Relax, Recharge & Renew: Treat Yourself to a Holistic Health & Wellness Journey

Taking care of business, taking care of loved ones, taking care of clients, taking care of the errands, cooking, bookkeeping... Regardless of how we spend our day-to-day lives, most of us can agree; we could all use a moment to take care of ourselves. 

Refresh your body and mind – and brighten your spirits – in energetic healing spaces that offer healthy eating, natural spa treatments, yoga, meditation and more in Sarasota County. You may just emerge a new person or, at the very least, a healthier and happier one.

Find Balance: Yoga, Meditation & More

Moments of stillness and silence can be a rare blessings for those of us who are often on the go. Slow down, tune in and unwind with mind-body balancing practices such as yoga, Tai Chi and meditation to lower blood pressure, correct insomnia, reduce stress and anxiety, and promote better holistic wellness.

Community Beach Yoga 

Head to Beach Road and walk your toes through the crystal-quartz sand to enjoy Yoga On Siesta Key Public Beach with instructor Ava, an outdoor Hatha Yoga specialist. These restorative classes are held every Mon, Wed, Fri and Sat, from 9 am to 10:30 am (with a brief hiatus for the month of September). Just bring a blanket/yoga mat, bottle of water and an open mind. Class payment is $10 cash on the beach/$15 online. 

Manasota Beach Yoga & Nokomis Beach Yoga is a South Sarasota County resource for classes in nature's studio: the beach! Enjoy quiet time on the white sand beaches of Florida's Gulf Coast with sunrise, sunset and even full moon classes. These fun, friendly classes are for people with all abilities and body types at Nokomis/North Jetty Beach and Manasota Beach. The best part? They're free – though donations for the instructors are welcomed and appreciated). Check online to see a full schedule of classes (dates and times are often subject to change with the seasons). 

For a grounding beachside experience even further south, take your practice to Venice Beach for Yoga with Elin, a free community class for beginner and experienced yogis to breathe, stretch and strengthen while waves provide sounds of meditation. These classes take place daily throughout the week, 8am-9am, as well as a sunset yoga session at 5pm, Monday through Friday. 

All-Ability Park Yoga

At Waterside Place, enjoy a gentle and free flow paired with lake views at Yoga in the Park on Sunday mornings, 9am-10am. Afterward, walk across the bridge to shop the weekly Lakewood Ranch Farmers Market for local produce, flowers and goods! 

You can also find your center at Namaste at The Bay Yoga, free weekly outdoor yoga hosted at The Bay Park’s greenscape oasis under “The Nest.” The Bay also offers Y Fitness Classes such as Tai Chi and HIIT if you're looking for more fast-paced or challenging movement. 

At University Town Center, catch Sunset Yoga on the Green on Wednesday evenings with UTC FIT. The all-skill classes require no fee or registration and take place on the green grass area (located across from The Vitamine Shoppe). 

And down south at Downtown Wellen Park, warrior your way to The Be Well Fitness Series, provided by the YMCA of Venice. The fitness class takes place on The Great Lawn every Saturday, 8am-9am. RSVP is required to reserve your spot (subject to change seasonally). 

Special Event Yoga

On occasion, there are special opportunities throughout the year, or season, to try your practice in exotic locations at Sarasota landmarks.

You won’t find a more lush setting for your tree pose than Yoga in the Gardens at Selby Gardens' downtown campus. The focus is on alignment, breathing techniques, stretching and relaxation. Open to students of all ages and experience levels, classes take place on Wednesday and Saturday mornings (times may vary seasonally). Class price is $20 for non-members and $15 for members, with free admission to roam and explore the gardens after class! 

During season, arts and cultural enthusiasts love to attend the popular Yoga at The Ringling series and held once a month on Wednesday evenings. Participants are led through a vinyasa flow while overlooking the water during sunset on the Venetian marble terrace of Ringling's Ca' d'Zan. Class size is always limited, so tickets must be purchased in advance online. 

At The Sarasota Modern boutique hotel, start your Wednesday and Saturday mornings—guest or not—with a poolside flow. In between deep stretches and calming breathing exercises, take in the serene backdrop of the hotel's modern and luxurious courtyard patio. Yoga mats are provided and guests can book this experience for free with the front desk team, while others can book the experience online for $20. 

Close by, locals and visitors alike will find unique opportunities to detox before re-toxing at Sun King Brewery. Practice outside in the shade of the brewery's billowing tree and enjoy a pint before or after of one of the year-round or seasonal beers. Beer yoga is all about having fun and letting loose—some even take place under the light of a full-moon sky! Classes are ticketed but include a pint of beer. Attendees need to bring their own mat and water bottle. 

