Such expansion is essential as more of those pursuing the examined life seek personal interaction in community and fi nd that inward exploration frequently translates into outward action to improve the world. Perched on the cliffs of Big Sur, in California, the Esalen Institute, established in 1962, helped birth the modern human potential movement. It exists to help individuals grow through education, experience and research, with the conviction that positive personal and social transformation go hand-in-hand. Today, Esalen offers about 600
Fast Track to Personal Growth
Books, Workshops and Online Courses by Bess J.M. Hochstein
Our capacity for self-examination distinguishes us from other animals. We feel compelled to ask: “Who am I? What am I here for? How can I attain my full potential?” The quest for answers has engaged humans for millennia.
P
opular books that have helped people on this journey span centuries, from Wallace Wattles’ The Science of Getting Rich (1910), Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich (1937), Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Infl uence People (1937), Abraham Maslow’s Motivation and Personality (1954) and Dr. Thomas Anthony Harris’ I’m OK, You’re OK (1967) to Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret (2006). The personal growth genre is a cornerstone of the publishing industry. Companies like Hay House, founded by motivational author Louise Hay, have fl ourished. Hay teaches, “No matter where we live or how diffi cult
our situation seems to be, we have the ability to overcome and transcend our circumstances.” The success of her 1984 book, You Can Heal Your Life, a New York Times bestseller well into the 21st century, led to her publishing empire, which includes authors such as Dr. Wayne Dyer, Caroline Myss and Joan Borysenko, Ph.D. One of its recent top sellers is Pam Grout’s E-Squared: Nine Do-It-Yourself Energy Experiments that Prove Your Thoughts Create Your Reality. Hay House has expanded its messages of hope and healing through online courses, fi lms, conferences, special events and other opportunities to meet leading thinkers and peers.
26 Central Florida natural awakenings Transform Your Life with Mentors,
workshops a year, serving around 12,000 participants. Popular programs range from dance and yoga to couples workshops and psychology courses. Cheryl Fraenzl, director of programs, explains the appeal: “For most of us, life can be challenging and messy. Gaining the insight, skills and tools to move through the challenging times with more ease and grace while creating more love for yourself and those around you seems like a good investment of time and energy. Being consciously kind and relationally wise ripples out and changes the world. The effort has to start with the individual, like paying it forward; imagine if we all were doing it?” The largest holistic retreat center in North America, Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, attracts 35,000 participants to 800 programs annually. According to Denise Barack, the nonprofi t’s director of program development, current workshops in high demand include qigong, Buddhist meditation, mindfulness and yoga nidra. She also notes a growing interest in diverse dimensions of yoga, dance and “authentic movement” for healing,
Courtesy of Doug Ellis/Esalen Institute
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