For years, I have suffered from a bladder condition (technically, interstitial cystitis), and I came to believe I was just going to have to live with the pain.  I visited Martha at Surya Spa, and even though I could not fathom that treatments and diet could reduce my pain (I can be a little stubborn), Martha nudged me in the right direction, and I finally scheduled three days of Panchakarma. 
 

Panchakarma at Surya Spa was, and is, a fantastic way for me to get rebalanced and rejuvenated when I feel off-kilter or stressed.  As a long term meditator, I also find that Martha's traditional Ayurvedic treatments put me in a state where my meditations are much smoother, and my daily life more joyful.  
 

Martha Soffer has radically changed my life in ways I never could have dreamed possible.  I came to Surya Spa as a last resort after a long quest for relief from crushing fatigue, joint discomfort, repeated  bouts of cold and flu, severe neck/ back tension and anxiety. My job requires that I travel weekly across North America which can be punishing and requires a sound state of physical and mental health.  I had always considered myself a relatively healthy person having taken great care to eat well, take nutritional supplements and  exercise regularly.

Martha was a supreme blessing after the birth of my second child.  Not only did she nurture me with her incredible Ayurvedic treatments and herbalized oils, but she did so in a manner that was completely understanding and supportive of my post-partum situation.  Martha came to my home, and completely befriended my older child, engaging her in the process of helping me recover.  Martha was one of the first people with whom my newborn actually felt comfortable and soothed, and Martha enabled me to enjoy some deep rest after the treatments.  
 

Completing a five-day series of Panchakarma treatments at Surya Spa with Martha was truly a life-changing experience.  I feel more energy, vitality, youth and vigor than can I ever remember.  And it comes with an unexpected feeling of mental clarity and calmness.  And this is from someone who is not much into conventional massage and spa treatments. 
 

I never expected to write a sentence like this but here it is: Martha Soffer and Surya Spa's Ayurveda changed my life.  I have suffered from panic attacks, anxiety and fatigue off and on for decades, resorting many times to various medications in order to be productive and sane while working in the stress-heavy movie industry as a screenwriter.
 

For the past 18 years, I’ve been studying or practicing as an acupuncturist in Taoist healing arts. Last year, after exhausting all “alternative” health options like acupuncture, chiropractor, energy work, massage, physical therapy, and some ayurvedic treatment (not with Martha), I was left with surgery as my only option.  Since the surgery, my back improved, but remained a chronic condition I had to attend to.  
 

Surya Spa is one of the very few Ayurveda centers employing the full range of Ayurveda and panchakarma in the Los Angeles area.  I've been a doctor of Oriental Medicine for 15 years and they're who I go to for my health care needs.
 
The detoxifying panchakarma treatments are divine.  I've never felt more clear in both body and mind in my life.   I felt 20 years younger in just five days.

James Bailey, L.Ac., M.P.H., Dipl. NCCAOM

Panchakarma at Surya Spa is a remarkably healing experience. Martha devotes all of her expertise and care to understanding how best to improve your health and reinforce your immune system.
 
I have been to Surya Spa twice, the first time for seven days and the second for three. On both occasions I’ve felt that the treatments rejuvenated and purified me from the inside out. And I’ve never had spa treatments that were more relaxing.
 

It was a pleasure and a privilege to be cared for at Surya Spa.
 
I say "cared for" because this experience was so much more than diagnosis and treatment. It was being loved and healed by people devoted to ayurveda and willing to serve anyone who is willing to participate in a healing journey. The atmosphere was relaxed yet kindly focused.