January 18, 2023

HOW TO CREATE A PERSONAL WELLNESS RETREAT IN REDDING, CALIFORNIA

An Asian woman practicing outdoor yoga in Redding, CA

Taking a break from our stress-filled lives is essential for maintaining a balanced lifestyle. If you’re looking for a personal wellness retreat in Redding, California, look no further.

Hit the pause button on your day-to-day life and indulge in the ultimate relaxation experience right here in the stunning capital of the Shasta Cascade region.

From rejuvenating massages to heavenly spas and movement studios, there are many ways to create a personalized wellness retreat that deeply nourishes your soul. Self-care is more than just a luxury—it’s a necessity. And we’re here to show you how it’s done in Redding.

An esthetician at Arukah Wellness brushing a face mask on a female client.

Photo Credit: Arukah Wellness

Why Visit Redding for a Personal Wellness Retreat?

Redding isn’t all mountain biking and rodeos. Although we do love our rugged lifestyle, the softer side of Redding has much to offer the wellness seekers among us.

Tucked away between the hipster coffee shops and bustling shopping centers lies a treasury of hidden gems offering health-giving holistic experiences. From soothing soaking tubs and stress-busting salt caves to hot stone massages and cryotherapy, there are plenty of healing modalities available to curate your own personal wellness retreat.

If it’s movement you’re interested in, Redding has so much to offer. Mindful movement can be enjoyed at any of Redding’s barre, yoga, and pilates studios. And let’s not forget the endless options for outdoor activity in Redding’s scenic sanctuaries.

We all need time to unwind and refresh, and there’s no better time than at the start of a new year. Whether you’re looking for a spa-cation, a digital detox, or one-on-one time with Mother Nature, Redding is the perfect place for rest and renewal.

Soaking tubs at Healing Waters in Redding, CA

Mineral Soaking Bath at Healing Waters

How to Plan Your Redding Wellness Retreat

A wellness retreat is an intentional restorative experience, which means so much more than just clocking out for a vacation (that you probably need a vacation to recover from later).

Prioritizing wellness is about escaping all the stressors and focusing solely on self-care.

Whether you get away for a weekend or an entire week, there are many ways to plan your wellness retreat. We recommend including activities like yoga, meditation, hiking, facials, massages, and perhaps a few healing experiences you’ve never tried before.

Are you ready to get started?

Check out a few of Redding’s best spas, wellness centers, movement studios, and outdoor havens.

Arukah Wellness owner, Ashley Houchin, giving a massage to a woman.

Arukah Wellness Owner, Ashley Houchin | Photo Credit: Victoria Sjlolander

Redding Massage Therapy & Spa Services

What’s a retreat without a relaxing massage? Redding massage therapists and wellness practitioners offer the massage techniques and spa treatments your body craves. 

Women sitting and talking in the Arukah Wellness lobby

Arukah Wellness Lobby | Photo Credit: Victoria Sjolander

Arukah Wellness

Women are the focus of Ashley Houchin’s wellness center, Arukah Wellness, where anything from therapeutic massage and organic facials to physical therapy and breast thermography services are available. Enjoy a hot stone massage, tension-relieving trigger point therapy, or dig in with a deep tissue massage.

The Arukah team consists of a warm-hearted collection of women—many experts in their fields—who understand the real needs of women and have a passion for pampering them. But their passion doesn’t end there.

If you’re expecting a little one or have recently delivered, Arukah Wellness caters to moms in all stages of life through pre- and post-natal care, pelvic floor physical therapy, and even infant bodywork. Whatever service you choose, you can thoroughly settle in knowing you’re in good hands.

An esthetician giving a woman a facial at Urban Retreat Day Spa in Redding, CA

Urban Customized Facial at Urban Retreat Day Spa

Urban Retreat

If you’re looking for a spa day with the girls in a classy environment with big-city amenities, look no further than Urban Retreat. Enjoy a cocktail upon check-in, slip into a cozy spa robe and slippers, and choose from a menu of services ranging from massages and facials to mani-pedis and lash extensions.

Founded nearly 20 years ago, Urban Retreat has pampering Redding residents and visitors down to a fine art. Owned and operated by a mother-daughter team, Janine and Danica, along with their partner, Courtney, Urban Retreat has served clients from their beautiful riverside location since 2012. The spa atmosphere they’ve established is truly peaceful, allowing you to feel at ease from the moment you walk through the door.

A male massage therapist giving a massage at Urban Retreat Day Spa in Redding, CA

Urban Massage at Urban Retreat Day Spa

Don’t forget to check the Urban Retreat website for special events, seasonal deals, and packages. If you’re not sure where to start, a local favorite is The Metropolitan—a 60-minute Urban massage combined with a 60-minute personalized Urban facial.

A Gild Beauty Bar esthetician brushing a facial mask on a woman.

Photo Credit: Gild Beauty Bar

Gild Beauty Bar

At Gild Beauty Bar, there’s more than meets the eyelashes (although they do rock at lash extensions). Enjoy a full menu of luxurious skincare and spa services in a chic downtown Redding location.

