Reflexology, a method of touch therapy, is a universally acclaimed healing art and science that has been practiced in diverse cultures for centuries. For either preventative care or in response to physical or emotional distress, a reflexology session acts as a catalyst to aid the body towards it's own natural healing process.
Dating back to 2330 BC, the first record of reflexology was found in an Egyptian physician's tomb. Traces of 'foot work' also appear in other cultures, such as China, India and Europe, going back thousands of years, indicating no one culture invented it. Researchers believe the art is well over 5500 years old. Today's methods are based on the work of Dr. William Fitzgerald, who studied the art of 'pressure therapy' in Europe and pioneered 'zone therapy' in the USA, and that of Eunice Ingram, who systemized and popularized the therapy in the 1930's. Research is ongoing and proving reflexology's many therapeutic benefits.
Reflexology is based on the premise that reflex points in the hands, feet and ears correspond, via the nervous system, to every muscle, organ and gland of the body. From a Western medicine perspective, these reflex points are joined via nerve pathways, while Eastern medicine views the pathways as energy channels called meridians.
According to the American Journal of Medicine, stress causes over 80 per cent of all illnesses. A reflexology session reduces stress automatically, causing chemical changes to occur at the cellular level throughout the body. Through systematic pressure and stimulation of reflex points, the body is assisted to return to natural functioning. Endorphins, the body's natural pain killers, are released, the nervous system relaxes, and increased blood and lymphatic circulation boosts oxygen levels and immunity, all of which helps to restore balance to the body.