F I R S TP R E V935NEXTLAST

Contemplative Afternoon in Big Sur
One of the most beautiful spots in America is legendary Big Sur. Located a couple hours south of San Francisco, the dramatic 90-mile region stretches from Carmel to San Simeon. Along with its stunning coast line, Big Sur contains the Santa Lucia Mountains, Los Padres National Forest and thousands of acres of parkland.

Big Sur is also home to Esalen, the oldest and most famous retreat center for 'inner work.' Started in 1962, Esalen offers workshops on everything from cleansing your chakras to improving your love life to 'Facilitating Deep Process using the Penniston Protocol Alpha/Theta Brainwave Training Technique.' The retreat has featured out-of-the-box speakers such as Aldous Huxley, Hunter S. Thompson, Joseph Campbell, Alan Watts and Fritz Perls.

In the 1960s celebrities, CEOs and musicians all flocked to Esalen for the experience. Soon Esalen became famous as THE place to drop acid, sit naked in a hot tub with a movie star, and contemplate the void. On August 5th, 1969 Charlie Manson dropped in at an Esalen sensitivity retreat, played some guitar, then left. Three days later the Manson Family committed the Sharon Tate murders.

Today Esalen still receives thousands of visitors every year who relax in the natural hot springs, get a massage, enroll in workshops, or simply to stare out at the ocean for hours with their camera – until a park ranger tells them to put on their clothes and move along.
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