Owner Nadra Hill planned Ki Motion Wellness Studio for more than a decade before opening.[/caption]

Transitioning from managing upscale restaurant construction projects to opening a wellness studio may not seem like a straightforward career path, but for Nadra Hill it was a chance to circle back and realize a decade-long dream. She opened Ki Motion Wellness Studio at 2004 S. Mason Road, Ste. D-01 in February.

“I was a massage therapist [before working in construction], and I always kept my license active because I knew I planned to do this,” Hill said.

Hill used her construction background to sketch out ideas for her ideal space. She chose soothing colors and created seven private spaces within the 1,900-square-foot facility for laser hair removal, ultrasound cavitation—also called “laser lipo”—treatments and more than a dozen types of facials and massages.

Claire Q, a senior body therapist, has been with the studio since it opened. She said she has been in the industry for more than a decade and specializes in some of the more advanced treatments, such as laser hair removal, ultrasound cavitation and body wraps.

Hill said she works with clients but also spends time developing customized all-natural skin products and teas to treat common skin problems.

“We specialize in acne and formulate our own products,” she said.

Hill has worked with Mark Broussard at the Houston acne treatment center Desert in Bloom to develop combination therapies that incorporate laser acne treatments, teas and custom skin products, she said.

“I don’t want to just put my name on a product,” Hill said. “Working with him and our estheticians, we’re trying to customize products for our clients.”

Although Hill spent most of her career working in the Midtown area of Houston, she has been a Grand Lakes resident for 14 years. When Hill decided to open her day spa, she looked for a location near her home.

“I like the growth [in Katy]. It’s a little scary with all the traffic sometimes, but I like it,” she said.

Ki Motion came from one of her business trips to Toronto several years ago. Hill said she found a little Japanese restaurant called Ki next to her hotel and enjoyed it so much she went back every day, and the owners got to know her by name. She said ki is similar to the Chinese word chi for life energy. 

“Ki is energy circulating. I love circles—I like completion and motion,” Hill said. “I want people to feel the same thing when they come here.”

Ki Motion Wellness Studio 2004 S. Mason Road, Ste. D-01, Katy 832-437-1837 www.kimotionws.com By appointment: Tue.-Fri. 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.