ESALEN, The Best Meditation Retreat in Big Sur

What do you think about when you think of a meditation retreat? Depending on your interests it may vary but I know I had two ideas:

1. It could be a relaxing place where everyone meditates in unison. A kind of place that pulls you from the stressors of the real world and plots you into yourself (or the “you” you want to be).
2. Other perception is a kumbaya atmosphere with people chanting and crying, getting naked together speaking in tongue, etc.

…Well Esalen had a little bit of both.

I reluctantly made the decision to go to Esalen earlier in the year of 2022. My best friend is interested in wellness just as much (if not more) than I am and we had been talking about going to some meditation retreat for a while. They’re surprisingly not as easy to find and maybe unsurprisingly, insanely expensive. So my reluctancy didn’t come from me not wanting to go, as I’d always wanted to experience a retreat like this, but we were still in the era of covid and the trauma 2020 left behind was: something horrific can randomly happen, the world will shut down, and you may lose your deposit.

The reviews for Esalen were mainly good, negative reviews had to do with how expensive it had gotten but honestly when we did the math, what we paid for our 4 day stay (which included the meditation classes, breakfast, lunch and dinner) it was cheaper than staying at a local hotel. I hear prices have gone up even more since then so that may have changed.

We ultimately decided we needed to stop thinking about doubts and just do it. So, decision was made, we’re going to Esalen!

What I brought:

1. towel
2. sweats, a sweater and loose clothing
3. sun hat & sunglasses
4. sneakers
5. bathing suit (not needed lol)
6. umbrella (came in handy)

What I wish I brought

1. heavier clothes and jacket (It was freezing at night!)

Tid bits When driving there (from LA):

• We drove the 6 hours to Esalen, loss service 30 mins to an hour away from the location so you really have to rely on a physical map or the road signs.
• View was beautiful but it did become a little scary looking down from the rocky coastline.
• Gas stations became far and few in between as you get there so when we were crazy low on gas, the only gas station available was double the regular gas price!

Once we finally got to Esalen, we stayed at the Watts residence which was very close to the entrance and close to all of our classes (Request Watts/Maslows residency in an email to the facility as I don’t believe you can choose it when choosing your room). Watts residence was named after the writer and philosopher Alan Wilson Watts who adored and wrote about Buddhism, Taoism and “the way of zen” amongst many other things; fitting the overall peaceful notion of the retreat. We explored the compound the first day. They had a gorgeous garden that you could pick from and the chefs use the produce from the garden for the meals which was an extra wellness-y plus. Bookstore was filled with crystals, stones and self help books about meditation and astrology (things you would expect in a meditation retreat). There was a slight hiccup when we got there, I guess for some reason it showed only my friend had signed up for the Tantra class (Tantra?? yes! that was the only class available for the dates we wanted and it focused on the original meaning behind spirituality vs sexuality). They resolved the issue but just make sure you’re dotting your i’s and crossing your t’s when checking out to make sure you did everything correctly.

The following days involved introducing ourselves to everyone and running through the tantric exercises that involved visualization, recognizing and igniting our chakras, deep breathing etc. While I enjoyed learning something new, I will say I personally like classes that allow you to focus on yourself more. During the introductions people shared alot about why they were there and the experiences that brought them there. Almost like an AA meeting. I’m not a sharer with people I don’t know so it was a shift for me to listen to everyone’s reasons for coming because, as an empath, I immediately start to take on their energy. Some people had really depressing reasons for coming and it did make me want to reexamine my true purpose for going. My advice would be to listen, but focus on your own journey while on the retreats. Try not to compare your energy to others.

Also, lets talk about the baths. So it was no secret that the baths was a thing. You go in nude and it’s coed. I’m confidant in my body but I’m no nudist. However, I felt I would regret it if I didn’t partake a little bit. My friend and I kept our underwear on but went topless in the baths. It was super relaxing and hot. The view was truly mesmerizing. The waves really took me on a spiritual rollercoaster…**Record Scratch** About three older fully nude men then came into the baths. Now I know the whole purpose was to be nude with people in the baths but I somehow was still taken aback when they came in. I stayed in there for another 10 mins talking to one of the guys who was super friendly and not creepy at all but I don’t think being nude with strangers will ever be my thing so, glad I tried it, but that was my last time.

Another thing people rave about is the massage which was great, I may have fallen asleep or maybe time just escaped me. I think it was like a one hour and 15 minute massage. I’d rate it 7/10 but I’m very picky when it comes to massages. I’ve had a ton and only one sticks out as a really good massage. The last day we also took a yoga class which was a nice change from our normally intense tantric courses.

I will say that the first day I remember telling myself I wouldn’t be back as it was fun but I was instantly missing the routine of my home life. However, the following days I honestly slept the best I had in a while. I also felt childlike in a place like this, there was no service so my friend and I would kick balls around on the green grass, or I’d just lay out and meditate. It was a great escape that was not too culturally shocking. I was even able to adjust to the reduced cellphone use there! All in all I would rate Esalen 8/10. Crazy beautiful place that forces you to be present and in the moment, which you want to be because there’s so much to explore! Food was unique, healthy and colorful. People were friendly but I definitely would have felt out of place if I hadn’t had my friend there. Only thing I would change would be the nude baths. Other than that, I’ll definitely be back!

Paid for room/meditation retreat: $991.5

Pay for massage: $185 (I believe there was a mandatory tip percentage)

Also Read: Amazing Ways to Fix Insomnia Through Meditation and Nutrition

References:

https://www.esalen.org/