Reflexology… I am a believer. But I have yet to believe in any reflexologist since I left the United States where I had a very talented woman in Northampton, Massachusetts who was the best reflexologist I have known to date. No where in Paris has inspired me to even test. Usually Parisian massage parlors focus more on aesthetic massage and not wellness healing massage (even if it’s advertised as such). So you can image my joy when I was contacted by the Chinese massage parlor Le Nid du Phénix and invited to come test their massages for my blog. They let me chose from the menu. Oh joy! I saw reflexology, and my instincts told me that I would find what I have been looking for…

When I arrived I was greeted by two young women in a lovely relaxing smelling boutique with green décorum and lots of tea accessories everywhere. After taking my coat and handing me slippers to put on my feet, I was asked to smell the several bottles of massage oil that were displayed on the counter. The first few didn’t seem to smell that exciting…and then the last one smelled lovely to me. I wasn’t sure which one to pick though since the bottle labels indicated their usage (relaxing, energizing etc.) I told the massage therapist that I needed something energizing since I had a fully packed day and a party that evening. Her reply was, that well I should chose the oil which smelled best to me as that means my body needs the function of that particular oil. As it would have it, the one that smelled lovely to me was one for relaxation. I decided not to perturb my body anymore than it wanted to be and went for the relaxing massage oil.

I had an hour of true reflexology to enjoy where I chatted with the friendly masseuse (for the first half hour and then allowed myself to close my eyes and relax) in the cocooning atmosphere of the salon.

The salon has two rooms, one of which can welcome two people at once so couple’s or friend’s massage is an option! the decor is subdued and relaxing. There is even an old Parisian stone wall as one of the walls of the salon. The texture of the white stone is beautiful and adds to the natural element that oozes from this parlor. Natural fibers in the decor and the soft lighting make for a cozy and reposing experience. The front boutique sells everything you would need for a Chinese tea ritual, and all of the specialty teas the serve or provide come from different regions of China and are indicated with a map. They take tea seriously here as well as massage!

My massage was finished with a warm cup of tea while I woke up from my relaxing stupor and let myself linger for a few more minutes in the cloudy haze of relaxation before attacking the rest of my day.

Thank you to the Nid du Phénix for a lovely experience!

For traditional Chinese and Japanese massages, two addresses welcome you : in the 7th and on Île Saint Louis. Check their menu of massages here, and their tea menu here.