about reflexology

The Reflexology Association of Canada, www.reflexologycanada.ca, defines it as "A natural healing art, based on the principle that there are reflexes in the feet and hands which correspond to every part of the body."

Reflexology is a treatment where the therapist works primarily on your feet. Reflexology is based on the principle that working on specific points can bring about a therapeutic effect in other parts of the body. The feet and hands are more sensitive than most people realize. Similar to how we use our eyes to detect light, the hands and feet detect pressure, stretch, movement and weight distribution.

The theory behind reflexology is that there are "reflex points" in the feet and hands that relate to specific organs and glands in the body. Practitioners believe that stimulating those reflex points promotes health in that organ via the body's energetic pathways. When done by a certified reflexologist, it is a deeply relaxing treatment with benefits that can be felt throughout the body.

Reflexology is based on the theory that the body is divided into ten zones running longitudinally from head to toe -- five on each side of the body. Pressure applied to reflex points on the foot or hand will affect body organs in the same zone. The feet and hands are a representation or “map” of the entire body that can be stimulated to enhance the natural healing processes. Reflexology treatments can help relieve stress and muscular tension, improve blood supply and circulation, and encourage the unblocking of energy/nerve pathways.

The practice of reflexology is traceable to the sixth dynasty in Egypt, in a wall painting depicting hand and foot reflexology from the tomb of Ankhmahor at Saqqara. Modern reflexology grew out of a technique developed in the early 1900s by Dr. William H. Fitzgerald known as “zone therapy.” Dr. Fitzgerald believed that applying gentle pressure to specific areas on the hands and feet could trigger health benefits in the corresponding “zones” of the body. Eunice Ingham, a physical therapist, took the therapy further in the 1930s — one of her crucial contributions was detailed maps of the feet that show the relationship between areas of the feet and other body parts. Diagrams based on her work are still in use by reflexologists practicing today.

Reflexology will improve the quality of your life