Yahoo Lifestyle 12 healthy, joyful and restorative wellness activities for 2025
This stands to be an interesting year — if not a potentially stressful one — as we transition leadership in this country. Just remember to care for yourself.
With that top of mind, here’s a calendar of wellness activities, each tied to the mood and cadence of the month. There’s a high-energy trampoline fitness routine, an affordable facial, a supermoon hike, a sound bath in a dome designed for time travel and more.
Feel free to mix up the order of these activities (hey, do them all in January, if you want!) or simply use them as inspiration to chart your own wellness path. But do prioritize self-care this year to stay healthy, grounded and strong.
January: Roast on salt rocks, soak in hot water and shed your skin
Los Angeles has a rich Korean bathhouse culture. But my favorite — and I’ve tried them all — is Wi Spa. The spa is open 24/7, for starters, and has a coed floor with five progressively hot saunas (one offers “salt therapy”; another, “medicinal” clay). There’s a wall-length bookshelf of loaner manga, a rooftop terrace and a surprisingly good Korean cafe (try the spicy buckwheat noodles or the shaved ice with red beans, fresh fruit and ice cream). The soaking tubs and saunas are included with the cost of entry. But consider adding on a scrub and sloughing off a layer or two of skin — it’s my favorite way to enter the new year. I always leave feeling rejuvenated, not to mention just a little bit lighter. ($30 entry)
Read more: The 28 best yoga studios in L.A. for stretching, sweating and spiritual awakenings
February: Consult a tarot reader
Valentine's Day may be consumerist crap, but it’s inescapable — chocolate, flowers and dating app ads abound! It’s hard not to think about the state of your love life in February. Whether you’re single and searching or coupled and working on things — or anywhere in between — why not get some guidance? Tarot reader Melinda Lee Holm, who’s based in L.A., has been reading cards for more than 30 years. She’s authored several books, most recently “Your Tarot Guide: Learn to Navigate Life With the Help of the Cards.” Contact her for a private reading or attend one of her free tarot readings, held weekly, on Instagram. She also performs staged versions of her Instagram Live events, for free, typically at the Philosophical Research Society. And she’ll be releasing a series of Instagram videos in 2025 about “love spells.” (Private session: $200; live events: free)
March: Enjoy a springtime tea ceremony
There’s no shortage of places to enjoy tea rituals in Los Angeles, including at Alhambra’s Tea Habitat, which offers a gong fu cha service, or the Arts District’s “tea meditation” space, Tea at Shiloh. But Yusuian takes it to the next level. The traditional Japanese tea room is situated on a cliff overlooking the ocean in Malibu. Guests sit on tatami mats with a view of a Japanese garden with a waterfall. Owner Yuko Uyesugi is an expert in the centuries-old Chado tea ceremony, which is the ritualistic preparation of green tea, meant to provide a relaxing break from everyday life. She holds classes there and, twice yearly, opens up the tea room for visits. Bonus: In spring, the garden is bright with flowers, and you may just find a cherry blossom on your plate of sweets. ($85 for a single visit; address upon RSVP)
April: Get heady
April is tax season. Which equals one massive headache from — for me, anyway — poring over receipts. Even the score at a head spa. We visited both Japanese and Chinese head spas in the area. At both, the luxury treatment begins with a detailed scalp analysis followed by a neck and shoulder massage and repeated shampooings and conditionings. At Cai Xiang Ge in San Gabriel, the 60-minute, $95 treatment also includes a warm foot bath and a blowout over tea and sweets. At Head Spa En in Pasadena (there are also Beverly Hills and Newport Beach locations), the 60-minute, $150 treatment instead includes a slow, 35-minute Shiatsu head massage with a moisturizing scalp gel. Practitioners claim head spas aid circulation as well as detoxify and hydrate the scalp. Wherever you go, getting your noggin scrubbed for an hour is transformative — in both cases, I nearly fell asleep. Now that’s a worthy benefit. ($95 and $150)
May: Bounce
As the weather warms up and we look to summer, it's a good time to restart (or just start) your fitness routine. Take a trampoline fitness class at LEKfit in Mid-City, Ritual Fitness in Highland Park or Trampoline Trim in Hollywood. Yeah, we know it’s all about strength training these days. But aerobic exercise is still crucial, and working out on a trampoline is low-impact. The studios actually use “Rebounders,” a type of mini-trampoline that has a gentler bounce than a large trampoline; it uses bungee cords instead of metal springs to better absorb impact, making the workout easier on your joints. The dance-like moves are good for coordination, balance and calorie-torching, and rebounding is said to stimulate the lymphatic system, which helps clear toxins from the body. All three studios incorporate elements of strength training, stretching and toning using bands and weights as well. Plus, there's something to be said for pure, unadulterated, childlike play. (Trampoline Trim, $29; LEKfit and Ritual Fitness, $35)
Read more: Walk on, L.A.! Why you should absolutely explore the city by foot — and how to do it
June: Meditate
OK, we’re midway through the year. How are things going? Check in with yourself and meditate. Amid the hustle of summer vacations, barbecues and road trips, take some time out to get grounded. If you enjoy the community ritual of “sitting” en masse, my two favorite public meditation spaces are Insight L.A.’s Benedict Canyon retreat, which hosts ongoing meditation events, and the Hammer Museum's Thursday afternoon Mindful Awareness Meditations. Insight L.A., a nonprofit, has a Santa Monica location and also holds overnight retreats with Big Bear Retreat Center. But its Benedict Canyon space is magical — a hillside haven filled with fruit trees, towering pines and fragrant lavender bushes. Its events are pay-what-you-can, with no one turned away for lack of funds. The Hammer’s free 30-minute meditations, co-presented by UCLA Health, are a dependable respite in the heart of Westwood. Meditations are livestreamed on the museum’s website too. (Free and by donation)
