Your Memphis vacation will be packed with entertainment and attractions to visit–and maybe a few late nights. Need some time to relax or recover? Treat yourself and make your wellness a priority here with a spa experience, nurture yourself in nature, or experience sound therapy. Check out these 10 ways to practice self-care in Memphis.
Your Memphis vacation will be packed with entertainment and attractions to visit–and maybe a few late nights. Need some time to relax or recover? Treat yourself and make your wellness a priority here with a spa experience, nurture yourself in nature, or experience sound therapy. Check out these 10 ways to practice self-care in Memphis.
Soothe your soul with music
Music is good for the soul and you’ll find no shortage of it here in Memphis. Sit back at the famous Overton Park Shell during their free summer and fall concert series or follow the tunes flowing out of all the Beale Street establishments. Discover a listening room (or lab!) by visiting Central Station Hotel or Memphis Listening Lab for a relaxed yet luxurious music experience. Or find the zen at the Memphis Gong Chamber for a therapeutic sound journey. Memphis is home to so many music venues to explore.
Get out and experience wellness on the water.
Memphis is a riverfront city with rich parks and waterways. Feel the breeze and calming rhythm of the water with a relaxing sightseeing cruise on a Memphis Riverboat. Feeling adventurous? Hop in a canoe with Mississippi River Expeditions or take a guided kayak tour with Blues City Kayaks. Memphis’ urban park Shelby Farms Park has more than 20 lakes to paddle boat, canoe, or kayak on. Or cast a reel and fish.
Make something the Memphis way.
Ease your mind by working with your hands. Whether it’s a pottery class at Summer Ave. Art & Clay, candle-making at Falling into Place in the Broad Avenue Arts District or any of the wildly creative workshops presented by Five in One Social Club, you can work out—and take home a DIY souvenir. Find a creative district under one roof at Arrow Creative where a variety of creative classes are offered. Kids will love getting crafty at The Art Project.
Walking in Memphis is nice, too.
Is there any better therapy than walking without a place to be or a time to be there? With downtown’s Big River Crossing and Mississippi Riverfront with Tom Lee Park, Overton Park’s Old Forest in Midtown, East Memphis’ Shelby Farms Park (plus the 10.5-mile Shelby Farms Greenway) and Millington’s Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park, the Memphis area gives you miles upon miles to walk it out.
From left to right: Feathers Spa at The Peabody Hotel, Overton Park Shell, view of the Mississippi River, Riverboat ride
Explore Memphis gardens.
Keep those walking shoes on and immerse yourself in the beauty of nature at the Memphis Botanic Garden and Dixon Gallery and Gardens. Wander through lush gardens, admire colorful blooms, and find moments of tranquility among the serene landscapes. The annual Experience Memphis Gardens walk lets you explore 250+ gardens across 30+ Memphis neighborhoods.
Treat yourself at a Memphis spa.
Named one of the top 10 Spas of 2023 by Spas of America, The Peabody Memphis offers a variety of luxurious spa and salon treatments at Feathers Spa. Indulge in Sawai Thai massage or Ashiatsu, a new dry sauna and steam room as well as Tennessee’s only Vichy shower bed, offering steam massage, chromo light therapy and aromatherapy for a multi-sensory hydrotherapy body treatment. If therapeutic baths are your thing, downtown is home to two unique offerings: Jasper Float Spa & Wellness and Amani Bath Spa.
On that note, eat clean. (Yes, you can do that in Memphis.)
With bowls, smoothies and “wellness elixirs” packed with superfoods, East Memphis’ City Silo Table + Pantry creates delicious, feel-good dishes for vegans to omnivores. Or, head to the new Groovy Gratitude in the Uptown District for smoothies, paninis, and cold-pressed juices. Memphis also has a bustling vegan scene like Imagine Vegan Cafe and Plant Based Heat.
Restore yourself spiritually.
Feel at home while visiting a Memphis church during your trip. The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) has its headquarters in Memphis with several COGIC churches to choose from or see soul legend Reverend Al Green deliver a powerful sermon at Full Gospel Tabernacle. The Church of the River overlooks the Mississippi River and welcomes all denominations. St. Mary's Episcopal Church is one the oldest cathedrals in the South or visit the Crystal Shrine Grotto to experience a more personal serenity.
Go high-energy if that’s your thing.
Freshen up your perspective at an indoor climbing gym like Memphis Rox or High Point Climbing & Fitness. Bike the longest public pedestal bridge across the Mississippi River on Big River Crossing or 400+ miles of bicycle paths in the Memphis area. If your timing is good, you might catch a free fitness class like pilates and goat yoga at Tom Lee Park or the Overton Park Shell.
Hit some retail therapy at specialty Memphis boutiques.
Nothing says self-care like retail therapy. Peruse boutiques, galleries, and more in the historic South Main Arts District which is home to shops like Stock and Belle and Feelin’ Memphis. Or venture through the shops on Beale Street like A. Schwab Trading Company and Walking Pants Curiosities. For eclectic vintage shops, visit Fox + Cat Vintage, Blue Suede Vintage, Paradox at PeCo., and more. Find even more shops in Overton Square, Broad Avenue Arts District, Cooper-Young, and Crosstown Concourse.
