2010 Workshops & Retreats
Here is a partial list of my 2010 schedule of workshops and retreats. Click on a workshop date and title below to view the description and registration information or scroll down the page. Most 2009 workshops booked full with a waitlist — register early. For a downloadable schedule click here: 2010 Workshops & Retreats with Steven Harper
April 11-16, 2010 - Big Sur Wilderness Experience at Esalen
May 6-9, 2010 - Wild Mind, Zen Mind at Tassajara
May 9-14, 2010 - Walk on the Wild Side at Esalen
May 28-30, 2010 - Simply Wild at Esalen
June 13-18, 2010 - Mountains and Waves at Esalen
June 18-20, 2010 - Fathers & Sons: Celebrating Father’s Day
July 5-8, 2010 - The Nature of Zen at Tassajara
July 18-23, 2010 - Big Sur Wilderness Experience at Esalen
July 31-Aug. 5 - The Art of Pilgrimage at Vallecitos Ranch
August 22-27, 2010 - Belonging to the Earth at Easalen
September 5-10, 2010 - Big Sur Wilderness Experience at Esalen
September 18, 2009 - The Art of Pilgrimage at Green Gulch
October 3-8, 2010 - Stepping In, Stepping Out at Esalen
October 24-29, 2010 - The Way of Nature at Esalen
November 14-19, 2010 - Following the Way, Returning to the Source at Esalen
April 11-16, 2010
Big Sur Wilderness Experience: Springtime
Esalen Institute: Register Now
Steven Harper and Michael Newman
Esalen is the trailhead to one of the most spectacular mountainous coastlines in the world. With the Big Sur wilderness as the primary teacher, participants will explore the beauty of this alive and wild coast, from ancient redwood-forested canyons to dramatic coastal beaches, from rugged rocky mountains to the soft grassy slopes of the Big Sur hills. Drawing from nature and various experiential awareness practices, individuals will be encouraged to open both to the natural world and to the landscapes of their inner world. It is said that Big Sur is not just a place but a state of mind. This wilderness experience seeks to merge mind and place, then to embody what is learned.
Participants in this weeklong workshop will venture out into the emerging springtime magnificence of Big Sur on five day-hikes, 4-10 miles in length. The leaders will draw from a wide range of contemporary and age-old wisdom traditions, borrowing from psychology, meditation, aikido, and the natural sciences to weave together a holistic experience of self and the natural world. Each hike begins after breakfast and concludes in time to enjoy the hot springs and dinner at Esalen. Evening sessions include informal sharing, basic awareness practices, and useful outdoor skills, with attention given to incorporating what is learned into our daily lives. All levels of experience are welcome. Be prepared for the invigorating challenge of physical activity and the opportunity to simply sit still in quiet reflection. More information will be sent upon registration.
($20 park-entrance fees paid directly to the leader.
May 6-9, 2010
Zen Mind, Wild Mind
Tassajara Mountain Zen Center: Register Now
Steven Harper and Leslie James
This retreat simply offers the finest of Tassajara—Buddhist practice, wilderness walks, wonderful meals, hot springs, and silence. We will explore Zen practice and the natural beauty of Tassajara through daily meditation, group discussions, and day hikes on wilderness trails. This is a time be fully alive, celebrate spring’s abundant emergent growth, and appreciate the elemental grandeur of nature.
May 9-14, 2010
Walk on the Wild Side: Hiking the Big Sur Country
Esalen Institute: Register Now
Steven Harper and Michael Newman
"What's the quickest way out of the city?" John Muir is reported to have asked a stranger on the street of the metropolis in which Muir had just arrived. "Where do you want to go?" the man asked. "Anywhere that is wild," Muir replied.
This week is straightforward. You day-hike the mountainous paths into the wilds of Big Sur, breathe in the fresh mountain air, and soak in Esalen's natural hot springs overlooking the waves of the Pacific—in short, you let yourself touch and be touched by Nature.
