Definition and Description of Reflexology
Reflexology is an ancient natural healing therapy based on the principle that there are reflex points in the hands and feet that correspond to every part, gland and organ of the body. Therefore pressure or palpation on a reflex affects the corresponding body part.
Reflexology stimulates the internal organs and relieves stress and tension. Circulation throughout the body is stimulated, digestion improved and blockages in nerve impulses are broken down. Reflexology assists the body in self healing and may be viewed as preventive medicine. The goal of reflexology treatment is to assist the body in achieving homeostasis – to bring the body into balance. .
Our feet support our whole body. We depend on them for movement and balance. Crystalline deposits, either acid or alkaline, form at the nerve endings in the feet creating congestion. When pressure is applied, it is these deposits that cause tenderness. Often the reflexologist can feel them. As the therapist gently massages the foot, the deposits begin to breakdown relieving the congestion and restoring balance.
Walking barefoot on different surfaces is a natural way to break down these deposits. A beach and grass provide comfortable outdoor surfaces and indoor flooring is varied.
History of Reflexology
Reflexology is as old as mankind has hands and feet. Walking barefoot and using the hands to perform manual labor are natural methods of stimulating the reflex points.
Throughout history many cultures and religions have worshipped the feet. The earliest known illustration of Reflexology is a relief carving dating back to the Egyptian 6th dynasty (2423-2263 B.C.E.). found on the wall at the entrance to the tomb of “Ankm’ahor” (the “Physician’s tomb”) this carving illustrates working on the hands and feet.
For over 5,000 years the Chinese have practiced reflexology by applying pressure to specific points along the meridians.
In biblical times, washing and massaging the feet was regarded as a sign of respect. Buddha’s followers stressed clearing the brain reflexes in the toes to bring about a productive mental attitude.
Reflexology, as we know it today, originated with a theory developed by Dr. William Fitzgerald, an Ear, Nose and Throat Physician who graduated from the University of Vermont in 1895. In the early 1900′s he realized that by pressing firmly over specific points on the toes and hands he could relieve pain and sometimes the actual cause. He divided the body into longitudinal zones to the site of injury and discovered a connection between each of the zones and the corresponding internal organs. Dr. Fitzgerald called this technique Zone Therapy.
Zone therapy was refined by and American massage therapist named Eunice Ingham. This is the basis of modern day reflexology.