An immersive transformation weekend with Dr. Raj Balkaran
The Stories Behind the Poses: Mythology in Motion
November 27–29, 2026
at Esalen Institute
Big Sur, California
Every yoga posture embodies a story. Every story embodies a posture.
The warrior’s focused intention, the divine monkey’s formidable leap, the lotus’s sacred stillness — these are not mere ideas but encapsulations of physical practice. Encoded in each āsana is a mythic psychology: a map of consciousness, a demand on the practitioner, a doorway into the living tradition from which yoga emerges.
Drawing on Raj Balkaran’s The Stories Behind the Poses, this weekend renders myth experiential rather than informational. Participants will not study these stories from the outside; they will enter these enchanted storyworlds so that the stories, in turn, will inhabit the practitioner.
Each session moves through a thematic arc — from the qualities that make practice possible, through the tensions that deepen it, to the surrender that completes it. Stories of Śiva, Hanumān, Indra, and the great sages are the primary texts, read through breath, posture, and relational presence. Mythic narrative and physical form illuminate one another: posture becomes story enacted in the body; story becomes posture enacted in consciousness.
No background in mythology or Sanskrit required. What is needed is willingness to meet ancient India’s wisdom traditions not as history but as living tradition.
Recommended reading: The Stories Behind the Poses, by Dr. Raj Balkaran
YOUR SCHEDULE
Arrival & Departure
As a registered guest, you are welcome on campus any time after 2:00 pm on your arrival day. Room keys are available at 4:00 pm. On departure day, please remove belongings from your room by 10:00 am or before your final workshop session, then feel free to stay for lunch and enjoy the grounds until 2:00 pm.
Workshop Hours
DAY 1 Friday, November 27, 2026
- 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm *How to Drop into Esalen*
- 7:15 pm – 9:30 pm
DAY 2 Saturday, November 28, 2026
- 9:30 am – 12:45 pm
- 3:00 pm – 6:15 pm
DAY 3 Sunday, November 29, 2026
- 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Meals
All meals are served buffet-style in the Lodge.
- Breakfast: 8:30 am – 9:45 am
- Lunch: 12:30 pm – 1:45 pm
- Dinner: 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Accommodations & Pricing
1 person: from USD $560 to USD $5,300*
What's Included
- Your Workshop
- Housing accommodations
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Coffee, tea, snacks
- Access to the hot springs and other Campus Features
- Classes on the Open Schedule
What's Extra
- Healing Arts sessions including Esalen Massage or Holistic Services
- Hand-crafted specialty coffee and tea or alcohol purchases from the bar
- Bookstore purchases
*Once you begin the registration process, you will see current availability and be able to select your accommodation option.
