Shiatsu Paris

'Until recently,' Christophe Triet tells us, 'Chinese doctors would only be paid as long as their patients remained in good health.' It's a succinct reminder of the salutary effects of shiatsu (literally 'finger pressure'), a therapeutic massage technique developed in Japan but rooted in Chinese theories on acupuncture.

Triet, who trained as part of the Iokai Shiatsu school, has brought the practice to the heart of Paris – the Ile de la Cité, to be exact – with this attractive new salon. Simple and comfortable, it makes for a relaxing setting in which to let yourself be prodded and rubbed by someone else's fingers for an hour. After a brief interview designed to determine which areas of our body are in greatest need of treatment, we're led into the massage parlour for a thorough workout that leaves us feeling a good deal calmer and more balanced than usual.

One man's New Age fad is another's key to well-being, and there's strong evidence that shiatsu is effective in pre-empting as well as treating physical ailments. Whatever your views on the whole thing, the arrival of Shiatsu Paris offers you a damn good excuse to give it a try.