Esalen Institute

Yoga at Esalen

Facility: Esalen Institute
Location: Big Sur, California
Leaders: Thomas Fortel


A Personal History at Esalen

The Esalen Institute, in Big Sur, California has a very special place in my heart and has been the site of a great maturing process for myself. I am so grateful for the conscious practices of healing which Esalen is known for. The quality of Prana and Lifeforce in the environment is mindblowing and amazing and anyone who has been there knows what I am referring to. Read more...

About Retreats at the Esalen Institute

This is one of my favorite places to have a yoga retreat. The combination of the hot mineral springs, beautiful panoramas and vistas, yoga and great food makes for an incredible retreat experience. There is a very special energy at Esalen and in Big Sur generally. I experience this as an energy of transformation, a Shiva-Pluto-Kali force, so to speak. Esalen has always been known for its transformative energy in terms of the mineral springs and programming, and is an incredible backdrop for a yoga retreat.

You can arrive to the property anytime after 2:00 pm the day the retreat begins. You will register at the gate, breeze through the office and are able to get into your rooms after 4:00 pm. Most people head straight for the baths after the office but perhaps a walk to the farm or canyon, or simply sitting in the garden will help drop the car ride and calm the mind. I always teach a 4:30 pm class on Friday afternoon for the weekend workshops. Almost all of my retreats are in the yoga dome on the north side of the property (also known at Esalen as the dance dome), next to the art barn. What an amazing place this is!!! This is the quiet side of the property, the center of creativity, the Shakti. The dome and art barn flank the farm which is the northern and silent edge of Esalen. There is a very spacious quality to this side of the property and the walk back and forth is extremely advantageous in terms of colors, shapes and exercise. The sound of the ocean is enormous in the yoga dome and is a continuous pulsation and mantra throughout the retreat.

The weekend workshops are shorter, obviously, so I tend to give more time to the practice itself. In the five and seven day workshops I will always take more time to address the physical and biomechanical features of the body in the practice and also have a very full practice. While we have a strong practice in the morning (from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm), I see that the 90 minute pranayama in the morning and the two hour afternoon session are focusing more on the calming of the nervous system and deep relaxation. More Yin than Yang. I see this as appropriate yogic medicine and imagine that many of us really need this side of the practice.

Thomas Fortel Photo

I would actually recomend five day workshops for the beginners. The reason is that we are able to take more time in a five day workshop to cover the details and some of the alignment principles, and the beginners can really benefit from this. Because I have lived and taught at Esalen for the last eight years, this being my yoga studio so to speak, there are always brand new beginners in my classes. I give the beginners lot’s of space and permission to back off or to watch while still giving the group a strong vinyasa practice. As well, I am well experienced in the use of props when they are helpful for the practitioner.

There seems to be a very uplifting quality to these retreats, a feeling of expansion and recognition within the group field. We practice in the round and experience a quality of community as we see each other in practice and repose. I love the image of Esalens creativity center sitting across the lawn from the yoga dome, and then the farm and ocean. This sense of grounded, creative Shakti/ Saraswati spiritual energy. Voice, heart, love, essence, creative expression, all for all. I warmly welcome you to these retreats.

Daily Schedule

Upcoming Workshops at Esalen

Ongoing Classes at Esalen

When Thomas is at home in Big Sur, he teaches yoga classes at Esalen. These classes are for all levels of students. While the practice is intermediate in nature, Thomas takes great care in working with beginners. He generally teaches Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings from 7:30-9:00 am. Please check the Movement Schedule at Esalen to see if Thomas is teaching. These classes are for those doing workshops and Esalen residents and work scholars.

How to Register

For more information about Esalen, call (831) 667-3000 or visit the web site. To make a workshop reservation at Esalen, please call (831) 667-3005. If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Thomas.