Forest Cocooning

Forest Cocooning is a nature-immersion practice for couples who already like each other and want to be deliberate about deepening their bond.

EXPLORE RITUALS

The Distillery
The Milestone
The Nocturne

Pioneered by Menizei, Forest Cocooning is the first practice to intentionally integrate forest therapy and attention-restoration research with relationship science, Forest Cocooning is designed to support co-regulation, attunement, and shared presence within a calming coastal forest overlooking the Salish Sea. At Menizei, couples can optionally enrich Forest Cocooning through self-guided rituals centered on sleep, sauna, and milestone moments—designed to help partners move from parallel routines back into shared experience.

THE FRAMEWORK

01

Attention Restoration

How natural environments restore directed attention and reduce cognitive fatigue.

02

Shinrin-yoku

The physiological and psychological benefits of immersive time in forested environments.

03

Relationship Science

Research on co-regulation, shared rituals, and conditions that support emotional attunement.

The principles behind Forest Cocooning draw from decades of research in environmental psychology, forest medicine, and relationship science—translated here into a practice that is experienced rather than taught.

THE RITUALS

A couple seated together in a private cedar sauna at Menizei on the Olympic Peninsula, experiencing The Distillery ritual surrounded by forest.
01

Steam up your love story

The Distillery

A guided cedar-sauna ritual where heat, forest herbs, and subtle cues dissolve the day and draw you back into shared presence. This isn’t a spa treatment—it’s where connection gets distilled.

EXPLORE Distillery

A couple sharing a proposal moment outside their private tent during The Milestone ritual at Menizei, surrounded by coastal forest.
02

Savor the occasion

The Milestone

A private deck-side ritual that uses reflection, creative prompts, and a shared forest toast to mark what you’ve built—without performance or an audience.

EXPLORE Milestone

A couple standing together outside their private blackout tent during The Nocturne ritual at Menizei, surrounded by coastal forest.
03

Go dark. Stay close.

The Nocturne

A nighttime ritual held in your private blackout tent, designed to quiet the mind and let sleep arrive side by side, supported by warmth, touch, and deliberate unwinding.

EXPLORE NOCTURNE

Why Place Matters

Forest Cocooning is inseparable from its setting. Menizei sits within a coastal rainforest on the Olympic Peninsula, overlooking the Salish Sea—an environment chosen not for spectacle, but for its capacity to quiet the nervous system and hold attention without demand.

Who THIS IS For

Forest Cocooning is designed for couples seeking privacy, restoration, and uninterrupted time together. It’s best suited for those who value intention over itinerary, depth over distraction, and quiet luxury over constant service.

The Distillery
The Milestone
The Nocturne

Scientific Reference

Kaplan & Kaplan, Attention Restoration Theory

Qing Li et al., Forest Bathing and Physiological Health

Gottman Institute, Shared Rituals and Relationship Stability