(Photo: Kenneth Chen)

Thai massage is sometimes called the “lazy man’s yoga,” because its assisted stretches give a lot of the benefits of a yoga class without the exertion. Like Shiatsu, it’s done on a mat and based on Eastern medicine’s energy meridians, so acupressure points are pressed and prodded along the way. But don’t expect an easy workout with Paul Labrecque’s John Wehr, who studied under a Thai master and has worked for the (considerably less inward-looking) New York Giants, as well as Sting and Amy Irving. Unlike the average Thai masseur, Wehr is no lightweight; he’s a 200-pound guy, and his sessions are very physical, incorporating Western techniques. He lifts clients over his back to stretch their abdomens, hangs them from his neck to lengthen their spines, and uses his head or chin to get to pressure points. Don’t worry—even when he walks on the back, he’s very careful. (Paul Labrecque Salon & Spa, at the Reebok Sports Club, 160 Columbus Avenue, at 67th Street, and 171 East 65th Street; 212-988-7816. $120 for 60 minutes; $160 for 90 minutes.)

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• Archive: “Best of New York Weekly”
• Articles by Beth Landman
• Table of Contents: Feb 23, 2004 issue of New York | Subscribe!