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Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781571747907 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Hampton Roads Publishing Company, Inc. |
| Publication date: | 01/01/2018 |
| Series: | Plain & Simple Series |
| Pages: | 144 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.50(w) x 8.00(h) x (d) |
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Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
What Is Reflexology?
Our bodies constantly try to achieve homeostasis (a Greek word for "balance"), and medical textbooks devote many pages to explanations of the way that the body achieves this state. Our bodies regularly produce hormones and chemicals that speed up or slow down physical processes. When we get cold, our bodies shiver in an attempt to keep us warm; when we get hot, our sweat cools us down. Certain foods and drinks elevate our blood sugar levels, so the body responds by producing insulin, which brings the blood sugar levels down again. Some hormones break down calcium in our bones and others rebuild it. Reflexology stimulates responses in the body that help it to achieve homeostasis.
The feet and hands contain thousands of nerve endings, and stimulating these sensory nerve endings sends messages along the spinal cord to the brain. The areas of the hands or feet that are used in reflexology are called "reflex zones." Stimulation of these zones alerts the brain to potential problems and to the relevant areas of the body, and then the body itself decides whether to stimulate the affected area or to calm it down. Reflexology activates the body's own healing power, as do acupuncture and acupressure.
I have often been asked how I can bear to touch people's feet. I find nothing wrong with feet as long as they are clean. We don't mind touching people's hands, but hands touch door handles, railings, buttons on elevators, and so on, while feet stay inside clean socks all day. Most people never touch another person's feet, and they rarely allow others to touch their feet. Yet reflexology feels so wonderful — it's a real treat! Even a short foot massage can ease away a stressful day and make you feel less tired. Everyone loves a foot massage.
The second thing people say is that their feet are far too ticklish to be treated, but during the many years that I have practiced reflexology, this has never been a problem. The feet are handled in such a way that even the most sensitive people do not experience any problem at all.
Studies have shown that those who incorporate some fulfilling activities into their lives, such as meditation or an absorbing hobby, or who give some form of treatment to others are healthier, happier, and more positive and effective in all areas of their lives.
Though reflexology does not treat specific diseases, it does bring about a change in the body that enables it to heal itself.
A Brief History
Reflexology goes back thousands of years — to ancient Egypt, China, and many other ancient cultures. Many ancient texts have been found on the subject of healing through the hands and feet. Just like acupuncture, reflexology has stood the test of time.
Around the beginning of the 20th century, Dr. William Fitzgerald developed the modern form of reflexology, which he called "zone therapy." He explained the concept of parts of the body corresponding to other parts of the body. To the surprise of those who observed his methods, he provided proof by applying pressure to an area of a patient's hand and showing that the corresponding area in the body became anesthetized: He stuck a pin into a patient's cheek without causing the patient any pain, while applying pressure on the area of the hand that corresponded to the face.
In the 1930s, a physiotherapist named Eunice Ingram used zone therapy on her patients with great success. It came to her attention that the zones that run throughout the body could be accessed anywhere along the zone, but she discovered that the feet were the most sensitive and the most responsive of the areas that run along the zones.
After much work and research, Eunice Ingram had mapped out on the feet the pressure points that corresponded to the whole body. Working on different areas on the feet with alternating pressure, she soon discovered that this treatment had far-reaching therapeutic consequences. Not long after this, zone therapy became known as reflexology.
Since Fitzgerald's and Ingram's days, the research has continued, and reflexology has progressed from strength to strength. It was in the mid-1980s that reflexology really took off, and since then it has grown tremendously all around the world. Now nearly everyone has heard about reflexology and knows that it is a treatment applied mainly to the feet that brings about a change in the whole body.
Holistic Medicine
Reflexology is truly a holistic treatment; it falls under the umbrella term "alternative or complementary medicine." Alternative medicine is an alternative to conventional medicine, and the word "complementary" suggests something that can complement or work alongside conventional medicine. Both terms apply to reflexology. Holistic medicine is a system of health care that is completely different in its philosophy, approach, and practice from conventional medicine, which is also known as allopathic medicine. In holistic medicine a person is viewed as a physical, psychological, and emotional being, with a complete mind, body, and soul connection. Holistic medicine gives the body what it needs to heal itself naturally.
The body will always endeavor to heal itself, which means that a cut will heal and a broken bone will mend. Holistic implies "the whole," which in this case means "the whole person." Like a watch, "the whole" needs to be in good working order for it to keep good time. All the components of the body need to be working well for the body to be in balance. Reflexology is extremely effective at encouraging the body to ensure that all the parts are in good working order; therefore, it encourages balance. As all systems in the body are completely interrelated, only one part needs to be slightly out of balance for problems to arise in other systems of the body. If left untreated, these can become chronic problems.
