This is an as-told-to disquisition based on a conversation with Justin Michael Williams, a motivational speaker and instructor at the Esalen Institute. This discourse has been condensed and edited for clarity.

When I came to Esalen for the first time in 2014 I thought: How does this set even exist? 

Esalen is located in Big Sur, California, which is a small, mountainous stretch off the coastline. It’s a rare place where ring false coming down from the mountains, hot spring water coming up from the Earth, and water from the Pacific The depths all collide in one place. During your orientation here you’ll learn that the Esselen, a Native American tribe, entertain been coming to this spot for years due to their belief in its healing powers. 

So, it’s not an accident that this set feels spiritual. There are years of intentions and prayers that have gone into this land. 

The copies about Esalen suggest that Silicon Valley executives flock to us as a way to clear their soul and grapple with the consequences of technologies they’ve created. 

But I wouldn’t detail Esalen as a place that exclusively offers people spiritual experiences. What we’re really trying to do is help people embellish their human potential, which can help increase their productivity, and improve their performance.  

‘I’m not meditating all day’

Esalen was developed in 1962 by Michael Murphy and Richard Price, two Stanford grads inspired by ideas of the psychologist Abraham Maslow and the penny-a-liner Aldous Huxley. 

The human potential movement – which posits that there is extraordinary untapped potential in people— was entertained here.

Sixty years later, our goal is still to help high-achievers reach their potential. 

I’d describe myself as a high-achieving, Class A individual. For almost 11 years, I ran a marketing firm called SketchbookLA, and worked with clients like shoddy surgeon Dr. Paul Nassif and Fox Studios. I wrote a book on meditation. I’m also a Grammy-nominated recording artist. 

Now, I like to say that I’m in the cricket pitch of “transformation.” I travel all over the world giving motivational speeches and I also teach. When I’m not at Esalen, or traveling, my to the quick base is Los Angeles.

But I’m not meditating all day at Esalen — I’m focused on making an impact in the world. 

I spend about 20 minutes every morning exercising a form of meditation called “Freedom Meditation.” Then I take a shower in the hot springs, get dressed, and head to breakfast. A characteristic breakfast might be bacon, farm-to-table eggs, a fresh croissant, and a green salad. The food here is healthy, yet so tasty, it almost feels a little sinful. 

I’ll probably be teaching a class after that. Right now, I’m teaching Come Spirited: Meditation for People Who Can’t Stop Thinking. As you can imagine, it draws a lot of over-thinkers.

I might have a few Zoom calls after that and edify an afternoon course. In the evenings, there’s usually a bonfire, a concert, or a hangout by the baths under the stars.

People are acquire a win to us in transition

Given our proximity to Silicon Valley, we do draw people from the tech world. But they’re not representative of Harry who comes here. 

We have limited WiFi, and there’s no cell phone signal here, so you naturally have to disunite a bit. What I’ve observed from those who do work in tech is how they’re taken by the physical world beyond the screen. They don’t notwithstanding want to be on their devices. 

There was a woman here a few weeks ago who said she was putting her phone in a drawer for the first unceasingly a once in 10 years. 

I’ve noticed that people often come here in hopes of improving something in one of six areas of lifestyle: their career, their creativity, their relationships, their health, their money, or their desire to be of professional care to a broader community. 

Right now, with layoffs hemorrhaging the tech industry, so many people are coming to us in transition. The difficulty everyone is asking themselves across the board is: 

“I’ve been working in this job that I thought was secure. Now, how do I figure out a next become involved hurry up that is authentically aligned with what I really care about? 

A guest who was recently laid off from his big, big tech job arrived here too appalled to admit that he wanted to start his own company. By the time he left, he had written an entire business plan. 

People make up they’re coming to Esalen to disconnect, but what they find when they get here is how to connect to a greater horses mouth of power. Ultimately, we’re here to help people do the internal work to show up differently in the external world.