Ep. 23 | Tub Talks with Pablo Piekar: Esalen Massage Therapist + Executive Coach

In this podcast episode, Pablo and I dive into his history with Esalen Institute and beyond.

Pablo Piekar came to Esalen Institute in the late 1980's for what was supposed-to-be a

Gestalt workscholar month. He ended up staying there for 16 years, working as a Esalen

Massage Therapist and workshop facilitator.

Back in Argentina, he was a licensed psychotherapist at 22 years old. But when he arrived at

Esalen, someone told him he was going to heal people with his hands instead, and that he was

going to teach people how to give massages. When he said he didn't know how, she said to

him, "You don't teach technique, you teach love."

Pablo went on to practice and teach Esalen Massage around the world, starting on the land

itself, but traveling as far as Japan to share this technique.

At Esalen, he found community. He found purpose. He met his wife. It was all going until

Pablo injured his wrist. In this moment, his body told him he needed to leave and use his brain

again - use his intellect. He shares how the body reveals the deeper truth, whether you want

to hear it or not. It was really hard to leave the womb of Esalen, where everything was

provided for him: from three meals a day, to community and comfort.

He refers to Esalen as 'Mama Esalen, a safe place to hold onto. Pablo shares that Esalen is a

community, in which people get really close to each other. And when you are coming from a

place of authenticity, conflict arises with others. He talks the spirit of Esalen, about how

getting naked is not just about removing the clothes but in a symbolic way, it's about opening

up to your authentic self. He impresses the importance of honoring and loving your body

today as it's the best body you have today. He urges us not to compare it to others. "Support

your authenticity," he says, "That is the spirit of Esalen." We talk about the preschool named

Gazebo, that was formulated under the principles of Gestalt in which the kids are allowed to

fight. The kids come out of the fights much closer, and my childhood best friend and I are

prime examples.

When Pablo left Esalen after his injury, he wanted to incorporate these wisdoms into advising

businesses. However, he didn't have the business languaging. He moved to Santa Cruz and

got his masters on organizational behavior, which is the behavior of science applied to

business environments. In this conversation, he shares about how his education at Esalen

directly applies to his executive coaching clients.

In this conversation, we meander through philosophies of Esalen, the history of Esalen, and

how to live and share a life of meaning. Pablo left Esalen many years ago and returned to

Argentina to live with his family, where he advises businesses on how to function better with

a background in psychotherapy, gestalt, and bodywork. In the bath, he shares about how his

wife and him met at Esalen, how they transitioned into the outside world and grew their

family in a multicultural and mindful way. We hope you enjoy getting to know Pablo Piekar.

This episode is brought to you by Fractal Forest. Fractal Forest is an Earth-Tek research

collective restoring meaningful connection between humanity and the Earth. I wanted to

share how I personally use FRACTAL FOREST products. Their shilajit drops help with my

focus and energy levels. I'm someone who often wakes up with a burst of energy, which

gradually wanes as the day goes on. I have noticed a change in my energy and ability to focus

since I started implementing Fractal Forest Shilajit drops into my daily routine. I think what

makes Fractal Forest so special is that they use only earth elements in their formulation

process: this means No synthetic additives or preservatives are included and it shows - the

sensation is pure, the plant is pure! Whether I'm drinking the blue lotus tea, or imbibing drops

of dream state, shilajit, these herbs enhance my experience of life. You can use our code

SABBATH22 to receive a 22% discount on your next order. We look forward to seeing how it

enhances your overall health too!

To join Secular Sabbath membership, you can find us at secular-sabbath.com/membership. Joining grants you access to our Inner Circle community of sensory-exploring like-minded people, where you can gather with us locally in LA for monthly meet-up experiences, and pop-up events around the globe, and partake in our exclusive ambient online community. 

See what we get up to at @secularsabbath.