitting theme!
Arrived at night only to realize to my pleasant surprise that there is no phone reception and internet is sporadic and turned off during meal hours. A young man greeted us at the parking door and soon we were walking to our room number 50 with a garden view. While it was dark to admire the Big Sur view, the smell of the sleeping ocean was enough to up the ante for the morning.
The rooms were rustic, 70s style and remarkably clean. We had to make our own bed and all signs in the room encouraged us to be eco friendly. Rising at 6:30 AM for our yoga class, my eyes met the blue ocean and the early ray of lights.
Walking to the yoga classroom on the edge of a cliff, I couldn't help but stop and play with cats that were lounging around the retreat. After an amazing Asana I ran to the food pavilion as the smell of oatmeal and apples started floating around the center. Definitely one of the highlights of the trip. While the commune also seemed to have not been renovated since the hippie time, it seemed to perfectly fit with the surroundings and with what Esalen is: an non pretentious yet high quality retreat. I cannot describe how delicious the food was. Mostly grown in Esalen's gardens everything was homemade including the peanut butter. The brown rice, apple and cinnamon was my favorite breakfast part as well as the quinoa and the fresh yoghurt.
Just when I thought the breakfast couldn't get better, came lunch with the most delicious vegetables. I must say I ate almost all of their tomatoes.
The other equally magical highlight of Esalen were the hot springs where clothing is optional.I walked in with my swimsuit before shortly given up on it and embracing the Esalen spirit. The hot springs have been renovated with a simple yet modern esthetic. They are on the edge of the cliff and oversee the ocean. It felt so natural and humbling to talk to people who just like you are in their natural state. It was even easier and faster to bond and open up and I definitely met amazing people that I plan to keep in touch with.
I indulged myself with an Esalen massage, overseeing the ocean on top of the hot springs. The massage was very Esalen with a little hint of spirituality, lots of care and generosity.
Meeting people from different walks of life, reconnecting with myself, disconnecting from the outside world, eating fresh, real fresh and healthy were goals i never thought i would achieve in one weekend but I did and I am very thankful to Esalen and my yoga instructor Doron Hanoch.
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