Williamsburg Health & Beauty

Many of the treatments here call on the power of Chinese medicine to heal, energize, and enhance skin. Founder, acupuncturist, and herbalist Sandra Lanshin Chiu uses gua sha—an ancient Chinese medical massage technique that incorporates a jade skin-care tool to relieve tension, support circulation, and flush out toxins for a brighter, smoother complexion—in many of her treatments. The Acne Rehab is one of her most impressive: The aesthetician uses botanicals, gua sha, and facial cupping to break up stagnation in the underlying tissues and restore balance. (Chiu emphasizes that fantastic skin happens from the inside out—but that it’s also important to pamper the skin’s surface.) And we keep coming back for the cozy cups of licorice root tea, prized in Chinese medicine for its calming effects.

Many New York City yoga classes are as packed as a rush-hour subway car, but cramped quarters aren’t the norm at Daya. The studio’s two rooms are spacious and high-ceilinged, and the classes are transformative. They teach a variety of styles—including Kripalu, Kundalini, vinyasa, and prana—and offer special classes, like the Candlelit Lunar Flow with live music (it’s stupendous to listen as you go through your poses) and Women’s Rejuvenation Circle, a guided meditation and “emotional check-in,” as Daya instructors say. The first early-morning class of the day is Get Up and Flow, which really gets you moving. (Incentive to get up early: One instructor always brings her adorable fluffy dog to class.)

They take hair color very seriously at Pickthorn, where owner Chelsey Pickthorn has been known to mix twenty shades at a time to get the perfect flattering color. The salon specializes in impressively authentic highlights (imagine golden surfer hair and the sun-kissed flyaways of outdoorsy kids), which colorists paint on by hand, eschewing more traditional foil methods. The space is airy and sizable, but with only two chairs, the vibe is beautifully intimate. There’s no getting lost in the assembly line of blowouts that can be so frustrating at mega-salons, and the windows are hand-painted by local artists so that light streams through but pedestrians can’t peek in at the musicians and models who frequent the place—or witness your transformation, until you step outside.

MNDFL is a modern day meditation studio done right, open for both classes and self-guided practice (with other locations in Greenwich Village and the Upper East Side). A variety of meditation techniques are taught in this serene, all-white space, save for a bit of tasteful greenery. Practice at this studio is all about comfort—both physical and mental—practitioners can sit on chairs or on cushions, with sessions as short as thirty minutes or as long as sixty, starting at only $10. Classes are taught to the sounds of crystal singing bowls—which rather than being distracting, are actually very grounding—giving you something to focus on without really having to focus on anything. To bring a slice of this zen with you, MNDFL also offers an at-home video series.

Hillery Sklar is a licensed aesthetician with a small studio by the Williamsburg Bridge. Her treatments, while simple, are extremely effective. And Hillery's own warmth and friendliness add another therapeutic dimension to each facial. She offers services for women and men, including "the bearded gentleman"; all cash only.