Reflexology is a holistic treatment of the feet that benefits the whole being – the physical body, mind, emotions and spirit. The body is reflected in the feet, and by working the pressure points on the feet reflexology has a balancing effect on the recipient.

Various forms of reflexology have existed in indigenous societies across all continents for thousands of years.  The earliest known reference to a form of reflexology is an illustration on the walls of the physician’s tomb at Saqqara in Egypt.  In China it was a precursor to the development of the acupuncture system.  It was introduced to the West as Zone Therapy in 1913 in the USA by Dr William H Fitzgerald and Dr Edwin Bowers.  But it was the work of Eunice Ingham, a nurse and physiotherapist, in the 1930s that gave reflexology its name and provided the foundations of most current menthods.

There has been very little scientific research done to help us understand how reflexology works, but it is generally believed that as the feet contain hundreds of thousands of nerve endings, the stimulation of these nerve endings sends messages to the brain to regulate the corresponding area of the body.  This idea is further supported by the fact that reflexology produces instant results for the nervous system, as it is an extremely relaxing therapy.  It has also been shown to have positive effects on more chronic nervous conditions.

It is very effective also for the endocrine system, bringing significant improvements to problems caused by hormonal imbalances.  It has also been shown to be effective for the digestive and circulatory systems, and helps regulate imbalances in all of the other body systems.  It has a balancing effect on all of the organs of the body and has even produced results for some chronic conditions considered incurable by allopathic medicine.  It is not an instant miracle cure however.  As with most holistic treatments one or two sessions of reflexology can be very effective for acute conditions, but chronic long-term conditions will usually require a longer term course of treatments in order to see results.

On a more holistic level it calms the mind and brings clarity to the emotions, and as it puts the recipient into a meditative state it can facilitate spiritual awareness and has been known on occasion to help bring on a spiritual experience.