In conventional medicine, the human body is viewed very differently, and in ever-smaller components. You might have a nasal problem that makes it impossible to breathe through your nose or to smell or taste your food properly. The conventional solution might be to prescribe antihistamine medication. The antihistamine will provide relief, but its effects are temporary. From a holistic point of view, it is important to find the cause of the congestion and to discover why the body is producing too much or too little mucus. More often than not, medicine suppresses a part of the body or a function, and that gives the appearance of balance. Pain is another example, as chronic pain from neck aches, backaches, and frequent headaches is treated with painkillers, which work quickly and effectively. However, once their effect wears off, the headache returns and more medication is needed. Rather than continue this cycle, the patient could take a different approach to find out why he or she is suffering from chronic headaches in the first place.
Most people prefer the term "complementary medicine" to "holistic medicine" because most people opt for both forms of medicine and believe that they complement each other. Many doctors in group practice now have alternative practitioners working in or near their practices, thus proving that there is a place for both types of healing.
Reflexology is often available at sports clubs, activity centers, hotels with spas and sports facilities, health farms, and country clubs. People see it as a mainstream treatment rather than something about which to be fearful, suspicious, or cautious.
Reflexology is useful for anybody who is taking medicines because the treatment doesn't introduce another product into the body in the way that aromatherapy and herbal treatments do. Herbs and essential oils may block or interfere with the action of important medical drugs, but reflexology should be safe to use under most circumstances, including when the client is taking medication.
CHAPTER 2
The Benefits of Reflexology
It may surprise you to discover how far reaching the benefits of reflexology can be. Not only is it a truly holistic treatment, but it is also an extremely pleasant experience. People get hooked on the good experience of the treatment and the health benefits that they gain from it.
A Stress Buster
Stress is a fact of life — none of us can escape it — but it is not the stress that is the problem so much as the way we perceive it and the way we handle it. We are all different, and some people handle stress better than others, but it's also true that there are good and bad stresses. For instance, performing in your amateur dramatic society is stressful in an exhilarating way, but worry, frustration, overwork, relationship difficulties, and money concerns are harmful stresses. As they mount up and our defenses sink, we become more susceptible to illnesses.
So the answer is to find ways of coping with stress and to give the body the necessary tools to cope with these life stresses. Reflexology has been proved over the years to be a really good therapy for coping with stress. If you have reflexology on a regular basis, while at the same time figuring out how you can solve some of your problems and put them into perspective, this can be a lifesaver. Ask yourself whether you work too many hours. How do you feel about your job? Do you have meaningful relationships? Do you have a hobby, interests, and friends that help you to relieve your stress? How is your diet? Some types of food and drink can be extremely stressful to the body and can cause a real sense of anxiety.
The way we handle stress has a huge bearing on the way we age. During times of worry, our stress hormone levels rise; in young people the levels soon drop back down again, but in older people these higher levels can take days to drop. These prolonged periods when high levels of stress hormones are circulating in our systems eventually have a negative effect on our overall health and well-being. So how can we help to lower our stress hormone levels? One way is to have regular treatments of reflexology.
Improves Quality of Sleep
If we can't get a good night's sleep, the world starts to look like a very different place. It becomes harder to cope with everyday life. Relationships become difficult because our nerves are frayed, and everything seems just a little more irritating. Children are noisier, the boss is more demanding than ever, and worries are magnified.
Reflexology works on a deep level to bring about a real sense of peace, and most people say they sleep much better during periods of treatment. The body can cope with the occasional restless night or even an odd late night, but when this disruptive sleep pattern becomes a regular occurrence, it affects long-term health in a negative way. Sleeping well is extremely important for deep healing and regeneration.
During restful, rejuvenating sleep, the body produces human growth hormone, sometimes called "the youth hormone." During sound sleep, our stress hormone levels fall, which is important to our overall well-being and long-term health. The world looks so much better after a good night's sleep! Reflexology enhances the quality of our sleep, thus slowing down the aging process and reducing the level of our stress hormones.
Some of the things we ingest can affect our sleep negatively as well. Drinking alcohol in the evening on a regular basis will initially make you drowsy, but later your body experiences a burst of norepinephrine, a stimulant that disturbs sleep and causes the body to feel below par. Coffee contains caffeine, a stimulant that interferes with your quality of sleep and elevates your stress hormones.
Outside events also can make it hard to sleep. An obvious one is a new baby, but living in a noisy part of town or not having curtains thick enough to keep the room dark can also disrupt sleep. Sometimes, for whatever reason, your mind refuses to switch off. An uncomfortable bed or a pillow that is wrong for your sleeping position won't help, either, but in all cases, reflexology can help you to relax and get a better night's sleep.
