A group of independent Left Bank well-being professionals have banded together to create a kind of personalized mini-spa, the Studio des Grands Augustins, where physiotherapy or Pilates classes can be followed by a two-hour massage, for example, or a “barre aquatique” session – dance movements practiced in a private pool, a new exercise technique developed by a physiotherapist-osteopath and taught by dancers from the Paris Opera. The idea, says Xavier Mehat, the latest addition to the group with his Paris Palms massage service, is to offer both curative and preventive services, enabling clients being treated by
physiotherapist Jean-Christophe Guillaumot, for example, to strengthen their muscular system with Pilates and/or relax with a massage. The different practitioners consult with each other to optimize a shared client’s care.
Mehat, a masseur with nearly two decades of experience, has created his own magical blend of tui na, a Chinese massage technique based on Taoist principles, and lymphatic drainage massage, adapting his technique to the needs of each client. Mehat speaks English and German in addition to French and – a true blessing for those desperately in need of a massage – is available seven days a week, 24 hours a day, and even makes house calls.