Best of ATX: Health & Wellness

Feb 20, 2024

Looking to elevate the Delta-8 space, entrepreneur Janice Omadeke partnered with chef Nic Yanes (Juniper, Verbena) to create an edible company focused on gourmet goodies. The gluten-, dairy-, and preservative-free bites feature no-nonsense ingredients—think organic coconut and vegan fudge—as well as curated blends that promote everything from improved intimacy to sharpened focus.

Roger PilneyOwner, Radix Coffee

Between CBD-imbued espresso drinks and jars of fruit-flavored Delta-8 gummies served at its bevy of food truck locales, Radix House is fostering a community conversation around mental health. Motivated by his own struggle with PTSD and depression, owner Roger Pilney spreads the word about the benefits of cannabis. The shop has partnered with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, whose hotline is stamped onto the cardboard sleeve of every beverage.

Em GrayFounder, The N.I.C.E. Project

Utilizing a decade of experience working with harm reduction organizations, Em Gray took combating Austin’s opioid crisis into her own hands. At places like Sunrise Church, she installed vending machines stocked with free Narcan, a lifesaving drug that reverses the effects of an overdose. Her distribution of over 5,000 doses in the first nine months is impressive considering the governor’s recent anti-fentanyl initiative allotted a mere 10,000 doses statewide.

Brad StuverRegional Director, The Laundry Project

Twice nominated for ESPN’s Humanitarian of the Year Award, Austin FC goalkeeper Brad Stuver lends his platform to aiding lower-income families by providing fundamental needs. You’ll find Brad and his wife Ashley on-site at local laundromats handing out detergent and supplies, as well as paying for all loads of laundry at his frequent community outreach events.

Who better to experience downward dog and camel pose with than an array of furry friends? Austin has fully leaned into the animal yoga trend with a delightful selection of cuddly classes across the city, including Doom Metal Goat Yoga with baby goats at Jester King Brewery as well as Kitten Yoga and Puppy Yoga at Inner Diva Studios benefiting Austin Pets Alive! Aww.

One thing’s for sure: This ain’t your grandma’s facial. House of Preservation’s custom treatment includes ice therapy with stainless steel cooling globes and a high-frequency wand that beams a mild electric current into the skin, generating oxygen to kill acne-causing bacteria. Want to go to Mars? Soak in the glow of a bright red LED light, which promotes circulation and stimulates collagen production.

As the city continues to adopt a more metropolitan personality, it needed a workout space with an equal amount of urban panache. Located in a modern downtown studio on Fifth and Brazos, Studio Three keeps it simple with a trio of class types (yoga, interval, and cycling). Light floods in through floor-to-ceiling windows in the yoga sessions, which puts the skyline on full display in the background, while the dark cycling studio space allows members to clip in and escape the daily grind with rhythmed choreography.

There’s a reason every “it” girl in the city is flocking to the styling chair of Tyler Cochran. The Hair House ATX co-founder worked with former Aveda creative director Denny Kemp in Minneapolis for years before relocating to Austin in 2014. Inspired by iconic actresses and supermodels—think Jane Birkin and Brigitte Bardot—Cochran gravitates toward classic styles that even caught the eye of the Fab Five (he was featured on an episode of Queer Eye in 2022).

Ever gotten a makeover in front of a live audience? Grab a seat on a platform at this playful barbershop and salon, where the stylists craft your coif and color your tresses onstage. (Friends can even watch the action from blue velvet theater seats in front of it.) If this setup weren’t already quirky enough, the queer-owned North Lamar salon also shares its space with Side Kitsch Vintage, should you want to purchase a pair of lamps after your rainbow balayage treatment.

When navigating a cancer diagnosis in 2019, Cristo Burciaga found comfort through the practice of yoga. As he started to pair virtual classes with his own musical mix at home during the pandemic, an idea was born. Now, Burciaga partners with local yoga instructors to host pop-up classes in which he live deejays. By combining the flow of the poses with corresponding beats, the sweat sessions transform beyond fitness into an almost spiritual practice.

When feeling the weight of the world on your shoulders, sometimes the best escape is to go weightless. Relish complete tranquility as you float in your own private, pitch-black pool at this new South Austin spa. The sensory deprivation tank is filled with tons of warm saltwater, creating the sensation that you’re floating in the womb again. Oh, baby!

Anyone who’s ever watched the full-body transformations of Dancing with the Stars contestants will attest that busting a move can be a killer workout. Shake it out during Fitcidence’s fun-filled, high-intensity cardio sessions with choreographed steps. Ballin’ on a budget? Check out its free dance cardio workouts with Swift Fit Events on select Saturday mornings at Republic Square, or take the little ones to complimentary kids’ dance cardio on Sunday mornings at Mueller Lake Park.

While studying traditional Chinese medicine in school, Dr. Baraah Attal became intrigued by the practice of ear seeding. Akin to reflexology for your feet, the ritual centers on affixing small, strategically placed beads to the ear as tiny acupressure devices, which can aid anything from headaches to hormonal imbalances. Bonus: The founder uses shiny beads that look like jewelry, so it’s a fun way to add a little bling.

As relaxing as taking deep breaths on a reflective oceanside jaunt, this South Austin hideout features a room with two tons of Himalayan salt as well as pharmaceutical-grade salt that is ground and aerated during its soothing 45-minute sessions. Sign up for yoga classes, meditations and sound baths, or just kick back in a chair as you inhale the cleansing air, which is said to aid with allergies, asthma, and eczema.

Consider this the most restorative nap that you’ve ever taken. Using alchemy crystal, quartz singing bowls, and koshi chimes, Cynthia Bernard manifests the power of vibrational healing as guests lie down on mats to soak in the sonic goodness. The sound baths take place in serene locales around the city, including by the water at the Rowing Dock and among the blooms at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.