Reflexology is a wonderful non-invasive therapy based on the principle that there are reflex zones in the feet which are linked by energy pathways to corresponding parts of the body and when pressure is applied, it stimulates the movement of energy along these pathways. Reflexology is a completely natural therapy and the aim of a treatment is to help rebalance the body, leaving you feeling very relaxed with a great sense of peace and wellbeing.
The treatment will start with a full consultation, asking various questions about your health and lifestyle. For the treatment itself you are fully clothed, simply removing your shoes and socks.
Beginning with a warming and cleansing foot bath and warm towels, you’ll be invited to relax on a reclining chair or treatment couch. Your feet will be cleansed before applying organic foot balm, to help provide a free-flowing treatment.
As the treatment progresses, a variety of different reflexology techniques will be used to ‘work’ the reflex points on each foot, including a technique called ‘thumb walking’. The areas treated and pressure applied will be adapted to suit your individual needs.
You are now feeling relaxed after your treatment... prolong the feeling by following a few simple steps below, you will then be receiving the full benefits from your treatment
- Your body temperature can drop during and after a treatment make sure you keep warm.
- Drink plenty of liquids, water or herbal tea to flush the toxins through your system and keep hydrated. Avoid stimulants such as tea, coffee, alcohol & smoking as these are toxins.
- Try to keep your meals light, healthy and easily digestible.
- Try to relax after your treatment and avoid strenuous exercise, if you feel tired plenty of rest or an early night will do you the world of good.
- Everybody’s reaction after a treatment is different however you may experience rebalancing effects sometimes after your treatment, please do not worry as they can be a sign of an effective treatment these may include:
- Feeling very relaxed & lightheaded
- Change in sleep pattern
- Increased need to go to the toilet
- Slight erythema (redness) bruising
- Headache
- Avoid other complementary therapy treatments for 24 hours
- Treatments are not a substitute for medical care always continue with all current medical treatment plans
- If you experience any adverse symptoms after your treatment, they are temporary and should go within 24 to 48 hours, however if they persist please do not hesitate to contact me or seek medical advice
- Many people have found that, to some extent, they have been helped by treatments. Regular treatments can help to maintain homeostasis (a state of balance). Therapies do not claim to be a cure and should never be used in place of conventional medical care. Always consult your doctor or other health professionals for medical attention and advice.
If you experience any of the above symptoms, they are temporary and should go within 24 hours, However if they persist, please do not hesitate to contact me or seek medical advice.
Although it is hard to pinpoint an exact start date for reflexology, there is evidence supporting a form of hand and foot therapy as far back as 5,000 B.C in China. As part of traditional Chinese medicine, some form of hand and foot therapy was being practiced alongside herbal therapy. In China a doctor devised the Tao of Foot Centre, a book that investigated and systemised the ancient teachings of examining foot method.
Wall paintings depicting early signs of reflexology were found in ancient Egypt in the pyramid of Ankhmahor, known as the ‘physicians tomb’, for its depiction of several medical procedures. The pictographs were found at the burial sites. One of the images depicts two practitioners applying pressure to the hands and feet of two other people and dates from 2330 B.C.
Other cultures such as those of India, Japan, and Native Americans, have also used some form of pressure therapy to the feet as part of their tradition. The Native Americans for example believe that because our feet contact the earth, that we are connected to the whole of the universe through the energies that pass through them.
In 1898, an English neurologist by the name of Sir Henry Head discovered ‘Zone of hyperalgesia’ or ‘Head’s Zones’, demonstrating a link between diseased organs connected to a specific ‘Zone’ by nerves and a hypersensitivity to pressure in that zone of skin. Around the same time, the work of two Russians, Ivan Pavlov a physiologist and Vladimir Bekhterev a neurologist and psychiatrist, made their contribution through what are known as ‘conditioned reflexes. Pavlov demonstrated a link between stimulus and response. Bekhterev’s referred to this link as an association reflex. Bekhterev has the unique distinction of coining the term reflexology in 1917.
It wasn’t until the work of an American physician named Dr William Fitzgerald, that reflexology we know, and practice today took form. Fitzgerald discovered the aesthetic effect created through the application of pressure to the fingers and toes. A series of ten longitudinal zones for the hands and feet, were found to run the length of the body from the fingers and toes all the way up to the head. His assistant however Eunice Ingham charted the reflexes we use today in reflexology. Ingham has been called the ‘Mother of Modern Reflexology’. It was Ingham who focused on the feet as a means of treatment. By applying the techniques used in zone therapy, she meticulously created a detailed map of the body on the feet. She helped to bring the modern practice of reflexology to the fore.
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