Improves Circulation
The circulation carries the blood around the body. The blood transports oxygen and nutrients to nourish the cells and removes carbon dioxide and debris for processing by the liver and kidneys, so anything that improves the circulation will improve overall health. The cells make up tissue that forms the arteries, heart, bones, liver, skin, and so much more. The blood vessels contract and relax, enabling the blood to reach every outpost in the body. Stress, fatigue, and illness can affect this flow, as the blood vessels become constricted, which hinders the flow of blood, especially to the brain and extremities. If we improve our circulation, we improve the function of every cell, and this improves everything from our stamina to our state of mind.
Helps Charge Our Batteries
Wouldn't we all like more energy? I have come across people in their seventies and eighties who have loads of energy and others in their thirties who struggle to keep up. Feeling more energetic gives us a zest for life; it makes our daily tasks easier and more enjoyable. This energy can be described as a life force. I am sure you have met people who are full of this life force. The Chinese call this energy "chi" and chi needs to flow unimpeded around the whole body. If this chi, or life force, becomes blocked, we feel listless and may even experience pain. Reflexology opens up the energy pathways, enabling a free flow of this energy throughout the body.
You shouldn't confuse zest for life with the hyperactive type of energy that can be unsettling. That is a false energy and will deplete you in the long run. Other forms of energy come from such things as sugar and caffeine, which pick you up quickly but don't give real, lasting energy. You may even end up unable to function properly without stimulants. These stimulants cause your organs a huge amount of stress and eventually leave you even more depleted. If you are one of those people who need a cup of coffee or tea or a sugary refined starch breakfast before you can get going in the morning, your chi is depleted. After a night's sleep we should be refreshed and renewed, without the need for caffeine or sugar.
Helps Us Detox
The lymphatic system is one of our bodies' major detoxifying networks. The lymphatic system is susceptible to sluggishness because of the very nature of its design and because of our modern lifestyles. Our blood circulation has a pump, the heart, and that ensures efficient delivery of blood around our bodies. The lymphatic system is very different, as it relies on muscle movement to convey lymph around the body. Nowadays so many people lead sedentary lives — they sit at work, drive everywhere, watch television, go to the movies, a bar, or a restaurant, and in fact do very little other than sit in one place or another. This isn't an ideal situation for our lymphatic system, and if we couple that scenario with a poor diet, the lymphatic system can quite easily get clogged up or become extremely sluggish. This can lead to a variety of health conditions as well as more superficial problems such as cellulite. When the lymphatic system becomes compromised, other systems of detoxification have more work than would otherwise be expected of them, and this puts extra strain on them. Reflexology helps to move the lymph, encouraging it to be more efficient, helping to take the workload off the organs of elimination, such as the liver, kidneys, lungs, bowels, and skin. Reflexology also helps these organs, not just the lymphatic system, to perform a better job.
Encourages Prevention
As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. We have our cars serviced on a regular basis, and this should also be true for ourselves. We should take prevention seriously and have regular treatments to keep us balanced. Some people tell me that their prevention strategy is to have regular blood tests — to measure cholesterol levels, blood pressure, blood glucose, triglycerides, and so on. This is monitoring rather than prevention, though, and these tests might even be a bit too late, as they will show when something has already gone wrong. In holistic medicine, we can spot in advance an organ or system that is struggling, and we can advise and help our clients to lead a healthier lifestyle, which includes treatments such as reflexology.
A Whole Body Treatment
The feet contain information about the whole body, as do the hands, face, ears, tongue, spine, and iris (in the eye). Some acupuncturists treat only the ears (a treatment called "auricular acupuncture") but still achieve amazing results. Another technique is iridology, in which reading the iris can reveal what is happening within the whole body; after the reading, the iridologist must decide on the course of treatment needed. In reflexology, the reflexologist can read the feet, but he or she can also work on the whole system at the same time. In other words, the treatment is carried out on the entire body in a totally holistic way. This treatment signals the body to decide for itself the course of action that it needs for healing. For instance, the client may have a hormone imbalance, and by working the whole body via the feet (or hands), the reflexologist activates the body into balancing the endocrine system. Only the body can possibly know the delicate formula needed for a harmonious hormone symphony.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Reflexology Plain & Simple"
by .
Copyright © 2018 Sonia Jones.
Excerpted by permission of Hampton Roads Publishing Company, Inc..
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Introduction viii
1 What Is Reflexology? 1
2 The Benefits of Reflexology 9
3 Healing Caveats 21
4 Reading the Feet 27
5 The Zones 35
6 Reflexology in Practice 45
7 The Balls of the Feet 53
8 The Toes 59
9 The Middle of the Foot 65
10 Below the Waist Line of the Foot 71
11 Getting Started 83
12 Foot Reflexology 95
13 Self-Help and Essential Oils 119
Conclusion 130