ZenSpa - GreenBliss EcoSpa

boundary between deep release and pain. Her
nurturing touch unknotted my entire body,
including places often given short-shrift­
feet, inside heel, forearms. She systematically
worked through blocks she said had been
passed down through seven generations of my
ancestors, and ended with a ritual cutting of
psychic cords. By the time she played the rose
quartz bowls, I was well on my way to ecstasy.
Cote di\zur's international theme includes oth­
er combos like Escape to Santorini that includes
a facial and hot stones ($225), or you may prefer a
Thai massage ($120) or Tibetan Foot Treatment
($50), a scrub or a wrap. Tibetan tankas and In­
donesian art highlight Cote di\zur's decor, but
being massaged in the soft golden glow of their
spacious treatment rooms feels closer to heaven
than any country on Earth.
ZenSpa
23975 Park Sorrento Dr., Ste . 120, Cala­
b asas 91302. 818.591 .0046, zenspa.biz
Tucked on a side street off the Calabasas Com­
mons, just a stone's throw from the 101 Free­
way, ZenSpa is a welcome sanctuary. Enter
through an airy reception area offering elegant
jewelry, body care products and intriguing spa
gifts. Don't linger too long, however; a luxuri­
ous darkened lounge awaits, with Zen gardens,
a waterfall, tea and fruit.
Your bodycare specialist will gently lead
you to a themed treatment room like an exotic
rainforest or a Mediterranean villa. Try the
ultimately relaxing deep Abhyanga massage
($155) that incorporates warm oils specially
blended for your Ayurvedic body type-vata,
pitta or kapha-which can vary depending on
the day. It feels so relaxing you won't even no­
tice the toxins being released through pressure
point and traditional massage.
Body scrubs, facials, microdermabrasion,
waxing and cellulite treatments are also avail­
able, and you can finish up your visit with an
Infrared sauna, said to be particularly effective
for pain relief and weight loss.
Be sure to bring your partner or a friend­
Zen Spa has a comfortable double massage
room and offers half-off on a second 50-min­
ute service, Monday through Thursday. Or if
you're just looking for a quick break from free­
way traffic, 25-minute treatments can be had
for only $55.
Tola Life Spa
23755 Ma libu Road , Ste. 700, Mali bu
90265. 31 0 .456.9504, tolaspa.com.
It's difficult to imagine having a bad day in
paradise, but just in case, Malibu residents and
visitors can retreat to the Tola Life Spa Sanc­
tuary in the Colony Plaza shopping center.
54
DECEMBER 2006
SUre, spa massages work wonders on ach­
ing muscles, but they can be a major pain
in the wallet. Student clinics at local mas­
sage therapy schools are a great way to
break free from tension without breaking
the bank.
California Healing Arts College 12217 Santa Monica Blvd. Ste. 206 West LA 310.826.7622 $35/hour South Bay Massage College 120 South Sepulveda Blvd., Ste. B Manhattan Beach 310.546.8812 $33-$38/hour Hands On Healing Institute 6708 Foothill Blvd. Tower 2 Tujunga 818.951.5811 $30/hour Lincoln Institute of Body Therapy 202 W. Lincoln Ave., Ste. G, Orange 714.998.4943 $30/hour Touch Therapy Institute 15720 Ventura Blvd., Ste. 101, Encino 818.788.0824 $35/hour Sequestered between the yogurt store and a
bank, this "Aveda concept salon" has made the
most of its compact storefront space.
Relax on soft cushions and enjoy fragrant
aroma therapy while filling out an Elemental
Nature Questionnaire that determines your
energy type-infinity, air, fire, water or earth­
and the products used in your treatment. Tola
means balance, and every aspect of your ses­
sion is deSigned to restore balance to your life.
Wrap yourself in a sumptuous robe and
sip herb tea while your feet are scrubbed and
washed by a modern day Magdalene. Relax on
a warm sea of heated water-filled pillows for
an exquisite Hydrotherm Massage ($125). No
need to worry about turning over mid-treat­
ment-your therapist will reach her hands
under your back in this nurturing hour-and-a­
half treatment.
Maybe you'd prefer Lomi Lomi, the art of
love and healing that has been passed down
from Hawaiian elders; or the ultimately healing
and indulging Himalayan Rejuvenation, which
includes five different intensive treatments
(3.5 hours, $425). Or try the Dvau, a massage a
trois involving two therapists ($150). Follow up
with a full-body facial that includes foot and
scalp treatment.
Tips are a no-no here, so stash that extra
cash in environmentally conscious Aveda
products to go.
Too pooped to drive to Malibu? Tola will
send a technician to you, anywhere in the
LA area .
