January 25-29, 2027
Gestalt Practice & Principles: Cultivating Embodied Wholeness in Daily Life: Registration Opens Soon
Esalen Institute
Steven Harper with Guest Faculty Joy Margolis
What does it mean to be fully, authentically human? Gestalt Practice offers an invitation to pause, to sense, and to come into direct contact with the unfolding experience of our lives. At its core, it is an awareness practice in which we cultivate embodied, present-moment awareness of the here and now on a journey toward authentic growth, wholeness, and aliveness.
Drawing from the foundations of Gestalt Practice, wisdom traditions, and contemporary approaches to awareness, we learn to become increasingly aware of our habitual, reactive, behavioral, and emotional patterns—especially those that may no longer be skillful—in support of a more deeply embodied daily life. Together we cultivate emotional and somatic awareness as we learn to support, respect, and gently turn toward whatever arises from moment to moment, allowing more space for silence, sensation, emotional expression, and authentic communication.
During this workshop, we explore the rich practices and principles of Gestalt Practice. Applying them to everyday life invites the simple yet profound possibility of showing up more fully and authentically for the daily presentations of living an awake life. This practice invites us into a more intimate relationship with who we already are and with the life that is already unfolding.
Gestalt Practice cultivates curiosity, equanimity, and acceptance, expanding our capacity for choice and creative possibilities. Rather than focusing on fixing or achievement, this approach invites you to:
• Cultivate awareness and embodied presence.
• Grow responsiveness, resilience, and choice.
• Trust in your organism’s inherent capacity for self-regulation and co-regulation.
Together, we’ll explore the elements of this approach through experiential practices, interactive exercises, and Gestalt Awareness Movement. Practices and exercises will be done solo, in pairs, triads, and groups, allowing us to deepen our awareness and discover how to enrich our relationships — to ourselves, others, and the unfolding circumstances of our lives. There will be time for some participants to experience classic one-to-one Open Seat practice sessions with Steven in the roles of Initiator and Reflector within the supportive context of the group. To enrich our understanding, we’ll touch lightly on the rich history, theory, and neuroscience that inform this approach.
Through Gestalt Practice, we bear witness to the ineffable mysteries of experience, opening to living life more fully. Participants are invited to show up, choosing to be present, paying attention to what has heart and meaning, and opening to what life presents—letting life live through us.
The workshop is appropriate for all levels of experience, with the understanding that participants are exploring a model of an awareness gym or lab for living—not a therapy. A welcome letter will be sent upon registration, along with additional information about our time together.
Register Now: Soon...
McWay Falls in Saddle Rock Cove in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park