Arden-Arcade, CA Spa and Massage

A plump Buddha statue stands guard near the entrance of Chakras Healing And Day Spa. Along with Persian rugs and earth-toned walls, he's part of the award-winning spa's decorative strategy meant to ease clients' minds. Client peace of mind is one of the highest priorities of Chakras' staff, which is composed entirely of veteran providers including the spa's manager, Jennifer, who has 12 years experience as a skincare specialist. Jennifer believes Chakras' exclusive use of high-end products and reliably comfortable ambiance are two chief factors that attract clientele. For example, while treatment rooms at some other spas have sterile, clinical-looking furnishings or are haunted by ghosts, Chakras' treatment rooms sport hardwood floors, ornate wall hangings and drapes, and soft lighting.

Within the calming confines of Lima Salon and Spa, Terri Tagami aims to make good on her practice's name by relaxing her clients with multiple massage modalities. She wields finesse in Swedish, deep-tissue, and hot-stone massage, and can combine the soothing techniques to create fully custom treatments. Each session harnesses massage therapy's bevy of natural benefits, such as improved circulation, diminished pain, and increased range of motion. To bolster freshly kneaded musculature, Terri can also help patrons shed extra poundage with body wraps, which waft infrared heat to melt away cellulite, toxins, and swallowed ice sculptures.

The staff at Healing Arts Institute instructs aspiring therapists in body work that aims to eliminate pain from the center of the body. Anatomy and physiology classes, classrooms with full-length mirrors, and more than 1,600 square feet of space help interns learn body mechanics. A vast understanding of the body’s inner workings help them as they move from classroom study to the school’s onsite spa, where clients can schedule massages with them or with the school’s experts. While beginning interns perform gentle Swedish-style massages, more advanced practitioners can quell injuries with their handiwork. Regardless of style, all of Healing Arts Institute’s clients depart from the massage clinic feeling more relaxed than a sloth traveling through a speed trap.

Gail Perry discovered her calling in the mid-1990s. Though she had no formal experience with massage therapy, she started to massage friends and family members until finally, she quit her day job and attended the Massage Therapy Institute of Davis. Since gaining her certification, she has joined two professional associations and capitalized on her innate ability to intuit and meet clients' therapeutic needs. She describes herself as tireless and attentive, saying, "My work is about being open to listening to the wisdom of the body." To this end, Gail offers more than 10 styles of massage, including lymphatic drainage and pregnancy, but generally combines modalities in order to deliver personalized treatments.

Parneet Kaur believes that confidence is a vital ingredient for turning dreams into reality. In fact, she's made an entire career out of making women feel better about themselves, doling out services such as threading, facial bleaching, and hair styling that help them identify and highlight their most enviable assets. To help them develop their personal images and senses of style, she also offers professional makeup application, creating custom looks or reproducing iconic trends inspired by celebrities such as Kim Kardashian.

Black half walls and simple japanese screens subdivide the salon into semiprivate sections, affording clients privacy and plenty of options during games of hide-and-seek. Before they show off their new self-confidence to the world, guests can pause to browse designs from Kaur’s glamorous Pure Karats jewelry line, which includes earrings, watches, and bracelets with an edgy, rock-star twist.

Certified in thai massage since 2003, massage therapist Apple spent years soothing bodies in Thailand and the Northern Mariana Islands. Apple now calms the people of Sacramento with the signature thai blend of yoga-like stretches and rhythmic pressure applied to specific body parts, all administered as the client lies on a floor mattress. Her 30-, 60-, 90-, and 120-minute sessions can also include classic techniques such as Swedish, deep-tissue, prenatal, hot-stone, and 12-sided-die massage.