From Sonoma County’s magnificent coastline to its towering redwoods and verdant valleys, the Northern California setting invites rejuvenation and self-care. Add in the local lifestyle, steeped in a rich heritage of wellness (it’s home to the California School of Herbal Studies, the oldest herb school in the U.S.), and you have an ideal recipe for a vacation that nurtures mind, body, and soul.
Complementing the region’s excellent wine, epic food, and incredible outdoor adventures are many spas, yoga experiences, wide-open spaces, and cannabis experiences. Sonoma County also offers several standout spa resorts, like the Farmhouse Inn, the Vinarosa Resort & Spa, and the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa.
Wellness experiences in this wine country encompass everything from stellar spas to challenging fitness classes, all set amid the scenic landscape of Northern California. Some are more relaxing than others. All will nurture longevity and leave you feeling refreshed for whatever lies ahead.
Get a spa treatment in Sonoma County
Cedar baths at Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary
Courtesy of Sonoma County Tourism
Of the many characteristics that define the local spa scene, the diversity of concepts and the creativity behind some of the stand-alone treatments in Sonoma County are perhaps what make it stand out most. Many spas also incorporate natural ingredients that represent a sense of place.
Without question, the most celebrated local spa is Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary in Freestone. Set on five secluded acres, the spa features a beautiful Japanese garden and a cedar enzyme bath—it’s the only spa outside Japan to offer this experience.
The “bath” really isn’t a bath at all. It’s a warm, fragrant mix of organic materials, including ground cedar, rice bran, and enzymes. Guests are encouraged to bury their bodies in the bath to help reduce tension, soothe sore muscles, and relieve aches and pains. (Pro tip: Grab a loaf of bread or a scone baked in Wild Flour Bread’s brick oven in Freestone before or after your treatment.)
Roman-style mineral pools at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa
Courtesy of Sonoma County Tourism
The spa at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa in Sonoma is all about water. Natural thermal springs run beneath the resort, and the mineral-rich water fills five geothermal pools. The beloved 45-minute bathing ritual includes exfoliating and cool-down showers, soaking pools, a rain tunnel, herbal steam, and a sauna. The ritual is open to non-hotel guests with day passes available year-round.
Out on the coast, several singular spa treatments also await. The spa at the Lodge at Bodega Bay offers two unexpected treatments, one with seashells and another using a sea scrub made with cabernet sauvignon grapes.
At the Timber Cove Resort in Jenner, the private Ocean Suite is home to a new treatment, Reset and Restore. It features a vibrating zero-gravity recliner, compression boots, and cycling from a cold plunge to a rock sauna and back.
The Sonoma County coast welcomes all types of wellness, like forest bathing.
Courtesy of Sonoma County Tourism
Take yoga, forest bathing, and other Sonoma County wellness classes
Other ways to practice wellness in Sonoma County range from elaborate productions to simply taking a walk among giant redwoods. Sound bathing classes—or “sound journeys”—at Singing Bowl Healing Studio in Santa Rosa are part of immersive workshops designed to help participants relax completely. The workshop incorporates Tibetan sound bowls and crystals from around the world. In every class, owner Jesse Stark strikes or rubs the bowls with a rubber mallet to create different tones and vibrations, all of which are helpful for healing.
Elsewhere around the county, instructor Madeline Schwartz from Madeline Berry Yoga offers “Elevated Yoga” classes that blend yoga and locally farmed and harvested cannabis to deliver a multifaceted high. (When classes are at wineries, they also include wine.)
Soft Medicine Sanctuary in Sebastopol is a community hub for all things wellness, with a tea lounge, yoga classes, movement classes, a meditation room, an art gallery, and more. The facility hosts regular classes on everything from breathwork to rhythmic dance. Also in Sebastopol is Bliss Organic Day Spa and its bathhouse.
Forest bathing among the redwoods in Sonoma County
Courtesy of Sonoma County Tourism
Workshops with EcoWisdom Wellness spotlight forest bathing, a Japanese practice of relaxing by connecting with nature that’s thought to lower blood pressure, reduce anxiety and stress, and improve immune function. Some of these classes incorporate tree-hugging, while others are more about being still.
Certified Forest Therapy Guide Jenny Harrow-Keeler leads private lessons and classes at Red Car Wine in Graton and Bartholomew Estate Winery in Sonoma. For those who wish to relax in nature at their own pace, consider a stroll among the trees at Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve in Guerneville. Both destinations bring visitors face-to-face with some of the largest flora on Earth. The simple presence of such giants invites you to look inward and reflect on life.