"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where Nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul," said Muir. Drawing from various wisdom traditions, the group will be introduced to practices that encourage openness to self and nature. As Muir discovered, "I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in."
Hikes (3-10 miles in length) begin after breakfast and finish in time to enjoy the hot springs and wholesome food of Esalen. Participants should be prepared for the challenge of invigorating physical activity as well as the opportunity to simply sit still in quiet contemplation. More information will be sent upon registration.
Muir wrote, "The mountains are calling me and I must go."
($20 park-entrance fees paid directly to the leader)
May 28-30, 2010
Simply Wild: Experiencing Nature
Esalen Institute: Register Now
Steven Harper
“I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done.”
~ Mary Oliver
The weekend is simple. We stroll through the wilds of Big Sur on hikes, soak in the natural mineral hot springs, eat good wholesome food, commune with ourselves, others, and nature. With the bare attention of awareness, and wilderness as our teacher we show up for our life as it unfolds moment to moment. We come into deep contact with the raw beauty of this mysterious world.
The group will venture out on two hikes 2- 6 miles in length. Simple practices that encourage awareness and contemplation (“how to be idle and blessed”) will be shared with the group as well as the wonders of the rich natural history of Big Sur. No previous experience in simplicity or nature is required. Further information will be sent upon registration.
($10 park-entrance fees paid directly to the leader)
June 13-18, 2010
Mountains and Waves: Wilderness and Continuum
Esalen Institute: Register Now
Steven Harper and Susan Harper
Wilderness is a primary teacher of movement, creativity, and awareness whose richness and beauty awakens our senses to the world around us. Continuum is a unique movement practice, an inquiry into our capacity to innovate and participate with the essential movement processes of life. Continuum takes us inward in a dynamic inquiry, rotating between inner investigation and the flow of unfolding creative expression. Integrating day-hiking in the magnificent Big Sur backcountry with the subtle internal explorations of Continuum movement, this workshop combines and weaves together these two practices.
The hikes will introduce participants to increasingly refined awareness practices to enhance sensitivity to all that wilderness can offer, to reawaken those elements of wilderness within. During the indoor Continuum sessions, participants will explore movements that express and embody what they have taken in during the hikes, enlivening their ability to feel what they experience in nature as well as in their own inner nature. In this sensual environment, the group will play with movement, breath, sound, dreams, and ritual. This will be a time for contact with nature and wilderness, inside and out. Participants need not have previous experience in hiking or movement practices.
Co-leaders Steven and Susan are a brother-and-sister team who have taught this ever-evolving program annually for over 20 years.
($20 park-entrance fees paid directly to the leader)
June
18-20, 2010
Fathers and Sons: Celebrating Father’s Day in the Tradition of the Old Ways
Esalen Institute: Register Now
Steven Harper, Kenneth Harper, Kai Harper, & Kes Harper
It is a wise child that knows his own father.
-Homer
It is a wise father that knows his own child.
-William Shakespeare
Over the ages, fathers and sons have journeyed together into the wilds of nature, traveling light, living simply, and stepping together on the path of what is known and what is unknown as students and teachers for one another. This weekend is a time for fathers and sons to come together as individuals, family, and community to explore the natural wild areas of Big Sur and the relationship of father and son in a community of men.
“Our time together is simple,” says Steven. “Participants will be introduced to basic contemplative and awareness practices from various wisdom traditions. Our time outdoors during the week will be spent on day hikes (two to six miles in length) into the rugged beauty of Big Sur. Much of our time will be in silence, quiet dialog, and reflective exercises that invite participants to pay attention to that which has heart and meaning. During indoor sessions we will share experience, stories of the path, and poems of inspiration…with a touch of creative humor to add balance.”
Longtime Esalen leader, Steven, his father Kenneth, and two sons, Kai and Kes, will lead the weekend. This multi-generational father and son team along with the group will weave together an eclectic mix that draws from collective life experience and training.
