Academy of Ancient Reflexology

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Archives for February 2012

Here’s the List of Reflexes to Work for Weight Loss

In the post I published on Friday, February 10 regarding weight loss, I mentioned that, although there was no magical reflex point that could guarantee weight loss, there are points to work that will support and aid someone’s efforts to reach their ideal weight.

What it comes down to is determining what the main reason is for the weight problem. Below is a list of some imbalances that can result in weight issues, and the reflexes on which to focus your sessions:

– Hormone imbalance – endocrine glands;

– Digestion – stomach, small intestine, gallbladder, pancreas and small intestine;

– Elimination – large intestine;

– Stress (Stress is a big reason for weight gain and weight loss. People either reach for comfort foods to fill their bodies with good-feeling dopamine or stop eating.) – adrenal glands, the central nervous system, solar plexus and diaphragm;

– Motivation to move/exercise – adrenals and kidneys (The kidneys control our will and drive.);

– Physical pain – muscles involved;

– Chronic illness – lymph, liver, kidney and adrenals

– Depression- central nervous system and kidneys

Oh yes, and remember the water!

 

 

Ah… The Heart

Since it’s the day of year we humans devote to all things having to do with the heart (like love and chocolate!), I must end the day saying something about this amazing organ that keeps us alive.

Beating 100,000 times a day, this muscle pumps oxygen, food-derived nutrients, hormones and immune cells throughout every square inch of our bodies. By now, most of us know that a healthy diet (a controversial subject in itself), regular exercise, preventative dental care and plenty of fresh air support a healthy cardiovascular system; and that smoking, obesity, acidic blood, noise pollution, exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) and a sedentary lifestyle don’t.

As a reflexologist, I have worked with many people with health issues involving the heart. The case that stands out most in my memory though was not a physical one. It was a woman who reported sensitivity as I worked the reflexes of her heart and left lung. At her request, I shared what reflexes I was touching into and asked if that made any sense to her. She burst into tears and said, “I feel like my heart is breaking; I’ve just broken up with my boyfriend.” I was catapulted into remembering that the heart is much more than a pump.

Here are some fascinating facts about our hearts:

– Early Egyptians believed the heart to be the home of thoughts, memories and feelings. Westerners claim the heart to be the bearer of truth and the symbol for love.

– There is no time in utero that the heart starts to beat. The cells beat from the start. As the cells multiply to create the cardiovascular system, they take their cues on how to beat, at what rate, etc. from the mother’s heart. So, when did the mother’s heart begin to beat? If every cell was beating before it was a heart, then how could there be a single moment it became a heart? The heart (and arteries and veins attached), it turns out, is a circulation system with no beginning and no end. Perhaps that is why the Chinese refer to the heartbeat as the cosmic beat.

– The heart remembers. Modern medicine can now confirm that those early Egyptians were right. The heart has its own intelligence and remembers. Much has been written about transplant recipients receiving not only an organ, but the personality traits, temperament and memories of their donor.

– The Chinese pictograph for the word “busy” is composed of two characters: “heart” and “killing”. Hmm…

That last one reminds me of a quote from Lily Tomlin that a friend shared today: “For fast-acting relief, try slowing down.”

 

The Single Most Important Action You Can Take to Lose Weight

In my 29 years (gasp!) of practicing reflexology, I am regularly asked if there is a reflex point for weight loss. How I wish there was! If there was one spot on the feet or hands that could deliver a desired weight, I would be a very wealthy woman!

In lieu of that imaginary “point”, may I suggest one thing that costs less than Weight Watchers, gastric bypass surgery and a year’s membership at the gym?

That magical item is water. Pure alkaline water. Lots of it. If you want to lose weight, I’m talking 1 liter for every 40 lbs you currently weigh. Drinking that much water alone will do so much to help you reach your desired weight goal. Imagine the results if you combine that with conscious eating, regular movement, adequate sleep, encouraging self-talk and relaxation?

