Mac Murphy

Mac Murphy is a bodyworker, movement teacher, and lifelong student of the healing arts, whose work is rooted in presence, the innate wisdom of the body and the elements. A fourth-generation steward of Esalen Institute in Big Sur, Mac grew up immersed in Esalen’s living exploration of human potential, embodiment, and our relationship with the natural world.

He has practiced bodywork for more than two decades and is a certified Esalen®️ Massage Therapist and Teacher, weaving together the flowing language of touch with Deep Bodywork®️, energy work, and elemental awareness. Qi Gong is at the heart of Mac’s movement practice, informed by seven months of immersive study of Qi Gong, Tai Chi, Kung Fu, and Taoist philosophy in China’s Wudang Mountains.

In his workshops, he brings the principles of Qi Gong into Esalen®️ Massage—grounding, fluidity, breath, effortless movement, and the cultivation of presence—inviting practitioners to discover how the quality of their own embodiment shapes the quality of their touch.