Field Guide to Feeling Good: Yosemite Mariposa Wellness

Modern life can be a high-wire act.  Commute, work, school, parenting and family all take focus and selfless commitment. Technology’s cascade of tools, opportunities, and conveniences are great, but they also present related personal privacy risks and time management tasks.  Throw climate change and a global pandemic into the mix, and it’s clear: finding personal harmony and keeping your balance can be a Herculean challenge!

Big Love

When it all feels like too much, know that there’s a natural antidote. The mythic scenery of Yosemite will lighten your heart and send your spirit soaring. Sacred places like Cathedral Rocks, El Capitan, Half Dome, and Yosemite Falls will nourish your soul and provide a place for a little forest bathing.  There’s something about the well-grounded company of towering granite that puts everything in perspective.

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.

-John Muir

Go grandly beyond the daily grind and pixilated screens to give yourself something bigger.  Taking care comes naturally with Yosemite Mariposa’s bounty of national park recreation, mind/body practitioners, bracing alpine air and blue Sierra sky.

Play Therapy

Yosemite’s landmarks are always here for you.  Mind-blowing scenery and terrain, laced with innumerable and excellent trails to access the waterfalls, granite titans, charismatic flora and riparian canyons.  The sweet sounds of water ““ falling, rushing, bubbling and spraying ““ go deeper than any calming app you can download.

Crystal clear Sierra oxygen will fuel your journeys, from the wildflower-dappled canyon walls of the Hite Cove Trail to the alpine aerie of Clouds Rest.  The meditative pace of putting one foot before the other, breathing in sync, wildly activating your reserve of endorphins: hiking the Yosemite Mariposa realm can deliver a natural high.

Wellness alert: crunching along a crushed granite trail, sun-kissed by Vitamin D, can lead to euphoria.

“High-king” is the simplest form of local exercise here but not the only option.

Swimming is widely heralded as an exercise for both body and soul.  And like walking, it’s one of the rare fitness activities that feels as good doing it as it does after.  Check out Yosemite Mariposa’s swimming guide and get your suit on.

Varied terrain makes Yosemite Mariposa a playground for biking, skiing, and snowshoeing.  For the geared-up, there’s rock climbing, fly-fishing and whitewater rafting with local outfitters.

Renewable Energy Sources

Mind-body power guides are “ommmm-ni-present” in Yosemite Mariposa.  Local practitioners of the healing arts lean in with a mother lode of wellness options. Yoga, spas, and natural destination splendor intertwine for a holistic and healing getaway.

Balanced Rock Foundation is a local non-profit outfitter offering year-round yoga classes and backpacking retreats geared to all ability levels.  The naturally transformational power of Yosemite crackles through their programs.

The Yosemite Health Spa at the Yosemite Rustic Bug Resort in Midpines offers full-body serenity, from massage and yoga retreats to locally-sourced herbal-steeped baths, hot rocks sauna and jumbo stainless steel hot tub.

The Ascent Spa at Tenaya Lodge is one of the Sierra’s top spas, offering a rejuvenating range of treatments including massage, body wraps, facials, sauna and steam rooms, all located at award-winning Tenaya Lodge.

Whitefawn Wellness takes a holistic approach to positive mental health, physical fitness and spiritual well-being. Start now with their Five Healing Mediations. 

Then there’s the deep therapy that comes simply being present in Yosemite’s natural realm.  Flow returns. Smile muscles stretch.  As famed Yosemite Park Ranger Shelton Johnson describes it, “There’s no place like the Sierra Nevada… there’s just a feeling here that you don’t have anyplace else.”

Take Your Power Trip

When everyday responsibilities and demands have you reaching for the pause button, head for the naturally restorative power of Yosemite Mariposa. Embrace its inspiring landmarks, outdoor recreation, and wellness providers and guides. Turn off notifications and turn on real life. You’ll return recharged, refueled, and ready to jump back on modern life’s merry-go-round.