LaVida Massage

I’ve had a membership at LaVida for several months because of how competitive their rates are. But, sadly, they charge less than other places because they provide a much lower-​quality service. I agree with everything the other reviewer (Katye M.) said, especially that it’s is always empty (I’ve yet to see another customer there!).
I’ve had four therapists because I’ve not yet been happy with anyone there. Like Katye M said, some of them are REALLY heavy-​handed and others have such a light touch you can’t even tell they’re touching you. I’m not sure if LaVida requires their employees to be trained, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they did not. None of the four therapists I’ve seen were good. I’ve either left with bruises or didn’t feel like I even had a massage.
Most recently, my massage lasted 45 minutes though it’s supposed to be 60. I’m in the process of cancelling my membership. I’m willing to pay a bit more if it means getting a good service.
Don’t waste your time or money… even though it seems like a good deal!

I was in need of a massage and the two therapists I usually go to were both fully booked. So, I saw online that LaVida was offering a special — first massage for $ 39. I thought I’d try it and see how it was. I knew it was a chain/​franchise, which I’m not keen on, but I went in with an open mind. It’s located in the shopping plaza that Whole Foods is in and is right next to the Michaels arts and crafts store. It feels like a «Massage Envy» type of place when you arrive. The receptionist was very nice and friendly; she offered me water and asked if I needed anything before my massage. My massage therapist (Sandra) came out to take me back to the room and as we were walking through the hall, it was all empty massage rooms. When we arrived at the room we would be in, she asked me a few questions; I had requested a Swedish massage, but she asked a few times if I was sure I didn’t want a deep tissue massage. This made me wonder if that was a specialty of hers. I assured her that I would let her know if the pressure was too much or too little throughout the massage.
The atmosphere was what you would expect in the room — very minimalist, dark, and calming music overhead. She started on my head and I had never felt a therapist press into my temples as hard as she did and when she «massaged» my hair/​head she literally just used the tips of her fingers and «scratched» my scalp, not really massaging. It was odd. I carry a lot of tension in my neck, shoulders, and upper back, so I asked for additional attention there, which she did do and was nice. When she started on my neck, she added some lotion (or something); but it was a squishy sound until it was actually massaged into my skin. I’ve had many massages and I’m not sure what was used, but I couldn’t get past the sound. There came a point where the pressure was just too much, so I asked her to ease up a bit on the «deep tissue» and she went to the complete opposite extreme — very little pressure. On my back, she kept doing the same massage movements, which didn’t do much for me.
Afterwards, when I dressed and opened the door, she was there with a Dixie cup of water. She asked how I felt and let me know where it seemed like my tension was (which I had already told her prior to the massage :)). I checked out and was on my way. When I was checking out, I noticed that you can «join» for a monthly fee and receive a massage or facial once a month for that price. So, it seems to be a similar concept to places like Massage Envy.
I’m thankful to have a couple therapists that I like and hopefully they’ll be available in the future as I don’t see myself going back to LaVida for a massage.