DESCRIPTION

Douglas Drummond and Lucia Horan with Guest Musicians Leah Song, Sanga of the Valley, and Nick Ayers

JULY 13–17, 2026

ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP

When we experience moments of ecstasy, we taste what life is meant to be. — Gabrielle Roth

The 5Rhythms® maps hold all the information required to lead us where we want to go. What is your destination? There is a science to achieving ecstatic states, and this is the mastery we have come to share. This workshop is designed for all who want to discover these possibilities for entering altered states in a natural way.

“I want to take you to a place of pure magic … It’s the place athletes call ‘the zone.’ Buddhists call ‘satori’ and ravers call ‘trance.’ I call it the Silver Desert. It’s a place of pure light that holds the dark within it. It’s a place of pure rhythm,” wrote Gabrielle Roth. Her dance and somatic meditation can assist you in navigating your way out of resistance and into ecstasy and help you build a skill set that supports balance, ease, and joy. If you have been looking to increase appreciation, gratitude, and happiness, now is a perfect time to celebrate being alive in the wild, wondrous, natural beauty of Esalen.

This course will include:

5Rhythms dance both indoors and outside by daylight and moonlight

Trauma-sensitive mindfulness, including Dharma talks, sitting and walking meditations

Lucia and Douglas, the dancing duo, invite you to join them for a week of dance and celebration. Together with our team of musicians, bring you inspiration through movement and mindfulness so you can return home feeling nurtured and alive.

Leah Song of Rising Appalachia will lead a collective community song practice! Join voices and feel the collective power of unity through song and breath!

Sanga of the Valley, master drummer and living embodiment of the 5Rhythms cosmology, will be joining along with musical savant Nick Ayers.

Recommended Reading: Sweat Your Prayers by Gabrielle Roth, Maps to Ecstasy by Gabrielle Roth, Connections by Gabrielle Roth, Dancing with the Dharma edited by Harrison Blum

This workshop has an additional $100 of faculty tuition.

This workshop counts as 25 hours of 5Rhythms Waves credit toward teachers training.

ABOUT THE FACULTY

DOUGLAS DRUMMOND

Douglas has been a conscious movement facilitator for over 12 years. He is a certified 5Rhythms® teacher. Douglas currently serves as the founder and CEO of the Weaving Waters Collective, an organization dedicated to creating healing and reconciliation centers for living beings.

LUCIA HORAN

Lucia Horan was born in 1976 on the sacred land of Esalen in Big Sur. She was raised in the Esalen community and taught the practices that were developed by those who came before her. She was certified as an Esalen® Massage practitioner in 1994. She became a Hatha & Ashtanga yoga teacher in 1997. Lucia received lifelong direct training with Gabrielle Roth in the 5Rhythms® moving meditation practice and has been teaching 5Rhythms since 1998. She also has a BA from Goddard College with a major in expressive art therapy.

LEAH SONG

Born into a musical family from Atlanta, Georgia, Leah Song is a storyteller, song-catcher, musician, poet, and community builder known primarily for her role as front woman of Rising Appalachia, alongside her sister Chloe. As a soloist, she incorporates sultry vocals, storytelling, folklore, ballads and boleros into her performances.

SANGA OF THE VALLEY | GUEST MUSICIAN

Sanga of the Valley has played African drums from an early age. Sanga moved to New York City in 1970 from Trinidad, where he met Babatunde Olatunji and became one of Olatunji’s students. Sanga went on to be one of Olatunji’s lead djembe players and spent 25 years as a member of Olatunji’s Drums of Passion. Sanga of the Valley has worked with artists such as Carlos Santana, Nina Simone, The Grateful Dead, the Neville Brothers, and Stanley Jordan.

NICK AYERS | GUEST MUSICIAN

A musician and dancer for over 20 years, Nick has seen the immediate effect of music on people physically, psychologically and emotionally. He is a constant student of global music and culture, and understands that music is one common language between all humans.