When it comes to balancing your weight, drinking plenty of alkaline water will:

• metabolize stored fat. Your body creates additional fat cells and mucous to protect itself from attack from excess acid in the body. Dehydration makes it impossible for the body to reduce the accumulation of acid that contributes to arteriosclerosis, bone density loss, muscle atrophy, inflammatory conditions and unwanted pounds.

• aid kidney function. Water is the best antidote to fluid retention; the more you drink, the more your body is flushed of excess fluid and acid.

• reduce hunger pangs. In many people, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger! Drink plenty of water throughout the day and watch your cravings disappear.

• improve digestion. Water is essential to your body’s ability to break down food into usable nutrients.

• relieve constipation. Never mind laxatives; adding more water to your day is the first thing you should do.

But back to reflexology… There are actually specific points to work that will assist someone in their concerted strategy to reach a healthy weight. I’ll write about those points in my next post.

90 Reasons to Like Me!

Got your attention, didn’t I?

So, here’s the deal: I’ve created a business page on Facebook and I want you to join. So, to entice you to “like” me, I am going to run a random draw for the next five days. Each day I will draw the name of one person who liked me that day and send that person my detailed, colorful foot reflexology chart as a thank you.

The 22.5 x 38 inch chart displays and labels 90 recognized reflexes (hence 90 reasons to like me!) found on the plantar, dorsal, medial and lateral aspects of the feet. In addition to being a beautiful interpretive work of art that may be proudly displayed in your clinic, the chart will assist you to create individualized sessions for your clients presenting with homeostatic imbalances. So, go ahead and like me now!

http://www.facebook.com/AcademyofAncientReflexology

 

The Influence of Buddhism on Thai Reflexology

“All we are is the result of what we have thought.” … Shakyamuni Buddha

In last month’s post I defined Thai foot reflexology and its benefits, and explained the differences between it and the form of reflexology commonly taught in North America. In this month’s article I would like to share how Thai reflexology has influenced my own life and how Buddhism has informed Thailand’s practice of medicine, including reflexology.

Credit for founding the formal structure of Thai medicine rests with one man: Jivaka Kumarabhacca. Kumarabhacca was a legendary Ayurvedic doctor known to possess great healing gifts. In addition to administering to both royalty and commoner, he was the personal physician to Lord Buddha.

Buddhism in Thailand

During its period of advancement in India between 500 BCE and 800 CE many Hindus were drawn to the teachings of the Buddha, were ordained as monks and practiced Ayurvedic medicine as a way of expressing compassion in their lives. (Ayurvedic medicine developed in India between the mid-second millennium BCE to 500 CE and is the oldest model of medicine in the world.)

Ashoka, the great 2nd century emperor of India, converted to Buddhism and sent monks out into the world with the responsibility of reaching more and more people with the teachings of the Buddha and Ayurvedic medicine. It is here that the relationship between Buddhism and health is birthed.

By the time the monks entered northern Thailand, influences from China, Japan, Taiwan and Korea were evident in a new style of medicine. (The Taiwanese, for example, added in the use of the wooden stick in the foot sessions.) The Thais embraced both Buddhism and the ideas on health and disease introduced by the monks. Buddhism became the official religion of Thailand with over 95% of the population observing. Overtime the country married these new ideas with its own and created a vibrant style of healing art that has survived for thousands of years, and even the arrival of western medicine in the country.

The Genesis of Buddhism

Just as traditional Thai medicine credits its beginning with one man, so does Buddhism.

Siddhartha Gautama, an Indian born to great wealth, literally walked away from a life of luxury at the age of 29. In his later years, people would ask him “Are you a god? An angel? A saint?” His reply to all these questions was, “No.” “Then what are you?” His response, “I am awake” became his title, for the word Buddha means, “awake.” Thus, Buddhism began with a man who roused himself from the illusion of the waking human state.

