Forest Bathing Discovery Retreat

California - Santa Barbara Botanical Garden

September 29th to October 1st, 2025 

The name says it all. This is all about Discovery! Discovery Retreats are designed to facilitate Forest Bathing experiences that also support learning more about the practice. 

Whether you are interested in the health benefits for yourself or you are curious about deepening your nature connection through a different way of being in nature or perhaps you are considering becoming a forest therapy guide, this retreat is for you.

These 3-days in-person retreats are hosted by our experienced trainers all around the world and offer you a unique opportunity to experience the practice in stunning locations with like-minded and like-hearted people

The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is a 78-acre botanical garden, containing over 1,000 species of rare and indigenous plants. In spring, the meadow provides the opportunity to view our own local “superbloom” of bright orange California poppies (Eschscholzia californica), the purples of blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium bellum), and a changing palette of annual wildflowers. The garden features an incredible array of plant eco-systems including towering redwoods, a pollinator garden, exquisite manzanitas, native coastal canyon and incredible views of the mountains, ocean and sky.


PROGRAM

Day 1 – September 29, 2025

9:00 a.m  Introduction Circle and Welcome

10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.  Forest Therapy Walk 

12:30 – 2:00 pm  Lunch break 

2:00 – 4:30 pm  Art in Nature 

6:30 – 8:00 pm  Dinner at local restaurant

 

Day 2- September 30th, 2025

9:00 a.m  Morning Circle

9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.  Solo Wander

12:15 – 1:15 pm  Story Circle 

1:15 – 2:30 pm  Lunch Break 

2:30 – 3:30 pm  Heart Sense 

3:45 – 4:45 pm  Q&A

6:30 – 8:00 pm  Dinner at local restaurant


Day 3- October 1st, 2025

9:00 a.m  Morning Circle

9:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.  Forest Therapy Walk

12:30 – 1:30 pm  Final Circle

Program ends 1:30pm

No on-site accommodations- participants are responsible for their own meals and accommodations.

For this immersion, participants will choose their own local accommodations and meet up each day at the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden. 
Santa Barbara has many options for local accommodations, including camping, glamping, RV parks, hotels and airbnbs.

IMPORTANT: Participants on this retreat are asked to contribute $250, which covers the facilities rental, insurance, parking and entrance fees, as well as a few special gifts and two dinners. 

Facilitators

Ben Page

Ben Page is a Forest Therapy Guide, global advocate for the practice and the author of Healing Trees: A Pocket Guide to Forest Bathing. He is the founder of Shinrin Yoku LA and Integral Forest Bathing and has been guiding Forest Therapy walks since 2015. During his tenure as a trainer and mentor of guides, Ben has trained hundreds of guides around the world. From 2017-2020, he also served as the Director of Training for the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs, specializing in curriculum and pedagogical design and was the main designer of the ANFT Forest Therapy Guide Training on Thinkific. Since his practice began, Ben has been featured in such publications as Women’s Health, USA TODAY, Good Morning America, The Washington Post, and WebMD. Ben is also a co-founder of The Open School, Southern California’s only free democratic school. He holds a B.A. in religious studies from Carleton College and an M.A. in human development and social change from Pacific Oaks College.

Mentor, Trainer

Manuela Siegfried

Manuela Siegfried was born and raised in this beautiful, bio diverse country called Costa Rica. Having a biologist as a father, Manuela experienced contact with nature as an intrinsic part of her life. This passion led her to work as a naturalist tourism guide and in the tourism industry for 15 over years. She came across the concept of Shinrin-Yoku and the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy and immediately felt inspired and related to it. Manuela was trained and certified in 2018 and has been guiding very actively since then. As a trainer she has trained and mentored people from all over the world. She served as one of the main trainers for the first bilingual training in Puerto Rico. She has been the main promoter of trainings in Spanish, making this practice accessible to all Spanish-speaking countries. Currently she is the training director for the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy.

Price

Cancellation Policy 31 days or more prior to the start of your course you may request a full refund of your reservation minus a $50 administrative fee.