Reflexology stimulates the body to produce those feel-good chemicals known as endorphins.[…]
It also ranks right up there as one of the best romantic gifts you can give your partner, especially in a pinch. Pin this thought under your cap: “Of course I didn't forget our anniversary darling. Now lay back and kick off your shoes…”
Reflexology is a natural way to stimulate healing in the body, and a healthy body is a body that feels good. Many folks have been amazed at the instant relief they have had from just a few minutes of deep pressure on the feet and/or hands. Since the hands are usually accessible, you can work on yourself almost any time—in meetings, riding in a car (not if you're driving, please), watching a movie, getting your teeth cleaned—or virtually anywhere you have both hands free.
The ears also have reflex points, and most of us have our ears accessible all the time. The point is that reflexology can be used almost anywhere and anytime to promote balance and give you an instant lift or quick pain relief.
A reflexologist friend of mine was on a plane recently and was fortunate enough to be sitting next to a charming young lady about seven years old. As the plane was descending, the girl began to experience excruciating pain in her ears because of sinus congestion. My friend, being the patient, healing woman that she is, instead of complaining about the little girl's cries, asked her mother for permission to work on her. The mother agreed, and my friend began to work on the girl's palms. Within minutes, the girl was drying her tears and feeling no more pain.
Homeostasis is the medical term used for the body’s internal balancing act. It means that our unconscious body functions such as body temperatura and glandular secretions are working fo rus to keep u salive and functioning. Life truly is a balancing act.
By using the reflex points on the soles of the feet and palms of the hands, we can stimulate those glands that are not keeping up and help the body become balanced again. For instance, symptoms of a sluggish thyroid gland could include unexplainable weight gain, lethargy, dry skin, and erratic sleeping patterns. These symptoms are signs that the body is out of balance.
More than likely, when your thyroid is out of balance and you rub your thyroid reflex point on the bottom of your foot, it will yell back at you—“ouch!” Keep on rubbing—that's just the thyroid telling you that it doesn't like getting caught sleeping on the job! (We'll get to how you can tell which areas or glands are sluggish in later chapters.)
The body has four main eliminative channels that serve as exit routes for waste products. These include:
• The bowel
• The urinary system (kidneys and bladder)
• The respiratory system (lungs and sinuses)
• The skin
When the body, or a particular organ, is sluggish due to a buildup of waste products and then we stimulate that organ to “get back to work,” it will probably eliminate some toxins right away. This is called detoxification. When a body system is stimulated and stronger, it has the energy and ability to kick out toxins settling in it. You will know when your body is detoxifying because of the symptoms you experience.
Although cleansing of the bowel is a Good sign, you should not experience diarrea after reflexology treatment. A temporary cleansing due to a loosening of the bowel differs from diarrhea. Diarrhea can be caused by a parasitic or bacterial infestation that can dehydrate the body over a fairly short period of time and needs to be addressed.
One of the most common symptoms of detoxifying the body will be a loosening of the bowels. Many necessary, quick trips to the bathroom will prove to you that you needed cleansing. This form of detoxifying after a reflexology treatment usually lasts no longer than a day. It is also a positive sign. You should not try to stop this cleansing process by taking any medications that would constipate you—let the cleansing begin!
The urinary system will carry out waste products in the form of urine. The urine may be stronger smelling, and you may have to visit the bathroom more often for a day. This should also be encouraged. Drink plenty of pure water to help flush out the toxins.
Sometimes when I work on someone with lung congestion, they will experience a cleansing through the lungs. This is usually in the form of a phlegmy cough. I believe the reflexology treatment loosens up old, hardened mucus, giving the lungs the opportunity to get rid of it! So, if you get copious amounts of mucus coming from your sinus passages or from your lungs in the form of a cough after reflexology, you can count on this being a cleansing process.
Do not thwart the process by taking cough medications to inhibit your lungs from expelling the mucus. This will only stop the cleansing process, which the reflexology treatment was designed to do in the first place! Instead, drink lots of water to speed up the process. Foul breath is another strange symptom that may be experienced after a deep reflexology treatment. Again, this is due to toxins in the system, usually in the lungs, that have broken free and are leaving the body.
The skin is our largest eliminative organ and we typically eliminate two pounds of waste materials (perspiration) every day, mostly through the feet.
Detoxifying through the pores of the skin can show up as any type of skin eruption, including pimples, boils, rashes, or cold sores. Sweating during a deep treatment is sometimes experienced. This is the natural way your body rids itself of waste through the skin. When a treatment is effective in detoxifying, you should not be surprised if your body odor changes for a day. In fact, after my first treatment, I smelled like maple syrup! Just before I panicked about being nicknamed Aunt Jemima, the smell subsided.
Endorphins are substances released by the pituitary gland that affect the central nervous system by reducing pain. Their effect on the body is similar to the effects of using pain-killing medications such as morphine.
Reflexology is safe and effective and only helps the body do what it was designed to do anyway. So unless you are grossly negligent (or using instruments improperly) you really can't hurt anyone with reflexology.
[…]
Every therapy has its own set of contraindications, and reflexology is no exception. Contraindication means that sometimes a therapy is not recommended for someone with specific problems. We will go over a more detailed list in later chapters, but for now, here are some general things to keep in mind when using reflexology:
• People who are very tender to the touch can include people with degenerative conditions such as diabetes or urinary system problems, and the elderly. Do not overwork these people.
• When working on babies, it is important to not overwork them. Use a very gentle pressure and work no longer than 10 to 15 minutes for the entire treatment.
• Do not work directly on any injuries or foot conditions, and do not work an area that is painful to the touch.
• Do not overdo pregnant women, especially if they are prone to miscarriages.
The one serious contraindication for reflexology that I always abide by is someone who is pregnant and who has had trouble carrying a pregnancy to term in the past. This could indicate that she lacks muscle tone in the uterus, and we would not want to stimulate a cleansing, or stir up the circulation process. Personally, I will not work on anyone who has had this problem before, so as to avoid being blamed if something does go wrong.
[…]
Another good thing to remember in all natural therapies is Hering's Law of Cure. Hering's Law states: “All healing starts from the head down, from the inside out, and in reverse order as the symptoms have appeared.” In other words, in true healing, your insides will begin healing first. The outward manifestations of healing will come last—so you may not even notice you're healing right away. Also, the symptoms that you experienced most recently will be the last ones to go away.
The body always takes care of the more chronic ailments or imbalances first. You may not be aware that your pancreas or spleen is healing, but continued effort will eventually bring the outward signs of true health. Therefore, although reflexology may work instantly to alleviate symptoms of imbalance, it will take time and continued use of reflexology to experience true healing—so be patient and enjoy the ride!
--Frankie Avalon Wolfe ibid
