To understand how a Reflexology Treatment works, and what tools you need to give
a treatment, first it is important to see the relationship between
the feet and the rest of the body. Yes, our feet are useful tools for standing
up, but if you look down at your feet you will notice that the top of your feet
(up by your toes!) is fairly wide and represents the head and shoulders of
the body, then the foot tapers in slightly, thus representing the torso and waist,
and then as the foot prgresses towards the heel area, it widens out again and
represents the hips, thighs and lower back areas of the body!
A reflexologist, when giving a Reflexology treatment, has a very useful
set of tools, otherwise known as the thumbs and fingers, manipulating the foot
in various areas, to aid relaxation and promote a sense of wellbeing. This
procedure is usually pain-free and actually a very nice experience. However,
sometimes when giving a treatment, the reflexologist will find an area on the
foot which is quite painful when touched. This gives an indication to the
reflexologist that an area in the body is not as well as it could be. The
feeling is that of 'grit' which are described as crystalline deposits in the
foot - you can actually feel little lumps - and wherever these crystalline
deposits are on the foot, relates to the area of the problem in the body.
As an example, when I was giving a reflexology treatment to my sister,
as I pressed my thumb in just underneath the root of the little toe area, I felt
a 'gritty' area, and just as I touched it, my sister leapt up with an 'Ouch!'.
Once she got over the shock of the pain (!) I was able to ask her if she was
having any trouble with her left shoulder (it was the left foot I was working on).
She looked at me in amazement - she had indeed been having pain in her
shoulder over the previous few weeks! She was fascinated how I could know this.
I showed her the map of the foot and was able to point out that the area on her
foot that felt gritty, related to the shoulder on the body! Quite amazing!
Luckily, as she let me carry on with the treatment, I came across no other problem areas!
There are different ways to give a reflexology treatment. Some people use a 'walking
your thumb' method, which is what I was taught to do, whereby you hold the
foot you are treating in one hand, and press in to the foot with your thumb
as you 'walk' it across all the areas of the foot. Some reflexologists prefer
to use more of a massage technique. I always stick to the way I was shown, and
have had some good results.
The above book is just about the best I have come across, and it is extremely readable and full of diagrams and photographs for ease of use!
Reflexology is a fantastic way of reducing stress and tension - and who doesn't
suffer from that these days - and it can also help with specific problems and
ailments. We all display symptoms of stress and tension in different ways:
some people exhibit cardiovascular irregularities, others sweating, palpitations,
panic attacks and gastrointestinal problems, to name but a few. Stress is
like a tourniquet to the body, as it causes us to tense and therefore strangles
the body's system, which can undoubtedly lead to health problems.
One of the specific aims of a reflexology treatment is to bring the body back
to a state of natural balance, or homeostasis. Homeostasis is the perfect state
of the body when it is in perfect health, and we all want to achieve it! For
the body to be in a state of perfect health, one system has to be up and running
well, and that is the nervous system. The nervous system can be described as
being the wiring system of your body! Any short-circuiting in the nerves can
spell trouble for the body!
This short-circuiting can occur during periods of stress when tension puts
the pressure on a nerve reflex which supplies an organ in the body. When
the pressure is taken off, the nerves and vessels relax and blood supply flows
normally to the organs and all other parts of the body.
There are many reported benefits of reflexology, and some that I have come across
are:
Feelings of relaxation and wellbeing
A client may fall asleep for the period of treatment and feel refreshed on waking
Reduction in the feelings of stress and tension
Improved circulation
Revitalized energy
Only occasionally have I experienced clients to suffer from headaches and sometimes
to feel tearful after a treatment. This usually lasts for a short period of
time and afterwards the client feels refreshed and energetic.
Reflexology treatment is available to everybody and I would recommend using
it to see for yourself how it can help improve your overall sense of wellbeing; however,
there are other wonderful therapies around nowadays that are becoming more
available to those of us seeking a more holistic approach to health.
For information and advice on relaxation therapies that will enhance your life and wellbeing, visit
www.relaxation-at-home.com
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