Winter-2022

where the crew and I would pile into a van and make the forty mile trek south to enjoy the pools. In fact, this writer’s first date with my ex- husband took place in 1994 in those very (cloth- ing optional) waters. I showed up in two bathing suits, layered one over the other. I won’t say what he wasn’t wearing! The late-night option isn’t available at this time, but for those staying on property the choice to wear your birthday suit still prevails.“The land itself is healing, going back to the Native People—the Esselen,” Daniel Bianchetta explains. “Their word for the mineral springs meant ‘The God in the Waters.’” The thermal waters, spouting from what feels like a magic portal in the hillside, make Esalen absolutely unique. In a quest to keep Esalen one-of-a-kind, Michael Murphy is thrilled to share space with fresh minds. “Esalen, at 60 years, has outlasted other places like ours, and we have some promising plans for our next 60 years.We have a rich, storied history, and now we have a brilliant group of new colleagues with whom to dream and create.” One of those recent additions is Shira Levine, the director of communications and storytelling. Working alongside an iconic figure like Murphy isn’t the only thing she marvels about. “I love the unpredictable magical connections that unfold, the strangers who become friends, the stories people share about their life journey to get here. I love the comfort of moving from a cool, shaded spot to the warm, sunny ones, where the wind gently tickles your skin. I love the baths and gazing up into a star-filled sky, hearing the crashing waves below as I digest and meditate on everything from the days and hours past.” Esalen—here to illumi- nate the past, the present, and the future. So, next time you feel like you’re in a rut, need an energetic jolt, or crave some inner peace, your salvation awaits you, just an hour south of Carmel. Each door leads to a new experience, a sensory awakening, a chance for a breakthrough. Michael Murphy is proud to usher Esalen into its seventh decade, which seemed unimaginable in the early 1960s. Here, he stands (left) with late co-founder Richard Price. 156 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 2 Photo: Stephanie Lewis Photo: Michael Dick