All levels of experience are welcome, however the group is limited to fourteen years and older. More information will be sent upon registration.
($10 park-entrance fees paid directly to the leader)
July 5-8, 2010
The Nature of Zen
Tassajara Mountain Zen Center: Register Now
Steven Harper and Steve Stücky
In this retreat we will explore nature and the essence of Zen teaching through periods of meditation, group discussions, and day hikes exploring the wilderness backcountry around Tassajara. This is a time to cultivate and nurture awareness, listen deeply to the silence of nature, and discover what direct experience of wild nature and Zen practice has to offer our lives.
July 18-23, 2010
Big Sur Wilderness Experience
Esalen Institute: Registion Opens in March
Steven Harper and Michael Newman
Esalen is the trailhead to one of the most spectacular mountainous coastlines in the world. With the Big Sur wilderness as the primary teacher, participants will explore the beauty of this alive and wild coast, from ancient redwood-forested canyons to dramatic coastal beaches, from rugged rocky mountains to the soft grassy slopes of the Big Sur hills. Drawing from nature and various experiential awareness practices, individuals will be encouraged to open both to the natural world and to the landscapes of their inner world. It is said that Big Sur is not just a place but a state of mind. This wilderness experience seeks to merge mind and place, then to embody what is learned.
Participants in this weeklong workshop will venture out into the emerging springtime magnificence of Big Sur on five day-hikes, 4-10 miles in length. The leaders will draw from a wide range of contemporary and age-old wisdom traditions, borrowing from psychology, meditation, aikido, and the natural sciences to weave together a holistic experience of self and the natural world. Each hike begins after breakfast and concludes in time to enjoy the hot springs and dinner at Esalen. Evening sessions include informal sharing, basic awareness practices, and useful outdoor skills, with attention given to incorporating what is learned into our daily lives. All levels of experience are welcome. Be prepared for the invigorating challenge of physical activity and the opportunity to simply sit still in quiet reflection. More information will be sent upon registration.
($20 park-entrance fees paid directly to the leader.)
July 31-August 5
The Art of Pilgrimage: Walking the Wild Path
Vallecitos Canyon Ranch: Register Now
Steven Harper and Don Usner
In this retreat at the remote Vallecitos Mountain Ranch in northern New Mexico we will explore the ancient art of walking in nature as a contemporary pilgrimage. Most of the world’s wisdom traditions, including those of the indigenous people of northern New Mexico, use some form of pilgrimage as part of spiritual practice, but contemporary western culture rarely integrates walking practice into contemplative life. We will take advantage of the wild landscape of Vallecitos to launch a dynamic inquiry into inner and outer nature while celebrating the sacred aspect of the journey itself, where meaning lies in each new moment of simply walking and simply being.
Our time at Vallecitos will begin with a discussion of the cross-cultural elements of pilgrimage from around the globe including the traditions of the local cultures and traditions. We will introduce basic principles of meditation, walking and movement awareness, and will take time each day to practice these in the meditation hall at the main lodge. As we journey forth on a mindful day hikes these ancient practices will inform our exploration of the wild beauty around Vallecitos and the wild nature of the internal landscape. We will focus on the place itself as a teacher, noting and discussing aspects of natural and cultural history in the rugged mountains, long an important spiritual homeland to Jicarilla, Pueblo and Hispanic people. On the wilderness trails around Vallecitos, among groves of old-growth pines, out in stunning mountain meadows, and along the banks of the sparkling and pristine Vallecitos River, we will integrate an eclectic mix of natural history interpretation, meditation practice, silence, and instruction.
On this contemplative journey into the wilds, each step will be the goal as we discover inner gems to bring back from pilgrimage as gift to our greater community. We will have the ranch to ourselves for our five-day sojourn, and single occupancy rooms will allow personal time for integrating our experience. Be prepared for invigorating activity and the opportunity to simply sit still in quiet reflection, for simple but comfortable accommodations, and for a diet of gourmet, vegetarian food.
