My friend, Sara Haze, is an amazing singer/songwriter and is ramping up to release her new album My Personal Sky in October. She's been super busy preparing for that (album cover photo shoots, promotional appearances, etc.) so we decided to combat all of the craziness by squeezing in a visit to rA Organic Spa in Burbank, CA for a little R&R.

I had never been to rA before but I will definitely be making a habit of it in the future. It's located in the middle of bustling downtown Burbank but as soon as you walk in the front door, you feel transported to someplace a whole lot more...Zen. I was greeted with ice cold water and piping hot green tea and shown to the changing room where I slipped into a comfy robe and Crocs. I was then introduced to my technician, Angelica, who showed me to my treatment room. The room was dimly lit and had soothing music playing (don't worry, it was far from "muzak" - thank goodness!). Then came a pleasant surprise - my massage/treatment table was covered with rose petals and a small place card with my name on it. Sure, it's not revolutionary but it was a thoughtful touch that definitely enhanced my spa experience.

I chose to get the Moor Mud Body Treatment ($185 for 90 minutes) which started off with an Organic Coffee Scrub. The caffeine in the coffee acts as a stimulant while the coffee grinds themselves act as a hyper-effective exfoliant. So much so that initially, I thought Angelica was taking off layers of skin that I desperately needed! Turns out, the slight discomfort only lasted a short while (during the vigorous scrubbing) and left me with majorly smooth and silky-feeling skin! After a quick rinse came the actual mud wrap. Moor mud is an organic mud from Hungary (a.k.a. Balneo-peat) which contains virtually no clay and consists of organic herbs & grasses and concentrations of minerals, trace elements and amino-acids. The mud promotes circulation, reduces tissue inflammation and stimulates the immune system while detoxifying the system.

The process was interesting. She first covered my entire body in the mud. Then she wrapped me up in what felt like cellophane and then covered me with thermal blankets to intensify the therapeutic effects of the mud. Then came the mini-facial (including more mud!), the foot massage and my personal favorite, the scalp and face massage! I was then instructed to scrub the mud off in the shower which proved to be kind of a pain - the mud is pretty stubborn. But once I got the stuff off of me, I felt energized and my skin felt amazing. I felt like I was actually glowing! The final stage of the treatment was delightful - she slathered this yummy-smelling organic vanilla body lotion from head to toe with some semi-deep tissue massage technique. Heaven!

Sara opted for the Organic Chocolate Truffle Wrap which also starts out with the coffee scrub and includes the facial and foot and scalp massages. The only difference is that she was covered in chocolate (yes, actual chocolate) which believe it or not, is loaded with potent antioxidants and tons of vitamins that left her skin looking fab. When I asked her how her treatment went, she said she literally felt like she was covered in a rich, gooey chocolate brownie. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon, I guess!

I would definitely recommend you grab a friend and get over to rA as soon as you can. I can't wait to go back and try out their Green Tea and Crushed Rice Body Scrub. Although, the way my skin is looking post-mud wrap, I may not have to go back for a while!