Academy of Ancient Reflexology

Reflexology Certification Programs and Workshops

Choosing the Right Program

I’m thinking of registering for a reflexology training soon, and was thinking about the thought process I go through in choosing classes for myself.

I’m very selective when it comes to spending my precious time and money  – and I suspect you are, too. In the area of education, I expect my money’s worth; I want to leave the class feeling personally enriched and armed with information and skills I can incorporate immediately into my life. I want to be in the presence of instructors who, not only know their “stuff”, but also know how to “teach”; how to get the information across clearly, and inspire and empower those of us looking to them for guidance.

That led me to think about conversations that typically occur when people call to inquire about the Academy’s certification training. I realize that in calling you want to get a sense of me as much as you want to know what you can expect from the program. Naturally, you want to know if we’re “on the same page”, if you’ll feel welcomed and accepted. You want to know if the material will meet your goals, and if the program format matches your learning style, and if you’ll know how to introduce your new skills and knowledge to your community once the training is over.

I want you to make the right decision for yourself, so call with your questions and concerns. Before you pick up the phone, you may want to read a short questionnaire I created to help people determine whether or not the Academy’s program is right for them. Your answers to the questions will go a long way towards informing you whether you are in the right place or not. (My phone number is 904/553.4067 EST.)

The 2011 Therapeutic Hand & Foot Professional Reflexology Certification begins February10th.

Reflexology Rugs

That’s what past students in the Therapeutic Hand & Foot Reflexology Professional Certification program named these fun and hugely successful creations of theirs.

Reflexology Rugs are short “run-ways” that bare-footed (or socked) clients walk before a foot reflexology session. Easily constructed with items of varying textures, they provide a stimulating sensory experience to prepare the body for focused reflexology care.

Here’s how they’re made and what they look like when completed:

1. Purchase heavy-duty canvas about 18” wide and as long as you care to make your “run-way”. My students chose 6 feet. (Marine stores cover a wide selection of colors and thicknesses.)

2. Scour the dollar stores, toy stores, craft stores and landscaping nurseries to pick up various appliqués. Use your imagination! Some items you might consider: colored marbles (flat on one side for gluing, rounded on the other for walking), flat river rocks (no sharp points!), packing materials, ropes, pot & pan “scrubbies”, rug scraps. Choose a variety of textures including soft, firm and scratchy. Awaken those senses!

3. Purchase a reliable adhesive. We used Weldbond Universal Adhesive that I purchase from monstermosaics.com. Weldbond is non-toxic, free of fumes and cleans up fast. It’s a wonderful, reasonably priced craft glue that dispenses easily and dries clear and fast. (You can find it in some hardware stores, as well.)

4. Lay out your appliqués in some sort of creative design. Start and end with softer surfaces. Test it out before gluing. Walking the mat should feel invigorating and stimulating, not painful.

My students laid out their reflexology rugs so as to lead their clients directly to their massage table. It was beautiful to see! Clients removed their shoes upon entering the clinic room and walked barefoot to a tub of warm water infused with pure botanical oils in which to enjoy a luxurious soak before their reflexology session. Guests really appreciated and enjoyed their own individual “red carpet” and the clinic looked so special.

Have you ever made a Reflexology Rug? If you have, please share with us what items and textures you used.

Thanks!

In the United States, it’s become hip to refer to tomorrow as “T-day”, short for either Thanksgiving or Turkey-day, but I still like to use the old-fashioned “lengthy” version. That way, I am reminded of the “reason for the season” – to give thanks.

I try to make gratitude a part of every day. Before going to sleep, I recite all the wonderful examples of abundance and friendship that I have experienced throughout the day, and then give thanks for those blessings. As a final action, I envision all the amazing events and people that I expect to encounter the next day and then close my eyes in gratitude and expectation. That way I always enter sleep with a smile on my face.

So, I want to take this opportunity to extend my gratitude to you; to the hundreds and hundreds of people who attend my trainings and read my blog posts and e-newsletters. I feel very fortunate to have stumbled into the career I have, and am very aware that without you, none of this part of my life would exist.

