Montclair NJ Wellness Guide: Spas, Fitness Studios and Mental Health Resources

Woodhouse Spa is a full-service day spa in Montclair’s Siena building, offering everything from traditional massages and heated-stone treatments to facials, body treatments and Ayurvedic-inspired services. Shirodhara is one of the more distinctive treatments: it involves gently pouring warm oil over the forehead in a continuous stream. Packages range from $365 to $930, and the Club Woodhouse membership includes one treatment per quarter at 15% off plus 10% off additional services. A 24-hour cancellation notice is required.

Owner Cathy Stephenson has practiced in Montclair since 2005 and opened the practice in 2022. Services include acupuncture (thin needles at specific points), massage and nutritional counseling. Red light therapy uses low-level light on the skin, and shockwave therapy uses acoustic pulses on sore muscles and tendons. Sound therapy uses bowls and tapping to promote relaxation.

The practice offers Vodder-style manual lymphatic drainage, a gentle hands-on technique named for its developers that helps the lymphatic system move fluid. The Pod’s explainer on lymphatic drainage covers what a session involves.

Aura Head Spa is a Japanese-inspired wellness experience centered around scalp cleansing, massage and deep relaxation. Treatments combine aromatherapy, scalp exfoliation, shampoo massage, waterfall rinses, warm compresses and face, neck and shoulder massage. Come with fully detangled hair and arrive 10–15 minutes early; the spa also asks guests to keep phones on silent and remain quiet during treatments. Parking is available at the Crescent Deck garage behind the spa for $2/hour.

SkinSplendid is a medical spa in Upper Montclair specializing in aesthetic treatments including Botox, dermal fillers and CO₂ laser resurfacing. Unlike a traditional day spa, its services focus on medical aesthetics and cosmetic skin treatments. New clients can start with a skincare consultation. Founder Nurse Christy also sat down with Farnoosh for a segment discussing injectables and ultrasound safety.

Health & Wellness Massage Therapy LLC offers a range of therapeutic and relaxation-focused massage techniques, including Swedish, deep tissue, hot stone, trigger point, prenatal, cranial sacral and cupping massage. The practice also offers specialty treatments such as hot aromatic towel massage, back scrub and massage, scrub reflexology and myofascial release. Appointments are available Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Hand & Stone is a full-service massage and facial spa offering personalized massages, facials and advanced skincare treatments. Massage options include classic, deep tissue, hot stone, Himalayan salt stone and prenatal massage, while facial options range from classic and hydrating treatments to DiamondGlow and peel facials. The spa also offers a monthly membership with a 50-minute massage or facial each month, plus member pricing on additional services.

Pure Balance Center is a family-focused chiropractic and wellness center offering chiropractic care alongside restorative medicine, wellness and recovery services. Its chiropractic treatments use several techniques, including gentle instrument-based adjustments, while the center also offers prenatal and pediatric chiropractic care. The location includes an IM=X Pilates studio, which combines reformer-based Pilates with strength and conditioning. The center has been serving the Clifton community since 2003. See the Pod’s visit to Pure Balance for a closer look at the center and its approach.

Classes include Beginner Basics, Slow Flow (a gentle, unhurried sequence of poses), Yin (long-held floor poses), Restorative (supported poses for deep rest), Guided Meditation, Somatic Movement (slow movement focused on how your body feels from the inside) and Sensory Yoga. It’s a good option if you’re looking for something beyond a traditional flow class, with several offerings centered on relaxation, body awareness and deep rest.

Alignment yoga teaches correct body positioning in each pose. Members get one infrared sauna session a month; an infrared sauna is heated by infrared panels instead of hot air.

Styles include vinyasa, Iyengar (precise alignment) and restorative yoga, plus aerial yoga on a hanging fabric hammock.

A 10,000-square-foot fitness and wellness loft offering more than 60 group workouts a week, including HIIT, TRX, hot sculpt, yoga, boxing, circuit training, strength and mobility classes. The facility also offers personal training, small-group LIFT strength sessions and recovery amenities including an infrared sauna and cold plunge.

Focuses on traditional, breath-centered Ashtanga yoga, with Open Mysore sessions, where students practice at their own pace with individualized teacher instruction, and Led Primary classes. The studio also offers online classes and private instruction. Beginners are welcome and can gradually build the sequence with guidance from the teacher.

This boutique barre studio offers low-impact, full-body workouts using bodyweight, the ballet barre and small props. Classes emphasize precise form and instructor guidance, with modifications available for different fitness levels and needs. The studio also now offers Bar Method Pilates. See the Pod’s visit to The Bar Method.

The Montclair studio opened in May 2026 and is a heated-mat-focused location. Classes include BURN (Pilates/barre hybrid), CYCLE, DRIIP (strength and metabolic conditioning), FLOW (yoga-based sculpt), RESIST and REFORM (athletic reformer).

A boutique fitness and wellness studio offering small-group strength and endurance training, interval workouts, Pilates- and barre-inspired sculpt classes, yoga-inspired movement, cardio and recovery sessions. Personal training is available through its Training Lab, with an emphasis on individualized coaching and progressive strength work. Classes are intentionally kept small, and mats, towels and equipment are provided.

