Meditation RetreatsFind a retreat

Esalen Institute

Trauma, Memory and the Restoration of One’s Self

Feb 22, 2026 – Feb 27, 2026 · 6 days · Big Sur, CA

Residential
YogaSilence TBDLevel TBDCost on site

Registration

Register on the official site

You’ll complete booking directly with the center.

Register on official site →

Alerts

Get alerts for similar retreats.

We’ll email you when Yoga retreats near Big Sur are announced.

Retreat overview

This workshop explores ways of representing and befriending our inner experience.

Therapies that work all start from a basic sense of calm and safety.

The calmer we are, the more we can allow ourselves to know what we know, and to feel what we feel.

Trauma changes the way the brain processes information and the body engages with the world.

Trauma makes people afraid to know what they know and feel what they feel.

This is expressed in heartbreak, and the state of being out of sync with oneself and one’s surroundings.

This course explores how, because of altered biological systems, traumatized people continue to be trapped by their history and react to current experience in a myriad of ways as a replay of the past, and shows ways to break the cycles of re-enactment and suffering.

We will study and experience the capacity of EMDR, yoga, Internal Family Systems, sensorimotor practices, psychodrama, theater work, and neurofeedback to help people overcome a traumatic past and regain the capacity to be fully alive in the present.

Bring a notebook.

Wear clothing that allows free movement as you are able.

Recommended reading:

The Body Keeps the Score , by Bessel Van de Kolk

Teachers: Bessel van der Kolk, Licia Sky

Daily schedule shape

  • See official site

Logistics

Lodging: See official site

Meals: See official site

Accessibility: See official site

Refund policy: See official site

About Esalen Institute

Big Sur retreat campus known for experiential workshops, contemplative practice, and ocean-view renewal.

Founded 1962Iconic retreat center
View center profile →

Similar retreats

Weekly Yoga Classes

Mount Madonna Center

Weekly Yoga Classes

Jan 22, 2026 · 1 days

Daylong
YogaSilence TBDLevel TBDCost on site
Schedule

See official site

Lodging & Meals

Off-site (commuter) · See official site

Motherless Daughters Retreat

Mount Madonna Center

Motherless Daughters Retreat

Jan 22, 2026 · 1 days

Daylong
YogaSilence TBDLevel TBDCost on site
Schedule

See official site

Lodging & Meals

Off-site (commuter) · See official site