The Art + Science of Embodied Presence is equal parts science and art, grounded in reflective and exploratory mindfulness practice and contemplative, creative process.
Connection has taken on a new meaning as our world gets increasingly more tech/device-dependent. However, when we are not connected to ourselves, we cannot be in a significant, meaningful, and present-moment relationship with others, or for our communities.
In this new, immersive multidisciplinary workshop, we will embrace how radical presence, the experience of being fully connected to oneself and self-expression, is needed for our individual and collective healing. We each have access to embody presence by living life NOW—expressing the self fully from the heart with tenderness, love, and honesty.
The Art + Science of Embodied Presence is an experience designed for connection with intention, meaning, reverence, vulnerability, and care. By engaging in neuroscientific and somatic approaches to the mind and body, and by practicing creative and contemplative mindfulness, together, we will embark on an embodied journey towards healing through meeting the self in presence— the Truth of who we are.
During our time over the weekend, we will:
Learn the latest science and scholarship on mindfulness, embodied cognition, and presence
Engage in creative contemplative practices related to dance, improvisational mindful movement, authentic creative expression and collaborative performance
Cultivate a practice of radical presence, awareness, wonder, and awe of ourselves and the environment we exist in
Self-study through stillness, writing and creative dialog/collaborative storytelling.
Deepen the connection to self and others through self-expression
Experience the practices with a live accompaniment from Grammy-nominated multi-instrumentalist and song-writing musician Tauwoo
Join us in this intentional space to expand your mind, body, and heart in the unparalleled and gorgeous natural setting of Esalen and Big Sur.
About Esalen
Esalen is a not-for-profit holistic educational center offering wild comfort and space for emergent transformation and internal exploration since 1962. Anchored by the inspiring beauty of Big Sur and incomparable intellectual history, we are always negotiating nuance, tangling with complexity, and sitting inside contradiction. All the while, we embrace the messy, imperfect practice of moving toward our highest humanity. Enter where you are.
About Tauwoo, guest faculty + experience accompaniment
As a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Tauwoo dives deeply into the emotive world that a song or vibe has to offer. His sound is diverse drawing inspiration from West African, Middle Eastern, and Indian rhythms as well as bands like Radiohead, Photay, Anderson Paak, Bonobo, and Patrick Watson. He loves collaborations with other creatives and strives to express an emotion in its purest form be it for a brand, a film, or his personal work.
