Who has not heard of foot reflexology? Probably every spa and massage place offers the service. It is as popular as any sought for massage. Many people even prefer the approach over traditional body massages. A technique practiced over 5,000 years ago, believed to have originated in Egypt before introduced to Greece, Arabia and Europe. However, evidence of existence of foot reflexology is also traced in India, then believed to be passed on to China and Japan.
The approach used in foot reflexology focuses on applying pressures on trigger points on the individual’s feet. Such reflex areas triggered are said to correspond to certain organs and systems in the body. An exact similar approach and principle is used in hand reflexology. Generally, the therapy aims to balance body systems, yet is also found to be helpful in managing stress, promoting relaxation, relieve body tension, ease pain and discomforts, aid digestive and elimination difficulties, relieve anxiety, improve sleep patterns, and improve one’s mental and physical well-being.
If you have ever soon a foot reflexology chart, most spas hang it on their walls, it better explains which body organs are mapped out in one’s foot. The pressure applied on the foot triggers the nerve endings located on the area which has direct or indirect effects on its connected body organ. The pressure is not painful, even. The technique, unique in itself, has also proved to show so much wonders to many who have experienced its healing and relaxing benefits. Though in its entirety, it may seem that a foot reflexologist is only working on a person’s feet, but the many good results the approach brings generally seem that the whole body is treated in general. A client just sits in a reclining chair, places his feet comfortably over the reflexologist’s lap or stool provided, whichever the therapist finds most convenient to work with, and the whole 30 minutes to 1 hour session brings long-term health benefits.
With all the charts, nerves involved, and its concept in general, foot reflexology may seem a complicated subject to tackle. In fact, it isn’t. Many massage and reflexology accreditation centers offer hands-on training of the application and provide understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the human body. Massage therapy books alone can help you learn the application. There is lack of regulatory body to foresee the practice of foot reflexology, and though often yield negative observations from some critics, many have claimed to have already experienced its many wonders.
