WHAT IS REFLEXOLOGY?

Foot and hand reflexology is a scientific art based on the principles that there are zones and reflexes in the feet and hands which correspond to every organ, gland, and part of the body.

These techniques are applied to reflex maps resembling the human body, which are believed to exist on the feet and hands. The origins of reflexology can be traced back to about 2330 B.C. In 1913, Dr. William FitzGerald, M.D., rediscovered zone therapy. He found that pressure on certain reflex points helped corresponding body organs function more normally and also to decrease pain.

This practice has come to be known as reflexology, an approach to holistic health that many people have adapted over the years.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

There are several theories about how reflexology works.  One point of view says that each of the 7,200 nerve endings in the feet connects to a different area of the body. By direct pressure on specific areas of the foot, we send a  stimulation to the corresponding body area. Dr. FitzGerald’s zone theory divides the body into ten zones – five on each side of the body—with each zone having its own nerve-stimulation pattern, so that when pressure is applied to a reflex point on that zone, a stimulation is sent to a corresponding organ or gland.

There are channels of energy coursing through the body; each important organ and muscle is connected by a network of nerves to a tiny point on the foot where the energy terminates. As circulation in the feet slows down—through illness, wearing shoes, or lack of exercise—crystalline deposits form at the nerve endings. By working a deep-compression foot technique, the deposits are broken up, encouraging the whole body to keep perking along at peak efficiency.

We are all subject to a certain amount of stress, tension, and worry which may cause imbalances within our energy system and lead to symptoms associated with colds, flu, or headaches. We commonly find that specific reflex points are congested and painful during these times, and frequently they feel as if there are grains of sand under the skin. The grains are made up mostly of uric acid or calcium crystals, which can form when our bodies are out of balance. These crystals may cause blockages around nerve endings in the feet and decrease normal stimulation of glands and organs.

By using deep compression in the form of a caterpillar crawl, a reflexologist is able to crush or disperse the crystals around these nerve endings so they can be reabsorbed by the blood and lymph system and excreted from the body. Reflexology can assist the body by relaxing it and stimulating blocked nerve endings, which has the effect of stimulating sluggish glands and organs to regain their normal functioning.

We are all familiar with the effects of sand in a garden hose and how several small grains of sand can obstruct the normal flow of water. Let’s clear the path for our human energy system to function at it’s highest potential.