Esalen, Earthquakes, & Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle

Esalen Institute, Big Sur, CA

Just returned from a terrific 5-days at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, CA where every August I teach The Way of Story: the craft & soul of writing workshop. Here a group of aspiring writers met in Big Sur at Esalen Institute, bathed blissfully in sulphur baths overlooking the Pacific Ocean where humpback whales sang & fed on anchovies (see photo above, look carefully to spot the humpback’s fin!).

Taking a short break from the workshop, we walked outside and spied a leisurely otter lying on her back feasting on the sea (see below for photo), elsewhere seals barked and hunted along the shore. We ate organic food, laughed and made new friends then six hours a day joined The Way of Story workshop where we explored our writing selves. All they needed was laptop or paper and pen, and courage – and they had all three. Great group with individual writers coming from Columbia (South America), New Hampshire, New York, Calgary (Canada), Atlanta, Los Angeles, & the majority of the group came & returned Friday to the San Francisco Bay Area and Napa.

The Way of Story 2014 at Esalen (A Great Group!)

This Sunday morning I learned of the 3 AM Earthquake (6.O) in N. California. Most of the class drove down to Esalen from Napa and the Bay Area in N. CA where this morning’s quake hit. So my thoughts & prayers go out to them at this time.

We studied metaphor all week long, finding a symbol to represent a character or theme of story. Heisenberg was right in his ‘uncertainty principle’ – a theme for our times. Heisenberg found that the ‘uncertainty principle’ in quantum physics  ascribes the uncertainty in the measurable quantities to the jolt-like disturbance triggered by the act of observation. The Napa earthquake this morning is an apt metaphor for today and a theme for our uncertain times.

How rare and increasingly necessary to allow periodic retreats from the chaotic world we live in.

None can know what tomorrow brings and yet each and every one of us possesses the gift of Now.

One of the workshop participants, Barb,  took this photo below of an Esalen otter enjoying her dinner. Animals know how to live in the now. We could learn a thing or two from them.

Esalen Otter Enjoying Dinner

View 2 min clip about Esalen Institute:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEBH4JKNIBg&feature=youtu.be