Martha Hoffer is an internationally acclaimed Panchakarma expert, Ayurvedic doctor and chef, and founder of Surya Spa. — Martha Soffer is an internationally acclaimed Panchakarma expert, Ayurvedic doctor and chef, and founder of Surya Spa.

Surya Spa is an authentic, artisan Ayurvedic spa in Santa Monica, California where guests can explore age-old wellness principles from the leaders of modern Ayurveda. Founded by Martha Soffer, an internationally acclaimed Panchakarma expert, Ayurvedic doctor and chef, the 3,000-square-foot sanctuary at Santa Monica Proper Hotel is a flagship collaboration between leading luxury lifestyle group Proper Hospitality and Soffer.

The stunning interior space was designed by Kelly Wearstler and features a palette of soft and warm colors accompanied by wood, stone and marble mediums. Guests can enjoy treatments that range from a four-handed massage by two therapists to a full-body Ayurvedic scrub, an Ayurvedic Color Therapy session, and more.

Aside from luxurious and healing spa therapies, Surya Spa also offers Ayurvedic cooking classes, Panchakarma (a 3-28 day series of immersive and restorative therapies), virtual and in-person classes, one-year programs, and professional certifications for every level of interest.

They also offer personalized Dosha Yoga Flows prescribed by Soffer and taught one-on-one by lead Dosha Yoga instructor, and the spa’s retail area has a custom oil blend bar and carries a variety of face and body care products, as well as food to hydrate and nourish skin. Shop their collection here.

We interviewed Soffer, who shared insider tips, recommended treatments to try, and more.

Surya Spa in Santa Monica has a custom oil blend bar and retails a wide range of richly herbalized, powerfully healing products that bring the spa experience into your home.

Why You’ll Love It: My favorite thing is watching the transformation that occurs from the time someone walks in our doors until when they leave. People leave glowing, radiant, and deeply at peace. It’s remarkable to watch them heal and be revitalized both physically and emotionally. I think our guests feel really loved and cared for at Surya. Everything we do is so deeply personalized, from our custom-made herbalized Abhyanga massage oils to way the Panchakarma treatments are chosen for each client based on pulse diagnosis.

Surya Spa is an authentic, artisan Ayurvedic spa where guests can explore age-old wellness principles from the leaders of modern Ayurveda.

Key Features: We have a beautiful meditation den, a community room where clients enjoy meals between treatments, and our treatment rooms have en-suite bathrooms and beautiful soaking tubs.

Surya Spa also offers Ayurvedic cooking classes and its signature 3-28 day Panchakarma Series that detoxes and cleanses, promotes weight loss, and restores meaningful balance to body, mind, and emotions.

Snacks Served: We serve an Ayurvedic breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day. All of the ingredients are organic and cooked fresh with balancing herbs and spices. We serve Ayurvedic staples like rice cereal with spiced, cooked fruits, mung bean Dahl with roasted vegetables, and kitchari, which is the ultimate Ayurvedic comfort food.

Bonus: When guests arrive, we serve slices of toasted almond-flour Surya Spa Bread with ghee alongside our house-blended Coriander Cumin Fennel Tea.

Guests can lounge in the meditation room after their treatment and enjoy a light and nourishing Ayurvedic lunch.

Insider’s Tip: Full immersion is the best way to fully experience the magic of Surya. We specialize in Panchakarma, which is a 3-21 day course of treatments that transforms the body and mind. If you can’t set aside the time for a multi-day wellness retreat, a single day treatment can be a wonderful introduction as well. Make a day of it!

Start your day at Calabra at Proper and order the Surya Bread off the menu—it’s topped with almond butter, banana, chopped nuts, and drizzled with honey. Head into a 2.5-hour Abhyanga + Shirodara treatment at Surya. Lounge in the meditation room after your treatment and enjoy a light and nourishing Ayurvedic lunch. Schedule a sound bath through Surya for the afternoon and watch the sunset from the rooftop to end your day.

Surya Spa also offers virtual and in-person classes, one-year programs, and professional certifications for every level of interest.

Splurge Treatment: One Year of Total Transformation: A private one-year total transformation programs, bringing to bear all she and Ayurveda can, to create dramatic and sustainable transformation in all areas of the participant’s life. As the program unfolds, select and dedicated individuals experience renewed vitality, inner and outer radiance, peace of mind, a deep energy and strength, and the return of health and well-being. As the transformation continues, you won’t become a different person; you’ll become the best version of yourself — free, full, and alive in ways you may have not felt for many years. ($150,000 USD (includes four 10-day stays at the Santa Monica Proper, a retreat in Kauai, and much more).

The Glow Pre-Awards Package: This treatment was originally designed for brides to help them look and feel their best before the wedding. In LA, this treatment is also requested during Awards Season, and some of Hollywood’s biggest celebrities come regularly to Surya to get their Ayurvedic glow on. Customized oils, masks, rubs… this series makes a visible difference. The Glow is the real deal, from the inside out. We recommend booking three consecutive days of The Glow for optimal results. (3 hours per day/$500 USD)

The spa menu includes therapeutic four-handed massage with customized oils, herbalized steams and scrubs, and exotic treatments such as the Shiro Basti, designed to bring profound relief to a stressed nervous system.

Unique Treatment: If one has time, we recommend multiple days of Panchakarma so your body unwinds and releases the tension and stress from the past year and a half. If that is not possible, we recommend the Abhyanga massage, Chakra Light Balancing with Shirodara. Our signature four-handed massage in custom-blended oils will heal your body and soul, Crystal Lights soothes and realigns your energetic body. During Chakra Light Balancing, you’ll also be guided through a deep meditation, addressing whatever areas you’d like to focus on such as health, phycology or relationships. At the end, experience the Shirodara to calm your nervous system and dissolve stress as oil is streamed over your forehead. You will be in bliss after this treatment. (90 minutes/$375 USD)

Insider’s Favorite: The below are the most popular:

Traditional 3, 5 or 7-day Panchakarma: Panchakarma is Surya’s nourishing series of Ayurvedic treatments that restore mind, body, and spirit. Treatments last four hours per day with two highly trained therapists working in perfect synchrony using herbalized oils that are cooked each night for each guest. Series often last seven days, but can be experienced in just a day or up to 28 days. PK, at the heart of Ayurveda, produces dramatic, transformative, and lasting effects. (1-28 Day Programs/Starting at $750 USD)

Surya's Signature Abhyanga Massage: Luxurious and sublime, Surya's Abhyanga is a rejuvenating, four-handed massage that uses customized, warm herbalized oils, cooked all night for the next day’s use. Surya’s signature offering nourishes your body, opens your energy channels, and restores a lasting, youthful glow to your skin. This unique massage is the heart and soul of Ayurvedic bodywork and the perfect introduction to Surya’s magical touch. (60 minutes/$265 USD; 90 minutes/$375 USD)