Whether you need to decompress or simply want to focus on your health, experiences that center around emotional and physical well-being can be deeply restorative. From forest bathing and meditation to Nordic sauna traditions and soaking pools, there are Washington wellness retreats for everyone.
Spend a long weekend in the Methow Valley cross-country skiing and practicing yoga or immerse yourself in a peaceful mud bath in Yakima. Here are just a few ways to unwind and reconnect in Washington.
Wellness Experiences in Washington State
Soak and Spa
Branded as Seattle’s only social wellness experience, Soak and Sage in Renton encourages relaxation in a group setting. The bathhouse features an onsen-inspired soaking pool, a Scandinavian-style cold plunge, a steam room, and an adobe clay sauna. Guests will find sage bundles, incense, and aromatherapy jars filled with herbs and oils throughout the property. Soak and Sage also offers bodywork, sound healing, and Aufguss ceremonies – a Nordic tradition where essential oil-infused snowballs are placed on the sauna rocks while a sauna master performs rhythmic towel waving to circulate the fragrant air.
East of the Cascades in Yakima, Ummelina is an oasis of relaxation and indulgence. While this day spa offers traditional services like massages and facials, the real stars are the wellness rituals. Try the Body Renewal, which includes a body mud mask, infrared crystal mats, a multi-jetted shower, and a massage. Bonus: Owner Nina Ummelina creates her own line of organic aromatherapy, tea blends, and skincare line. Afterward, relax even further with a visit to one of Wine Country’s many nearby vineyards and tasting rooms.
Nestled next to the Wenatchee River, Posthotel is the epitome of mountain luxury. This Washington wellness retreat looks akin to an exclusive Roman bathhouse, with elegant archways and a swim-out saltwater pool with massage nooks overlooking the mountains and river. Saltwater hydrotherapy pools, steam baths, and saunas are maintained to a variety of temperatures, while the plunge and stepping pools provide invigorating cold to stimulate circulation. Don’t miss exploring the Bavarian town of Leavenworth or hiking in the foothills of the nearby Cascade Mountains.
In the Columbia River Gorge, the Society Hotel in Bingen centers around a gorgeous indoor-outdoor bathhouse encased with floor-to-ceiling windows. Luxuriate in the indoor saltwater soaking pool, outdoor hot pool, or elegant cedar sauna before braving the cold plunge. Non-hotel guests can also enjoy the premises for an hourly fee when slots are available. Afterward, immerse yourself in nature with a hike to a scenic viewpoint.
Also See: Unwind at these Washington Spas
Forest bathing
Mindfully immersing yourself in nature can be a transformative experience. Forest bathing, or shinrin yoku, is the Japanese practice of finding calm and quiet among the trees through observation and deep breathing. Every month, the University of Washington in Seattle partners with Cascadia Forest Therapy, a nonprofit dedicated to the practice of forest bathing, to offer forest bathing sessions in the university’s arboretum. The organization also offers private forest bathing sessions.
For an immersive multi-day forest bathing experience, consider Holman Health Connections’ annual Olympic Park backpacking and camping retreat, which tours the waterfalls, rivers, and beaches of this wild and rugged national park. Not only do the guides integrate yoga and meditation, they facilitate the practice of forest bathing within the majestic old-growth temperate rainforests. Elsewhere in the state, Skamania Lodge in the scenic Columbia River Gorge offers a self-guided loop trail for forest bathing within its surrounding woods.
Yoga
Unroll your yoga mat in a windowed studio overlooking the Orcas Island shoreline at Doe Bay Resort and Retreat in the San Juans. The 38-acre resort holds guided yoga retreats throughout the year, and the property boasts plenty of amenities to enhance relaxation. The sauna and hot tubs are ensconced along a craggy bluff among towering trees, and the organic garden provides produce for the Doe Bay Cafe. As a bonus, Shearwater Kayak Tours departs Doe Bay twice daily on guided sea kayak tours during the summer. Guests can choose from cabins, yurts, domes, or campsites.
Yoga instructor Joanna Dunn offers retreats around the state, including a Nourish and Nurture Retreat at Doe Bay that includes soaking, yoga, meditation, and massage. She also hosts retreats at locations such as Red Jasper Studio in Richland and the Trout Lake Abbey in Trout Lake. Her Winter Retreat in the Methow Valley is based at the Inn at Mazama, where guests can cross-country ski on world-class trails right from the front door. No matter the season, you’re sure to enjoy a memorable Washington wellness retreat.
Meditation and Mindfulness
Embedded in the resplendent forests of southwest Washington near Castle Rock, Cloud Mountain Retreat Center hosts non-sectarian Buddhist residential retreats year-round. Their retreats include a diversity of approaches to mindfulness and meditation and last from three to 13 days. Gravel paths wind past ponds and a creek, weaving through the 15 forested acres. This setting is ideal for quieting the mind, simplifying daily life, and focusing inwardly, making it an excellent choice for a wellness retreat in Washington.
In the spirit of creating a reflective atmosphere, most retreats adhere to “Noble Silence,” which provides a welcome break from the noise of everyday life. Guests can enjoy vegetarian meals, light-filled meditation and yoga spaces, and the choice of private or shared rooms, yurts, or the option to stay in their own camper or tent.
Outdoor Adventure
For those looking to embrace wellness through physical activity, a number of outdoor guides take the stress out of planning an excursion. She Moves Mountains is a women-led company with guides that lead epic all-women climbing retreats. In Washington, their beginner’s retreat includes a yoga component at Mount Erie on Fidalgo Island. From Friday Harbor on San Juan Island, Sea Quest’s multi-day backcountry kayaking trips are an excellent way to disconnect in the beauty of nature. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for orca whales.
Alternatively, hit the trail with Washington-based Holman Health Connections, yoga instructors who combine backpacking and hiking retreats with yoga and meditation. Join their day retreat meditation hikes at Mount Rainier and other locations or immerse yourself in longer getaways like their Whidbey Island yoga and meditation retreat at Aldermarsh Retreat Center, which features hiking trails as well as a cordwood sauna and Japanese soaking tub.
About the Author
Ellee Thalheimer is a freelance writer and guidebook author based in the Pacific Northwest who has contributed to publications like Lonely Planet Guidebooks, Alaska Airlines Magazine, and Adventure Cyclist Magazine. When she can’t get outside, she writes fiction, drinks local IPAs, and perfects her handstands.