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Reflexology is a method of stimulating the body’s healing mechanisms through massage of certain reflex points on the feet and occasionally the palms of the hands. The therapy, derived from ancient Chinese and Indian diagnostic and therapeutic techniques, is based on the idea that the organs of the body are represented on the feet, making them a vital map of the body. The foot is also ideally shaped and sized for the human hand. We can hold a foot naturally and easily.
The Reflexologist
Modern reflexology is both a science and an art. As a science, it requires careful study, faithful practice, a sound knowledge of the techniques, and skill. And yet as one of the healing arts, reflexology yields the best results when the Reflexologist works with dedication, patience, focused intention, and above all, loving care. The reflexologist is a channel of healing; no instruments or gadgets are ever used, only the hands.
Reflexology is preventive health care
Reflexology reduces stress and induces deep relaxation, improves circulation, cleanses the body of toxins and impurities, balances the whole system, and revitalizes energy. The Reflexologist stimulates more than 7-thousand nerves when touching the feet, and encourages the opening and clearing of neural pathways. The body has built-in mechanisms for cleansing itself, mainly the lymphatic and elimination systems (lymph nodes, the kidneys and colon, and the skin). If these become blocked or function improperly, toxins and waste matter build up. By deepening relaxation, reflexology causes all the systems of the body to function more efficiently, including those that eliminate waste products.
Consulting a Reflexologist
Check the credentials of any therapist you choose. You need to ask whether he or she has had specialist reflexology training, is licensed by a national body, and is covered by indemnity insurance. Each treatment lasts thirty to 45 minutes. Best results are achieved through a series of treatments, preferably at weekly intervals. During the first session, the reflexologist will take a comprehensive case history to form the basis of treatment assessment. This will include information about your medical history, your lifestyle, and the specific reason for your visit. The client will either sit comfortably in a chair or lie on a massage bed while the practitioner examines your feet to see if there are areas of scaliness, puffiness, corns or calluses, and fungal infections; he or she will also check your toenails and see whether you have high arches or flat feet.
Self-help
Depending on how flexible you are it may be easier to massage your hands rather than your feet in a self-help reflexology treatment. Exercise your feet and hands by stretching out your toes and fingers as widely as possible, curling them in and out, twisting ankles and wrists, and finishing with an overall shake. Walk around on your bare foot as much as possible, which stimulates the sensory output from the feet to the brain. Specialist foot massage aids include contoured wooden shoes and sandals. You could also try rolling a golf ball or a rolling pin around the sole of your foot against the floor or between the palms of your hands. Allergy sufferers can relieve their sneezing, runny nose, and watery eyes by rubbing the top of the first segment of the big toe with the thumb, in an upward movement toward the nail. For abdominal bloating and digestive difficulties, rub and press under the metatarso-phalangeal joint of the big toe (ball of the foot) and the entire digestive zone area – the middle part of the foot where the digestive reflexes lie. Women with menstrual pain or irregularity, other pelvic area difficulties, or lower back pain, should rub and press the area between the anklebone and the heel of the inner foot. Doing this regularly can significantly reduce the intensity and duration of menstrual cramping.
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