Antique white / Navy premium weight 100% cotton certified organic TSPTR tee with water based ink print

In the early 1970s, many people were seeking new ways of living, new models of health and consumption, and new states of consciousness. People were trying to design their lives and the world for the better, and at the core of this exploration was an educational center in Big Sur, California, called the Esalen Institute. Esalen was founded on the belief that we can unlock hidden potential in our lives through meditation and experiential education. They hosted revolutionary thinkers like Aldous Huxley, Abraham Maslow, and Timothy Leary. They pioneered the integrated approach of mind and body and named it the human potential movement. Exploring all aspects of the mind-body experience naturally led them to athletics, so they created the Esalen Sports Center. Here they studied the meditative aspects of athletics, what we now call the flow state or being in the zone.

During the same period, Oregonian Steve Prefontaine was bringing a never before seen swagger to the track. Part athlete, part rock star, Pre’s passionate and rebellious nature would form the brand ethos of the newly christened Nike. In 1977 a new running team named Athletics West, would draw the most promising runners from the Western States into their program which had its roots firmly in the Esalen Sport Centers research.

Ethically made in Portugal