Arisara, Los Angeles

When Jeanette Steiner visited Thailand to teach English, she had no idea a single encounter would set the course of her future. She befriended a woman with a very meaningful name—Arisara, which in Thai stands for someone unstoppable. Having experienced the beneficial effects of massage herself, Jeanette knew she could help others feel empowered too and began her training as a bodywork specialist, first at the Shivagakomarpaj Old Medicine Hospital in Chiang Mai, and later at the Southern California Health Institute.

Fast-forward a few years, Arisara is a cozy studio with Himalayan salt lamps, a heated table dressed in flannel sheets, and ambient music on surround sound. The practice integrates an array of eastern, western, and spa techniques, such as deep-tissue massage, aromatherapy, or acupressure. Here, clients can undergo customized massage sessions that help relieve muscle tension, alleviate chronic pain, promote detoxification, and make them feel alert, rejuvenated, and well-rested. Unstoppable.