Academy of Ancient Reflexology

Reflexology Certification Programs and Workshops

The Best Gifts: Enrichment and Health

Gift wrapped box This time of year gets so busy with holiday bustle, it’s easy to neglect our own self care.

Maybe we sometimes do treat ourselves, buying some pleasant trinket we like while we’re shopping for others.

Which is fine, of course! In thinking about purchasing a present for yourself this year, I invite you to consider the most wonderful gift of all—the gift of enrichment and good health.

This gift will give back real dividends for years to come. It will give back in income for you, and in improved health and well-being for yourself and everyone you offer your gift to.

I’m referring of course to investing in your education, becoming a certified reflexologist.

This certification program is truly unique. Not only will you walk away with the skills and confidence you need to offer clients advanced therapy to support their health and wellness, but YOU will explore aspects of your personal and professional development that are not found in any other program.

What a gift! To

  • grow as a person,
  • launch a new career,
  • increase your earning potential, AND
  • learn to help yourself and others feel their absolute best with nothing more than the natural, intentional, therapeutic touch of your own two hands.

The reflexology certification program is designed with your health and safety in mind. Due to COVID concerns, enrollment is limited. Please go to the Certification page today for more information.

Contact me directly about whether reflexology certification is the right gift to give yourself, to then give the gift of your skills to the world!

We’re At A Crossroads

Two hands giving reflexology to foot

I hope this finds you well. I know these are trying times for all of us.

I also know that the things that are challenging us will not last forever. The election mayhem has passed, the social unrest will be resolved, and the COVID-19 crisis will evolve into a manageable condition like so many other conditions we’ve learned to navigate.

We will get through this!

We must not lose hope. I believe this so strongly, in fact, that in the months I was unable to see clients, I decided to devote myself to learning new skills and planning ways to reinvent my practice. What can I offer that is safe and beneficial to clients?

Maybe you are in that same position, at a crossroads. Although the hurdles in our path were not of our making, our response is. This may be the perfect time to choose a new direction forward!

Foot reflexology is perhaps the safest way to offer all the benefits of bodywork to the widest population of clients. Consider:

  • Because the client leans back in a reclining chair or massage therapy table, and the reflexologist is seated at the feet, there is quite a distance between faces
  • When both people wear masks, there is a greatly reduced chance that either will breathe in respiratory droplets or shared air that the other has exhaled.
  • Reflexology can be done anywhere with a portable chair—in an open, airy room or even outdoors!
  • The client doesn’t get undressed or lay face down, reducing potential contact with any surface that a previous client may have touched or breathed on.
  • The Academy teaches how to begin each session with a foot bath, ensuring that the reflexologist’s hands and the client’s feet are as clean as can be. (Anti-viral essential oils can be added to the water, and gloves can even be worn if desired.)
  • Foot reflexology is easy to receive—it can be done very gently and still be highly effective. As a non-invasive technique, it often can be offered to more vulnerable clients for whom massage therapy might not be appropriate.

In these stressful times, people need bodywork more than ever. We’re not getting enough touch! Reflexology offers all the healing benefits of hands-on therapy that is so supportive of our physical health and emotional well being.

You can offer this to clients, safely and confidently, as a Certified Reflexologist. Go to the Certification page and learn more about the 2021 Certification Program. Every aspect of the in-person sessions has been designed to keep students safe and healthy.

Classes start in the spring and enrollment is limited, so please don’t delay!

If you have any questions or would like to schedule a consultation to explore whether the certification program is right for you, contact me directly.

I look forward to hearing from you!

It’s All in How You Look at It

If you were to ask me what is the most often asked question I get regarding certification in reflexology, it is, “Do I need a massage license to practice reflexology?”

My response to that question is never simple and sometimes viewed as an obstacle to working as a reflexologist. It needn’t be.

The issue has to do with the legalities surrounding the professional practice of reflexology in the United States. In this context, the word “professional” refers to anyone who accepts compensation for his or her work. “Compensation” is defined to include cash, barter, trade, tithe, love offering, donations; i.e. anything with monetary value.

