The Earth holds us, breathes with us, moves through us.
Since time immemorial, human beings have lived in deep, reciprocal relationship with landscapes—our movements shaped by terrain, our nervous systems regulated by the rhythms of seasons and tides, our sense of self inseparable from the more-than-human world. Yet, in this modern, frenetic age, we are conditioned to see our bodies as isolated, our healing as individual, and “nature” as separate. This retreat is an invitation to remember an older truth: to inhabit our own bodies fully is to reinhabit the living Earth.
Rooted in the Gestalt traditions of Esalen and the emergent field of eco-somatics, our four-day wilderness journey will guide us through the wilds of Big Sur—Esselen tribal territory—in an immersive exploration of belonging, awareness, and interconnection, followed by a weekend of retreat and integration at Esalen Institute.
While trekking through awe-inspiring wilderness, we will engage in somatic practices that reawaken our felt kinship with the natural world. Embracing slowness and spaciousness, we will attune to gravity, breath, and the sensuous aliveness of place. Silent hiking, intuitive movement, meditation, and earth-based ritual will dissolve the false boundary between self and landscape. Exploring embodiment as an intimate community, we will move beyond notions of individual self-care to a lived experience of healing as relational and ecological.
Through this retreat, we step into a different rhythm—one guided by the living world around and within us. As we listen with our whole bodies, we begin to sense the reciprocity woven into all things. What emerges is not just connection but remembering—a return to a relationship as ancient as our true body: the Earth.
Program Itinerary
Depending on the Spring trail conditions in the Big Sur wilds post-Timber Fire and Plaskett Fire, our wilderness itinerary could take shape in various ways. Our program may be a thru-hike backpacking journey (moving backcountry campsites every night), or an out-and-back backpacking journey (for example, hiking out to a singular backcountry camp for all three nights, and spending days 2 and 3 day-hiking from there). Other program formats may also emerge depending on considerations based on larger local conditions of roads and wilderness. Given the dynamic nature of the land here in Big Sur, especially after wildfire, our itinerary will likely remain responsive and in flux until close to the program dates. While the form of our journey is subject to change, the heart of our program, rooted in eco-somatics and relational wilderness practice, will not change.
Since our exact hiking route will not be decided until close to the program dates, the hiking itinerary below is offered as a sample thru-hike, and is intended to give a sense of potential terrain, pacing, and challenge; our final itinerary will be different. Regardless, the hikes will unfold over three nights and four days, and conclude at Esalen for a weekend of shared retreat. The mileage below is not precise; however, we expect any final itinerary to be an equivalent level of (moderate to strenuous) difficulty through rugged terrain, with an estimated total of 15-20 miles traversed in total.
Photo of Esalen hot spring baths: Amanda Marsalis
Day 1 | Meet in at 8:30am for orientation and to begin our hike into the Big Sur Wilderness. (This day may require shuttling in vehicles to arrive at the trailhead.)
Example mileage for the day: ~6.5
Example elevation gain/loss: +1500’/-1500’
Day 2 | After a morning check-in and awareness practices, we will journey deeper into the wild.
Example mileage for the day: ~4.8
Example elevation gain/loss: +1445 / -1190
Day 3 | A gentle, slow and spacious day full of practice and immersion.
Example mileage for the day: ~1.4
Example elevation gain/loss: +740 / -310
Day 4 | Arriving on the Big Sur coast in the afternoon, we’ll check into Esalen by 4pm. In the evening we’ll have a group dinner in the historic Esalen lodge (6:00-8:00 pm).
Example mileage for the day: ~5.6
Example elevation gain/loss: +1320 / -1665
Day 5 | A day of R&R, group practice, and exploring Esalen. Meet in the morning (10:00am-12pm) and afternoon (4:00-6:00 pm) to share stories and integrate. Please make sure not to schedule bodywork or other plans during our meeting times on Saturday and Sunday. Esalen offers open movement classes at 7:30am every morning as well.
Planned mileage for the day: 0 miles
Day 6 | Savor a half-day at Esalen, including breakfast and lunch. Meet mid-morning (10:00 am-12:00 pm) for a closing circle. Depart Esalen by 2:00 PM.
