tucking in to Tomoko Spa in Beverly Hills is a treat from start to finish. Everything inside this quiet, minimally-designed space is authentically Japanese from the natural materials and still lines, to the chic little aloe and coconut refreshments you’re served pre-treatment – along with green tea so light and delicate you would swear you’re in the Japanese countryside.
Treatments inside this hidden Beverly Hills gem are deeply therapeutic. Their signature couples therapy takes place inside an expansive, dimly lit spa room complete with soaking tub, massage table, shower, and lounge area. Treatments begin with foot soaks and aromatherapy, move on to massages with oil and hot towels, and wind down with some pretty extensive acupressure and stretching. You can even wrap up your experience with a delivery from Sugarfish served in the traditional way.
Tomoko is truly a unique experience among L.A. spas. It’s a total takeaway from the European style spas in Beverly Hills, but provides a much more luxurious service than most of the city’s other Asian-inspired spas.
Knowing that only a small fraction of our readers live here in L.A. (or are ready for those deep stretches and couples’ bathing experiences!) we thought we’d ask spa owner, Tomoko Kurono to share these elegant, yet practical tips for daily life. Tomoko was raised with a deep understanding of the healing powers of chi (blood) and khi (energy) and impressed us with a few of her simple ideas for living well at home using reflexology…
Wake yourself up… As a child Tomoko was not an easy riser. Her mother knew this and would graciously wake her up with a light foot massage in the morning to promote stimulation and blood flow – and to help her wake with good, relaxed energy, rather than using an alarm. This has to be the sweetest, most simple parenting idea we’ve heard in a while. Mamas out there, we want to know if you try this – and if it works!
Day Break… During the day, take time to use therapeutic massage on your feet to maintain healthy blood flow and circulation. At first, a light foot massage at your desk might seem a little out of place, but try it once and tell us you don’t feel the de-stressing effects all afternoon! Don’t worry about finding specific acupressure points – just a simple overall rubdown will do!
Unwind Head To Toe… Create a winding down ritual for yourself and for your whole family. Before bed is a great time to use reflexology to help calm the body and to help provide relaxation and deeper sleep. It’s also incredibly easy – you don’t even need to hop out of bed to do it. Just a light foot massage can do wonders!