At Home Eco-Luxury
Green Bliss Eco Spa, 323.630.4537
gree nb/issecospa.com
Green Bliss Eco Spa is more than just a spa ser­
a mission.
"Everything in life is connected: people.
business and community. The health of each
is dependent on the others;' proclaims their
website. "We strive to use the most ecologi·
cally sound methods to treat and educate our
clients while keeping pace with the newest
trends emerging in the green and holistic life­
style movement. Equally important is Green
Bliss's dedication to creating and promoting a
model for community-based, enVironmentally,
responsible business practices:'
This earnest vision of well ness as movement
is apparent in every facet of Green Bliss, from
their products (organic, sustainable, fair trade,
l
and local whenever possible) to their give-back
l
program ($3 donation per client to local orgsI
like National Resources Defense Council and
the LA Coalition to End Hunger and Home-I
less ness ) to the fact that their practitioners.
come to you via carpool.
vice~it's
Yup, that's right-they come to you. With
no brick and mortar location, Green Bliss Eco
Spa turns your hotel, or living room into a
luxury spa, for solo unwinding or eco-luxu­
rious spa parties. Choose from services like
Hot Herbal Poultice Massage-a 14th Century
Thai treatment designed to soothe soldiers
returning from battle, lemon verbena or cit­
rus chemi-free mani-peds, Bamboo and Lem­
ongrass body polish or couples side by side
Thai Yoga massage. And when you're done,
there's no need to find your way home in that
post-spa daze-after all, you're already there.
Now that's bliss!
The Bey's Garden
2919 Main St reet, Santa Monica,
310.399.5420, beysgarden.com
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Peeking into the open doors of The Bey's
Garden from the sunny sidewalk, you might
first assume you've stumbled upon a friendly,
neighborhood body-care boutique. Perusing
well-edited displays of organic skincare, hand­
crafted European perfumes, and enlightened
books, gifts and sundries feels like raiding the
beauty closet of a naturally glamorous, effort­
lessly tasteful friend whose style secrets you're
always trying to uncover.
Retire to one of the shabby chic treatment
rooms, however, and you'll know you've re­
ally hit the jackpot. For it's in here that The
Bey's Garden alchemists concoct beauty, re­
laxation and therapeutic treatments refined
from the potency of nature. Like the Eight­
Greens organic facial ($llO)-a phytoestro­
gen and antioxidant bioflavonoid cocktail
designed to fight the signs of aging, improve
hydration and skin elasticity and prevent
breakouts. Or the Aha Fruit Pulp and Pa­
prika Treatment-a chemi-free alternative
to glycolic peel ($105).
Body wraps and scrubs, naturally gentle
waxing, therapeutic massage, aromatherapy,
. chiropractic, prenatal ancl Reiki, polarity and
reflexology round out the all-natural, 90 per­
cent organic wellness menu, with ingredients
that sound more like the contents of a garden­
fresh smoothie than spa routine. So go ahead
and indulge-it's good for you.
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Willow Spa
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Willow Spa, 3127 Santa Monica Blvd., San­
ta Monica, 310.453 .9004, wiJ!owspa.com
What happens when two chiropractors and
a massage therapist try to turn a 1950s Santa
Monica bungalow (and former gun shop) into
an eastern-inspired oasis of serenity and re­
newal? In the case of Willow Spa, the end re­
sult is a labor of love that manages to strike the
elusive balance between casual and sophisti­
cated, comfortable and exotic.
If you like traditional (read: run of the mill)
spa services administered with a heavy help­
ing of formal frippery, than the earthy, Zen
vibe at Willow is probably not for you. But if
unwinding in a tropical garden under a bam­
boo canopy with a mug of exquisite green tea
while a friendly therapist deftly delivers a foot
massage sounds like your thing, then you'll feel
right at home.
After the starter massage-complimentary
with all Willow services-wander among the
burbling fountains in the cozy grounds, sam­
pling a holistically-inspired menu of wellness
treatments like all-natural facials and body
scrubs, Reiki, acupuncture and aromatherapy.
The Japanese enzyme bath ($95), orig
developed for Japanese Olympic athlete5
standout for its deep purifying and det(
ing properties, designed to increase cir
tion and stimulate the body's natural en
production.
Given the inclinations of its founders,
low naturally offers chiropractic and an E
tic array of massage like Rising Lotus, a I
enly' treatment for new moms which ut
therapeutic herbs to detoxify tired mt
and assist the body's natural healing pr'
($156). And with Willow Spa's reasonable
ing, you'll return again and again-whet!:
celebrate something special or simply th
of having found such a welcome retreat. [
WHOLELIFETIMES.COM