Siddhartha was the son of a regional king born around 563 BCE in what is now known as Nepal. When his son was born, the king summoned astrologers to discern his son’s future. The charts foretold the possibility of two paths in the infant’s life. Should he follow his father’s footsteps, the stars indicated that Siddhartha would unify all of India and conquer the world. Should he renounce the world though, he would live to redeem the world. The King, wanting the former, spared no effort to keep his son on track – his track.

All manner of privilege was placed at young Siddhartha’s disposal: palaces, dancing girls, rich food and drink, private tutoring in advanced military tactics and intellectual discourse. None but the philosophical pursuits interested the young prince. Orders were issued that nothing unpleasant be allowed into the prince’s courtly life. When he left the palace, servants ran ahead to clear the roads of the old, the diseased and the dead.

One day though, Siddhartha escaped his protectorate and set out on the streets on his own. For the first time in his life, this young man witnessed aging, disease and death. He also met a monk, from whom he learned about the path of renunciation. These encounters had a life-changing effect on the young prince. Siddhartha immediately recognized the source of his own dissatisfaction; the futility of finding fulfillment on the physical plane. Late one night, he kissed his sleeping wife and son goodbye and set out to fulfill his destiny. Reaching the forest edge, he discarded his royal attire, shaved his head and entered the world of asceticism.

In every austerity he outdid his teachers and fellow ascetics and eventually grew so weak that he nearly died. This experience taught him the futility of extremes – whether asceticism or privilege – and constructed the first plank of his program: the principle of the Middle Way, a path of centered moderation that holds the promise of liberation from all suffering.

Buddhism is a religion and philosophy with high moral values that lays great emphasis on human thought and action in dealing with the natural environment, society and personal challenges. It is concerned with the relationship between thoughts and behavior, and the relationship between behavior and its consequences. Interestingly, this spiritual tenant relates nicely to the modern recommendation of moderation and responsibility of which we hear so much today.

Buddhism and Thai Medicine

The Middle Way establishes the underlying principle of traditional Thai medicine, of which there are four branches:

1. Dhammanamai – spiritual practices, which nourish a healthy mind (through meditation and study of Buddhist teachings) and healthy lifestyle (by following the Middle Path).

2. Diet – whole foods and herbs.

3. Manipulation – nuad boran (ancient massage and reflexology) and movement (stretching and yoga).

4. Medicine – herbs, salves, compresses and steams.

As a point of comparison, in North America we compartmentalize ourselves to such a degree as to segregate exercise, food and lifestyle from religion and spirituality. Traditional Thai medicine does just the opposite; it integrates all these aspects of human life into one practice.

Shakyamuni Buddha taught many doctrines, but none more supreme than the science of medicine. Individuals who have taken refuge in Buddhism spend their lives mastering The Six Perfections (giving, morality & ethics, patience, effort, meditation & concentration, and wisdom), moving from one to another as each is fully understood and perfected. Within the practice of medicine though, The Six Perfections are accomplished simultaneously. That is why Thai medicine holds such an important position in the activities of the temples and how Buddhism literally informs the science and art of Thai medicine.

His Holiness, the Dalai Lama is quoted as saying, “When you are strongly motivated to work for others, you can lead a meaningful life. When you have a strong inclination to benefit others, you will find that you are always happy.” Nowhere is that more evident than in Thailand, a country dubbed The Land of Smiles.

Me

As for me, I am blessed with deep personal experiences of my own spirituality whenever I give a Thai reflexology session. The practice continually invites me to enter into my own middle path. I am gently made aware of the fact that the responsibility and possibility for healing lays within each of us, and that the appearance of separateness from others is merely an illusion.

Thai reflexology has strengthened my meditation practice, just as my spiritual efforts have supported my clinical and teaching activities. Knowing that all I have and hold in this world will vanish the moment I leave my earthly body deeply alters my daily awareness. For that I thank Thai reflexology.

If you resonate with what I’ve shared, then I urge you to expand your life and career through a two-day training in Thai Foot Reflexology.