August 22-27, 2010
Belonging to Earth: Finding Our Place in Nature
Esalen Institure: Registration Open in March
Steven Harper and Michael Newman
In every moment of our lives we are supported by natural systems both seen and unseen. Yet, in our culture, many of us are cut off from the natural world. We have little contact with wild nature, little idea of where we live, and little notion of what directly sustains our daily life. Esalen, surrounded and sustained by wild natural systems, is an ideal place to learn more about our sense of place, of nature, and of belonging to this earth.
This program will explore our relationship to the earth through increasing our knowledge of the basic life and earth sciences, and increasing awareness of self and nature. Participants will be introduced to an overview of the natural sciences and then to the geology, weather, ecology, native peoples, flora, and fauna that make up the incredible landscape we call Big Sur.
This workshop will include evening introductory lectures, dialog, and day-hikes that venture into Big Sur’s backcountry for field sessions that expand our practical knowledge of nature and, more specifically, of Big Sur. Attention will be paid to how we take our newfound eco-literacy and integrate it with how we sense our belonging so that we may more fully inhabit this extraordinary third planet from the sun.
This program is open to all levels of experience in hiking and the natural sciences. Participants should be prepared to hike in varied terrain (4-6 miles), enjoy periods of silence, and have a curiosity about nature and our place in the world.
($20 park-entrance fees paid directly to the leader)
September 5-10, 2010
Big Sur Wilderness Experience
Esalen Institute: Registration Opens in March
Steven Harper and Michael Newman
Esalen is the trailhead to one of the most spectacular mountainous coastlines in the world. With the Big Sur wilderness as the primary teacher, participants will explore the beauty of this alive and wild coast, from ancient redwood-forested canyons to dramatic coastal beaches, from rugged rocky mountains to the soft grassy slopes of the Big Sur hills. Drawing from nature and various experiential awareness practices, individuals will be encouraged to open both to the natural world and to the landscapes of their inner world. It is said that Big Sur is not just a place but a state of mind. This wilderness experience seeks to merge mind and place, then to embody what is learned.
Participants in this weeklong workshop will venture out into the richness of the late summer season of Big Sur on five day-hikes, 4-10 miles in length. The leaders will draw from a wide range of contemporary and age-old wisdom traditions, borrowing from psychology, meditation, aikido, and the natural sciences to weave together a holistic experience of self and the natural world. Each hike begins after breakfast and concludes in time to enjoy the hot springs and dinner at Esalen. Evening sessions include informal sharing, basic awareness practices, and useful outdoor skills, with attention given to incorporating what is learned during the week into our daily lives. All levels of experience are welcome. Be prepared for the invigorating challenge of physical activity and the opportunity to simply sit still in quiet reflection. More information will be sent upon registration.
($20 park-entrance fees paid directly to the leader)
Saturday, September 18, 2010: 9:30 am - 5:30 pm
Art of Pilgrimage: Walking the Wild Path
Green Gulch Zen Center
with Steven Harper and Jeremy Levie
Most of the world's spiritual traditions include some form of pilgrimage. Although not often taught in the West, Buddhism also includes such a practice. This retreat will be a contemporary pilgrimage, exploring the ancient art of walking. While pilgrimage is often from one place to another, we will end at the very place we begin, celebrating the sacred aspect of the journey itself. We will begin at Green Gulch with an introduction to the basic principles of sitting meditation (zazen) and walking practice (kinhin). Much of the day will be spent mindfully hiking trails in the wilds of Marin (3-6 miles in length), moving between silence, instruction, and informal discussion. This is a contemplative journey where each step is the goal. Please bring a bag lunch. Further information will be sent upon registration.
Fees: $45, $40 members, $35 limited income
Call the Green Gulch office at 415.383.3134 to register.
October 3-8, 2010
Stepping In, Stepping Out: Gestalt and Hiking Practice
Esalen Institute: Registration Opens in March
Steven Harper and Christine Price
“This workshop brings together gestalt practice and hiking. Both are practices in awareness. Both offer a chance to explore “inner” and “outer” wilderness.”
