Stressed-out but can't take the time off work to unwind? Then take a lesson from executives in Malaysia's capital who have learned to put their feet up without missing the next big deal. Weary execs are mixing business with pleasure by holding meetings while a masseuse administers reflexology to tired feet.
The ancient healing art of reflexology is enormously popular in Malaysia, keeping an abundance of cheap-and-cheerful foot massage parlours in business throughout the city.
In the downtown shopping and entertainment district of Bukit Bintang, dozens of outlets cluster in one street alone, and stay open late into the night as customers drop by on their way home from restaurants and night-clubs.
But in the latest innovation, a reflexology centre has set up meeting rooms so that busy executives can have their toes twiddled while they work and hold meetings, interrupted only by the occasional painful twinge or muffled "ouch".
Located in a century-old row of shophouses which are now occupied by stylish bars and eateries, the Old Cottage Reflexology Centre tells business people to kick off their shoes and experience some pain in order to conduct meetings with a clearer head.
"Many of our regular clients are executives from big corporations, dressed in suits and ties, armed with laptops, who come in to have their meetings in a relaxed environment," says manager Mohan Singh.
"You can think more clearly while you have your feet massaged, it's so relaxing and much less stressful."
Its air-conditioned "meeting rooms" accommodate up to eight people, and are equipped with cable television and power points to charge laptops and mobile phones.
The centre's Chinese therapists administer a one-hour session at a cost of 50 ringgit (13.26 dollars), which is designed to give a good workout to the 7,000 nerve endings in the feet.
"You must be very relaxed during the reflexology session. It is very important, so that you will have a clear mind, especially if you are discussing business," Singh says.
Reflexology works on the principle that each part of the human body corresponds to a point on the sole of the foot, and professes that a skilled practitioner can help relieve ailments like sinus or migraines.
Masjaliza Hamzah, a 30-something staffer for a Malaysian rights organisation who held a business meeting at the Old Cottage centre recently, admits she found the idea distasteful at first.
"When it was first suggested, I thought it was really bizarre," she says through gritted teeth, recalling how she grimaced in pain during the session. "My toes, I don't particularly like to share them with other people."
But there are upsides, including the privacy of not lining up in the public row of chairs which is a feature of most centres.
"In some ways, it's a little bit more intimate. But it's ideal to cultivate a relationship with a contact, if you don't talk about stuff that's too heavy duty," she says.
"Working on the computer is not so conducive while the foot massage is happening, but talking certainly is not a problem at all. If I lost my train of thought or whatever, that's normal while I'm having my coffee as well."
In Malaysia's rapidly developing capital, the surging demand for emotional and physical health has spawned a veritable craze for spas and fitness centres which have become a fashionable way for urbanites to spend their weekend.
The popularity of reflexology is part of a boom in the holistic healthcare industry that has seen city-dwellers flocking to unwind through everything from yoga to belly dancing.
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