Kara Zahl

Kara is an absolutely incredible massage therapist. She is one of those people who you see doing their thang and you just know they have found their calling. Just being in her presence is grounding, so you can imagine after a massage with her — You.Feel.Good. I am so thankful to Unilocal for helping me find her.
Initially I was looking for a massage therapist during my pregnancy. I felt confident going to her with the knowledge that she had done body work on many expecting mommas and she is also (bonus!) a doula. Well I ended up seeing her almost every two weeks throughout the pregnancy as it was extremely nourishing for my mind, body, and spirit. I believe these regular massages contributed a great deal to my straightforward, easy pregnancy… and maybe also my drug-​free labor/​delivery! I then went to Kara regularly for many months postpartum. I swear she healed my pelvic floor pain in one visit at about 1 month postpartum. I would still be going to her today if she wasn’t a giant ocean away. [sigh]

Ok, ok, I could go on and on about Kara all day! Really you should just call her right now if you are looking for a massage therapist and you are lucky enough to live near her.

Yes, Kara is as good as it gets.
Before meeting Kara I didn’t realize that there were masseuse who can also help to heal your spirit and emotional bruises, as well as achy muscles and a sore back. But she miraculously does that through a combination of bodywork, cranial sacral therapy and a healer’s sense of the person with whom she is working. You will leave feeling lighter, easier, and if you are very lucky like I was, happier in the knowledge you have a new friend on your side.

I was given a gift certificate for a massage with her and was absolutely amazed with the results! She is the best massage therapist I’ve ever experienced and she has such a kind and loving spirit! I would highly recommend her to anyone who is looking to get a massage!

I’ve been getting regular massages from many, many various practitioners for over 35 years (and used to be a massage therapist myself) and I can honestly say Kara just gave me one of the best massages I’ve ever had, perhaps the best I can remember or even can imagine. True perfection. Such a gifted healer. Lovely presence. Flowing from energetic connection to just the right amount of deeper pressure where needed. She is a true healer in every aspect of her considerable skill.

Kara’s amazing. It’s the work she’s meant to do. Never had a better body worker. So glad she’s in the bay.

I have been seeing Kara once a week for the past three years. I have a variety of issues in both my lower and upper back, and no matter how much pain I am in when I walk in the door, Kara intuitively knows how to make me feel better. I often want to point out to her a place on my back where I am feeling the most pain, but almost always she finds it before I have a chance to open mouth. She is the very best massage therapist in the world and my only hesitation in recommending her is that she will get too busy to have time for me. She is a very special person and amazing body worker. Definitely 5 stars. Her clients are very lucky people.

Everything this woman does is from her heart. She is impeccable with her words and actions from what I have seen. You get much more than just a massage as she is also well versed in herbs and other complimentary modalities. Put her at the top of your list for yourself or a gift for another.

I can’t recommend Kara any more. She is a unique and caring spirit that takes great pride in her work. She is also singularly focused on making sure that your receive a great massage, that leaves you feeling relaxed and more centered than when you arrived. Her passion for what she does is palpable, which makes for a really enjoyable 60 minutes that you will soon not forget. Get in to see her as soon as you can!

I am a male professional massage therapist, and did a trade with Kara a few weeks ago. First, Kara really created a beautiful space. I saw the care she took in every facet of her space: the sheets and blankets, how clean the room was, the wonderful scents, the flowers… As far as the massage went, Kara is excellent: she does not rush, and I can feel her strong sense of presence. I have received bodywork from all over the world, and Kara’s work is right up there with the best!

After a full life of receiving massages and different modalities of bodywork, I can with confidence say that Kara is the best massage therapist I have ever experienced.
Not only is the massage good, but Kara creates a container that is nurturing, safe and extremely filled with love. I go to her to treat my body and I walk out feeling much more whole.
Anyone who goes to Kara is in for a treat. I highly recommend her to everyone I know.