Planned mileage for the day: 0 miles
Meet your guides
ARIEL JOHNSON
Ariel Johnson is an embodiment facilitator specializing in trauma-informed somatic practices. As a guide with Wildtender, Ariel supports participants to meaningfully immerse in the California wild, and to cultivate deeper relationships with the broader web of kinfolk. A practitioner of meditation and mindfulness practices, she is a dedicated student of Gestalt Awareness Practice in the lineage of Christine Price, as well as grief tending with Francis Weller. With extensive training in ballet and modern dance, yoga (E-RYT 500), and Gyrotonic Level 1, she helps students cultivate greater presence and intuition in their connections with self, community, and the earth-body. Ariel is a Wilderness First Responder.
Growing up in Japan, Washington, and California, Ariel inherited from her father a deep love of the natural world through camping and hiking. Now living with her family in Pacific Grove, California, she finds joy in studying natural history, literature, and Japanese tea ceremony.
NOËL VIETOR
Noël has been in an ongoing apprenticeship with sacred gardens and wilds of California for over a decade. Her work and interests are dedicated to helping people relate more meaningfully with the land, themselves and each other. Noël served as the Program Coordinator for the Esalen Institute Farm & Garden in Big Sur from 2010-2015 – organizing its land-based educational programs and practice of Relational Agriculture, rooted in Esalen’s Gestalt lineage. Noël found a deep sense of belonging in the Big Sur wild while hiking the steep trails, learning the history and stories of the place, and experimenting with wild-crafting and homestead arts.
Rachel Goldberger
Rachel Goldberger has called Big Sur home for the past eight years. A devoted creek-jumper and ocean-dipper, she finds daily inspiration in the rhythms of the Big Sur wild and the resilience of the people who live here. Through her work with the Community Association of Big Sur, a local nonprofit, she advocates for community wellbeing, land stewardship, and sustainable tourism. Rachel has a background in marine science, which laid the foundation for her ongoing study of Big Sur’s native plants and their culinary and healing properties. Her home garden and love for cooking inspire a deep sense of connection, both of which she shares through her involvement with the local food pantry, The Big Share.
Rachel is a certified Wilderness First Responder.
Sliding Scale Program Tuition
The below tuition rates reflect your tuition investment for the Earth Body program (excluding Esalen accommodations).
$1,450 – Supported Rate (covers a portion of the cost of your program)
$1,850 – Sustainer Rate (covers the cost of your program)
$2,250 – Helper Rate (covers the cost of your program and contributes some financial support for another)
$2,750 – Benefactor Rate (covers the cost of your program, contributes generously to the financial support of another, and supports Wildtender’s ongoing organizational stability)
For more transparency into our pricing, and some guidance for how to decide where you fall on the sliding scale, please see our registration page.
TUITION INCLUDES
Three-night / four-day guided wilderness pilgrimage
Guide fees – supporting facilitation in Gestalt practice, Eco-Somatics, Big Sur natural history & ecology, eco-philosophy, environmental stewardship, wilderness ethics and best practices, and backpacking essentials. (All lead guides are Wilderness First Responder Certified)
Camp meals and beverages (breakfast & dinner each day)
Shuttling costs
Shared wilderness & safety supplies (maps, satellite communication device, water filters, cooking supplies, first aid, etc.)
Resource list & preparation packet
Preliminary phone call to address any questions or concerns
TUITION EXCLUDES
Esalen accommodations for the weekend must be booked separately. After registering through Wildtender, you will receive instructions on how to book at Esalen. Esalen’s all-inclusive pricing for the weekend (including meals, lodging, on-campus classes, and access to the hot spring baths) ranges per person from $430 for a sleeping bag space (shared with other participants), $905 for a shared room (two beds, shared with another program participant), $1,090 for a standard room, to $1,570 for a premium room.
Travel to and from program
Lunches and snacks on trail
Personal backpacking equipment. A full packing list will be supplied upon registration, but here are the essential items you will definitely need to buy, borrow or rent: hiking boots, backpacking backpack, lightweight tent, lightweight sleeping bag, lightweight sleeping pad and headlamp.
Travel insurance is strongly recommended. Please read more details here.
Other Information
Terms & Conditions (including registration and cancellation terms, and program requirements)