The Pacific Northwest has perfected the art of restorative weekends. Here at The Landing at Orcas, we’ve watched countless guests arrive frazzled and leave transformed after just 48 hours of intentional rest and reconnection. The formula isn’t complicated—it’s about layering simple wellness practices in a setting that does half the healing work for you. 

If you’re planning a wellness weekend for friends, family, or a small group, this itinerary offers a blueprint rooted in what actually works when you’re surrounded by the Salish Sea’s natural rhythms. 

Friday Evening: Arrival and Settling In 

The journey matters. When you choose Orcas Island stays for your wellness weekend, the ferry crossing becomes your first practice in slowing down. Encourage your group to silence phones, breathe in the salt air, and notice the feeling of leaving the mainland behind. 

Arrive at your island hotel with enough daylight to orient everyone to the space. Show them where they’ll sleep, where you’ll gather, and most importantly—where they can find solitude when they need it. 

Keep the first evening simple: light food, perhaps some gentle stretching, and early rest. Resist the urge to launch into programming right away. Let the transition happen naturally. 

Saturday Morning: Forest Bathing and Yoga 

Wake early, but without alarms. Let people rise according to their bodies’ rhythms. Have hot water ready for tea and coffee, but don’t rush toward breakfast. 

Forest bathing originated in Japan as shinrin-yoku, but the practice translates beautifully to the ancient forests here. Unlike hiking, where you’re moving toward a destination, forest bathing invites you to simply be present among the trees. 

Lead your group on a slow walk through nearby trails—Moran State Park offers excellent options, though even a quiet road through the woods will work. Walk in silence for at least 30 minutes. Encourage participants to touch bark, smell cedar, listen for birdsong. This is active sensing, not passive strolling. 

Return for a light breakfast, then transition into yoga. If you have someone in your group who can lead a practice, wonderful. If not, consider bringing in a local instructor or using a guided video. The key is keeping the practice accessible and restorative rather than performative. 

Our waterfront property offers deck space perfect for outdoor yoga when weather permits. There’s something about practicing with water views that helps people drop into their bodies more fully. 

Saturday Midday: Free Time and Exploration

After morning practices, give your group substantial unstructured time. This is where Orcas Island activities shine—not because they’re elaborate, but because they’re inherently restorative. 

Some might kayak if conditions are calm. Others will nap or read. A few might explore the small village nearby. All of it counts as wellness when there’s no agenda driving it. 

If your island hotel includes amenities like beach access or garden spaces, simply being outside without purpose becomes its own form of healing. We’ve noticed guests often spend hours doing what appears to be nothing—staring at water, watching birds, sitting with trees. This “nothing” is actually everything. 

Saturday Afternoon: Sauna Ritual 

As afternoon softens into evening, gather for a traditional sauna experience. At The Landing at Orcas, our cedar sauna has become central to many wellness weekends, and we’ve learned what makes the practice transformative rather than merely pleasant. 

The ritual matters as much as the heat. Create intentionality around the experience: 

Prepare the sauna slowly, letting it heat while your group enjoys quiet time. Gather everyone and explain the rhythm: warm, cool, rest, repeat. Provide plenty of water, fresh towels, and if you’re brave enough—access to cool water for contrast therapy. 

In the sauna, encourage silence or soft conversation. Heat strips away pretense quickly; some of the most honest talks happen here. After 10-15 minutes, everyone exits for cool air or cold water, then rests before another round. 

The full cycle typically takes 90 minutes to two hours. It’s not rushed, and it shouldn’t be. The slow oscillation between hot and cold, tension and release, mirrors the rhythm of life itself. Many report it’s the first time they’ve truly relaxed in months. 

Saturday Evening: Nourishment and Connection 

After the sauna, bodies are soft and open. This is the time for nourishing food—warm soup, roasted vegetables, good bread. Keep meals simple but abundant. 

Eat together with attention. Light candles, perhaps share gratitudes, but don’t force structure. The combination of forest bathing, yoga, and sauna tends to create natural openness. Conversations flow differently after a day of intentional wellness. 

Some weekends we’ve hosted, groups have spontaneously broken into song or storytelling. Others have sat in companionable silence. Trust what emerges. 

Sunday Morning: Gentle Closing 

The final morning should feel like a gradual return rather than an abrupt ending. Perhaps a short yoga practice or meditation, breakfast enjoyed slowly, then time for packing and final reflections. 

Before everyone scatters, gather briefly. Ask people to share one thing they’re taking home—not a forced circle, just an invitation to mark the transition. 

What Makes This Itinerary Work 

Balance – You’re alternating active practices (forest bathing, yoga) with passive restoration (sauna, free time). 

Simplicity – Three core practices spread across 48 hours is plenty. More would feel rushed. 

Nature immersion – Every element connects participants to the natural world, which does healing work beyond what any technique can accomplish.

Community and solitude – People need both. This schedule provides structured togetherness balanced with generous alone time. 

Practical Planning Tips 

When booking Orcas Island stays, confirm your venue has what you need: 

• Space large enough for group yoga 

• Sauna access or the ability to arrange one 

• Kitchen facilities for shared meals 

• Proximity to forest trails 

• Comfortable common areas 

At The Landing at Orcas, we’ve designed our island hotel specifically for these kinds of gatherings. Our sauna accommodates small groups, our deck works beautifully for yoga, and trails are minutes away. 

Budget considerations: Wellness weekends can be affordable. Potluck-style meals, peer-led practices, and DIY programming keep costs down while often creating more authentic experiences than expensive facilitation. 

Group size: 6-10 people tends to be the sweet spot. Large enough for interesting dynamics, small enough that everyone’s voice matters. 

Season: Late spring and early fall offer the best weather stability. Summer works but can feel busy with island visitors. Winter requires more flexibility with outdoor plans but offers profound quietness. 

The Elements That Make It Special 

People often ask what makes wellness weekends here different from those at mainland locations. It’s the convergence of several factors: 

The separation created by water crossing. The particular quality of Pacific Northwest forests. The small-scale, unhurried pace of island life. And perhaps most importantly—the permission to do less that geography naturally grants.

When guests explore available Orcas Island activities, they quickly realize the best ones involve maximum nature, minimum effort. Walking beaches. Watching eagles. Breathing forest air. These aren’t filler activities between “real” programming—they ARE the program. 

After the Weekend 

Encourage your group to maintain connection after returning home. Share photos from the weekend. Check in on how people are sustaining practices. Consider making it an annual tradition. 

Many groups who’ve hosted wellness weekends at our island hotel return yearly, sometimes with the exact same people, sometimes with new participants. The format becomes a touchstone, something to look forward to when life gets heavy.