Let’s face it—life feels a little extra stressful these days. So if your stress level feels stuck in overdrive, it might be time to trade your smartphone for a trip to the redwoods.
Chaminade Resort & Spa—already one of Santa Cruz’s favorite staycation spots—just added a new reason to head for the hills: one of Northern California’s first Certified Forest Therapy Trails. Forget the idea of trudging through the woods, alone with your Fitbit. This 1.4-mile Redwood Reflection Trail invites hikers to slow down, breathe deeply, and let nature do what nature does best: heal, ground, and maybe even surprise.
The concept comes from Japan, where the practice of Shinrin-yoku (“forest bathing”) has been studied for decades. It’s not about exercise. It’s about immersion; taking in the forest with all five senses until the cortisol melts away and your body remembers what it feels like to be calm.
“It’s not a hike—it’s an invitation to be present, slow down and just notice,” says Wendy Figone, who spearheaded the Chaminade trail certification.
Figone is part scientist, part sage and part somatic coach. A certified Forest Therapy Guide, Myofascial Release Therapist and Stanford Compassion Ambassador, she blends lifestyle medicine with mindfulness to create experiences that are equal parts grounded and magical.
Figone studied the practice in Japan, where she’s seen doctors standing by with blood pressure cuffs and lab tests to track the effects of forest time. Here in California, it’s more about heart and connection with the natural environment. “We protect what we love,” Figone says. “And the more we fall in love with nature, the more we care for it, and for ourselves.”
A Trail That Talks Back
So, what makes this trail different from a typical walk in the woods? For starters, it’s designed around a standardized sequence from the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy. Think of it like a gentle script for your senses. Guests move through six reflection spots marked by benches and subtle “invitations” to notice what’s around them: the light filtering through branches (Komorebi in Japanese), the hush of wind, the pulse of stillness underfoot.
Self-guided walks are available anytime with a brochure to lead you through, but the real magic happens on the guided sessions: three-hour experiences that start with intention, move through sensory exploration, and end with a tea ceremony beneath the trees.
If that sounds a little woo-woo, just try it. “Most people can’t sit still for even two minutes,” Figone laughs. “But give them a forest and some gentle guidance, and suddenly they realize wow, I haven’t been this quiet in years.”
Wellness, With a Side of Wonder
This fall, Chaminade is taking the forest experience even further with its first Forest and Ocean Wellness Retreat, November 14–16. It’s a weekend dedicated to slowing down, letting go, and remembering what balance feels like (without having to hold a yoga pose).
The lineup includes forest therapy walks, a self-myofascial release workshop, nature journaling (“the new anti-scrolling,” Figone calls it), and a Bluetooth Movement Session—a guided meditation with wireless headphones, music, and the freedom to move however your body wants.
“It’s about giving people tools to manage stress long after they go home,” Figone says. “When you spend a weekend outdoors connecting, laughing, breathing you can feel your system reset.”
She credits her inspiration to the late Blue Mind author Wallace J. Nichols, whose research shows that proximity to water literally changes brain chemistry for the better. “The forest helps us root down,” Figone says. “The ocean helps us flow. Together, they’re medicine.”
The Magic of Slowing Down
What happens when you trade three hours of doomscrolling for a guided forest walk? According to Figone, the results can be surprisingly profound.
“People have epiphanies,” she says. “When you get quiet enough, your subconscious starts talking. Some people come away realizing they need to change something big. Others just rediscover a sense of peace they forgot was possible.”
It’s also deeply inclusive. The practice is trauma-informed, gentle, and adaptable for different bodies and abilities. “We start on the redwood deck for groups who can’t make it down the hill,” she adds. “It’s less about endurance and more about presence.”
And yes, it’s beautiful but not just in the Instagram sense. The land itself carries a long history: once home to indigenous tribes and later to monks who came here to meditate. “You can feel it,” Figone says. “The forest holds you in a way that words can’t explain.”
Locals can join small-group forest therapy sessions for $45 (complimentary for resort guests), offered throughout the year. The trail is open daily for self-guided walks perfect for anyone craving a little quiet or creative recharge.
As Figone likes to say, “The forest is the therapist. I just create the space for people to listen.”
So next time life feels like too many tabs open in your brain, maybe don’t head to another yoga class or meditation app. Just grab a jacket, drive up to Chaminade, and let the redwoods show you how it’s done.
Elizabeth Borelli leads Mindful Mediterranean workshops, food and wine pairings and events. Learn more at ElizabethBorelli.com.
Thank you for writing this Elizabeth, beautiful! I hope to guide you on a forest therapy walk soon, please let me know if you want to experience this with your team. I am happy to combine this with somatic release for your team at Goodtimes- a little holiday gift. Please spread the word- I offer team building experiences at Chaminade.