The Must-Try Wellness Treatment to Book the Next Time You’re in LA
After a long and tiring week, I got home on a Friday night, plopped down on my couch and immediately searched “best wellness treatments in Los Angeles.” The New Yorker in me cringed at how hard I had drunk the Kool-Aid in just two short years since moving to L.A., but I felt like I was in need of a major spiritual and body rejuvenation. I came across multiple sites — some more granola than others, some quite shocking and some downright weird.
Finally, I stumbled upon Kari Jansen, an Ayurvedic practitioner and herbalist who owns and operates a small, charming spa at her Laurel Canyon home. As I did some more research, I learned more about her practice and her enchanting indoor-outdoor space, complete with an Instagram-friendly, outdoor claw-foot tub (the real selling point for me, to be honest). After reading the benefits of lymphatic drainage and Ayurvedic healing, I booked her widely popular Ayurvedic Lymphatic Massage, a two-hour treatment that’s “designed to drain excess heat, cold or toxins from the body, strengthen immunity and support everyone’s journey towards balance.”
On the day of my treatment, I showed up not really knowing what to expect. I had this unusual sense of trust that it would be exactly what I needed. I made my way around the last bend of the canyon and approached a two-story cottage perched on the edge of a cliff. Her studio flowed seamlessly from inside the garage where she housed her many jars of potions and homegrown herbs to outside with a garden full of wildflowers, a wood sauna and the rustic tub I not so secretly came for.
The treatment started with a detoxifying steam to warm the body and relax the muscles. Next, Jansen took me inside the spa room where I had a full-body lymphatic massage using oils infused with herbs straight from her garden. The massage is customized based on the client’s needs and includes a variety of techniques and tools including tuning forks, cupping, hot stones, cranial sacral therapy and crystal bowls. She also used a rose quartz gua sha, a traditional East-Asian medicinal tool that scrapes the skin to improve circulation, reduce pain and stimulate the immune system.
After the massage, you have the option to continue the release in the infrared wood sauna or soak in a tub full of flower petals and cleansing salts while allowing Jansen’s cult-favorite Rose Quartz Face Mask to work its magic (I did both). Expert tip: If you have time, stick around for a double feature and get the Shirodhara, an ancient Ayurvedic treatment known for its effects on the entire nervous system that can help to alleviate depression, relieve anxiety and regulate overall mood.
Not only was the treatment incredible, but Jansen’s overall energy put me into an almost catatonic state of relaxation. I left with a sense of calmness- and highly recommend this treatment to anyone in or visiting the LA Area.