~ From the 1985 Esalen catalog offered by Steven Harper and Richard Price
This workshop is being revived in honor of the 80th birthday of Esalen co-founder, Richard Price, who loved exploring both the inner and outer wilderness. Characteristic of his many long walks in these hills, Richard said, “I may not know where I am going, but I know where I am each step of the way.” Taking this inspiration into our time together, we will practice knowing where we are every step of the way as we explore Big Sur and our inner terrain.
Christine Price and Steven Harper have long been friends and leaders at Esalen. Steven shared many miles both on and off the wild paths with Richard Price. Christine’s bio in the Esalen catalog once read, “Christine Stewart is a 24 hour a day student of Richard Price.” Gestalt Awareness Practice and hiking are paths that deeply inform one another. Together they invite you into a dynamic exploration of these two practices.
There will be a balance of indoor sessions focused in Gestalt Awareness Practice and time outdoors on day hikes (2-6 miles in length) where we will be students of wild Nature. In addition we will draw from a wide range of contemporary and age-old wisdom through meditation, movement awareness, and the natural sciences to inform our time together.
For more specific descriptions of these two approaches refer to Introduction to Gestalt Awareness Practice, December 10-12 and Big Sur Wilderness Experience, August 22-27. Further information will be sent upon registration.
($20 park-entrance fees paid directly to the leaders.)
For more information about Richard Price and his work see: Richard Price Legacy
October 24-29, 2010
The Way of Nature
Esalen Institute: Registration Opens in March
Steven Harper and Deborah Bowman
You didn't come into this world. You came out of it, like a wave from the ocean. You are not a stranger here. ~ Alan Watts
Ever since the supposed "primordial soup," nature has been our teacher. We were born of this earth and throughout recorded time people have turned to wilderness to awaken, become whole, and know their belonging to this world.
With wilderness as our primary teacher, we’ll explore the way of nature, discovering as contemporary humans what it means to walk this pathless path. Hiking the wilderness trails of Big Sur, we’ll balance the days between walking and quiet contemplation, active awareness exercises and simply being. As seekers immersing ourselves in the natural world, we’ll also read and share the ancient and ecstatic voices of prose and poetic imagination. This wisdom passed through the ages deepens our intimate connection to ourselves, each other, and our wild nature.
The workshop includes day-hikes (3-6 miles) into the Big Sur backcountry. Indoor sessions will include an eclectic mix of informal sharing, awareness practice, and more poems of the wild. Previous wilderness experience is not necessary, although participants should be prepared for some vigorous physical activity. Further information will be sent upon registration.
($20 park-entrance fees paid directly to the leader)
November 14-19, 2010
Following the Way, Returning to the Source: A Celebration of the Life and Work of Richard Price
Esalen Institute: Registration Opens in March
Dorothy Charles, Steven Harper, Chris Price, & Friends
Esalen’s co-founder, Richard Price, led a life that touched and continues to touch many people. Eighty years ago Richard (Dick) came into this world. Nearly 50 years ago Dick and Michael Murphy showed up in Big Sur, following an idea that became Esalen. Twenty-five years ago this month, Dick returned to the source, leaving this world abruptly and well loved.
During this time of remembering and renewing, we invite both those familiar and those new to his work, to celebrate Dick’s life, explore the practices he taught, and share in his legacy.
Drawing from their time as his students and friends, the leaders will offer a didactic map of the work Dick developed. True to that teaching, talking about will lead into direct experience as we use these practices in paired exercises, open seat sessions, meditative traditions, and walking in nature.
We hope to have a lively diverse gathering: a reunion of old-timers, an introduction to newcomers and an honoring of the gifts we received from the evangelical Taoist with the quick-witted sense of humor and boundless presence who touched Esalen, and so many of us, with his strong heart and clear vision.
For more information about Richard Price and his work see: Richard Price Legacy