What is Reflexology?
I. Origins
Have you ever wondered what exactly reflexology is? In short, reflexology is a type of massage where the therapist massages reflex points in the foot, which create a sense of relaxation within the body. Most people believe this practice originated in China, but it actually dates back to around 2333 B.C. in Egypt. The Egyptians would perform reflexology on soldiers during and between battles to help relax them. Most soldiers who received reflexology found that they were more relaxed and productive afterward.
II. Practice
But what is the practice itself? Within the foot are reflex points that correlate to different parts of the body; by massaging these points we are reflexing other parts throughout the body. The theory behind reflexology is that our feet, hands, and ears are designed in the shape of our body. So, for example, your big toe is a reflex point of the brain, sinus, throat, and cervical spine area. By massaging the big toe you will feel a sense of relaxation in the correlating areas.
I recently had a client, whose big toe I massaged, say that she could feel a tingling sensation throughout the left side of her head; at the time, I was massaging her left toe. I was, in effect, stimulating her nervous system. Within the foot are other correlations as well. The foot contains the reflex points of our organs, so by massaging the foot we are taking care of the rest of the body. Each part of the body has a different reflex point. By practicing reflexology, we are able to open up pathways to help the nervous system and circulatory system.
III. Benefits
Receiving reflexology is a great way to get relaxed, and to learn about the ways different parts of your body interact with each other. By understanding how your feet correlate with other parts of your body, both external and internal, you will be able to enjoy all the benefits of massage. Massaging the feet doesn’t just relax your feet, but it will relax your whole body.