What’s the best way to live a healthy lifestyle in Houston? A popular choice is to visit a local gym.

Burning fat, adding toned muscles, and releasing endorphins is a smart way to feel good about yourself. Yet, sometimes you need more than the gym to get your head on straight. Sometimes you need a change of scenery, a place that will allow you to focus on personal development, a place to help you reevaluate your life and break free from your day-to-day routine.

So how can you reboot your mindfulness without leaving Houston? In Men In Black, they used a Neuralyzer to manipulate the mind. No such device exists in this city or any other, though. The next best thing is a wellness retreat!

This article will review three wellness retreats in Houston worth checking out.

Houston Wellness Retreat Number 1

Name: Trellis Spa

Location: Address: 111 N Post Oak Ln, Houston, TX 77024-7703

Hours: Monday- Friday: 8:00 am to 8:00 PM, Saturday- Sunday 8:00am to 6:00pm

The Trellis Spa is one of the most popular relaxation areas in the city.

Houston is a large city with over 2.1 million people, so it obviously has a metropolitan feel. The Trellis Spa, which is inside the Houstonian Hotel, has a relaxed atmosphere that disconnects you from this busy feel.

Everything about this place screams upscale. This spa is the definition of luxury and pampering. They have a beautiful locker room, plush robes, and even sandals if you forget to bring your own. In the waiting room, there is a ton of tasty treats for you to enjoy. They have fresh fruit, cold water, cookies, coffee, tea, and even fresh juice. If you have never been here before, they will give you a free tour. Since there’s so much to do here, it’s not a bad idea to take the tour on your first visit.

Downstairs there is a soaking pool that has lounge chairs. The level of service here is quite amazing. Many customers lament they come too late in the day, and they aren’t able to enjoy all the amenities. If you come here, make sure to leave early in the morning so you can experience as much as possible. Make a full day out of it, instead of a half day.

What can you say about the other services? The spa is serene and surrounds you with nature. They have deep-tissue massages, and they agree with most people. The showers are equipped with a variety of amenities including green tea shampoo, conditioner, body wash, razors, makeup remover, a shower cap, lotion, toothpaste and toothbrush, mouthwash, and pretty much everything else you can think of.

Oh yeah, and the food is top-notch too. It’s a varied menu that would please the most exacting connoisseurs.

What else can I say about this place? It’s the epitome of luxury wellness in Houston, and it’s very popular. What’s the downside? Well, it’s not cheap, but that’s to be expected with this level of service. You also hear of the odd customer service complaint, but that is the exception, not the norm.

Trellis Spa is the epitome of a top-notch wellness center in Houston.

Houston Wellness Retreat Number 2

Name: Chittamani Kadampa Meditation Center

Location: 508 Pecore St, Houston, TX 77009

Hours: Variable

When it comes to a top-quality wellness center in Houston, most people feel the Trellis is unrivaled. However, sometimes you don’t just want to relax and reset. From time to time you want a real lifestyle change. And meditation seems to be a very healthy and popular way to improve your quality of life on many different levels.

The great thing about learning to meditate is that you learn a new skill, a skill that will help you immensely in your daily life. Live and Dare has over 100 scientific studies on meditation. The benefits are nothing short of wonderful. Here’s an abstract from Live and Dare:

“In a study conducted at five middle schools in Belgium, involving about 400 students (13 ~ 20 years old), Professor Filip Raes concludes that s

tudents who follow an in-class mindfulness program report reduced indications of depression, anxiety and stress up to six months later.”

And it’s not only kids. Other studies have shown benefits for people of all ages, genders, religion, etc. That being said, many people have tried to learn meditation and mindfulness on their own and failed. That’s why Chittamani Meditation Center is such a valuable place.

For one thing, the classes are all taught by a Buddhist nun. This is an experienced practitioner of meditation and mindfulness. The classes are interactive, and the community is known around Houston for being welcoming. They include guided meditation by a professional, which is something you can’t get at home. Wat is more, they have a robust bookstore filled with books on meditation and Buddhist philosophies if you’re interested. On top of that, they also have a large selection of video material and information on their website too.

There are weekly classes in Houston and Austin. What’s awesome about this Wellness Center is that it hones a skill that reduces stress and improves your health. Check it out if you’re constantly stressed and pining for that long-term fix.

Houston Wellness Retreat Number 3

Name: The Petite Retreat

Address: 1034 Heights Blvd, Houston

Hours: 9am to 9pm

The Petite Retreat can directly compete with Trellis Spa in terms of quality. In terms of popularity, it’s clearly behind Trellis. So why come here? What are some singular features the Petite Retreat has to offer?

For one thing, it’s sometimes good to be number #2. Many Houston natives love this place because it’s less crowded, and they treat you more personally. Also, Petite Retreat is in the Heights of Houston. This place has an old school charm and a quaint feel. Another thing to note is the couples massage here is unilaterally praised among the locals, so if you’re coming with a special someone, this is a robust selling point.

One of the most popular services at the Petite Retreat is the detoxifying mud massage. Mud massages are often distrusted by beginners. Most people like to avoid mud when possible…

However, these massages make your skin smooth and soft. And, of course, they let you clean up at the end with a warm shower, so you don’t stay muddy for that long!

Another popular treatment here is a Hot Stone Massage. Like mud, hot rocks are not looked upon favorably by the novice. But, trust me, you should really try it once.

For this specialty treatment, the therapist heats up smooth stones. Correctly placed, these stones have a deeply relaxing effect on tight muscles since the heat releases tension and helps your body get rid of those annoying knots. This kind of massage  will naturally increase your blood flow to tense areas and relieve muscle pain and soreness.

A Hot Stone Massage is super relaxing and you can get one at the Petite Retreat. Plus, there are quite a few other fascinating wellness treatments to try here.

Conclusion and a Bonus Wellness Retreat

Didn’t find a place you like? Here’s a bonus. Lifetime Fitness is one of the best gym chains in Houston. It’s a luxury gym that even has a pool with a water slide for the kids. And that’s just cool.

Wellness is not a medical fix, but rather a way of living. That means you should practice wellness as often as you can. What does it mean to practice wellness?

True wellness is the care of the body and the mind. Try to stay healthy with exercise, good diet, and pamper yourself when you can and use powerful tools like daily (or weekly) meditation to clear your mind and optimize your senses.