When Daniela speaks about her path, her voice carries both warmth and quiet strength.
“I’m in California,” she says, “I’ve been here since 1986 and I love it. I have a private practice, and I teach globally. Since COVID, the global teaching has changed a little, but I continue to teach and practice Esalen Massage as well as acupuncture — sometimes even combining both. Still, a large part of my practice is Esalen Massage.”
From Bavaria to Big Sur
Her story began in Germany.
“I was working in Bavaria at a Growth Center called Zist,” she remembers. “It was a center exploring the human potential — a bit like a small Esalen. I was studying organic farming there and met different Esalen teachers — Vicky Topp, Dean Juhan, and some others. They said, ‘You have to come to Big Sur!’ I had already taken some massage classes and loved the Esalen technique.”
Curiosity led her to California.
“When I first visited Esalen, it was so beautiful and intriguing that I knew I had to come back. I started as a work scholar, and I fell in love with the community and the freedom I felt. Eventually, I became an extended student for another year.”
Those were formative days. “As a work scholar, each month offered one weekend of introduction to Esalen Massage. Then I decided to do a 150-hour training, and soon I started practicing.”
She laughs softly. “It took quite a while before I joined the massage crew — lots of classes, lots of test massages — but that’s how I worked my way up. In 1990, I finally was accepted by the Esalen Massage crew.”
Working Beside the Masters
Those early years were full of discovery.
“I loved it,” Daniela says simply. “It wasn’t challenging for me — I soaked up everything. It was very free in those days. We worked in the old bathhouse, sometimes even partly in the nude, just a towel around the hips. It was a clothing-optional space, very open.”
She recalls working alongside Ingrid May, already a long-time member at the time. She became one of my early mentors.
Her eyes light up as she describes the atmosphere.
“It was such a special time. We often worked together in one room. For instance, “In the yurt, there were six tables arranged in a circle. You could clearly see what everyone else was doing. It was wonderful to work that way — inspiring and intimate.” I thought, my God, they are so skilled, and I have a lot to learn. I just looked around and was inspired. I’d try what they did — maybe I liked it, maybe not — but we were continuously learning and developing our work.
Receiving as a Way of Learning
When asked who influenced her most, Daniela hesitates. “That’s a hard question,” she says. “There were so many. I remember receiving Trager sessions from Dean Juhan, massages from Oliver Bailey, from Vicky, from Ellen, from Peggy, from Deborah, from Brita, Lioness. Many Feldenkrais sessions from Patrick Douce. Receiving so many bodywork sessions during my first 10 years at Esalen helped me to shed layers of old holding patterns.”
She smiles at the memory. “Receiving those sessions influenced the development of my own work almost as much as doing the many trainings. They left a kind of cellular imprint — those wonderful, masterful sessions. I don’t want to leave anyone out, all of them left something in me. Even when I received a massage I didn’t like — that was helpful too. It showed me what worked for me, and what didn’t.”
The Art of Collaboration
Daniela’s teaching life has always been collaborative.
“I think collaboration is very powerful — and very important in Esalen Massage. Early on, people sometimes wondered why we always teach in teams. Of course, financially it’s easier to teach alone, but the value of learning together is immense. We inspire each other, we co-create. And students benefit because they see two different ways of working.”
She pauses. “At Esalen, there were not just two ways to work— there were ten different ways, all connected by a common ground. The art is to find what connects us and then develop our own style while staying true to the principles of Esalen Massage. That’s what makes collaboration so enriching”
Teaching at EMGV26
Daniela will be part of the teaching team at the EMGV26 Gathering in Switzerland.
“The class that I teach by myself,” she explains, is “Esalen Massage and the Meridian Points. It’s about combining the beautiful flow of Esalen Massage with acupressure techniques from Traditional Chinese Medicine. When I studied TCM, I loved learning about the Meridian System, and how beautifully it intersects with Esalen Massage. Another layer of understanding why the whole body connecting strokes are so powerful. And how to enhance them”
Her class will focus on blending both worlds.
“I’ll teach some of my favorite points — ones that really move the energy. It’s about using them gently, weaving them into the flow so they feel natural, luxurious. They help open the energy field, they balance, and energize.”
She and Ellen are also preparing a joint workshop that combines massage, sound, and scent. “It is beautiful work” she says. “Sound, breath, essential oils — they all support a deepening of the experience.”
A Gathering of Generations
When Daniela speaks about the gathering, her eyes soften.
“I’m looking forward to seeing everyone I know — and to meeting the new teachers. At Esalen we used to have massage crew meetings, teacher meetings — all in person. We would exchange, discuss, and refine the work together. Over time, with people moving away and digital communication taking over, that changed. So for me, it’s very special to be in the physical presence of my colleagues again.”
She reflects for a moment. “Being together in person creates a different energy. Something happens that can’t happen online. It’s energizing, inspiring, and I’m curious what will emerge— what we can offer to the world.”
Daniela sees this gathering as a meeting of generations.
“Meeting the new teachers is like passing the baton,” she says. “We’ve been teaching for decades — some for forty years. It’s meaningful to meet those who will carry the work forward. This practice teaches peaceful principles — love, trust, presence. One person at a time, one class at a time, we teach how we could move forward as humanity, with empathy and respect.”
Visit Daniela’s Website: Radiant Health Center