I visited Esalen in Big Sur, CA for the first time in August 2013. I was astonished by the beauty of the place, overseeing the cliffs of the pacific ocean, housing natural hot springs and sacred ceremonial native land. The retreat center is best known for its blend of Eastern and Western philosophies, examined in experiential and didactic workshops. Over the years, Esalen hosted a notable influx of philosophers, physicists, psychologists, artists, and religious thinkers, who led some of the most important seminars that challenged the status quo during the seventies. Some of them have been radical influences in my development; personalities like Buckminster Fuller, Aldous Houxley, Alan Watts, Joseph Campbell and Gabrielle Roth, developed some of their most important body of work while staying at Esalen for extended periods of creative retreat. I wanted to see what inspired them to create such meaningful work in the intersection of body awareness, mental health and leadership trainings. 

What: Creative facilitation at Esalen / Return. 

Process: Experience design + Presencing exercises

In the summer of 2013, I was invited by Zach Bell and Mac Murphy to help curate a group of creative leaders from the Bay Area to rethink the future of business innovation making use of some of  the human potential practices birthed at Esalen. 

Insights: 
- To foster a culture of leadership, it's needed to incorporate deep personal development and open hearted communication.

- To advance the human potential movement into the world, the language needs to focused on the creative benefits and the impact that it can have in relationships and the world at large. 

Read more insights on the experience design process below: 

Collaborators: Zach Bell | Mac Murphy | Brittany Nelson