Spa Week Sneak Peak: Thai Sabai Traditional Thai Massage

Calling all Beauty Luvahs, have you heard the news? National Spa Week 2012 is taking place next week April 16-22, 2012 and all treatments are ONLY $50, WOOT! WOOT! Spa Week is the largest and most anticipated spa event in North America since 2004 and many of the nation’s top spas select some of their best signature treatments for you to experience at a significantly reduced rate, which makes pampering much more affordable and accessible to all, love that! And all that you have to do to take advantage of the amazing $50 treatments is go to www.SpaWeek.com, search for spas in your area, and then call the spa directly to book your appointment.

Well, I confess that I have the best job in the world because I get to test drive all these amazing spa treatments and services and share my experiences with you, so I was delighted when Spa Week reached out and told me that a local Thai Massage Spa had requested that an influential LA beauty blogger come in and try their signature service before Spa Week and they picked me! I was especially excited because I have heard amazing things about Thai Massage for years but have never had the opportunity to try one.

Before I tell you all about my amazing experience, I wanted to give you a little background on Thai Massage. Traditional Thai Massage dates back more than more than 5,000 years to ancient India and China incorporating elements of Ayeurvedic medicine, Hatha yoga and Chinese acupressure. Thai Massage is a unique healing art that combines gentle yoga-like stretching with massage of the muscles, pressure points and energy lines to release tension, relieve aches and pains, detoxify the internal organs and improve circulation. A typical Thai Massage is performed on a floor mat which  allows the practitioner to get the body leverage necessary for the stretches and postures performed. An authentic Thai massage normally takes 90 minutes because it is a holistic approach that incorporates a series of integrated, sequenced postures designed to relax and heal the body.

Thai Sabai Traditional Thai Massage is located in Hollywood right in the heart of Thai Town in Los Angeles in the New Hollywood Plaza (said to be the true center of Thai Town) with lots of yummy Thai Restaurants in close proximity 🙂

BTW, Sabai is a Thai word meaning “relaxed” or “comfortable” – and that’s exactly how I felt from the moment I walked through the door of this authentic zen feeling spa

The space is very serene and well-appointed with comfortable Thai massage mats on the floor separated by walls or curtains

However, the real highlight of my visit came when I learned that the delightful owner of Thai Sabai had paired me with his senior masseuse, Sasivipa aka Vipa, who happens to be a trained ER nurse and a Thai Massage master. Vipa has more than ten years experience with Thai Massage, holds three Thai massage certifications, and is also a California Certified Massage Therapist and a Certified Thai Therapist. So needless to say, I was in the hands of a seasoned expert and knew I was in for a real treat! And being a seasoned beauty maven (on the heels of recently disappointing massage experiences), I LOVE being in the hands of a skilled expert, it makes a world of difference!

After Vipa and I were introduced (she had such a strong, peaceful & calm presence), she gave me a Thai Massage outfit to change into (which is kinda like a loose fitting pair of skimpy summer pajamas) and then asked me to sit crossed legged with my back to her to start off my 90 Min Thai and Swedish Combination Massage. This is Thai Sabai’s house specialty because it combines the best of muscle relaxation and Thai massage stretching. I loved starting sitting up because she was really able to get into my knots and release the tension at the start of the massage.

The rest of the massage was a deeply relaxing and healing experience with lots of stretching, kneading and pressure point work. I personally love deep tissue work and felt that both the Thai Massage modality as well as Vipa’s expertise was thorough and deep without being painful. Vipa is very intuitive and read my body issues perfectly, I really felt she was healing me on a physical as well as a mental level. After the massage, I felt relaxed, much less tense and calm.

I was thoroughly impressed with Thai Sabai and would highly recommend trying them out during Spa Week for the very affordable $50 hour and a half Swedish/Thai combo. I really liked the authentic welcoming space, the kind customer service and the stellar skill of my masseuse. I cannot wait to go back for another massage with Vipa very soon, in fact I think I feel the perfect date night with my hubby coming on (Thai Sabai is perfect for couples and groups too BTW ): We’ll start with side by side rejuvenating Thai Massages at Thai Sabai and then head next door for some authentic Thai food to complete our Asian inspired evening = Perfection!

Thai Sabai Traditional Thai Massage 5261 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles (Thai Town/Hollywood), CA 90027. Call to book your Spa Week $50 Thai Massage Treatment 323.485.2800

Visit the Spa Week website for a full list of participating spas and available treatments HERE

Do you live in the Los Angeles Area? For a list of local spas participating in Spa Week search HERE

Disclosure: Spa Week and Thai Sabai invited me in for a sneak peak of their signature Spa Week Treatment. All opinions and zen-like state of mind are my very own