Reflexologists see a map of the body on the soles of the feet and palms of the hands. Reflexology is a form of massage applied to the feet or hands, incorporating gentle yet firm pressure on reflex points that correspond to specific areas of the body and clearing energy zones which run through the body. Reflexology directly affects the nervous system in a very positive way, generating a deep tranquil relaxation. When the body is relaxed and the nervous system stimulated the body’s natural powers of healing have the perfect opportunity to take place.
Reflexology is an ancient healing art that originated in China some 5000 years ago when pressure therapies were used to correct energy fields in the body. The ancient Egyptians also used a form of reflexology, shown in tomb wall paintings dating 2330 BC. The concept was rediscovered and introduced to the modern era by the American surgeon Dr W. Fitzgerald around 1913, as Zone Therapy. He divided the body into ten zones, or channels, running from the toes up through the body to the head and back down to the hands. He discovered that pressure of certain zones had a normalising effect on the physiological functioning of all body parts in that same zone. In the 1930’s an American student of pioneers of zone therapy, Eunice Ingham, further refined Fitzgerald’s theory. Finding the effects of zone therapy particularly concentrated at the extremities, she mapped the body onto the feet and hands and modern reflexology was born. A student of Mrs Ingham, Doreen Bayley then introduced the therapy to Britain in 1966.
Illness, stress and today’s busy lives can place our body in a state of imbalance sometimes blocking vital energy pathways that run through our body and preventing the body from functioning effectively. Using the thumb and forefinger, precise non-invasive gentle massage movements on specific parts of the feet work to stimulate, unblock and rebalance any areas of the body that are congested or imbalanced. Thus helping the body to return to a state of good health and vitality.
https://www.therapy-directory.org.uk/articles/reflexology.html
Vertical Reflexology Therapy
I also offer advanced techniques of Vertical Reflexology Therapy that can be incorporated into your conventional reflexology session, enhancing and complimenting the treatment.
VRT is a form of Reflexology where the hands and feet are worked in a weight bearing position for short periods, standing or sitting upright. It works on the dorsal (top) rather than plantar (sole or palm) areas. This provides an intense level of treatment that can aid general well-being, relieve tension spots in the body and bring about a higher state of relaxation throughout body and mind.
A VRT treatment has many benefits. It can be received as a short, stand-alone treatment and can achieve significant results in just 20 minutes. It provides deeper access to the reflex points and has located many new reflex points, including reflexes for stimulating the immune system and calf reflexes to help ease back pain and chest congestion. VRT introduces Synergistic Reflexology, identifying specific new ankle reflexes called zonal triggers that, when combined with 2 specific hand and foot reflexes, help to accelerate the natural healing process. Diaphragm rocking, a technique used to consolidate VRT, appears to prioritise the body’s weaknesses and pumps energy into the parts most in need of stimulation or healing.
VRT self-help techniques enable a client to self-treat much more sensitively and effectively than is possible with conventional Reflexology, using hands and feet in standing and sitting positions.
Reflexology and Vertical Reflex Therapy can play an important role in de-stressing the entire system because it induces deep relaxation and feelings of well-being. Because of this it can be highly effective in treating a large number of common health problems.
