At Surya Spa, Martha Soffer first sits clients down, takes their pulse, and checks their tongues. It’s quiet as you sit still in silence, waiting for her words. She takes notes, asks questions, and deciphers your body’s needs to guide you on your path. And then the magic happens.
The magic here is immersing yourself in Ayurveda to better listen to and care for your mind and body. A holistic approach to mental and physical health, this practice is an ancient Indian medical system for treating illness. Sofa has been offering Ayurveda in Los Angeles for decades, making a name for itself in the wellness community and attracting the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Hudson, Julia Roberts and Kourtney Kardashian in Hollywood.
“Surya takes me to a place of deep equilibrium and deep renewal,” Paltrow said.
Ayurveda, which means “knowledge of life” in Sanskrit, the language of Hinduism, values the mutual relationship between the body and the living environment. This includes nutrition, massage, meditation, and yoga, using a combination of herbs, oils, and other elements for cleansing processes, rejuvenation, and ultimately long-term health.
That principle underlies many alternative therapies used in the West. But what Soffer has done is modernize the experience while teaching the basics and making it more accessible overall. Her spa, which first opened in the Pacific Palisades, moved to the Santa Monica Proper Hotel this year. Luxurious yet homey, her 3,000 square foot space was designed by Kelly Wearstler and filled with warm colors, wood, and stone.
“I try as much as possible to keep my knowledge pure,” Sofa, who is also an Ayurvedic doctor, chef, and herbalist, says of his approach at Surya Spa. “Ayurveda is very approachable, whether you read a book and try to understand it, or you take my course online.” (He charges $125 for 40 lessons.)
Martha Soffer began offering Ayurveda in 2004 in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles.
Surya Spa/Courtesy of Ian Flanigan
Sofa’s story begins in Colombia, where she was born and raised. She discovered wellness through Transcendental Meditation in her 20s while studying computer science in Iowa.
“I couldn’t believe it was winter and how cold it was,” she laughs. “The moment I started meditating, my life completely switched from computer to spiritual.”
There she met someone who had just undergone Ayurvedic treatment.
“There was oil in her hair,” she continued. “I asked, ‘Why is there so much oil in her hair?’ She said, ‘You should try one.’ So I went and made an appointment for treatment. And after that treatment, I was guided to just do it… Coming from Colombia, money exchange and everything was so expensive. But I thought, “I have to do it.”
She arrived in Pacific Palisades after accepting a job at an Ayurvedic clinic, which eventually closed. Around that time, she met her husband, Roger, and together they opened Surya Spa. She credits her initial success to her LA Times article.
“That article really took my whole business to another level,” she says.
Along with Roger, CEO of Surya Spa, Soffer’s team grew to include 16 therapists at his previous location. Currently, The Proper has a total of approximately 45 employees. She points out that employees are required to meet with an astrologer who specializes in Jyotish, Vedic astrology, as part of the hiring process.
“If it aligns with Surya, they can work for Surya,” Sophia says.
A communal table in the Surya Spa kitchen.
Surya Spa/Courtesy of Ian Flanigan
Surya Spa offers a wide range of treatments including all types of therapies, scrubs, massages and classes. There are also prenatal options, menopause relief, and a $695 custom glow treatment that’s popular with celebrities at awards shows and pre-wedding brides.
For visitors, the journey begins in the cozy and relaxing waiting room where they are served tea. A copy of Dr. Vasant Lad’s “Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing: A Practical Guide” is placed on the table, giving a glimpse of how it is put into practice. Soon they are taken to the couch for consultation. Personalized, no two experiences are the same unless you want it. In her one-hour session, which costs $345, Soffer provides lifestyle recommendations and dietary modifications.
“Food is medicine,” she continues.
The kitchen is the heart of the spa and is open, with communal tables and rotating staff for chefs (and Ayurvedic cooking classes). In the morning, clients are provided with breakfast before treatment, followed by lunch.
“Everyone is different in the way they metabolize food and get things into their bodies,” Soffer explains of individual needs.
Proper, seasonal foods provide the most important nutrients, promote digestion, and minimize inflammation (which is known to contribute to disease and health conditions). For some, the dietary changes shared during the consultation are a necessary preparation to begin the Surya Spa experience and make the visit most rewarding.
Treatments at the spa include a signature 3-28 day ‘Panchakarma’ retreat, a detox that balances the mind and body while promoting weight loss. Starting at $6,530 for 3 days, it includes lodging, 3.5-4 hours of daily treatments, sofa time, private sound healing, “Qi Gong” (including posture, movement, breathing and meditation) and “Dosha” yoga classes (which include posture, movement, breathing and meditation). physical exercises). His three “doshas”, which are the governing principles of the body in Ayurveda, are “vata” (space and air), “pitta” (fire and water), and “kapha” (earth and water). We are one of these “doshas” or a combination of them.
“This experience is filled with love and makes you feel like you’re back in the womb,” she says of the treatment.
Soffer also offers a five-day “Panchakarma” cleanse kit, a guided at-home option, for $125.
Surya Spa sells kitchen spices and beauty products directly and at Neiman Marcus.
Surya Spa/Courtesy of Ian Flanigan
“The idea is that we cover the cost of making everything,” she explains. This includes her PDF for instructions and a video on how to massage your own body. Part of her mission is to make Ayurveda more accessible.
“I want to be in touch with everyone,” she says. “So I decided to prepare at home.”
The five-day cleanse includes starting the day with ghee (clarified butter) and drinking castor oil (a stimulant laxative) on the last day.
Massage after cleansing will help improve the flow in your body. Eventually, impurities in the body flow into the digestive tract where they are removed.
“Especially today, we’re exposed to so many toxins, not just in our food but also in the environment,” she says.
“When you move your body, your cells start working really well. That’s why it’s important to do this at each seasonal change,” she says of the recommended ‘panchakarma’ four times a year. “Your body will rejuvenate.”
Those who can visit the spa can experience a signature four-hand massage using warm oil, known as Abhyanga. For $325 for 60 minutes, two therapists mirror each other, repeating head-to-toe, scalp-to-sole movements.
Or, if you want a taste of “panchakarma,” you can book a four-hour full-day experience for $885 that includes a photo-diagnosis of your tongue and treatments and oils customized based on your health concerns.
Surya Spa’s “Almond Banana Walnut” bread is one of the breads on sale at Erewhon ($4.99 for 2 ounces or $17.99 for 16 ounces).
Surya Spa/Courtesy of Ian Flanigan
Products used are her own. Surya Spa is also a brand and creates beauty goods sold directly to consumers at suryawellness.com and her Neiman Marcus. (The face oils, collagen creams, bath soaks, and custom oils used during your treatment can also be taken home as part of your 3-day retreat.) These are some of the highest quality on the market, and all of her products Her Soffer is involved in this. A step in the process of collaborating with a Florida lab.
“This product is one of those things that I’ve really focused on and kept pure,” she says. Prices range from $23 for Lip Therapy to $195 for Collagen Cream. “I think we can reach more people through this product.”
She also makes spiced and gluten-free breads, which are available for purchase at Erewhon.
“I want people to know about Ayurveda. Apply it to your life and see how much it can change your consciousness, body and lifestyle,” Sofa said. say. “Because when you apply that lifestyle to your life, everything starts to work out much better in every way.”
