Bargain Bodywork on Hollywood Boulevard

Chiang Mai Health Spa resides a charming plaza on Hollywood Blvd. The massage center, located upstairs, is beautifully appointed with orchids and candles, with one side devoted to men's treatments and the other to women's. We disrobed inside our private curtained massage area and lay face down on the cushioned platform to begin our one-hour Thai massage session with DJ.

Our treatment started out much like a typical deep tissue massage as DJ worked intensely on our chronically tight back, neck and shoulders. When she moved on to our lower body, she used aided stretching techniques, which helped her to target the deep muscles that are so often neglected in the legs.

We're always a little amazed by the skill required for this type of bodywork – at times, DJ had the weight of her entire body on our back and legs, but we never felt at risk for injury because we were confident that she knew exactly what she was doing. (Granted, she can't weigh more than 90 lbs., but it was impressive nonetheless.) We were also impressed by the amount of strength this tiny woman possessed - she was able to dig in deep throughout the entire session to work out our stubborn knots and tight spots.

Afterward, DJ thoughtfully used warm washcloths to remove the excess oil from our skin before we got dressed. We were admittedly a little sore from the deep muscle work, but we also felt looser and more vital as we headed home and dutifully drank plenty of water to aid the release of toxins after our intense bodywork session.

Review originally published 3/23/2006.