Inside a spa in Egypt, a masseur is playing with fire to help relieve the muscle pains of his clients.
Abdel Rehim Saeid uses the ancient Pharaonic technique which starts by using a fiery towel for a standard massage.
According to Africa News, Saeid then uses oil and chamomile to stimulate blood circulation and also alleviate some of the pain in the affected areas.
“It is a type of massage which is called fiery massage. It means rubbing, I communicate with the human body, coming to close contact with the body of the human in front of me”, Saeid told Africa News.
Then Saeid steps up the heat.
He does so by placing several layers of towels and other isolating materials on the client’s back. He then adds a towel soaked in alcohol on top and sets it on fire. The towel will burn for approximately one minute before the flames are put out with a wet towel.
“It is called a fiery massage,” Saeid said, that works by sucking moisture out of the body.
Clients who visited his spa in the Nile Delta governorate of Gharbia said his technique has been life-changing.
“Before, I could not stand to pray. I couldn’t stretch my back when I got out of a car,” Mohammed al-Shaer, a client in his 30s, said. “Now, after the second session, my body is getting better and my movement is better. I used to be very lazy but this is no longer the case.”
If you’re thinking about paying Saeid a visit, keep in mind there are some limitations.
“There are some prohibitions that we always warn about,” he stated. “We check the client’s medical and health condition. If the client’s condition allows us to apply the method, we do it. If we found out that their health condition does not allow us to use this method after studying their case, we don’t carry out this method.”
As a general rule, people suffering from high blood pressure, kidney failure or hemophilia will not be permitted to get the massage.
Trained under a “fiery towel” expert in Morocco, Saeid told Africa News that he earned his certifications from various institutions across Egypt.