I first met Kara over 5 years ago when she was working as a massage therapist at International Orange Spa. It was by far the best massage I’d ever had and I never forgot her name. About two and a half years ago I started a new and very stressful job and decided I needed to make massage a regular part of my life. Kara was the first person I thought of and, lucky for me, it was right around the time she decided to start her own practice.
I can’t tell you how much Kara has done for me, not only is she an amazing and highly adept therapist, but she is also an extremely nurturing and caring person. Just being in her presence gives you an instant sense of calm — for the hour and 15 minutes that I’m there I feel all of my cares and worries drift away.
While Kara is highly studied and can move between a wide range of massage techniques and styles, her gift is far more special and intuitive. I’m always amazed at how she’s able to pinpoint and treat the exact source of my pain. Thanks to regular sessions with Kara and exercise, the back and arm pain that I experienced when I first started is now completely gone.
While it’s definitely a splurge, Kara’s rates are extremely reasonable, especially compared to the spa. It’s one of the few things that I do for myself and it’s had a such a positive impact on my life that it’s worth every penny. I’ve never written a Unilocal review but I would be remiss if I didn’t share my experience with Kara — she is truly amazing!

As a bodyworker for over 10 years, I can say that I have given and received quite a bit of bodywork and many different styles of healing. Kara has a natural sensitivity and gift in her ability to both sense and feel disharmony in the body and go straight to the source. Her gentle, intuitive approach is very heart centered and effective. I highly recommend her work!

Go see Kara Zahl.
First of all, she is just a lovely and sweet person, with such calm presence — I feel like I slow down immediately when I see her. And she practices out of this cottage in a big garden, that makes me feel like I’ve really gotten away from it all.
But most importantly, her massages are goooood. Like blissful, «did I just groan out loud?» good. The time flies by, and before I know it I’m floating out of there, grinning like an idiot and feeling both really calm and really energized. I don’t know what she does, but she does it really, really well.
(And if you take BART, go around the block after your massage and get an ice cream at Ici to eat while strolling back to Rockridge. If that’s not the perfect afternoon, I don’t know what is…)

Kara Zahl is the best massage therapist on the planet. I never understood how effective and healing a massage could be until after I started going to Kara, and now I am hooked and I go to her once a month. I work a lot with my hands and I am on my feet a lot, and any aches and pains I go in with seem to melt away after a session with Kara. I am now 5 mons pregnant and I have been lucky enough to go to Kara for prenatal massage. Kara has doula experience and is very knowledgeable about many aspects of pregnancy, and I have learned a lot from her about my own pregnancy. In addition, Kara makes you feel instantly comfortable immediately upon meeting her, like she’s an old friend you’ve known for years. Just her voice and presence makes you feel relaxed. I can’t say enough good things about her.

My female friend works in advertising and has been taken to every spa in the city on other people’s dime. In her spa adventures years ago, she received a massage from Kara at International Orange and thought it was the best massage she has ever had. Eventually, she tracked Kara down to her own private practice in Berkeley and has been paying to go see her out of her own pocket. Well, that sold me. You would rather pay to see Kara then go to another spa on a freebie? Wow.
So I have been seeing Kara semi-​regularly for over a year now. She helped me through a very serious and stressful health crisis with her intuitive body work. She somehow knows what parts of you need work without really saying much of anything.
But the really cool part is the integration of reiki — which it is still a total trip to me. I have had reiki before and never really felt anything. At the risk of sounding like a new age freak, I can only describe what I have experienced as «building heat» or «balls of energy». Not in a theoretical way. In a ‘WTF, a weird warm ball of energy just shot up my entire spine!!!’ Then Kara says something soothing like «Oh, did you feel that? Neat, huh?». Um. Yeah. Neat.
I have now referred several friends to her and they all had amazing experiences. Kara is a really great body worker/​healer/​masseuse and she is a really terrific woman. Go try her. You won’t be sorry.

I’ve been going to Kara Zahl for massage for the last year or two. She’s extraordinarily skilled. Her technique is incredibly relaxing, yet also effective at making my lower back pain go away. Her specialty is pre/​postnatal massage, but she also excels at general massage, deeper work, and reiki.
She’s also a wonderful person with a warm, calming energy.