What is Reflexology?

Reflexology is the practice of improving your overall sense of well-being by applying pressure to various points on your feet.

Our feet are a ‘map’ of our bodies and if special points on our feet are manipulated with pressure and massage, physical and emotional changes can occur within us.

Reflexology believes that the different parts of your feet correspond with specific organs in your actual body. For example: the tips of your toes represent your head, the ball of your foot represents your heart and the mid part of your foot represents your intestines and side of your foot represents your spine. Fascinsting!

What are the benefits of Reflexology?

There are a host of benefits associated with Reflexology.

It reduces feelings of stress and takes away any tension.

• It can improve circulation within the body.
• It helps you relax.
• It boosts your immune system.
• It refreshes your energy levels.
• It can ease back pain and help digestive problems.
• It can help ease PMS and any other hormone related issue in the body.
• Over all, it can improve any pre-existing condition that you have (for example: asthma, a sports injury, hormonal imbalances, insomnia - the list is endless).

In short, it is a practice that can help any issue or problem that you have.

What happens during a Reflexology treatment?

Well, you will be asked to remove your shoes and socks and to lie down in a comfortable position. Then the practitioner will work their magic on your feet. Most people find Reflexology to be a deeply relaxing experience – think of it as the ultimate foot massage. A usual treatment lasts for around 45 – 60 minutes.

Afterwards, you’re likely to feel calm, relaxed and sometimes, a little bit sleepy. 

Occasionally you can feel sick, anxious or upset within the 24-48 hours afterwards, but these feelings are temporary and are considered to be your body’s way of getting rid of any negative energy that was disturbed during the process.

How many sessions should you have to see a benefit?

 Results from reflexology are often subtle and are cumulative.

You are more likely to see greater benefits from regular sessions (for example, once a week for six weeks) than if you had only one session every six months.

If you are dealing with a specific illness or condition, you may need to have more frequent sessions. A general recommendation might be to begin with a session every week for 6-8 weeks, followed by one session every four weeks.

 

My Personal Experience with Reflexology

It was probably early 2014 when I had my first Reflexology session, and  you might be surprised to hear that it wasn’t  actually something I look back on with good memories, as my very first introduction to reflexology was when my mum, who had terminal brain cancer attended the wonderful LARCC Cancer Support Sanctuary in Multyfarnham, Co Westmeath, who have an amazing service and offer psychological and emotional support to people living with cancer as well as their close family members.

But when I later came in touch with reflexology, probably only as far back as 2018 as a busy, newly self emplyed working mum, as part of my pledge to have more self care treatments such as reflexology and I was in a better space mentally (compared to back in 2014) to appreciate all reflexology was capable of doing!

Now Reflexology is my go to when I’m feeling 

• out of balance, 
• over whelmed, 
• feeling stressed, 
• not sleeping as well as I could be, 

I book in for regular sessions, so I can gradually feel the benefit.  

After the second time I booked myself in for Reflexology and the therapist had finished & she gave me feedback based on what she was able to feel through my feet. 

She explained that she could feel my small and large intestines were irritated. This made sense to me because at the time I suffered from digestive issues and many food intolerances at that time.

She also told me my hips were tense which made sense to me. 

The last thing she told me was that she could tell that my kidneys and bladder were ‘bothered,’ which I thought was strange but after some thought I realised I had not been as good at drinking water as I could have been, in the weeks previous, during the very warm summer we experienced.

Becoming Qualified in Reflexology

Before I became a qualified reflexology therapist, I was a fan. It was my treatment of choice for specific purposes.

In September 2018 I enrolled in Reflexology Diploma - ITEC Level 3 which I done part time over 13 months, and December 2019 I received my qualification.

During my training as a therapist, I was thrilled to discover, that as soon as I began to apply reflexology therapy myself, I began to witness immediate benefits for my clients.

I was fortunate to have had a great variety of clients for my 40 case studies which were a requirement of my diploma qualification. I was presented with a wide range of feet of all ages. The results were noticeable and varied. Relaxation was the benefit most reported.

Reflexology provides many benefits for wellbeing. These benefits cannot be guaranteed or predicted at the outset but with the client and the therapist working together there are usually good results.

A person’s body and mind has a wonderful ability to heal and maintain wellbeing but peoples lives are often busy and stressful. Sometimes a slowing down to allow for mindful listening and the development of a more self-caring attitude in order to get back on track and achieve balance once more.

Written By Elaine Baxter, Qualified Reflexologist, Nutrition Adviser & Owner Food Wise Enfield.  

Elaine helps females who are one or all of the following; mothers, active and working,
to carve out some time for just them in their busy day
to be themselves, and be inspired to nourish their body,
spend a short amount of time every day working on easing stress of everyday life ,
so that they can feel more energetic and feel better.

Message 083 371 6831 to book your Reflexology Appointment  now.