Academy of Ancient Reflexology

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Archives for May 2019

Why Your Feet Are Talking To You?

If you’re wondering why your feet ‘talk to you more’ as you are aging, AARP has a lot to report from studies it harvested for a recent article.

The article began with the facts that about 24% of people over 45 suffer from foot pain; by age 70, that number is closer to 50%. That’s half the adult population living with foot pain! Yikes!

According to the authors, here are some of the reasons:

* As we age blood flow to the feet diminishes, which can worsen any foot issue. As an example, they cited less blood flow to a tendon as contributing to tendonitis.

* Slower nail growth along with a weaker immune system can lead to stubborn nail fungus, athlete’s foot and/or cracked skin. By the time we hit our late 60s and 70s, the skin thins out and the fat pads on the bottom of the feet also thin.

* If you are dealing with mobility issues, such as being able to reach your feet, it makes more difficult to keep up proper foot hygiene, which can exacerbate other problems.

* By the time we reach 70 years of age, our feet need twice as much stimulation for the brain to sense it. REFLEXOLOGY ANYONE?

Some advice from the AARP authors:

* Check your shoe size. Up to 72% of people wear shoes that don’t fit, linked with the development of corns, bunions, contracted toes and pain.

The reason for this is that people often erroneously think that their shoe size is determined and fixed once they have reached adulthood. Wrong! As we age, gravity causes our arches to drop, lengthening the foot. Check every time you head out to make your next shoe purchase.

* Before getting out of bed in the morning, raise one (or both) of your legs in the air and make 20 ankle circles in one direction and then the other. Repeat with the other leg. Make your circles as big as you can, and do slowly. I do this every morning before getting up.

* Go barefoot as often as you can – especially on the earth’s surfaces. Stuffing your feet in shoes all day deprives them of the sensory stimulation they need to help your body move. Barefoot exercises such as Pilates and yoga count.

* Roll the bottom of your feet over a tennis or golf ball every evening. Sit around wearing toe separators while watching television.

Simple things that can make a BIG difference!

Digestion, Immunity and Reflexology

When I sat down to write this blog a memory surfaced from a few years ago when I presented a short class on emotional self-regulation through reflexology to eight, nine and 10-year olds. Their teacher was a client of mine and she was concerned about their well-being; they all lived in impoverished and less than optimal home environments.

I started off asking them to trace their feet and then draw in the arch of their feet what they typically ate for dinner. I was shocked and saddened to see that most drew in slices of pizza and/or chicken nuggets. Not one vegetable or fruit.

So, here’s the point:

ALL organs and systems of the body rely on the health of the digestive tract. It’s that simple.

And the digestive system is designed to break down and absorb FOOD. Real food; nothing else. Vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and high-quality protein.

The digestive system prepares food for consumption through five activities:

  • Ingestion
  • Movement
  • Digestion – the breakdown of food by chemical and mechanical processes
  • Absorption/Metabolism
  • Defecation

A high level of functioning is essential for the body to absorb and utilize the nutrients it needs. Without food to sustain them, the cells – and ultimately, the organs and glands – are unable to function. A slow decline in the ability of the cells to operate leads to a complete breakdown…..

A breakdown that the body’s immune system is unable to restore.

Immunity

Scientists are discovering that the strength of the immune system is largely influenced by the health of the digestive system. It turns out that 75% of the cells necessary for the immune system to function effectively are connected to the gastrointestinal tract.

Reflexes

Most of the digestive reflexes lay between the diaphragm line (just under the heads of the metatarsals/metacarpals) and the pelvic/iliac crest line. On the foot that would be the arch; on the hand the palm.

The digestive reflexes on the feet and the hands are some of the easiest to reach and work. The tissue is soft and there’s plenty of it to sink into. The hand just seems to naturally wrap around the foot’s arch or the hand’s palm.

Inquire about your client’s digestive function. Pay attention to the digestive reflexes when giving a reflexology session. And then inform them of  how much better digestion will operate when a person is relaxed from a reflexology session.

REFLEXOLOGY > RELAXATION > IMPROVED DIGESTION > STRONGER IMMUNE SYSTEM.

Love it!