For many people, yes. A massage tends to feel worth it when you want to ease the tension that builds up from desk work, driving or a physical job, or when you want an hour to yourself to rest. Much of it comes down to choosing a service and a pressure that fit you, and many of our guests come back regularly once they find what they like.
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In their reviews, dozens of guests say they've been coming for years, some for ten years or more. One guest wrote in a Google review of our Diamond Bar studio, "Overall, this place exceeded my expectations, and I’ll keep coming back to this place especially after a long week to feel relaxed and refreshed."
When a massage tends to feel worth it
If your neck, shoulders or lower back often feel tight, many guests find a massage helps those muscles loosen. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, part of the National Institutes of Health, notes that massage may help with low-back, neck and shoulder pain in the short term.
It also tends to feel worth it when rest is what you're after. Once your therapist begins, you can close your eyes and settle in. A guest who booked the Combination at our West Covina studio wrote in a Google review, "I left feeling much lighter and less tense, and I ended up sleeping incredibly well that night."
If you're not sure a massage is for you
If you're not sure how you'll feel about being touched, a foot massage can be an easy place to start. You stay fully clothed, with only your shoes and socks off, and it begins with a warm mineral soak before your therapist works the reflex points of your feet and lower legs, tailored to your perfect pressure.
If you're worried about pressure, your therapist checks in early and tailors the hour to you, from where the work goes to how much pressure feels right. They keep checking in, so every minute stays tailored to your perfect pressure.
If a male or female therapist would help you feel more at ease, put it in the notes field at the end of booking or tell the front desk, and we match it whenever staffing allows. If the fit isn't right, let us know and we'll change your therapist.
If you have an injury, ongoing pain or a medical condition, check with your doctor first. Then we would love to see you. When you arrive, tell the front desk and your therapist about it before you start.
What an hour at Serenity Zen includes
Every body massage here is a Zen Flow® massage, our own deep tissue, which your therapist can give at any pressure from light to deep, and every therapist learns it here before their first guest. You have your therapist to yourself, one-on-one, and your booked time includes the massage as well as time to talk with them and to dress and undress.
A body massage booked on its own happens in a private room. You undress to your comfort level while your therapist is out of the room, then lie on the table draped with a sheet and a blanket, with only the area being worked on uncovered, and most guests keep their underwear on. It opens with a slow press through the sheet, then moves into long, connected strokes with oil.
A foot massage and the Combination happen in our Reflex Lounge, where heavy curtains close around each station, so you have your own space. For the body massage in the Combination, you undress to your comfort level behind the curtains and stay draped the whole time.
Plan to arrive 15 minutes early, and you can leave your things in a locker at the front, with a key bracelet that you keep with you during your session. Parking is complimentary at both studios, each with its own lot right outside the door. When your session ends, there's water or tea, and after a body massage your therapist steps out first so you can dress at your own pace.
How to choose your first visit
If tension in your back, neck or shoulders is what brought you here, a body massage lets your therapist focus on the areas you name. If you aren't sure yet, the Combination is a foot massage that flows into a body massage, all in one visit.
If you've never had a massage, a 60-minute Combination lets you try both kinds of work and see which you like. Book your first visit online, with either Book link on this page, so we can set up your profile before you arrive.
If you decide to make it a habit
We think a massage should fit into an ordinary month rather than wait for a special occasion, which is why both studios keep long hours. For everyday stress, one massage a month is common. If tightness is getting in the way of work or sleep, some guests come every week or two until it settles, then space their visits out, and your therapist can help you find the rhythm that fits.
Booking your next visit before you leave keeps the rhythm and holds your time, and if your schedule is flexible, Tuesday through Thursday often has more open times. If massage is already part of your routine, the 10-Session Package is ten 60-minute massages, and you choose a foot massage, a body massage or the Combination each time. The front desk can tell you about our packages and passes, including the Annual Pass, and help you pick the one that suits how often you come in.
Common questions
Are massages worth the money?
You're more likely to feel a massage was worth the money when the service, length and pressure fit what you came for, so it helps to decide what you want from the hour before you book. Every length and its price appears on the booking page, next to the times that are open, and our post on what a professional massage costs talks about price in more detail.
Do massages actually make a difference?
For many of our guests they do. One guest wrote in a Yelp review of our West Covina studio, "I always leave feeling relaxed and a little bit taller."
Should I tip?
Tipping is always optional. We recommend 20 percent or more, depending on how you feel after your session. Every tip goes to your therapist, and you can tip in cash or by card, though a gift card can't be used for the tip.
What if I'm planning for two?
When two of you book together, you start at the same time, and each of you has your own therapist and chooses your own service and pressure. Our post on whether a couples massage is worth it can help you decide if booking together suits you.
Book your massage
If you'd rather give the hour to someone else, a gift card works at both studios for any service and never expires.
Serenity Zen has studios in West Covina and Diamond Bar. Every therapist is CAMTC certified. Open daily, 10 AM to 9 PM.