Esalen Institute reopens for couples’ workshops after a seven-month hiatus.

In a normal year, 17,000 people or more navigate the most remote stretch of Highway 1 to reach the Esalen Institute in Big Sur. They come to partake in the retreat center’s humanistic workshops and wellness programs and soak in the famous coastal hot springs. But for the past seven months, the pandemic and the raging wildfire along the coast have forced Esalen to remain closed.

Now, some visitors can finally start arriving again as Esalen reopens this week on a limited basis. The center has built a five-day program for couples with several dozen spots available each week through December.

The program, “Creating Connection through the Rituals of Esalen,” starts at $4,375 per couple (and costs up to $9,000, depending on lodging). It invites guests to unplug and focus on meditation, creativity and soul searching, says Esalen CEO Terry Gilbey. “Once you come to the Esalen container, as we like to call it, you’ve arrived at a very protected environment,” he says.

Gilbey himself first came to Esalen only four years ago as a student attending workshops in gestalt psychology. He stayed on as a volunteer and eventually came to manage the center. His challenge is to operate workshops while maintaining distancing and sanitation requirements. Meanwhile, the pandemic has curtailed international travel, all but eliminating Esalen’s pool of foreign clientele. Last year, most of the nonprofit’s $18.8 million in revenue came from program fees.

“The people who have been coming to Esalen over the years can’t do so now,” Gilbey says. “We have to get out the message out to new audiences, including among the local community.”