Corefire offers 45-minute small-group classes on the Megaformer, a larger spring-loaded machine similar to a reformer, using the Lagree method, a slow-tempo, low-impact format. Grip socks are required, and first-timers should arrive early for an introduction to the equipment and class format.

Open since 2005. It specializes in classical Pilates (the original method), Gyrotonic, physical therapy and nutrition counseling from a registered dietitian. Pilates is offered through private, semi-private, Mat and Tower Mat sessions, with an emphasis on individualized instruction and technique. Gyrotonic is a system of specialized equipment that blends yoga, Tai Chi, swimming and dance.

A boutique Pilates studio focused primarily on private, one-on-one instruction, with sessions tailored to individual goals, fitness levels and physical needs. The studio also offers remote private sessions and has instructors experienced in working with clients recovering from injuries or managing physical conditions. Longevity Pilates has a particular connection to the Pink Ribbon Program, which supports Pilates-based exercise for breast cancer survivors.

A boutique Pilates studio in downtown Montclair with five reformers, a Cadillac, chair and ladder barrel. It offers private, duet and small-group semi-private reformer sessions, with the semi-private classes typically accommodating two to five people. The studio is open seven days a week, although sessions are by appointment.

• Mega: 172 Glenridge Ave., 973-666-0615
• Pilatte Studio: 35 Belden Pl., a women-only reformer and mat Pilates studio (uppermontclair@pilattestudionj.com)
• Pulse House: 50 Upper Montclair Plaza, 973-337-8259; cycling and Pilates

70-plus group classes including 15 yoga classes a week; weight, cardio and spin rooms; a boxing studio; an indoor track; steam and sauna; a free wellness intake session (a staff walk-through with a personalized plan); and free Child Watch (supervised childcare while you work out). The six-lane lap pool runs 79 to 81 degrees and the four-lane small pool 86 to 88 degrees. Membership includes access to three YMCA locations, including the Geyer Family YMCA. The Pod’s feature on the Park Street Y covers the building and its new reformer Pilates studio.

Retro Fitness Montclair is a full-service gym with 50+ pieces of strength equipment, 60+ pieces of cardio equipment, group fitness classes, HIIT/cardio workouts and personal training. Group classes vary by location and can include formats such as Zumba, yoga, kickboxing, bootcamp and indoor cycling. The Montclair location also has a smoothie bar, locker rooms with showers and recovery amenities.

You must live in the Y’s service area, which includes Montclair, and show financial need.

• Renew Active: Eligible participants in select Medicare Advantage plans can receive a free YMCA membership. The YMCA participates in UnitedHealthcare’s Renew Active program and also accepts One Pass through various Medicare Advantage providers.
• Age 90 and older: Free lifetime membership.
• Students ages 18 to 25: A summer membership for $99, May through August.
• From home: Y360, a streaming platform of fitness, yoga and nutrition classes, is free with membership.

• FITloft: First class for $19
• The Breathing Room: Three weeks unlimited for $50
• JaiPure Yoga: New-student unlimited month for $57
• The Bar Method: Two weeks unlimited + two guest passes for $59
• Yoga Mechanics: First three classes for $39, or three weeks unlimited for $59
• The DRIP: Intro three-pack for $75
• Student and senior discounts: The Breathing Room offers 15% off for full-time students and adults 65+; Yoga Mechanics offers $125 monthly unlimited for registered students.

Open to adults 18 and older who live or work in Essex County. Offers counseling for anxiety, depression, traumatic stress and bereavement, plus psychiatric evaluation and medication management.

Mountainside offers a broad range of behavioral health services, including individual and group outpatient therapy, psychiatric evaluations, medication management, intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization programs, inpatient care and crisis intervention. Services are available for children, adolescents, adults and seniors. The hospital also provides 24/7 emergency mental health care through its emergency department.

COPE Center provides behavioral health services for addiction and mental health challenges, including adult outpatient addiction and mental health treatment, psychiatric services, counseling and a co-occurring program for people dealing with both substance use and mental health conditions. It also offers adolescent programs and support groups addressing substance use and related mental health and behavioral challenges. Services are available through both telehealth and hybrid formats.

The Essex County location provides integrated mental health and substance use services for adults, children and families. Services include outpatient therapy, psychiatric care, crisis services, screening and assessment, peer and family support, care management and other community-based programs. The office operates an Open Access walk-in service Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., allowing people to seek a behavioral health assessment without a scheduled appointment.

The Community Counseling Clinic provides counseling for individuals, couples and families and serves community members rather than just university students. Services are provided by graduate students under the supervision of licensed faculty and clinicians. Montclair State University’s separate Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is for currently enrolled MSU students only.

Counseling for anxiety, depression, family issues and PTSD, as well as substance-use concerns. Immediate appointments are available, and follow-up sessions can be held in person or through telehealth.

• NJ Mental Health Cares: 866-202-4357, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (njmentalhealthcares.org)
• NAMI Helpline: 800-950-6264 or text HELPLINE to 62640, weekdays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (nami.org)