BLOND FOOT REFLEXOLOGY
If the eyes are the windows to the soul, then the feet are the mirrors of the body. At least they are according to reflexologists. The ancient healing art, practised by Chinese, Egyptian and Indian civilisations for centuries, works on the premise that every organ and gland in the body has a corresponding reflex point on the soles of the feet. If one of those points hurts or feels tender when pressure is applied, the relating bodily part is either craving care or needs medical attention.
It's believed that the body is connected by pathways, or meridians, along which energy flows. When these get blocked due to illness, injury, stress or fatigue, the energy can't flow and the body becomes imbalanced and can't function properly. A good reflexologist will detect tiny crystalline deposits and tender spots on the feet and work on these areas to release congested energy and get the body back to a state of well-being.
Although practitioners stress that complementary therapy isn't a substitute for more conventional treatments, reflexology can alleviate a host of problems, particularly ones that are stress-related such as headaches and hay fever.
Blind reflexologists, like Chong Kit-kay at Footstop, are said to be among the best because their lack of vision is compensated by an acute sense of touch. Chong trained for more than four years in hospitals in Beijing and Hong Kong and has years of subsequent experience under his belt.
After asking me if I had any specific problems he applied a creamy lotion to my left foot and began massaging my big toe. He rubbed the top of it slowly, then the tips of my other toes (all of which relate to the nose). Satisfied that I was in the clear, he then moved his fingers down to the pads of my toes (the brain, head and sinuses), under the nails and up the other side.
He then rubbed my big toe vigorously. Without my saying a word he said he could feel deposits which suggested my toe was hurting and I was suffering from tension in my neck. Spot on on both counts. He massaged the area to try to clear blocked energy, but recommended I get a specific massage treatment on my neck.
Chong similarly pressed, rubbed and massaged the base of my toes (the ear), and diagnosed I had a slight problem; I get recurring swimmer's ear.
After trying to assuage that, he then continued moving slowly across and down my foot. The further down he went, the lower in my body was the corresponding organ, so that the ball of my foot related to my lungs, the bone along the arch to my spine and a spot on the heel to my sciatic nerve.
Whenever he came across a tender area (and he was right every time), he would explain what it was and massage the area firmly to get my circulation moving and unblock the stagnating energy. The pain was fleeting and afterwards I felt warm and relaxed.
Chong finished with a chopping movement on my sole, and moved on to my right foot, performing the same technique as he had on my left. When my hour was up, my feet felt great and I was relaxed to the point of lethargy. Otherwise I didn't feel radically different, but whether it was a few days' break from swimming or the reflexology treatment, I never did get the earache I feared was lurking round the corner.
Value for money: At $430 an hour, this is more expensive than many reflexologists, but the treatment takes place in a private room and Chong is thorough with his technique and explanations. Footstop is also offering a 50 per cent discount for first-timers to the centre.
So what's the score?: 7/10. My overriding feeling was one of amazement that Chong could tell when my feet were hurting and pinpoint exactly what was not quite right. Although painful at times, it was more relaxing than not.
Reservations: Footstop, room 301, Queen's Place, Queen's Road, Central (entrance on Stanley Street). Tel: 3105 3115.
