Week of December 19-24, 2010

Ceremonies and Ritual for Personal Exploration and Community Building

 This workshop has been CANCELLED

Ceremonies and rituals are a pathway to profound personal growth and community transformation and magic. Whether we are marking a personal milestone such as coming-of-age, marriage (or divorce), becoming an elder or the end of life, or celebrating a cherished underlying value such as nature, love, work, community, or the divine, rituals clarify our intentions and possibilities. They help us and those we care about feel closer, more alive, and more inspired. If all this rings true, this workshop is for you.

The workshop will employ seminar-style discussion, experiential group work, active listening, and visualization. Participants will be shown some basic structures of ritual and their roots in sacred worship and the early theater, and will learn about a range of ceremonies in world cultures and history. Music, movement, the spoken word, and altar building will also be integral to our work. Together, we’ll unleash our imagination and hone the skills that enable us to craft and perform ceremonies that are meaningful, beautiful, and fun for ourselves and our communities back home.

Our workshop will coincide with the holiday season, a powerful time of year with many life-affirming and sometimes challenging themes and emotions. Each day will include a ceremony created by several members of the group, and our time together will culminate in a large ceremony we will create especially for the entire Esalen community.

Reservations Information (Accommodations & Pricing)