REFLEXOLOGY - THE MYSTERY BEHIND THIS ANCIENT THERAPEUTIC ART - PART TWO
In part one of this article, I briefly touched upon the two doctors who re-discovered the healing art of Reflexology. Dr. William Fitzgerald and Dr. Edwin Bowers, who together, developed a method of proving the validity of Reflexology in an attempt to convince others of their remarkable findings. (Before I expand on this however, it must first be explained that Reflexology is not only practicable on the feet, but also on the hands).
To authenitcate Reflexology Dr Bowers conducted a number of experiments. In so doing, he was drawn to the realisation, that if you apply pressure to a certain area of the hand and then stick a pin in the corresponding zone path of the body, he perceived that the subject suffered no pain, in fact, a remarkable anesthetic effect was achieved.
When Bowers and Fitzgerald released their discovery, all who witnessed were astounded by the results and in a short space of time this resulted in other proponents – one being, Joseph Selbey Riley. He went on to write a book on the subject of zone theory. But more importantly, one of his therapy assistants, Eunice Ingham, was to discover Reflexology also worked equally well on the feet and she became known as the founder of ‘foot Reflexology’.
Eunice Ingham implemented the map system of the feet, by charting the feet in relation to the zone paths of the body. She also discovered, not only does the pressure theory have anesthetic effects, but by alternating the pressure this resulted in outstanding therapeutic effects.
The alternating pressure theory is the basic premise of Reflexology, by understanding how every part of the body is directly related along the zonal paths to the areas of the feet.
HOW TO WORK THE FEET – THUMB WALKING
Before attempting Reflexology it is essential to understand, the key to Reflexology is observation combined with the zone theory.
WARM UP MASSAGE
Before you begin thumb walking, gently massage both feet. (Use oil if you prefer).
To do this, hold one of the feet with both hands. Your fingers should be holding the top of the foot and both your thumbs should be on the soles of the feet. Now slide both thumbs from the heel, slowly but firmly upwards and towards the toes. As you reach the toes, fan your thumbs out across the toes, one to the left and the other to the right. (Remember to keep in contact with the feet at all times). Do the same for the other foot.
In order to thumb walk effectively, you need to remove the oil from the feet.
THUMB WALKING
Hold the toes of the subject in one hand and bend them back slightly. With the other hand, place your thumb on the middle of the sole and the rest of the fingers holding the top of the foot. Now walk your thumb forwards in the motion a catterpillar would move. All the time keeping your thumb in contact with the foot and keeping a firm, steady pressure without digging your thumb in at any point.
As you thumb walk along the sole of the foot, try to locate any raised areas or hard crystal deposits. If you find any, gently work these with your thumb.
Whilst you are thumb walking the feet, remember from time to time to check the subjects face for signs of pain. If you do cause discomfort, then your pressure is much too firm and you need to release the pressure and practice walking until you and your subject are comfortable.
If you are thumb walking correctly, your subject will receive immense pleasure from this.
I will be adding advanced thumb walking tecniques in part three.
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By J Reynolds, Copyright 2009
Another well written article from eyepriestess. I admire the style of writing, the way it guides you through the subject yet at the same time highlights all the significant points. I have heard of reflexology but not until reading these articles have I been tempted to read more about it.
I am seriously enjoying this series, and learning so much, For me this is what makes this site so special.
Roll on part 3.
Very informative article! I have always loved a good foot massage, they always made me feel so much better and even help me to sleep. But, until recently, I honestly didn’t know that there was any proof of the benefits or a specific way to do it. Thanks, for all the great info. Looking forward to more!
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