I am reminded of something that Meister Eckhart once proclaimed:

If the only prayer you ever prayed was “thank you”, that would be enough.

Happy Thanksgiving – and thank you. I hope it’s enough.

Reflexology News from Canada and ….

Australia, Denmark, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland and Spain:

The Reflexology Association of Canada’s conference in Winnipeg has just ended. A survey circulated to reflexology associations worldwide was printed in our conference program and it revealed some interesting similarities and big discrepancies in how reflexology is viewed and practiced in the above listed countries. (The United States and the United Kingdom did not respond.)

The survey clearly indicated the need for:

1. Increased respect for the associations and its members.

2. Regulation of standards of care and education.

3. Research to document reflexology’s efficacy.

4. Recognition of the modality by the public, governments and insurance companies.

Reading the survey responses helped me to see how much reflexologists around the world have in common when it comes to convincing people that reflexology works. Although some practitioners think that just telling folks that it works should be enough, sadly it’s not. Convincing the world one satisfied client at a time is too long a haul. The public and certainly the medical profession and insurance companies want to see scientific evidence.

The need for more research on reflexology is why I decided to add in a case study as part of the completion requirements for the Therapeutic Hand & Foot Reflexology Professional Certification program. Individuals who have opted to design and implement a study in the past have all stated how rewarding the experience was for them. In addition to posting the case study results on the Academy’s website, I arrange to have all the studies released in reflexology journals in the United States and internationally. Case studies help to raise both awareness and monies to conduct full-fledged random research projects, and support practitioners’ efforts to target certain demographic populations to receive reflexology.

The Reflexology Association of Canada plans to post the entire survey and its results on its website in the near future. I’ll announce when it’s been published. It is quite enlightening.

Baby’s First Reflexology Session

I heard from two recent graduates of the Therapeutic Hand & Foot Reflexology Professional Certification this month. Both honored the entrance of new family members in a unique way.

Within a couple of hours of her debut, Brian celebrated the arrival of his first grandchild by giving his pride and joy her first reflexology session. “Grandma” came by to show me pictures and report how Brian gave his new granddaughter a blow-by-blow verbal explanation of reflexology as he lovingly touched her precious little feet. (He also promised her a position in his newly-opened clinic should she care to follow in her grandpa’s footsteps!)

Earlier this month I heard from Katy, who had been blessed by the smooth and easy birth of  her sweet healthy daughter five days earlier. Katy discovered she was pregnant when she was in her reflexology training earlier this year; with her belly growing monthly in front of my eyes, I almost feel that I know this little cherub already. How lucky for Raya Luna to have indirectly received reflexology sessions throughout her entire development in her mother’s womb. Within the first days following her entry Raya Luna received two reflexology sessions from her proud and happy mom.

I built my reflexology practice in Canada years ago working with pregnant women. The above stories remind me of the powerful benefits that reflexology can offer pregnant women, babies as they are developing within the womb and newly arrived little ones.

I remember watching little feet and hands kicking against a mother’s abdomen as a reflexology session would begin, and then to see the activity stop as the little one felt the effects of the work calm them. I remember how much easier the pregnancies and deliveries were for the moms and how much more relaxed the babies were once here.

I’ve often read that the process of being born is one of the most traumatic events that humans experience – how fortunate, following a baby’s successful journey into this world, to be able to ease the transition, to smooth out the “edges” with reflexology.

Reflexology Certification – More for Less in 2011!

I am very excited to unveil the re-vamped Therapeutic Hand & Foot Reflexology Professional Certification. Beginning with the 2011 program, credit hours will increase from 250 to 315; and although I had planned the tuition to reflect the additional hours of training, I have decided, in consideration of the economic situation in this country, not to increase fees for 2011.

Another change that will help everyone financially, especially those people who fly in from other states, is a new scheduling format, which creates more time between modules. This new schedule also makes it possible to complete most of the required outside documented sessions within the scheduled timeframe of the classroom dates.