July: Rage
July is hot. It’s crowded and trafficky in L.A. And you may still be reeling from the election (perhaps more so). If meditation didn’t do it for you, try a Rage Ritual. Intuitive advisor Mia Magik will hold several events in L.A. this month. One of them, on July 12, is a daylong retreat in the forest in Topanga. Among the many activities that day will be a Rage Ritual, during which participants collectively scream and thrash around enormous sticks as Magik guides them in releasing pent-up emotions. Or stop by one of L.A.’s Rage Rooms to unleash your fury. At both Rage Ground in downtown L.A. and the Break Room Los Angeles in Van Nuys, visitors don protective gear while smashing glass and ceramic objects. Really, truly friggin’ furious? At both establishments you can book a session to wreck an entire automobile — windows, doors, headlights and all. (Retreat: $150. Rage Ground, from $70 for 45 mins; Break Room Los Angeles, from $45 to $65 for 20 or 30 minutes)
August: Attend a transcendent 'silent' piano concert by the sea
Imagine the sun setting over Santa Monica Beach. There’s a large grand piano on the sand, surrounded by enormous upright sunflowers. Hundreds of attendees lie on blankets, wearing wireless headphones rimmed with aqua lights. As it gets darker, the lights glow brightly against the night sky. This is one of Murray Hidary’s MindTravel events, a fusion of live music and meditation — he'll hold several in the L.A. area in late summer. The experimental music composer and mindfulness teacher performs on an electronic keyboard inside the sculpture of a grand piano, and the music is moving, an improvised mix of contemporary and classical that's silent to passersby who aren't wearing headphones. Each concert has a theme, which Murray riffs on, whispering into attendees' headphones as he plays. The night I went in 2023, the theme was “Courage,” which one attendee had spelled out in candlelight on the sand. (Average: $100; check website for dates)
September: Trek to the desert for the ultimate sound bath
September always feels extra busy, with back-to-school activities and the shift to fall. Center yourself at the ultimate sound bath, a short road trip away near Joshua Tree. The Integratron, a “fusion of art and science,” is a ’50s-era wood dome that was designed to be an “electrostatic generator for the purpose of rejuvenation and time travel.” It’s situated in Landers in a spot in the desert that its architect, George Van Tassel, claimed is sparking with geomagnetic forces. You can take a deeply relaxing, mind-melding, hour-long sound bath in the dome. It includes a history of the building to start, followed by a live performance, on 22 quartz crystal singing bowls, by a sound healing artist. You may not travel back in time, exactly, but you will most likely be transported. ($58)
October: Worship the supermoon during a Griffith Park night hike
Oct. 7 is the date of the enormous, glowing Hunter’s moon this year. Watch it rise in the sky from the Griffith Observatory, which has free public telescopes as well as coin-operated ones. Or go DIY and view the moon from one of the park’s highest peaks, Mt. Hollywood, which we like to hike to from the Riverside trailhead at the Greek Theatre. Luckily, Oct. 7 is a Tuesday, which means the Sierra Club Angeles Chapter will be leading free night hikes, with groups divided by skill level. The hikes, which take place every Tuesday and Thursday evening year-round, barring rain, are roughly two hours long and leave at 7 p.m. from the park’s Upper Merry-Go-Round parking lot. The Hunter’s moon takes its name, in part, from its brightness — said to make hunting easier in the dark. No matter which peak you choose to view it from, it surely will illuminate your way. (Free)
Read more: I'm a woman in my 40s. Why do I feel terrible every time I have a drink?
November: Trek the length of Wilshire Boulevard
If moving our bodies, observing our environment and connecting in person with other people are tenets of wellness, then the Great Los Angeles Walk has it all. And this year marks its 20th anniversary. The event, started by journalist and walking aficionado Michael Schneider, has hundreds of Angelenos trekking the length of an iconic boulevard every November on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Some join individually, others come in groups. Participants are encouraged to “go slow” and stop, repeatedly, along the roughly 14- to 16-mile journey, exploring the landmarks, public art and architecture that they’d otherwise speed past in a car. The event provides much-needed exercise before the holiday festivities, but it’s as much a social happening, bringing together a cross-section of the city. (Free)
December: Prepare for holiday parties with an affordable facial
The intimate, bohemian-feeling Raven Spa — with locations in Silver Lake and Santa Monica — doesn’t have a large menu of facials. But its signature Radiant Raven Facial is a solid deal in L.A., where facials run $150 to $300 on average (never mind the $1,400 oxygen facial at the Spa at Maybourne Beverly Hills!). The Raven’s is 60 minutes and $110. It's a custom facial, tailored to your skin's needs, and all the products used are paraben-free and cruelty-free. It includes a face steam, extractions and face massage along with a brief neck and shoulder massage while a moisturizing mask is being applied. Go ahead, put your best face forward for the holidays. ($110)
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
