About Reflexology
‘Reflexology is a Chinese and Indian system of diagnosis and treatment dating from 3000 BC, often used together with acupuncture. It is based on the belief that the whole body is represented on the foot (mostly on the soles of the feet), and that the internal organs can be stimulated by pressing particular areas of the foot (less commonly the hands).
The reflexology zones do not correspond exactly to either the nervous system or acupuncture meridians, but the same principles of illness due to ‘blockage’ of energy channels is applied as in traditional Chinese medicine. The method was first used in the West in 1913 by William Fitzgerald, an ENT surgeon interested in acupuncture.
"Reflexologist - someone who solves a problem you didn't know you had in a way you don't understand"
Reflexology is usually carried out on the feet as the reflexes are more easily accessed however, the hands may also be treated. The feet are "worked on" in a particular way, using thumb and finger pressure to assess which parts of the body may be out of harmony. This is often indicated when the patient feels tenderness or pain, or where the therapist may pick up a difference in texture on the foot. It is important to understand that the pain felt is that of a reflex point and not a foot pain. Just as with a massage, a therapist may identify "knots" a Reflexologist will be able to identify reflexes which may need attention as the flow of energy may be blocked. The Reflexologist may often identify "crystals" across certain reflexes on the soles of your feet which could be described the same as a knot in massage. These crystals have often been compared to the feeling of grit or sand inside your feet!
Once these crystals are identified, the Reflexologist will aim to disperse the blockage and balance these reflexes to enable your organs to work to thier optimum. Reflexology provides deep relaxation of the mind and body and helps promote general well being including the reduction of stress and anxiety.
"The foot feels itself when it feels the ground" Gautam Buddha
