Self-care should be a daily practice, but the rush of life often prevents even a moment or two of personal time, let alone a nightly soak in a bubble bath. Eventually, though, all that stress catches up, tensions peak, and our bodies and minds remind us that we need to relax, reconnect, and recharge.
Dedicating a weekend for personal health and wellness is more than just about treating yourself—it’s about healing. And Sandy Springs is the perfect destination for a three-day health and wellness weekend to restore your mind and body.
Not far from town, the Chattahoochee River and surrounding forest provide a peaceful environment to reconnect with nature, settle your mind, and enjoy stimulating exercise. In the city, you’ll find a wide range of spa services, plus yoga studios, and restaurants that focus on healthy meals. Plus, Sandy Springs feel more like a small town than a big-city suburb, so you can enjoy a few days away from hectic urban life.
If you need some salve for the soul, follow this itinerary for a blissful three-day escape in Sandy Springs.
Friday
Target Your Frustrations—With an Axe
Clear your mind by condensing all negativity onto a single bull’s eye, and then demolish what bogs you down with a 3.5-pound axe. Axe-throwing is all the rage at the moment, and the physical and mental release you’ll find in a two-hour throwing session at Bury the Hatchet’s new Sandy Springs location will optimize your wellness weekend—after all, how can you embrace restoration without making space for it first?
Mend Your Mind and Body With Massage
Tensions stored in the body can create not only physical pain but also mental stress and strain. Healing is a priority for the Japanese massage therapists at Healing Touch Iyashi. They start every service with a muscle-relaxing foot soak that ensures a more effective experience, whether your treatment is a full body massage, Thai stretching, an herbal steam treatment, hot stone massage, detoxifying cupping session, or a unique combination of multiple reinvigorating services.
Enjoy Guilt-Free Grub
From grass-fed steak to sustainable salmon to natural chicken, the menu at Flower Child is overflowing with fresh options for a wholesome and delicious Friday finale. Top off your meal with a Georgia-brewed beer, or opt for the kombucha on tap.
Saturday
Fuel Your Morning
Skip your kick-off-the-day caffeine jolt and opt for another kind of mental boost from the vitamins and nutrients packed into signature drinks at The Raw Experience. Signature cold-pressed juices like the Golden Glow (made with pineapple, grapefruit, turmeric) and the Sweet Green Machine (celery, kale, apple, cucumber) are packed with vitamins and nutrients for a more energizing—and longer lasting—morning jumpstart.
Head to the River for SUP Yoga
No mat needed—you’ll be doing downward facing dog on a stand-up paddleboard instead. High Country Outfitters’ SUP Yoga class at Morgan Falls Overlook Park begins with a quick technique tutorial before heading out onto the Chattahoochee River. You’ll anchor on the water while practicing breathing exercises, sun salutations, and traditional postures—all while soaking up the serene natural landscape.
Seek Solitude in Nature
Quiet your mind and calm your spirit with a visit to the beautiful 30-acre Big Trees Forest Preserve. Take the three-quarter-mile Backcountry Trail to stroll beneath a leafy canopy of hardwoods and walk among historic dogwoods and sourwoods, azaleas, and wildflowers. You’ll pass streams and springs on your way to a cliff that towers over the Flowers Branch grove—a perfect spot for quiet contemplation.
Sunday
Strengthen Your Body
The Pink Barre Classic session at the popular Pink Barre studio, voted best in Atlanta according to several websites and media outlets, incorporates pilates, isometric strengthening, yoga, and ballet to bolster your core, lengthen the body, increase flexibility, and improve alignment and posture. Add in motivational music and enthusiastic instructors, and this 55-minute class in the morning will offer a body boost that will last all day long.
Practice Meditation in the Park
Thoughtful contemplation is key to mental balance, but our busy lives sometimes prevent us from making space for intentional, unhurried meditation. Whether you prefer the serene soundtrack of a natural stream, the near-silent seclusion of a cave-like rock overhang, or a relaxing hammock in the shade, you’ll find a perfect spot for personal reflection along the Island Ford Park Trail, a three-mile, flora-filled loop around the Chattahoochee River.
Savor a Delicious Vegan Dinner
A Sandy Springs staple for more than 20 years, Cafe Sunflower’s flagship location offers an entirely vegan menu of hearty, healthy meals. Favorites include the soy Veggie Loaf and the impeccable Sweet and Sour Soy Chicken, as well as a widely acclaimed newcomer, the Impossible Burger, which is specially seasoned by the cafe’s no-meat master chefs.
Wrap Up Your Wellness Weekend with a Treat for Your Feet (and Shoulders)
End you health and wellness weekend by dedicating a half-hour of care for your feet and shoulders, two notorious spots for tension-hoarding. Specializing in relief for these extremities, For the Sole offers a 60-minute session that starts with a relaxing soak and hot stones foot treatment. Then, a therapist will work your shoulders to untangle the tightness and pressure from all that stressful scrunching. It’s the perfect wrap to a wellness weekend in Sandy Springs.
Written by Jhoni Jackson for Matcha in partnership with Visit Sandy Springs and legally licensed through the Matcha publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@getmatcha.com.