Since states have different (or no) laws governing the professional practice of reflexology, it is always in your best interest to familiarize yourself with the requirements of your state if you are thinking of practicing reflexology. Because, it all comes down to where you want to practice.

* Most US states exempt reflexology from any licensing laws.

* Some states license reflexology as a separate practice.

* A few require professionals to hold a specific state-issued license before accepting any form of compensation for their services.

* Some states allow an individual with a cosmetology license to offer reflexology as part of nail services.

In Florida, where I live and offer the Therapeutic Hand & Foot Reflexology Professional Certification, a license is required. One of the state government’s primary mandates is to protect the public; therefore, the state tests anyone whose services involve touching the human body (healthcare practitioners, cosmetologists, morticians, etc.) to determine if the applicant’s knowledge and skill level are such to safely operate a business; i.e. to do no harm. The preferred license to practice reflexology in Florida is a massage therapy license.

Florida does allow someone with a cosmetology or nail tech license to offer reflexology as part of those services though. These practitioners are allowed to do that because the scope of their license includes massaging the hands and feet. It’s important to note that in these situations, reflexology can only be offered in conjunction with the nail tech services, not as a stand-alone service. For that, a massage license is required.

The above information – my answer to this frequently asked question – can feel like an obstacle to some people who want to just practice reflexology. I can understand that, and I can add, from personal experience, that it can also be seen as an opportunity. Certifications in more than one area can work to one’s advantage. Employers love it when they see multiple skills on a resume. The more education you have and the more variety of services you can offer, the more attractive you are to clients and to a business looking to hire.

I practiced reflexology in Toronto, Ontario where a license was not required. When I moved to Florida, I legally had to obtain a massage therapy license before I could hang my shingle. Attending the Florida School of Massage was one of the best decisions of my life; both in terms of the knowledge I acquired and the personal growth experience. Without a doubt, everything I learned in my massage and hydrotherapy training supported, and continues to support my reflexology practice.

Some people who contact me choose to complete massage training first and then take the Therapeutic Hand & Foot Reflexology Professional Certification as advanced training. Some do it the other way around, choosing to ease into the field of bodywork by first completing reflexology training (less time commitment, money and complexity). Either way is fine.

Like the Florida-based woman who called recently (and the inspiration for this article): someone looking to get out of her current work field who has held a lifelong interest in reflexology. Rather than see the requirement for licensure as an obstacle, she got excited. Like me, she has most times been a little less than satisfied with the massage aspect of pedicures, and immediately saw the niche she could create for herself as the nail tech that includes effective reflexology. Yes!

It’s all in how you look at it.

The 2021 Therapeutic Hand & Foot Reflexology Professional Certification begins on April 1 and will be the last time I offer this enriching program. After 30 years of teaching reflexology, I have decided to move on to other interests. Act soon, if you wish to acquire the knowledge to be able to skillfully offer foot and hand reflexology to your community. Because of social distancing requirements, enrollment in all classes next year will be limited.

If you wish to see a current listing of stipulations regarding the practice of reflexology in the United States, please visit this link.

The New Classroom

In two weeks, I’ll be on the road to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to teach my first workshop since February! Yikes! I hope I remember how to behave! 🥴

Throwing a gathering now is not as easy as it was before. I ended up changing the venue so that I could have a larger space. I want to allow for more than six feet between tables. I’ve been constantly running through the days in my mind and determining what precautions I will need to take to ensure that all of us are safe.

One thing I realized just a couple of days ago was that I could no longer accept an odd number of participants in my classes. I don’t want two people standing at the foot of the table working at the same time. So, accepting registrations is a little trickier than usual.

2021

As I stated in an earlier blog, next year will likely be my last year of teaching reflexology. I plan to teach as much as I can and am opening up my calendar now to schedule the 2021 events. I already know I will be heading to Atlanta, Georgia; Gainesville, St. Petersburg, Ocala, Deland and Saint Augustine, Florida; Memphis, Tennessee; Arizona; Toronto and Winnipeg, Canada. Please reach out as soon as possible to put your locale on the schedule, if you want me to come to you. I plan to drive to as many places as I can, so as to avoid airports and airplanes!

