We all know it, and I’m the first to admit it: Parisian life can be exciting… and a source of stress. It’s often difficult to find a moment for yourself, yet it’s essential to take breaks to recharge your batteries. As time goes by, I realize more and more how necessary it is to listen to your body and give it the energy it needs to keep going.
Whether you’re a fan of traditional Chinese medicine, looking for a sensory journey to Bali, or simply seeking an oil massage to release tension, I’ve tested several spots in the capital for you. By the way, if you’re looking to book massages, you can use the Funbooker platform, which makes it easy to find places to enjoy a great massage Paris. Here is my selection of well-being spots to help you let go, and as usual, I will update it regularly with my new tests and discoveries.
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Table of Contents
Spa Lanqi: The excellence of traditional Chinese medicine
If you’re looking for a therapeutic and energizing approach, Spa Lanqi is a must-visit. With its salons located in the 7th and 15th arrondissements, as well as in Neuilly, the brand founded by Madame Lanqi specializes in traditional Chinese massage and the ancestral technique of “TUINA“. What I particularly appreciate here is the personalization. Before each treatment, a diagnosis is established (often by the owner herself) to identify your ailments and adapt the massage. The practitioners, all qualified in traditional Chinese medicine, don’t just massage: they work on the meridians to revive vital energy (Qi) and detoxify the body.
Treatments to match the seasons and your needs
Over the years, I’ve had the chance to test many protocols at Lanqi. Here are my favorites:
- The Ancestral Massage: A complete made-to-measure treatment (from head to toe) using Himalayan plants. It’s the ideal treatment to rebalance your energy. Be warned, it is a deep and tonic massage! You often leave feeling empty, perhaps even a bit sore the next day, but the well-being that settles in afterwards is incomparable.
- Chi Nei Tsang (Abdominal Massage): Our stomach is our second brain and stores our emotions. This visceral massage can be surprising, even uncomfortable at first because you feel vulnerable, but it is incredibly effective for releasing emotional blockages and improving digestion.
- Chi Face Harmony: Gentler than body massages, this treatment uses jade rollers and cow horn to drain, lift, and restore radiance to the complexion. A real rejuvenating cure visible as soon as you finish the treatment.
- Seasonal Treatments: Whether to prepare your immunity for winter (Kidney treatment) or to detoxify the liver in spring (Beautiful Summer treatment), Lanqi offers protocols adapted to the body’s needs according to the cycle of the seasons.
Lanqi Spa
48, avenue de Saxe, 75007 Paris
68, rue de Lourmel, 75015 Paris
Open 10 AM to 10 PM, 7 days a week
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Ban Sin Thaï: A stopover in the 15th
Still on my quest for relaxation, I pushed open the doors of Ban Sin Thaï, located on Rue de Vaugirard. It was an opportunity for me to try Thai massage. Fearing the sometimes too “sporty” side of the traditional version, I preferred to opt for an organic essential oil massage, known for being more enveloping.
Visually, the place is a nice surprise. The decoration is elegant and the zen atmosphere is accentuated by a lovely view of an interior courtyard featuring a small stream. An exotic setting that immediately invites relaxation. However, the experience was slightly tarnished by a welcome that I found rather cold, both during the phone reservation and on-site. You sometimes feel like you’re bothering them, which is a shame for a well-being institute.
Regarding the treatment, the report is positive. The one-hour massage was complete (from head to toe) and truly relaxing. The practitioner was well-skilled. The downside? Soundproofing. At one point during the session, the background music cut out, giving way to the regular rumble of the metro passing just underneath. It’s hard to fully let go with those vibrations every two minutes! In short, a high-quality massage in a pretty setting, but an overall experience that suffers from a lack of human warmth and some acoustic issues.
Ban Sin Thaï
134 rue de Vaugirard 75015 Paris
Organic oil massage: approx. €70 / 1h
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Spa Mamabali: A sensory journey to Indonesia
Recognized as the only Balinese spa in the capital, Mamabali boasts authenticity guaranteed by its partnership with the Indonesian Embassy. This hybrid venue, combining a spa and a restaurant, offers total immersion in the traditions of the Archipelago without leaving Paris. Founded in 2011 by Audrey Arnaud, an expert passionate about Indonesian culture, this 200 m² space located in the 11th arrondissement is a true invitation to travel. From the entrance, a change of scenery is guaranteed thanks to thoughtful decoration: wooden furniture, statues, and bamboo—most of the elements come directly from Bali.
The well-being area, nestled on the lower level, includes a hammam, a relaxation room, and five cabins. Treatments are performed with the in-house brand “Mamabali”, a natural and organic line made in France, highlighting frangipani flowers. I had the opportunity to test the Pijat Bali massage, a deep ritual with roots in Ayurvedic medicine.
Spa Mamabali
8, rue Guillaume Bertrand Paris 75011
open Tuesday to Sunday by appointment only
Photo credits: Melle Bon Plan Photos are not royalty-free; photographer's permission required before any use
