May 19-23, 2025
Embracing Mystery: Embodying Presence and Grounding in a World of Change and Uncertainty 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 and habitual ways of being and knowing the world are often shaken to the core. Many of us find ourselves confronting anxiety, impermanence, and disconnection. Yet, life invites us to remember our innate capacity for resilient adaptation, an open heart, and living intimately with the mystery of the unknown. While mystery can evoke fear and discomfort, it can also be experienced as a profound sense of awe and wonder. We are called to meet uncertainty, both within and around us, with openness, courage, and a willingness to say “yes” to life — to join the dance, even in the face of what we cannot know and is often out of our control.
This workshop offers a gentle exploration of how to cultivate curiosity, courage, and compassion to live more closely with the mystery of life. Together, we will begin where we are and embrace "what is" with kindness and a deepening awareness of our human experience. By acknowledging, turning toward, and befriending the discomfort of not knowing, we can transform it into a powerful source of energy that awakens the potential of the body, heart, and mind.
We will practice individually, in pairs, and in group settings, drawing from mystic wisdom traditions, contemplative practices, and contemporary neuro and somatic psychology, to:
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Explore how to live more fully in the presence of mystery.
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Cultivate embodied emotional and somatic intelligence.
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Offer practical tools for regulating the nervous system, building resilience, and shifting into a present responsive state.
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Engage in movement, grounding, and centering practices that allow being in and with the unknown.
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Deepen 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.
Register Now
McWay Falls in Saddle Rock Cove in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park