When the Body Recognizes “Yes”
Patrick’s path to Esalen Massage began long before he knew the word.
He had worked in massage before attending his Esalen Massage training, yet something in him searched for more — a way of touching that felt alive, not mechanical.
But it wasn’t until a visit to Big Sur that everything changed.
He had traveled there, curious, not yet a practitioner.
A friend arranged a massage in the Esalen baths.
What happened that day stayed with him for decades.
”There was a feeling — being held, moved, and touched in a way that spoke to something deeper.”
The ocean below, the sound of waves, the steady rhythm of breath — it was as if the world had slowed to listen.
“I went to the Esalen office that day and signed up for the next certification,” he says with quiet certainty.
“It was an instant and loud yes — a life-changing moment that still lives in me.”
Remembering Reverence
In those early years, Patrick felt no doubt about the path.
What he discovered through Esalen Massage was a return to something already known — reverence and wonder.
“The practice reminds me how to live from that same attentiveness and mutual respect that the work itself gives.”
This sense of reverence became the thread through his teaching: presence as the ground of technique, and curiosity as the path back to joy.
Guided by Mentors, Enriched by Peers
Patrick’s first teachers were Perry Holloman and Deborah Meadow.
“They brought so much knowledge into their practice and into the way they teach,” he says.
Later, he co-taught with Peggy Horan in Big Sur. “Just being in her presence teaches so much,” he adds.
“I’ve also learned from Robin Fann Costanzo — I love her humor and organization in the classroom.”
Patrick’s collaborations continued with Char Pias and Jessica Fagan, whose trust and support he deeply values.
More recently, he worked alongside Ellen Watson and Jingni Wang in a months-long program.
“The three of us had a beautiful balance — different energies, different ways of teaching that came together seamlessly.”
He smiles at the memory: “There was no ego. We each brought our own piece, offered it fully, and let go. It was fantastic.”
Patrick teaching with Jingny Wang from China during an Esalen® Massage certification training in Bali.
The Art of Collaboration
For Patrick, co-leading is not just practical — it’s essential.
“We bring different aspects of the work and elevate each other,” he explains.
Each teacher expresses the same center of truth, yet through a different language or personality.
“Students respond differently to different voices. It’s valuable to have another person in the room, especially in a long program — it allows the same theme to be seen in many ways.”
To him, collaboration is how lineage stays alive: through listening, adapting, and learning from one another.
Gathering the Global Field
Looking ahead to the EMGV Gathering in Switzerland, Patrick speaks of potential — not as a concept, but as a felt vibration in the room.
“The possibility of being together with so many practitioners from around the world — with different trainings and practices — we learn so much just by being in each other’s presence.”
He recalls how friendships formed during workshops have continued for years.
“The potential energy in that group field, with so many experienced teachers in one place, is extraordinary,” he says.
“It’s like a spark — we lift each other just by meeting.”
When asked how he would invite others to come, his words are simple:
“Listen to the yes in your body.
If you feel, this is the place, these are the people, this is how I want to connect, then come.”
Flow as a Way of Teaching
Patrick’s teaching centers on seamlessness and flow — how intention carries through every movement.
“It’s about bringing seamlessness into your practice so that every little detail feels intentional — how you begin and end each stroke, how you move between them, how you connect parts of the body so that everything works as one organic system.”
For him, this is the living essence of Esalen Massage: presence expressed through flow, every gesture part of a whole.
Rooted and Reaching Out
Today, Patrick lives with his family on a small island in Washington State.
From there, he maintains his Esalen® Massage practice — a quiet space surrounded by sea and forest — and teaches workshops and trainings around the world.
His work continues to bridge continents and generations, sharing the living art of touch wherever he goes.
You can find all of Patrick’s current trainings and classes on his website, and follow his work on social media, where glimpses of his teaching and gentle, attentive touch come beautifully to life.