River of Life

Thank you for the awesome massage. My muscles were really tight when I came in, and now I’m much more relaxed and my body feels better. I will definitely come back!

I’ve been here several times and from my experience it has been great. Did he touch my butt? Yeah, but why shouldn’t he? Your leg/​butt muscles affect your lower back. Your lower back affects your posture, and having a bad posture affects like everything. All your muscles are important. Getting a massage for one area doesn’t solve the solution it only temporarily solves it.
He has a routine that he goes through. There is a gentle massage where he figures out whats wrong with your body. Then he goes through about every muscle group in your whole entire body. He then focuses other parts of your body. He made me aware of places on my body that are being strained that I was not even aware of.
Of course, like many massages, one massage does not fully solve the problems. It takes a couple, usually 2 — 4 sessions.
This place is a hidden treasure.

I agree with the other reviewer — I felt harassed by Ming (male masseuse), and don’t feel comfortable returning.

Oh here im back for the 2^nd time. Price has changed a little bit, but I think its worth it. I would like to put on here so they can be known a little more. The couple work so hard and do very good job to have your body get less intense after weeks or months of work. I always want to come back, parking and the busy street in the middle of China has always been on my way whenever I wanna come back :(but definitely, one of the few places that cannot be found just anywhere! Ah, a little painful, but it helps so much afterall.

Excellent massage. It helps to be aware of Chinese reflexology as it is a treatment and not a relaxing «spa massage». You will wince at times (if you want) or you can ask for Medium/​less. Embrace the wince!

I was introduced to the River of Life by a coworker, which is operated by a Mandarin speaking couple. The place is very clean and the hour-​long massage started with soaking my feet and a foot massage of 15 minutes, while being served with a cup of hot tea. The reflexology from the foot massage was supposed to make the ensuing pressure point massage more effective.
The body massage took place in the back room, and I was given a hospital gown with opening at the back. I have tried both He Ling and Ming Tan. While He Ling ‘s massage was more relaxing and taking out muscle spasms, Ming Tan’s massage was more therapeutic and helped to untangle the kinks and knots on my back. My frozen shoulder gradually gained a wider range of motions after a series of treatment, and of course it hurt during the process. After each massage, I was served more tea and was told that this was a good way to detoxicate.
Ming does not speak much English, but his wife could communicate in simple English without problems. The best way to make appointment is calling (510) 625‑0611. The English Appointment number on the flyer is not operational.
Given that it is in Oakland Chinatown, I found it most convenient to just park across the street in the Pacific Renaissance Plaza, where parking is $ 1 every half hour. This was the same price as metered parking on the street and saved a lot of driving around to look for available parking spot.

I felt borderline harassed by the male massager. I believed at some point he touched my private part and made me very angry. I said i have shoulder pain but he kept massaging my ass, and explaining it with some Chinese theory… Whatever, i still got a shoulder problem!!! I speak mandarin so he was bubbling all the time to me in mandarin, not really concentrating on massage! Very annoying experience!

If you’re looking for Chinese medical massage, aka Tui Na, definitely give River of Live a try. This place is run by husband & wife team Ming & He. If you’re expecting Massage Envy or Burke Williams, this is not it. They start you off with a foot soak and some tea, and from there, Ming will go to town on your body and is very strong, and this includes even walking on your thigh bones! I don’t usually get massage by men, but I felt comfortable with Ming. Definitely not for the faint of heart. I would strongly suggest making an appointment. Cash only, so bring enough to include a tip.

Please note River of Life Massage has a new phone number (510) 919‑7869

A visiting friend found this place on Unilocal and dragged me along since it is close to where I live. It’s up a long flight of stairs and it seems to be a simple live/​work place where Ming and his wife do foot and body massage. For only $ 35 you get an expert therapeutic hour-​long massage. You can ask about a rate for 90 minutes if you want. It starts off with a short but very efficient foot massage while drinking a nice Chinese tea and then you go in to the back room to change into a hospital gown for the full body massage.
Ming does not speak much English but he UNDERSTANDS your body. Thankfully I did not have to explain about the painful arthritis in my knee and hip. He spent extra time and attention trying to balance everything that has been out-​of-​whack.
It can be painful… I rarely make sounds during a massage but he is really working to heal me and eliminate those knots and areas of limited mobility. I wince audibly… and exhale and then it eases up. I trust that he is very knowledgeable and afterwards he gives you more tea and if needed some brief recommendations: drink lots of water, warm water only, etc. etc.
I have been to see him 3 times now and in that time a recurring case of sciatica is now at bay. The newfound mobility in my creaky hip is nothing short of miraculous. And other things, like my digestion is off the hook … I’ll just say — really good!
I am so happy to have stumbled upon this place. Ming and his wife are smiling, sweet and very, very talented at what they do.