Safety Precautions

I fully expect to be putting safety procedures into place until the end of 2021. Here’s what I will insist on, first from the venue, then myself and of course, the attendees:

Hotels

* Increased industry-standard cleaning and sanitation procedures for guest rooms, based on recent guidance from the CDC, WHO and the AMLA (American Hotel & Lodging Association)

* Daily housekeeping service by request

* Unnecessary items removed from guest rooms

* Streamlined processes between guests and hotel associates to minimize contact, including clearly marked distancing spaces

* Disinfection of high-traffic areas and sanitizing stations throughout the hotel

In the Classroom:

* No-touch thermal temperatures will be taken at the arrival of all classes days

* More than six feet of distance will be set out between massage tables and lecture seating

* A fresh face covering (covering both nose and mouth) required while in the classroom

* Each attendee is expected to use their own table coverings, towels, foot tub and foot lubricants, and to use fresh linens on each day of class

* Tables are to be disinfected between usages. Participants should bring the disinfectant they typically use to safely sanitize their table surfaces.

* Frequent use of hand sanitizer throughout the days. I will bring and suggest that all participants bring as well.

* Classroom will be vacuumed, cleaned and sanitized, and trash removed prior to each day of classes. Hotels will be expected to follow industry-standard cleaning and sanitation procedures based on recent guidelines from the CDC, WHO and the AMLA (American Hotel & Lodging Association). In non-hotel venues, I will work with owners to ensure that standards as set out by the ABMP (Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals) and the FSMTB (Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards) are carried out. I will either personally clean the classroom at the end of each day or arrange to have the owners do so.

* Other guidelines will be explained upon arrival, dependent on the variables of the various locations.

In a Nutshell

No matter the extra expense and effort that it will now take to present quality trainings, I am committed to giving it my all this next year. I love and have sorely missed, sitting with others of my tribe and sharing information, stories and our hearts. I imagine you have missed that in your life also, so let’s plan our lives – while minimizing risk –  to once again include communing with our friends and colleagues. Contact me if you want me to visit.

Planning the Future; Letting Go

I have two big announcements to make today.

#1  We have just selected and published the dates for the 2021 Therapeutic Hand & Foot Reflexology Professional Certification in Saint Augustine, Florida. I have booked the same lovely new Marriott Courtyard at the beach as we had planned on holding the program this year. I am completely confident that by April of next year, our ‘new normal’ will have solidified into a working model in which we can safely gather, learn together and have fun. I sincerely hope you will join us because what I am about to say right now does not come easy. However, here goes:

 #2  After months and months of deep thought and self-examination, I have decided to end my career as a reflexology educator to professional practitioners. I will teach next year, and perhaps in 2022, and then close it down. This is a big step to share publicly what has been on my mind for a while now; hitting ‘Publish’ makes my decision real and somewhat scary.

I have taught reflexology for 35 years, so it is a big part of who I am and how people know me. I will write more on this later but suffice it to say if you have ever wanted to learn how to be a skilled and highly qualified reflexologist with a strong foundation on how to build your business so that you will stand out in the crowd, ACT NOW. Because of what I imagine will be limitations regarding the number of people that can safely gather together, the class size will be small.

An Amazing Life – The Road Taken

I’m sure you’ve heard this before: Follow your passion.

Well, I don’t buy into that statement.

My passion is not “out there” to be followed like some puppy chasing a ball.

My passion is inside me. And it’s something that developed from following my curiosity. I wasn’t born with the many passions that propel me through my day; they matured by my paying attention to what interested me and then checking those interests out.

It wasn’t always that way for me, however.

Years ago, when people would ask me what my passion was, I felt like a failure. I didn’t have one! I mean, where does one find passion? Are we playing a game of hide and seek here? Is it available on Amazon? I do have Prime, you know!

Here’s where curiosity took me:

🌹My love of scents and where they took me in my head – and why I liked some brands of a particular aroma and not others – intrigued me enough to sign up for a free introductory class in aromatherapy offered when I was a massage student 31 years ago.

