Field Trip: Big Sur
It’s been a long time coming - after years of doing energy work and channeling spirit - for me to finally train as a Reiki practitioner in an official capacity. The purpose here being to use this energy healing modality to charge and bless the jewelry that I work on. They are talismans, after all. This year I knew the time had arrived, and when I asked myself where the most special, fun location to do such a training would be, one place came to mind: Esalen. Situated on the stunning Big Sur coast in central California, the much-storied Esalen Institute has a long history of prominence in countercultural and alternative wellness movements. Starting in the 1960s, one could find folks including The Beatles wandering the grounds, participating in workshops from top thought-leaders far and wide - teachers like Ram Dass, Alan Watts, Ida Rolf, Timothy Leary, and Aldous Huxley. Pretty dreamy, no? Not to mention that there are private hot springs pools overlooking the ocean for guests to use - no photos allowed, though, they’re fully nude. But suffice it to say, they were magical.
Thinking about who else has held this key, and what they learned while at Esalen…
Just what is Reiki, you may ask? The word itself translates to “universal life energy.” As a healing practice, it’s a modality that originated in Japan in the 1920s, stemming from a mystical incident or “download” during a 21-day mountain pilgrimage by Reiki’s founder, Mikao Usui. Usui developed a technique for channeling this universal life energy through one’s own body, passing it down from the crown of the head through the “hara” (lower belly), and back out through your hands. It’s a means of offering energy healing via hands-on touch (or hovering, for some practitioners), which sends reiki to the patient much like charging a battery, activating their own body’s natural healing processes to restore wellbeing.
The view of the cliffs and Esalen bath house, from the dining hall patio
My introductory course at Esalen, led by Reiki master Diane Domondon and scholar Justin Stein, offered a comprehensive background, as well as hands-on training. If you find yourself called to this healing modality, or simply want to learn more, I could not recommend these two teachers more (I also recommend Justin’s book, which you can find here). In the meantime, please enjoy my photo journal from this incredible experience, and know that every Talisman piece you receive will be Reiki-charged ;)
Flowers of Esalen
Teacher Diane Domondon and a student, looking out the window from our workshop room. I saw breaching whales and otters playing below us.
On top of the bathhouse at Esalen. Vibes = off the charts.
The jewels I brought with me to the workshop, now reiki charged. These included the new Prayer Necklace in Emerald, the Interconnection Trio Ring, the Portal Ring, and the Petite Helix Band (not shown).