Brittany Baer, owner of Gild, and her team of artists are well-loved among locals who have been turning to Gild for professional microblading, lashes, makeup, and waxing since 2015. Guests can also enjoy massages, facial treatments, and “pretty parties” for an after-hours night out with the girls.

If you’re a mom-to-be, be sure to ask about spa services tailored especially for you.

Boheme Salon + Spa

As the name implies, Boheme is so much more than just a great place to get your hair done. Boheme Salon + Spa offers a full range of spa services, including facial treatments, lash extensions and lifts, massage therapy, and every type of waxing you could want. They also offer mani-pedis, makeup application, and makeup lessons for those wanting a few tips before a night out.

Boheme is an Aveda salon featuring a wide range of Aveda products in their professional services and retail storefront. Aveda employs Ayurvedic principles in their personal care products, using exclusively plant-based ingredients designed to bring balance to the body.

One of the best parts of any hair service at Boheme is when they ask you, “Would you like to enjoy a moment of relaxation?” The answer should always be a resounding YES! What comes next is deciding whether you want bergamot, lavender, or peppermint essential oil (or a combination) used in a blissful head massage. Is there anything better?

Holistic Skin Care in Redding

Owner Josie Ramirez of Everbloom Skincare giving a facial to an African American woman.

Photo Credit: Everbloom Skincare

Everbloom Skin Care

What do you get when you combine a certified holistic health coach with a master esthetician? You get Josie Ramirez, Owner of Everbloom Skin Care.

Josie’s passion for wellness and healthy skin converge through her whole-person approach to skincare. New clients begin their journey with a comprehensive health survey, during which Josie investigates the root causes of common skin issues such as acne, hyperpigmentation, premature aging, and more.

If you’re after more than just a relaxing facial, and you’re interested in a holistic approach to healthy skin, Josie has you covered. From tweaks in your eating habits to simple lifestyle changes (like changing your pillow case more often), Josie lays out a step-by-step plan and complete skincare protocol for each client.

Josie offers a wide range of services in addition to clear skin treatments, including sugar waxing and brow design, microcurrent facials, and resurfacing peels. To browse her entire menu of services and schedule an appointment, be sure to visit her Everbloom website.


 

Healing Experiences in Redding

Redding, California, offers a wide range of holistic experiences for anyone looking to find a sense of balance and peace. Enjoy salt caves, mud baths, soaking tubs, and more to help you reconnect with yourself and heal.

With specialized treatments designed to rejuvenate, renew, and recharge you, Redding is the perfect destination for cultivating inner harmony.

Photo of a salt cave at Capturing the Essence in Redding, CA

A Salt Room at Capturing the Essence

Capturing the Essence Salt Caves

Boost your immune system, decrease inflammation, and ward off respiratory issues, all while savoring the peaceful atmosphere at Capturing the Essence Salt Caves. Choose from one of two salt rooms—containing over ONE TON of pink Himalayan salt—for your 20- or 45-minute halotherapy session.

Sink your toes into the cooling pink salt, relax in a cushioned lounge chair, and sneak in a nap. If you’re planning a wellness retreat with friends, the larger salt room accommodates as many as 5-10 people. To up the ante on your salt cave experience, combine the benefits of massage and halotherapy by scheduling a 1-hour “get salted” massage in a salt room.

Healing Waters owner Pawnee giving a foot massage to a female client.

Ionic foot bath and massage by Pawnee at Healing Waters

Healing Waters Wellness Center

Owner Pawnee Pleines of Healing Waters has held onto a 20-year dream of seeing Redding become a wellness destination.

“People are so wound up and stressed out. It’s one of the biggest health issues we’re facing—stress,” Pawnee shares. 

A woman wrapped in a towel sitting in an infrared sauna at Healing Waters

Low EMF infrared sauna at Healing Waters

Pawnee offers mud wraps, infrared sauna sessions, mineral soaking baths, and soothing ionic foot baths, followed by the best foot massage you’ve ever received. Healing Waters is the place to go for a truly unique spa experience.

For those looking to simply relax and unwind, try a sauna session followed by a soaking tub. It’s also possible to do some serious detoxification work. According to Pawnee, “A real wellness retreat can be vigorous, and that’s when you know you’ve been successful.” 

A woman in the whole-body cryotherapy chamber at US Cryotherapy in Redding, CA

Whole Body Treatment at US Cryotherapy

US Cryotherapy of Redding

If you spend much time on Instagram or TikTok, you’ve likely witnessed the growing cold plunge trend. The use of ice baths has extended far beyond elite athletes to everyday folks looking to enjoy the benefits of a cold shock to the system.

That same concept can be found at US Cryotherapy of Redding, where you don’t have to get wet to experience a post-cold-plunge rush of endorphins. The whole-body cryotherapy chamber maintains a well-below-freezing temperature of -145 F°!

Andrea, Manager of US Cryotherapy, demonstrated the cryo chamber and explained that customers keep coming back for those few minutes of extreme cold for the inflammation-reducing benefits, improved circulation, and pain relief.

