An Inside Look at Miraval Austin Resort & Spa's Day Pass Experience

You know you’re enjoying a spa treatment when you fall asleep right on the table.

And so I did — just after a ginger-oil-infused deep tissue massage, and while cocooned in a warm towel. Justin, my massage therapist, was delicately applying pressure to various points along my head, face and temples in an Ayurvedic practice called marma point therapy, which aims to remove blockages, reset your "prana" (energy) and heal the body from the inside out.

If Justin noticed that I had descended into slumber, he didn’t show it; rather, he slowly led me back into consciousness before transitioning to the final — and much more rejuvenating — part of the appointment: a full-body ginger sea salt scrub that perfectly balanced out the 75- treatment, aptly named “The Ginger Healer.”

The Ginger Healer is just one of several signature spa options at Miraval Austin’s  Life in Balance Spa. A sprawling resort, part of the World of Hyatt brand program, Miraval Austin Resort & Spa sits on more than 220 acres of protected land that overlooks Lake Travis, about 25 minutes from downtown. I had arrived to the secluded property just a few hours earlier for a resort day pass with Nick, my husband of about 48 hours.

As any newlywed can surely attest, the body demands physical rest in the days after such a huge life milestone. But what I didn’t expect was the way Miraval wholeheartedly promotes an all-over balance of well-being — in addition to physical restoration, there’s an emphasis on one’s emotional, social, spiritual and intellectual health, as well — the perfect cocktail for a bride and her new husband fresh off their nuptials.

Prior to our visit, we were encouraged by Miraval's Experience Planners to form an intention for our time at the resort. While Nick and I had intended to relax and reconnect after our wedding weekend (achieved, thanks to Justin and The Ginger Healer), we had no idea what else to expect.

As we skimmed the list of activities for the day, we were pulled in several different directions: Should we challenge ourselves to a high ropes course, or center ourselves during a session of restorative yoga? Should we get our heart rate up with Aqua Barre in the pool, or on land, via Cardio Drumming? There was everything from nutrition and culinary classes to meditation workshops and adventure challenges (including watersports and hiking) on the day’s agenda, which rotates and is always fresh for guests.

But what ultimately caught our eyes was a session within Miraval’s “Spirit and Soul” category of offerings called “Talking Stick: Creating Ceremony Through Active Listening,” led by Miraval’s Indigenous Educator, Chiara ‘Sunshine’ Beaumont, a member of the Karankawa Hawk Clan, which hails from the Gulf Coast of what is now Texas. The session invited participants to learn about the history, cultural significance and purpose of the talking stick in various Native American tribes, including Beaumont’s.

She shared stories from her childhood and her clan’s spiritual traditions, emphasizing that the meaning and use of the talking stick vary across different Indigenous cultures and throughout history. To ensure the session honored these traditions, we acknowledged that the crafts we created were not replicas but personal interpretations, meant for use in our own reflective practices rather than traditional ceremonies. During the class, Nick and I shared about and reflected on our own communication styles and conflict-resolution skills, while learning additional listening techniques with our group. We left the activity — our own crafts in hand — with tangible takeaways for our daily life back in California.

In addition to planned activities, guests on a Miraval day pass can opt to walk the area’s hiking trails (dotted with comfy hammocks), lounge by one of the resort’s two infinity pools, use the spa facilities (which include a Jacuzzi, a steam room and a Quiet Lounge), or dine at one of the property’s two on-site restaurants: Hilltop Crossings Kitchen (which offers Texas-inspired dishes and uses produce from the property’s on-site farm), or The Nest, which has grab-and-go snacks, salads, sandwiches and coffee, tea and smoothies. We started our morning with a cup of coffee and overnight oats at The Nest; for lunch, we leaned into the available plant-based options at Hilltop Crossings, including housemade veggie burgers and barbecue jackfruit sandwiches.

By the time we departed the property at 5 p.m., we felt balanced, refreshed, reconnected and healed — and ready to start our marriage journey.