When I first visited it in 1989, I fell in love. Initially, it was the natural beauty that seduced me, but after several trips I discovered another reason to love it: it makes my body feel better. As I make my way up mountain curves, cruise through the forest bordering the Navarro River, and eventually drive within sight of the Pacific Ocean, I feel my neck and shoulder muscles relax and my breathing becomes effortless.

Everything is easier in Mendocino. The natural world envelops me. Few of the lodgings include television. Cellphone reception is sketchy. Entertainment is walking along the beach, sitting on a bench surrounded by redwood trees, or noticing the abundance of mushrooms after the rain.

After each trip, I fantasize about making it my permanent home and leading a quasi-rural life. And each time, I wake up to the reality that my progressive neuromuscular condition, myotonic dystrophy, is best managed in a place with a more populated infrastructure.

For example, when fatigue affects my walking, I need better accessibility. Rural areas often have fewer curb cuts, older buildings with more stairs, and fewer ramps and elevators. Ride services such as Uber and Lyft and food delivery options are often not as readily available. In the event of an emergency, I may have to wait longer for first responders in a community with a volunteer fire department.

I also run a quarterly support group in the Bay Area that covers all of Northern California, which I couldn’t do in Mendocino. Fresh air and beautiful scenery are wonderful but the anxiety of not having help and support nearby is too high a price to pay. 

But still, I can add a little Mendocino to my urban life. I’ve taken to gathering souvenirs on my trips—fallen tree branches covered with lichen and moss, abalone shells, a jar of jeweled sand from Glass Beach—and other natural reminders of the sights and scents. These mementos fill my home and office.

Since I don’t always have time to drive to Mendocino, I’ve looked for low-impact nature experiences closer to home such as herb or wildflower walks and bird watching. Recently, I even participated in something called forest bathing, which the Japanese call shinrin-yoku.

At a local botanical garden, I joined a group led by a certified forest therapy guide for a three-hour multisensory tour. In some areas, we simply sat and listened. We took time to observe in a surround-sound manner by adjusting our necks 45 degrees every few minutes. We moved ever so slowly down a short, forested path looking, touching, and smelling. I was amazed at how much more I could discern. We ate nuts and berries and drank bark tea. For the rest of the day, I felt more positive, and that night I slept like a baby.

This regular exposure to nature perks me up in unexpected ways. When the air quality is clear, a stroll through a park or forest enhances my breathing. Pausing to observe a hummingbird’s flight, listening to rustling leaves, and feeling the sun’s rays caress my skin coalesce into a cocktail that often soothes the muscle pain that I otherwise ease with an afternoon dose of acetaminophen. Sometimes, I even forget I have a neuromuscular disease.

Looking for your own Mendocino? These tips may help.

Find your center. Think about where you feel most relaxed and peaceful in nature. Is it near a body of water such as a lake, river, or ocean? Or maybe in the mountains. Some may prefer the desert. Once you’ve determined that, find ways to spend time there and soak up those feelings.

Try something new. Take a walk in your local park, if you haven’t already. Check the Audubon Society or Sierra Club for low-impact nature ventures. Find out if there is forest guide in your area. If not, revisit a favorite place and move slowly concentrating on what you see, hear, smell, feel, and taste.

Bring the outside in. When the weather impedes your ability to enjoy the outdoors, recapture some of that feeling with natural mementos. If you have windows with a view of the water or a favorite tree or a bird feeder, arrange furniture for a front-row seat. Even photographs or paintings of natural settings can improve your mood and well-being.

Leslie Krongold, EdD, lives in Alameda, CA, where she leads support group meetings for the Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation. She also writes a blog and produces a podcast series called Glass Half Full .