This is the kind of place where it should say «if you find a better deal somewhere else, we’ll reimburse the difference». The husband is an Angel with super power. There is not one muscle of your body that he does not work on. He does not work by the clock. He does not speak English but that does not matter because he speaks to your body, not to you. All the people I know that went, said the same thing. He feels your pain, you don’t have to tell him anything. It’s an amazing experience.

i had the same issue when trying to call — THEY HAVE A NEW PHONE NUMBER!
**510−919−7867** THIS is the number to call!
having not reached anyone at the number provided, i decided to walk in. luckily for me, they had a spot open. started with the foot soak and leg massage. i am one of those people who are Weird About Feet, and i have to hand it to the woman doing my massage — she was able to massage my feet in a way that DIDN’T make me squirm or accidentally kick her in the face!
the back massage had its painful moments. but seeing as i have very large, intense knots that need serious working over, i figured pain was a good thing. it is now two days later and i am still a bit sore. all those toxins coming out also resulted in a mild sore throat. i’m a mess, guys!
minus one star for ambiance. it’s clearly a live/​work space which i didn’t mind at all, but the other gentleman working out of the space was listening to music and talking on the phone the whole time. i was able to tune it out, but it’d be nice if that just weren’t an issue to begin with.
all in all, based on friendliness, cost, proximity to my home, and the fact that there were farmers market-​fresh cherries and strawberries available for me to munch on, i will be coming back.

Thanks to Unilocalers, I dropped in to get a 45 minute upper body massage yesterday. He Ling, the woman therapist, did a fantastic, no-​frills job on the knots in my shoulders and neck! Highly recommended”

They were kind and knew there stuff. Little bit of a language barrier but we worked that out. I’m not the biggest fan of male massages, but given that this was my favorite one so far. Some of the experience lacked the spa feeling, but the massage was in general much better than the massages you’ll get at most spas.

Tried once again on a different day off… nobody picked up the phone or called back. I think I’ve given up, which is unfortunate because this is so conveniently located for me and I love reflexology/​deep tissue massages.

After finding them on Unilocal,I got my first River of Life massage yesterday, and I’m so glad that I did! Ming is an incredible masseur and his wife is a great host, who will give you slippers, bring tea, and chat with you (if you’re inclined). It really feels like you are a guest in a home instead of a customer at a business. If you do not speak Chinese, make sure to communicate with her, as Ming speaks only Chinese.
I paid $ 45 ($ 35 is the price, but they spent almost 90 minutes with me, so I wanted to tip well) for a foot soak, foot massage, and full body massage. The body massage was incredibly thorough; he deeply rubbed everything from my toes to my eyebrows, worked out the knots in my back, and stretched, rotated, and folded me like a chicken. Amazing!
For modest folks: I felt a little uncomfortable at first, since I didn’t know the expectations on clothes/​no clothes. I decided on no clothes. Ming was very professional and my shyness went away quickly. I don’t know what’s normal, but the draping was a little less careful than in my other (limited) massage experience.
Minus 1 star for: inconvenient parking (inevitable in Chinatown), unlabeled entrance at street level, cash-​only, and unclear clothing/​no clothing expectations leading to mild discomfort.
I will definitely be back whenever I need my entire body turned into a liquid.

I was given a massage as a gift from a friend and, frankly, didn’t quite know what to expect. I must admit that the bodywork I received exceeded my expectations!
After climbing up a very long flight of stairs, I was greeted at the top by Ming & his wife who inquired about how much pressure I preferred in my massage. My answer was «medium» and it was determined that Ming’s wife would be the better choice. She started with a foot soak in tea water and then a foot massage with a focus on reflexology. From there, I went onto a table and received one of the best deep tissue massages in many years.
I will be back for more!

Ming and his wife are awesome! Gracious hosts and very knowledgeable about the body and reflexology.
Take off your shoes and don a pair of sandals after the 3 flight hike. They speak very little English but they have a brochure in English you can choose massages from.
They will give you a cup of tea and set your feet in a bucket of hot water. If you opt of the full body massage you get the foot soak (10 mins), foot massage (15 mins) and oil body massage (45 to 50 mins). How much you ask? $ 40 with tip. There is no beating that.