Near the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, California, sits an urban oasis that offers services to integrate the mind and body. I chose a 60 minute session of a new type of massage, called the Deep Flow Massage, because it was designed to free knots and energy blocks instead of breaking them apart. The therapist’s deep flow strokes didn’t feel forceful or painful like most of the regular deep tissue massages I’ve received. She rotated and stretched my arms, legs and hips until the range of motion was fully open and relaxed. Then she jiggled my thighs with an immediate therapeutic sensation that was blissful and, surprisingly, not at all embarrassing. In the end, every muscle felt interconnected and my mind was calm (except when I returned to the locker room dressing area to discover dirty towels lying everywhere and dozens of women bumping past me to get to the yoga class). 

Since I have bad posture from frequent sitting and computer usage, I was hoping to have time to take a Core Fusion® class, a Pilates-infused fitness experience that supposedly gives you washboard abs and a tighter butt. 

I walked out of the Spa asking myself – how had I lived in Santa Monica for so long and not heard of Exhale Spa?