Four doors down from the legendary Raku on Spring Mountain sits The Foot Spa, an unobtrusive self-care gem in the corner of a top Chinatown food destination. Many body maintenance spots boast illustrious environs, white crystal walls, salt rooms, and mud pools. The Foot Spa is less frilly, but comforting in a way that makes you feel at home. On the occasions when I’ve needed a good foot rub over the last 10 years, they have never let me down.
Ambience
As you enter, the sound of running water and classical music coalesce with low lighting to induce a dreamlike state directing you toward relaxation. Inside the warm rooms, you meet with a reflexology masseuse, who will get into your feet in a way you may have never imagined could be done.
Make sure to wear shorts or a flattering undergarment, as the massage does include the calves, knees, and thighs. It also helps to be comfortable taking off your shirt, because a solid back rub precedes the full-hour foot session.
Treatment
First is a warm foot bath that primes your tootsies for the next stage of care. You’ll be instructed to recline on your back with your feet on a pedestal — possibly introducing some communication troubles, since English may not be your masseuse’s first language (fear not, though; the staff’s attention and patience are superb).
Then comes the reflexology itself: strong pressure administered to key regions of the feet with steady pacing. My reflexologist began with a light hand moving into heavier force toward the end. Warm oil and stones completed the experience, exfoliating my feet to a smooth finish.
Result
This treatment always leaves my pedes feeling soft, strong, and pampered. Whether you believe the feet are a gateway to better overall body health — by facilitating generous maintenance of the parasympathetic nervous system — or you simply want to work a few kinks out after that nine-hour shift, you can’t refute the effectiveness of reflexology in inducing a restful overall state.
For more extensive body work, The Foot Spa also offers shiatsu and deep tissue massages. And all of this can be accessed for less than $60 for an hour, plus tip.
702-767-1688