Beginning in 2011, the reflexology certification will commence every February in historic St. Augustine, Florida. The new scheduling allows participants to enjoy winter, spring, summer and fall in the country’s oldest  city. (I know – some people don’t think we have seasons in Florida, but we do!)

All the details, including dates, tuition and payment options, are now available on the Academy website. Take a peek!

What To Do In An Emergency

In the September issue of Reflexology World I read how a reflexologist responded to the shocking observation of her right arm involuntarily floating out in front of her body, with no feeling in it whatsoever.

The inspiring story of her level-headed, informed responses to this scary event reminded me of the time when I was faced with a woman falling into adrenal shock right before my eyes.

Three specific actions helped stabilize both these women so that they lived to tell their stories.

The slight tingle in her face, coupled with the “floating” arm, immediately warned the first woman that she might be having a stroke. Her first course of action: take a couple of long deep breaths to move herself away from a sense of panic and fear.  The seconds she stole to do that effectively shifted her traumatized nervous system towards the healing parasympathetic state. In addition, deep breathing sent oxygen to her brain that allowed her to perform the second important action: think.

She quickly assessed that a right-sided stroke indicates left brain damage and immediately began to vigorously work the reflexes to the left side of her brain. She worked the points intermittently until she felt her right arm jerk. She continued to use reflexology, massage and exercise all morning and over the next four days until normalcy returned.

Her doctor confirmed her symptoms to indicate a Transient Ischemic Attack, even though carotid artery and heart scans and a brain MRI showed no sign of a TIA!

Years ago I noticed a usually attentive student turn away and curl up on her massage table as I was giving a demo on another table. Out of the corner of my eye I saw this woman shaking and wrapping herself in a blanket. I called over as to how she was. She didn’t respond. I went immediately to her side and saw that she was perspiring, shaking, rolling her eyes back into her head and unresponsive to my queries.

Recognizing immediately that something serious was occurring I first instructed myself to take a few breaths and think. I instructed her also to focus on her breathing. I then asked someone else in the room to call for emergency medical help as I grabbed both her feet and started applying deep pressure alternately between her solar plexus points and pituitary gland reflexes.

Once at the hospital, I continued to work those reflexes without stop while we waited for medical assistance. Slowly, she began to relax, was able to communicate intelligently again and regained normal body temperature. By the time doctors were in attendance her symptoms had almost disappeared. Their examination and interview confirmed what I suspected: adrenal shock.

I share both these stories to underlie the importance of these points:

1. In an emergency, first focus on breathing. Breathing will abort a panic attack and send much-needed oxygen to the brain. You must think quickly and clearly in situations like this. Someone’s life (maybe your own) may depend on it.

2. The power of reflexology when applied immediately in medical emergencies is not to be scoffed at. (There are many more success stories such as these two.) In no way, do I mean that reflexology is a substitute for medical attention. Call for help and then do your best to relax the scared and traumatized individual as you wait for an emergency team to arrive.

Remember: breathe, think and act calmly.

Have you ever used reflexology successfully in an emergency situation?

Panic Disorder and Reflexology

Most people think of reflexology as a beneficial therapy for people dealing with physical imbalances in the body. In the Soviet Union however, reflexology first earned recognition for its psychological benefits (starting in the late 1800’s).

Katy Castronovo, a 2010 graduate of the Academy’s certification program, recently set out to test the assumption that reflexology could help those suffering from psychiatric imbalances. She completed a 6-week study with a 31year-old male professional suffering from clinically diagnosed panic disorder. (Two attacks were severe enough to land the subject in the hospital.)

Panic Disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by episodes of intense apprehension, fear, and/or terror, and recurrent attacks of panic. The disorder can include somatic symptoms such as dyspnea, palpitations, dizziness, vertigo, faintness and/or shakiness and psychological symptoms such as feelings of unreality, fear of dying, “going crazy” or losing control. Between attacks chronic nervousness generally persists. Approximately 6 million American adults 18 years or older suffer from panic disorder in a given year. Many of those people are forced into a lifetime dependence on medications and psychiatric care.

