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My overwhelming interest in reflexology began with my journey in the land of the pedicure. See my article: http://m.www.helium.com/items/167309-emotional-benefits-of-pedicures.
As a child my feet were so ridiculously sensitive that I actually kicked my friend in the head on a train trip to our friend's Bat Mitzvah due to the fact that she was tickling my bare foot a little too much. The ensuing slice just below her eyebrow required our friends' father, a physician, to place four neat stitches all in a row where my outraged foot had damaged her on the eve of his daughter's "big day."
As I matured, I found that I wanted my feet touched so badly that I was like a tortured soul. Massages were a joke - I could never relax as I thought about the fact that the part with the feet was so close at hand. Finally, as I delved into pedicures, I discovered a world of bliss unbeknownst to me before. A profound breakthrough was made, my feet could be touched, and craved contact in a manner I never knew possible.
At this time I became fascinated with reflexology, having felt for myself the deep emotional and physical issues surrounding feet and their connection to the rest of my system.
So what is reflexology exactly? Mostly, it's about finding pressure points and energy lines in the hands and feet which relate to our health systems and working with these to promote healing.
In China and Japan, it has been used for centuries to relieve stress and work on balancing the energy systems of the body. In fact, spa treatments have a long history of healing as well as beauty, for it was thought that health and a balanced energy system would create naturally beautiful skin, hair and nails.
Dr. William H. Fitzgerald, an ear, nose, and throat doctor, introduced the idea of "zone therapy" in 1915. American physiotherapist Eunice Ingram further developed this zone theory in the 1930's into what we now refer to as reflexology.
The basic premise of reflexology is that there are specific areas on the feet and hands that are directly linked to other internal organs and systems. For example:
the liver, pancreas and kidney = arch of the foot
low back and intestines = heel
the tips of the toes = head
the heart and chest = ball of the foot.
Practitioners believe that applying pressure to these reflex areas can promote health in the corresponding organs through energetic pathways.
For more information, please visit the following website:
http://www.reflexology-research.com/whatis.htm
Aimee Boyle lives in Southern CT with her family. She is a teacher, freelance writer and a lover of pedicures.
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