No I don’t mean the movie with animated penguins. I mean truly happy tootsies after giving mine lots of attention last week. My first treat was a clinical reflexology treatment with wonder worker Jedidiah Smith at The Center For Holistic Wellness & Anti Aging Center. As he explained to me, reflexology is different from a foot rub. Practitioners train for up to 4 years to hone their skills & learn the subtleties of the feet. I learned that this type of care can calm the nervous system, balance hormones and bring all the systems of the body back into alignment. Wonderful news for my post menopausal ears. I guess one could say ‘the feet don’t lie’. I ended the week with some luxurious self care via a pedicure & fun color.
According to The Art of Reflexology, many practitioners believe it “originated in China some 5000 years ago” and has been around since ancient times. It is a precise technique that uses pressure points in the feet to target specific areas of the body, stimulate the body’s own ability to heal itself and return to homeostasis. This method treats the whole person, not just the symptoms, and can improve circulation, endocrine function and even control pain. Reflexology is suitable for anyone, however, our responses will all be different.
In the book, Earthing, the authors share the benefits of walking barefoot on the earth. The feet have the most nerve endings per square inch than any other part of ‘the body of comparable size’ (p. 18) and need to be in touch with the energies of the earth for optimal health. Many issues can either be prevented or corrected with more attention to the feet. Not ready for a full reflexology treatment? Some simple self care things to do include daily foot baths; roll the foot over a tennis ball; walk barefoot more often on grass, small stones or sand; apply natural creams or oils; try reflexology shoes or just do some gentle foot and ankle stretches. If you are curious about this form of self care and want to learn more before making an appointment some references and a list of local practitioners are listed below.
Jedidiah D. Smith, 8 East Second Street, Suite 102, Frederick, MD 21701 phone 410-480-8339
The Art of Reflexology, Dougans, Inge and Ellis, Suzanne, Element Books Limited, 1992
Earthing, Ober, Clinton, Sinatro, Stephen, MD and Zucker, Martin, Basic Health Publications, 2010