The Treatment
Reflexology is a treatment classically performed on the feet, although it can also be on the hands, face or ears. It is a safe, gentle treatment that is suitable for all ages. 60 – 75 minute treatments available.
You will be asked to remove your socks and shoes and will be made comfortable on the couch or reclining chair. Your feet will be observed and cleansed. I will then use my hands, fingers and thumbs to relax and apply comfortable pressure to your feet. I am also trained in Chinese Foot Massage and can incorporate some techniques into your treatment if requested. Reflex points on the feet mirror the organs and structures of the body and also our emotions. Some of these reflex points may feel congested, imbalanced or sensitive and the treatment moves gently encourage the body to rebalance and heal itself. Some reflex points may need extra work but this is very individual to each person and can change between sessions.
As I work on each foot individually the other is cocooned in a soft towel. The lighting is ambient and soft, gentle music plays. The treatment concludes with a foot massage using nourishing cream or oil and you will be feeling very relaxed and maybe sleepy. After an opportunity to relax for a few minutes and have a glass of cooled water, aftercare advice is discussed to help maximise the benefits of your treatment.
At your first visit a health and lifestyle consultation will be carried out to establish how best to tailor the treatment to your needs and expectations. This is reviewed at each subsequent visit as life and health is not static and treatment needs and expectations may change. Please allow an hour and fifteen minutes for your first treatment and an hour for subsequent ones.
Why Reflexology?
Reflexology is a relaxing treatment, calming the body and mind. This can help us deal with life’s demands and with the physical, psychological and social stresses that upset our equilibrium. The effects of too much stress on mind and body are well documented. Research suggests that 75% of GP visits are stress-related. Our sympathetic nervous system responds to stress with physical and mental reactions preparing us for “fight or flight”. When we relax our parasympathetic nervous system allows us to “rest and digest”, encouraging blood flow to all the organs and lowering blood pressure. This is where reflexology can provide you with the time you need to relax, helping rebalance mind, body and soul.
Reflexology and your Conception Journey
Reflexology may help support both partners physically and emotionally when they are trying to conceive naturally or during fertility treatment. There is some evidence that stress can affect your chances of conception and reflexology can be one method used to help reduce stress levels and promote a sense of wellbeing.
I have both personal experience and further training in having reflexology when trying to conceive so please do not hesitate to contact me should you wish to discuss any aspect of the treatments.
Reflexology during Pregnancy
Receiving reflexology during your pregnancy can help support you during this new and exciting phase, promoting a sense of wellbeing and allowing you time out from a busy life.
During the second and third trimesters of pregnancy reflexology can help support you physically and emotionally as your body changes. As labour approaches, your treatments may become more frequent and although there is no evidence that receiving treatments brings on labour there are studies that show that pain in the first stage of labour is significantly reduced and that postnatally your sleep quality is improved.
As a mum of two I enjoyed reflexology treatments during both my pregnancies and I have also undertaken further training in this area of reflexology. Please don’t hesitate to contact me should you have any questions about receiving reflexology during your pregnancy.
The Origins of Reflexology
There is evidence that ancient Egyptian, Chinese and Indian Ayruvedic Medicine all worked on the hands and feet to maintain good health. African tribes and Native Americans passed the tradition of massaging the hands and feet for health down through the generations. Today, modern reflexology is based on the theory that the body is divided into zones and imbalances within them can be worked on. First written about in the 16th Century by Dr Adamus and Dr Atatis, the ideas were further developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by English neurologist Sir Henry Head, Nobel Prize-winning neurophysicist Sir Charles Sherringham, and American surgeons William Fitzgerald and Edwin Bowers, who together became the forefathers of modern reflexology, publishing “Zone Therapy” in 1917. Dr Joseph Shelby-Riley and his wife Elizabeth developed the ideas further. Their colleague Eunice Ingham went on to to develop what we know as reflexology today. Through many hours of hands-on experience, mapping the body’s organs and structures within the zones, she discovered the theory of crystal deposits and the effects of applying pressure to the feet. Her nephew Dwight Byers continues to write and teach about her methods today. In 1966 Doreen Bayley trained with Eunice in the US and on her return introduced reflexology to the UK. Today it is one of the most popular holistic therapies.