“It’s been a powerful weekend. I didn’t know what to expect, and it exceeded my expectations. I love the care you have taken in creating these rituals, Marques. I love the space and the vulnerability. One thing in particular that I found really beautiful is that we all came in as strangers into this experience, and in a very short period of time - I mean it hasn’t even really been a day and a half! - we’ve created a community through blessing each other’s dreams and hopes, really deep vulnerable sharing, letting go of things that don’t serve us anymore, and stepping into these visions of what our higher selves are calling us into. It’s really powerful work, and I thank you for holding that space with intention.”

“I have goosebumps. The space that you created, Marques, was holy and safe. It definitely transcended this point in time. I felt connected to the community immediately. You know I woke up this morning and realized that when I danced during the weekend, I wasn’t in pain. When I got out of bed, I could barely walk to the bathroom, and it dawned on me that when I danced across this whole room, I didn’t feel my knees or my feet. I have crippling arthritis in my feet and my knees. It’s bone in bone grinding, and I danced! Pain free! I transcended my body when we were doing that exercise.”

“The workshop was truly amazing. It was something different for me, because I have been trying to get on this spiritual journey for a long time. My girlfriend’s mother, grandmother, and great grandmother are all pastors, so it was really interesting for her to see a different side of spirituality that she hadn’t seen before. I have never had experience with African spirituality before, and I feel really blessed to have had this experience with you, Marques, and I am very excited for you to share it with others.”

“Every session was a highlight! Every session was amazing. From Friday night - when we were getting to know the group - to Saturday - every session on Saturday was just unique - and Sunday too was also unique. You linking the sessions to things that we want to leave behind in Esalen in order to manifest our vision was genius, it was brilliant, it was very well done. I think you did a really brilliant job with this workshop! There was a lot of community building that was happening through the process. I really got to witness you as a host, Marques, in your brilliance. I don’t think you understood how amazing you were up there to each of us in our sessions. I got to witness that and how brilliant and creative and powerful you are as an individual. It feels great to have been able to witness that and be in the presence of that.”

“I did not have a lot of knowledge about Esalen before I came. It was a 10/10 experience for me. I can’t wait to come back! I loved the people that I got to meet that were in the workshop and also outside of the workshop. I thought that was very cool to meet someone that is on a different side of the planet and just connecting. Who knows, you might have a lifelong friend, and you would not have had that experience unless you came here for your workshop.”

“You’ve done both an experiential and analytical analysis of African spirituality, Marques. You’re humble and ego doesn’t come out. It just made the whole three days in all aspects of mind, body, soul, and African spiritual connection work. People are frightened of Africa, and you are opening it up. I think it’s a gift for all of us to experience it, because we have such a rich African connection in this country, but we don’t really go deeper into our cultural connection to Africa. So I think this workshop brings us a gift, and I hope that it expands beyond Esalen.”