Read Katy’s case study and the surprising results she and her subject experienced.

Birthday Thoughts

Today is my birthday, and I always spend my birthday engaged in activities (alone and with people I love) that I want to see dominant in my life for the entire year to come. I think of it as “setting the stage” for the year ahead. I began the day as I always do, in gratitude. Thinking of all the blessings I have allowed into my life led to thoughts regarding the remarkable gifts that plants offer us in the area of nutrition, beauty and health.

I am so grateful for the plant knowledge I have that allows me to maintain good health and take care of myself when I’m under the weather. And I love how the easy application of essential oil therapy with my clients speeds their recovery and sets my practice apart from others.

Aromatherapy is so much more than many people realize. The chemicals in the plants and flowers are nature’s pharmacy – as strong and effective as pharmaceuticals – and without unwanted side-effects. They’re inexpensive and pleasant to work with. It just takes a little training to reap their numerous benefits.

I recall a young mother who hobbled into my office on a cane, just barely out of a lower leg cast. She had been in a frightening car accident that had to that point kept her in recovery for already six months. She was experiencing a lot of pain in her foot and knee, as well as a lot of tissue damage in the lower leg from the trauma and resulting surgeries.

I set about doing Thai reflexology to restore circulation and range-of-motion to her lower extremities, focusing my attention on reflexes relevant to all her complaints. She asked me to help her heal her leg tissue, so I created a personal blend of cicatrisant (skin-specific), anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial essential oils that we used in the session and that she religiously applied at home 3 times/day. It was gratifying to see her steady recovery in both areas over the short eight weeks we worked together.

The other person who comes to mind is a woman with a stubborn fungal infection on one of her toes. A number of over-the-counter remedies had failed; she asked me to intervene. I made up a strong blend of anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory essential oils and instructed her to apply at least 3 times/day. When I saw her the next week, she excitedly reported that the fungal infection had cleared up after only two days of essential oil use!

If you have been thinking about adding essential oils to your practice and personal life, consider taking a short formal training to determine your level of interest. A qualified instructor can communicate safety considerations, offer an introductory foundation in the science of essential oil therapy and instruct on blending guidelines in a relatively short period of time. After a concise introduction of this kind, you can determine whether or not you wish to pursue a path to certification.

The Academy has only one aromatherapy class scheduled this year: a 4-hour introduction during the national conference of the Reflexology Association of Canada in Winnipeg. Participants will leave this class with product they make and the knowledge and skill to begin safely introducing essential oils into their reflexology practice.

In the left side-bar are the names of two excellent essential oil training organizations with whom I have studied. Both offer a variety of classes, from introductory to full certification.

Blur the Boundaries Between Work & Play – Florida Style!

Good news from my friends at Eve’s Web! (Eve’s Web is the privately-owned vacation retreat at which I hold my trainings in St. Augustine, Florida.)

I rent the downstairs space at Eve’s for my workshops. I like the casual atmosphere of conducting classes in the comfy living room, the fully-equipped kitchen, hot tub and the fact that we are a short three blocks from the beach. An added bonus past attendees have taken advantage of are the two bedrooms in this charming old Florida beach retreat that can be rented for only $25/night when attending my workshops!

Summer is over and with its departure has gone the searing Florida temperatures and humidity. The weather is gorgeous – sunny and warm, with delightful breezes blowing in off the ocean. I just had to schedule another weekend workshop to give everyone an “excuse” to come enjoy themselves in the continent’s oldest city

On October 9th and 10th, I will teach the popular 18-hour Thai Foot Reflexology workshop. (It only takes two days to learn.) The owner of Eve’s has just extended a very generous offer to those of you planning to attend. She will make the entire upstairs apartment available to us for only $100/night! This tree-top hide-away has two queen-sized and one single bed; two people sharing the space cuts the cost in half; three, even more.

Contact me directly if you, or you and your friends, would like to take advantage of an offer to “blur the boundaries between work and play” – Florida style. Take a few days to relax and rejuvenate at a secluded beach setting, learn a new and highly effective way to help and write the trip off!