Who knew being buried alive could be so healing?

I’m referring to the experience at Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary and being neck deep in a warm mixture of finely ground cedar and plant enzymes, heated naturally by fermentation. Recently, my partner and I visited Osmosis Day Spa and spent the night in Occidental, California, a small town in the rolling hills of Sonoma County, tucked along the Bohemian Highway between Wine Country and the Pacific Coast. What’s special about Osmosis? A number of things, including being the first cedar enzyme bath in the country brought from Japan from a decades-old tradition. Michael Stusser, founder of Osmosis, is also a founding member of the Green Spa Network.

The experience at Osmosis, with their sustainable spa practices and monthly meditation programs, is always a memorable and transformative retreat for me and I love that they offer different relaxation options such as the

• unique cedar enzyme bath experience – wooden tubs filled with a fragrant blend of finely ground cedar, rice bran, and plant enzymes imported from Japan, which are heated naturally, by fermentation, creating biologically generated warmth
• meditation garden – tranquil, five-acre, meditation garden designed by the chairman of the Japanese Garden Society (based in the UK), where you begin your spa experience sipping tea mixed with enzymes made from more than 25 different organically grown plants, and
• themed wellness and inner journeys programs featured every month – for example in June, the theme included one-on-one relaxation exercises and a guided meditation with a life coach who specializes in spiritual exploration and holistic health.

I recommend making a weekend of it and stay in Occidental. There are budget and upscale lodging options as well as delicious dining choices (including an organic bakery specializing in fresh baked bread just walking distance from the spa).