May 19-23, 2025
Embracing Mystery: Saying Yes to Life Open for Registration
Esalen Institute
Steven Harper & Friends
The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance. ~ Alan Watts
In these ever-changing times, our familiar ways of being and knowing are often shaken to the core. Yet, life invites us to remember our innate capacity for resilience, an open heart, and the possibility of living intimately with the mystery of the unknown. We are called to meet uncertainty—both within and around us—with openness and a willingness to say “yes” to life. We learn to embrace life as a dance, even when we cannot see the next step.
This workshop offers a gentle experiential exploration of how to cultivate curiosity, courage, and compassion in relationship with life’s mysteries. Together, we will begin where we are and embrace "what is" with a deepening awareness of our human experience. By acknowledging and turning toward the discomfort of not knowing, we can transform it into a powerful source of energy—awakening the potential of our body, heart, and mind.
Drawing from wisdom traditions, contemplative practices, and somatic and neuropsychology, we are invited to explore:
- How to live more fully in the presence of mystery.
- Embodied emotional and somatic intelligence.
- Practical tools for regulating the nervous system, building resilience, and shifting into a responsive, present state.
- Movement, grounding, and centering practices that allow being in and with the unknown.
- A deepened connection to self, others, and the more-than-human world.
Embracing the great mystery of life is a process of letting go of the need for definitive answers and allowing space for the unexpected and unfamiliar to unfold. By living with an open heart, body, and mind, we can dance into the interconnectedness of all things, allowing life to live through us as we navigate an ever-changing world.
Join us in this transformative journey of discovery, where we learn to welcome the mystery with grace and live more fully from a place of embodied presence—saying “yes" to life.
Register Now
Read More: Dancing with the Mystery: Embracing Change with an Open Heart by Steven Harper
McWay Falls in Saddle Rock Cove in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park