Other services available at US Cryotherapy include an ozone sauna, localized cryotherapy treatment, a vibration plate, a heated hydro-massage bed, and Lipo Light Body Contouring.

Women taking a barre class at Solace Movement Studio in Redding, CA

Barre Class at Solace with Studio Owner Lauren Allen

Prioritizing Mindful Movement

Incorporating mindful movement into a personal wellness retreat allows us to check in with our bodies, find ways to move that lower stress, move stagnant energy, and enhance the mind-body connection.

What’s the most important thing to consider when choosing your method of movement?

“Find something you enjoy with people you enjoy,” says Solace Movement Studio owner Lauren Allen.

Four Women on tiptoes during barre class at Solace Movement Studio

Solace Movement Studio

Solace Movement Studio

Beginning in 2020 as Commerce St. Barre, Lauren has since moved her studio to downtown Redding and re-branded as Solace Movement Studio. Lauren and her team of certified instructors offer barre classes multiple times per week, including group classes and private training options.

Lauren’s goal in launching her studio was to create a space where women could come together, have some fun (which she effortlessly fosters with her upbeat tunes and fun dance moves), and also slow down from the pace of their daily lives.

“Women need help unwinding. There’s a trend toward prioritizing longevity and mobility over the hard workouts. It’s no longer just the fringe, super-nutritious people recognizing the need for intentional self-care,” Lauren shares.

Lauren’s online booking system makes signing up for a drop-in barre class easy.

Women lying on yoga mats with lavender eye pillows at Solace Movement Studio

A Moment of Relaxation at Solace Movement Studio

And one of the best parts of barre class? The end. Every session concludes with a minute of rest and a lavender eye pillow, signaling the body that the hard work is done and it’s time to relax. What a great way to start the day!

Four women on pilates reformers at Organic Pilates in Redding, CA

Photo Credit: Organic Pilates

Organic Pilates

You don’t know what you’re missing if you’ve never tried a reformer Pilates class. Reformer Pilates takes your workout to the next level, incorporating spring-loaded resistance into traditional mat-based Pilates exercises. 

Organic Pilates owner, Keri Grauel, has created a beautiful studio offering hands-on guidance throughout her Pilates classes. If you’re just getting started or want one-on-one attention, Keri offers private sessions through Schedulicity.

Check out the Organic Pilates Instagram account to see their lovely space and get a taste of what reformer Pilates is all about.

A woman in a yoga position at Balance Yoga in Redding, CA

Photo Credit: Balance Yoga Center

Balance Yoga Center

If you’re ready to create healthy change in your life, Jana Parker, Owner of Balance Yoga, is sure to have the right yoga class to get you started.

Do you like your yoga hot? You got it. Balance Yoga Center offers a full range of yoga classes, from traditional and hot yoga to warm Vinyasa flow and BUTI yoga. Plan your retreat around one of their monthly workshops for a relaxing and educational experience.,

Discover Your Outdoor Sanctuary

A wellness retreat in Redding would only be complete with some dedicated quality time with Mother Nature. Redding is rich with opportunities to reconnect with your adventurous side or simply take it easy and enjoy the view.

Sacramento River Trail

One of the easiest ways to connect with nature in Redding is to take a stroll or a bike ride along the Sacramento River Trail.

Begin at the iconic Sundial Bridge and take a left on the other side to explore the McConnell Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. Give yourself a time out on one of several park benches positioned perfectly for anyone looking to sit and read, journal, or do a little birdwatching.

A woman's feet up on a kayak floating on a calm Whiskeytown Lake

Whiskeytown Lake | Photo Credit: Renee Gunlogson

Kayak at Whiskeytown Lake

Nothing says serenity quite like taking in the view from your own personal alcove of Whiskeytown Lake. Paddle to your heart’s content or sit and drift while taking in the scenery.

If you don’t own a kayak, no problem. Headwaters Adventure Company has everything you need to enjoy a little time on the water.

A women wearing sunglasses and a beanie holding a steelhead trout on the Sacramento River

Rainbow Trout in the Sacramento River | Photo Credit: Janae Weston

Fly Fishing the Sacramento River

Let your worries float downstream while waiting to hook one of the Sacramento River’s abundant rainbow trout. The great thing about fly fishing is that it’s both relaxing and rewarding. It’s impossible to be in a bad mood after a morning spent wading, casting, and reeling on the river.

If you’re new to the sport and looking for guidance, or you need fishing gear, The Fly Shop will indeed have everything you need and then some.

Dedicating Yourself to Wellness in 2023

Ready to escape the hustle and bustle? Redding’s here for you.

The Redding area offers something truly unique when it comes to relaxation and healing. What we’ve shared here only scratches the surface of Redding’s holistic experiences, healing modalities, and outdoor opportunities for creating a personal wellness retreat.

If you’re ready to take the leap and dedicate yourself to wellness this year, all that’s left is deciding where to stay in Redding. We’re happy to help! Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.

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