Local Studios 

With a population so dedicated to health, wellness and fitness, there are dozens of amazing yoga studios found all around Sarasota County—each with its own style of practice, vibe, level of experience and class offerings. You will also find a variety of wellness centers where you can take part in breathwork practice, red light therapy, cold plunges, sauna, guided meditation, sound bath treatments and more. 

Therapeutic Touch: Acupuncture, Massage & Spa Treatments

Tense or sore muscles need to unwind before the mind can fully relax. Warm up in Beach Sound Vibes Hyper-Wellness Spa’s detox saunas to soothing audio, then cold plunge into the sub-zero cryogenic chamber to get that “Hollywood glow” before stopping by the Oxygen bar to try delicious-flavored O2. 

Melt your cares away at some of the Sarasota resorts at their onsite, full-service spas. The Ritz Carlton Sarasota's salon and spa is a 5-star sanctuary and guaranteed highlight of your Florida journey. At Palmetto Marriott Resort & Spa's, Revive, enjoy a wellness of offerings—from body scrubs and wraps to couples massages. Down on Longboat Key, guests and members can indulge in The Resort at Longboat Key Club's island-inspired spa and custom amenities, while the newly opened St. Regis Longboat Key Resort boasts a luxurious escape with a world-class oceanfront spa featuring vitality pools and more. 

In south Sarasota, Mandala Med Spa is Sarasota's only Indonesian medical day spa, offering therapeutic, deep tissue and Thai massage, hot stone therapy, hot oil scalp massage, herbal poultice massage, body wraps and scrubs, Balinese floral soaks and a sleu of skincare and facial treatments. 

Located in the Lakewood Ranch/UTC Mall area, Sirius Day Spa, Salon and Med Spa is a one-stop-shop for over 40 spa services including massage, facials, body wraps, a serenity lounge and more. Sirius also offers a unique "Wellness" program for experiencing multiple services and amenities and a salon for glamorous blow-outs. 

Get Your Greens, Beets & Other Healthy Eats

A healthy body starts with what we put in it – and Sarasota's year-round sunshine highlights the abundance of green goodness the subtropics have to offer. Newly opened in downtown Sarasota, start your day off on the right foot at Organic Farmers Table, a rustic-chic farm-to-table establishment utilizing locally sourced organic ingredients, as well as pressed juices, smoothies, vegan and gluten-free options.

Down in Nokomis, Cafe Evergreen strives to provide clean foods – organic, free of GMOs, and locally grown and sourced whenever possible. Dining in at Cafe Evergreen is a neat experience, as the restaurant is located in the oldest standing building on Tamiami Trail between Venice and Tampa, the restored 1923 South County bank and post office. Though the menu offers a variety of vegan and vegetarian dining options—as well as kefirs, teas and smoothies to drink—omnivores are also welcome, with fish and poultry options on the menu.

Sarasotans aren't hard-pressed to get cold-pressed juice, thanks to many Crop Juice locations scattered throughout town. Crop offers a variety of energizing, detoxifying, immunity-building, anti-inflammatory and protein-boosting organic juice options for your wellness-boosting goodness on the go. 

Lila SRQ is among the most popular and stylish restaurants to hit the vegan scene of downtown Sarasota with a variety of health-conscious American dishes on a hyper-seasonal menu, in which the fresh ingredients speak for themselves. Just a few doors down on Main Street, its sister restaurant Lucile Pizza & Wine Bar specializes in plant-based wood-fired pizzas and natural wine.

Sarasota's Holistic Shopping Spots

Wild Ginger Apothecary a vibrant hub for the local health, wellness and spiritual community, featuring a retail boutique of metaphysical supplies, holistic gifts, High Vibration Crystals and premium CBD + Delta 8 products. You can also grab your aromatherapy essentials, herbal remedies, organic skincare and natural fragrances after taking a workshop or enjoying a psychic reading.

In downtown Sarasota, Pixie Dust Metaphysical Boutique is filled with metaphysical gifts, spiritual jewelry and art, crystals, Pagan and Wiccan supplies, tarot cards and New Age books. Pixie Dust also offers psychic readings, sound bath treatments, Reiki treatments, chakra clearing and energetic cleansing services.

Elysian Fields has been a Sarasota standard in spiritual literature and metaphysical offerings and gifts since opening its doors in 1991. Find books on world religions and spirituality, alternative medicine, Feng Shui, and other New Age topics, jewelry, candles, Tibetan and Japanese imports and more.

At The Crystal Cave in Historic Downtown Village at Gillespie Park, unearth mountains of healing and energizing crystals, as well as rocks from around the world, cool stones, salt lamps and gems, the Crystal Cave offers metaphysical trinkets and tarot cards, and hosts regular crystal healing classes, tarot readings and gong meditations in its crystal-charged space.