Foot Reflexology is no laughing matter

_“Slap you silly” has a different meaning when it comes to foot reflexology. When I first started practicing foot reflexology to get my certification requirements, my brother-in-law offered his feet to me. As I started working on the ball of his foot, he wrenched in uncontrollable laughter and almost flipped off the massage table! I grabbed hold of his foot and slapped it several times, and then continued. He calmed down, and was able to enjoy the benefits of the treatment. When people are very sensitive to touch, a light pat desensitizes the area, especially when they are ticklish.

In foot reflexology, the therapist applies pressure, using the thumb and index finger, to specific “reflex” points and areas on the feet. Reflexology is based on the belief that there are reflex areas on the feet that correspond to all parts of the body, including major organs. These areas are arranged in such a way as to form a map of the body in the feet. The right foot corresponds to the right side of the body, and the left foot to the left side of the body. By stimulating these areas using compression, the therapist can create a direct response in a related body area, and it becomes possible to treat the whole body as a whole. For example, by working on the head reflex which is found on the tips of the toes, one can activate the body’s own healing processes to help alleviate headaches.  It is a gentle and effective form of therapeutic treatment used to induce a state of balance and well-being within.  It can bring relief to a variety of conditions and is suitable for all ages, including children. Reflexology, like massage, allows the body to go deeply into a relaxed state.

Foot Reflexology for me has proven to be an amazing healing modality.  When I was in China three years ago, I made it a point to get reflexology each night by different therapists to see how different it was.  I traveled to the Tibetan Plateau to the South of China, and to the east . . and each area treatment was basically the same. It was very deep acupressure and vigorous movements which left me sore, but very relaxed and energized the next day! It is not done like that here.

In my teaching days, I used to take high school students to D.C. for a government trip.  One night at about 11:00 P.M. one of my students called me at my hotel room crying that she could not attend activities on Capitol Hill due to a severe ear ache.  She said the nurse would not let her go.  “What room are you in? I’ll be right there.” As I entered her room, I got her propped on her bed with pillows under her knees and towels rolled under her ankles and proceeded to work on her feet. I focused on the area between her toes and pressed down. I did this several times, adding more pressure.(This area is designated for ears and eyes)   After a few minutes she placed both hands  cupping her ears and yelled out: “what are you doing on me, VOODOO?”  And then she released her hands away from her head with a smile on her face and said “My ear ache is GONE!”

Her roommate watched in amazement, and asked me very meekly, “Could you work on my feet too?  I am a dancer, and my ankles are very swollen from all this walking we have been doing, and my feet are killing me.”
So, I set her up the same way and worked her whole foot. The obvious swelling around her ankles completely disappeared, and she said her pain was gone too. The next day both girls were on Capital Hill and so amazed their aches and pains were gone. And I became more convinced this healing modality works.

It can even work for back pain. A client called who had just flown in from Arizona. He was about 35 years old. When he entered my office he was completely bent over. He had excruciating pain in his back and could not straighten up.  I proceeded to work the sides of his feet from the toe to his heel and over the area which corresponds to the whole spinal column. After about five minutes, he gasped and grunted…and when I asked if he was ok, he said, “yeah . . the pain in my back is gone.   And he sprung up off the table and said surprisingly, I can’t believe how great I feel . . and I can stand up straight!”  We both were relieved!
 
As a massage therapist, I love giving Foot Reflexology.  It helps me locate specifically on the body where people have their energy blockages and accompanied pain.  After I work the feet, I then go to problematic areas of the body that were evident from doing foot reflexology and I massage the muscular tissue. Upon completion of the treatment, clients have floated off the table expressing how they felt extremely relaxed, without pain, and amazed they could move their bodies again!  Have any of you experienced similar results after receiving foot reflexology from others? I’m interested to know.