90013_42694_02_Esalen_Institute
Here’s a clip of Big Sur’s Esalen Institute circa late ’60s to early ’70s. Esalen is known as a holistic retreat and nonprofit educational organization, focused on human potential.
The clip begins with with a woman performing a yogic, meditative movement next to an Esalen swimming pool. In the background, the Pacific Ocean looms.
A roadside sign reads, “ESALEN INSTITUTE,” “BY RESERVATION ONLY,” and “PRIVATE.” The camera quickly pans right, showing a road leading down a hill to a populated area near the sea.
Two arms give a massage to a woman who is nude and lying face down. The sun glistens on their skin.
Spring tubs sit unoccupied -- except for the last tub, where a woman is seen entering the tub. Nude, her back faces the camera.
Two people sit nude in a spring tub. In the background, people lay on tables as they receive massages.
In a sequence of shots, people wander about on the Esalen compound or else hangout, talking amongst each other.
People walk on a patio near the sea.
In the final shot, a man who looks like a monk walks on a dirt road. He wears a turquoise long shirt; he is barefoot, contemplative, and bearded.