Always on the lookout for ways to relax and calm the mind

HARDLY 10 minutes into the session, Thomas Lim, 45, was already fully relaxed. Eyes closed, head rested comfortably on the retractable sofa and arms on the armrest, Lim was having traditional foot reflexology treatment.

By applying pressure using a fingertip, the therapist pressed on various points from one toe to another. Then she moved onto the sole before applying pressure in long strokes along the calf. She ended the treatment by gently punching along the leg and moved onto the right foot. By this time Lim was snoring, only to be awakened by the masseur upon the end of the session an hour later.

Lim said he had been getting foot reflexology massage for the last 10 years and it was usually once a week to relax. "Initially, it was painful when the reflexologist pressed onto the points but over the years, I got used to it and usually fall asleep during a session," said Lim, a Singaporean tourist.

Lim is just one of many who find in foot reflexology a way to heal and relax.

Marilyn Mani, 49, who gets her feet massaged fortnightly, confessed that the massage helped reduce wind in the body. It also makes her feet feel "lighter’'. "It is comfortable after a massage, although it can be painful in certain areas during the massage itself," said Mani.

With foot reflexology and massage centres mushrooming in the city, enjoying a good massage is becoming a lifestyle for city folk who are constantly looking out for a means of relaxation.

There are more than 12 foot reflexology and massage centres in the Bukit Bintang area in Kuala Lumpur alone.

Happy Feet Foot Reflexology and Body Massage centre operator Josephine Yap said 60% of her customers were tourists while the rest were locals.

She said most customers came in the evening after work or shopping at the malls. "We have many walk-in customers," said Yap.

Chuah said getting a massage, whether foot or body, was becoming a part of the city lifestyle as people were always on the lookout for ways to relax and calm the mind.

"The regulars come in at least once a week and some come in as many as four times a week," said Chuah, adding that the massage trend started to pick up about three to four years ago.