Tickled Tootsies

A day at the spa is a sweet, life-affirming experience, to be sure. But in the midst of a hectic weekend, sometimes we just need some cheap, get-in-and-get-out relief, which is why we were so pleased to discover Pho Siam Thai Massage.

Upon arrival, we were asked to remove our shoes (wear socks if you're leery of walking around public spaces in your bare feet), and handed a pair of loose cotton pants to change into. Thai massage treatments incorporate elements of yoga and acupressure and take place on padded floor mats in semi-private spaces separated by curtains. This was our first visit to a Thai massage therapy center, and because we weren't quite ready to subject our entire body to the rigors of this intensive treatment, we decided to start with a 30-minute foot massage.

Our massage therapist combined elements of a soothing Swedish massage with reflexology to induce a state of deep relaxation. At one point, she used a pointy wooden tool to target our pressure points, and while the sensation straddled the line between pleasure and pain, it set off a nice tingling sensation throughout the body. After devoting most of the 30 minutes to our tootsies and calves, our therapist gave our hands, arms and shoulders a strong once-over, leaving us feeling just as rejuvenated as if we'd received a full body treatment.

Review originally published 3/10/2005.