Reflexology – or better known as foot massages!

I was introduced to this art a few years ago when a friend insisted I give it a try when I was in Beijing (and it’s popping up in the spas across US as a new service). Traditional Chinese medicine explains that there are many reflection points at the bottom of our feet connected to the various organ in our bodies. By massaging the right points, it could help alleviate (not cure) some of the these problems. They were quite accurate in diagnosing some of the problems I have: lack of sleep, bad shoulders, poor digestive tracks, etc. I have to say I slept really well all those nights after the massage. It was very inexpensive, compared to the US standards – 138 yuan (little less than US$20) for 90 minutes. They first soaked my feet in a pot of black medicine-infused water for about 15 minutes. During this time, they massaged my hand and back. Then, they washed my feet and got to work… the process lasted about 60 minutes. Finally, they massaged the rest of my leg, washed my feet with soap, and put my socks and shoes back. Great service for so little money… I highly recommend it! I did it 3 of the 4 nights while we were in Beijing.

I talked to them and got to understand their situations. Most of the massage therapists were from the countryside looking to make a better living in the cities. Most would save their money to send their families back home, others would save the money to open a shop of their own someday. They were trained for 6 months. They normally work 12 hours a day, massaging about 3 to 4 clients (each session being 90 minutes). The meals and housing (a big room with bunk beds, 10 to a room) are paid for by management, and they make about 20 or 30 yuan (US$3 to US$4) per customer. On average, they could make about 1500 (US$200) yuan to 2000 (US$300) yuan per month, and they would get one day off per week. By the standards in the US, that seemed like terrible working conditions. However, many were actually quite happy doing this – compared to factory workers, this was far better working condition – air-conditioned rooms, flexible schedule, plenty of time to rest when there were no customers.

FYI, with regard to tipping – they are technically not allowed to accept tips as a policy. However, if you slip it to them while the management is not watching, it’s okay.