🦶🏼My curiosity (and skepticism) about how contact with the feet could affect stress levels and health motivated me back in 1983 to enroll in the Reflexology Association of Canada’s foot reflexology certification program.

❓My interest in the role belief systems play in our ability to experience a happy and prosperous life propelled me to take a weekend course entitled Happiness is a Choice, offered by the eminent Option Institute.

Did I know where those initial steps would lead? Nope.

Did I have a plan in mind to create what’s turned out to be an amazing life for myself? Heck, no!

I was just following a tickle I felt inside; something that had grabbed my attention.

And guess what! Each of those initial steps left me wanting more!

I picked up a couple of books on aromatherapy and read like crazy. That sparked more curiosity and more questions. Decided it was time to spend face-time (the real face time) with someone who knew something about the topic. I took a weekend workshop with Christina Polnyj at Essential Education International, and that did it. Signed up to take certification training in a chemistry-based program, offered by Andrea Butje at Aromahead Institute of Essential Oils Studies. (I loved feeling like the mad scientist while learning how to formulate blends for specific needs!)

Once I finished my reflexology training, I was, to say the least, fired up! I was eager to see how people other than my classmates would respond to the work. I started offering sessions to friends in exchange for their services and taking note of how their emotional, mental and physical lives were changed. And that’s when my curiosity turned into a passion! I just had to offer it to everyone I could in my hometown of Toronto! A business was born!

After the 2-day workshop in belief systems, I felt like an addict – I had to have more! I was mesmerized and loved my teacher. I took another weekend course and then took the plunge to explore all my beliefs in an 8-week residential program that changed my life. That experience formed the foundation upon which I have built my entire life and business.

Every one of these actions was triggered by my curiosity. Following what interested me is what developed the passions that inspire and drive me still today. I didn’t follow my passion; I followed my nose. My curiosity lit the match that sparked the fire that I bring to my work and life.

So, what are you curious about? What gets you thinking “Hmmmm” every time you see or hear something? What will you explore in 2020?

If you have even an inkling of curiosity about reflexology, I urge you to join me for a 2-day introduction in Reflexology for the Hands on May 16 and 17 in Gainesville, Florida.

You’ll either feel inspired afterward or not. But, you’ll know if this is a path to meander for a while longer. You’ll either feel it or not.

If curiosity has already kicked you down this road, and you’re ready to discover where a comprehensive training in hand and foot reflexology might lead you, well, what are you waiting for? Jump in!

Read about this year’s Therapeutic Hand and Foot Reflexology Professional Certification. The program starts on April 4, so don’t waste any time!

Who knows – your curiosity may explode into a passion! And God knows, the world needs more passionate, compassionate people right now with a burning desire to contribute something of value!

Change the World One Sole at a Time

I’m on a mission. A mission to help as many people as I can to relax.

Obviously, I can’t do this alone, so, I must share with others of like mind all that I have learned over the last 40 years of professional practice and personal experimentation. I’m writing today to recruit a tribe of people with the same goal as me: to help as many people as they can to feel better and enjoy their lives more.

I believe too that we learn to relax by experiencing it, not by telling ourselves (or heaven forbid, being told by someone else) to “just relax”. The experience of feeling ourselves in a relaxed state is what creates the desire for more. The body wants to feel relaxed. It functions better that way.

The wisest, smartest part of me will find a way to give me more of what I want. With each experience of relaxation, my ability to let go increases and deepens. With each experience, I want more.

That is one reason why I teach reflexology live, and not through an electronic medium. I want everyone enrolled in my programs to experience the benefits of reflexology and deep relaxation for themselves, not just copy some hands-on techniques that I might demonstrate.

What Stress Does

In this crazy world we live in right now, the importance of learning to relax has never been greater. Here’s just a sampling of what happens when the body is under chronic stress:

*The heart beats faster.

*Blood pressure increases.

*Breathing becomes shallow and rapid, reducing the amount of oxygen available to your body. (Remember, oxygen is our primary food.)

*Blood sugar rises, paving the way for diabetes.

*Endocrine functions are disturbed, including a surge in the production of adrenalin and cortisol.

*The immune system weakens, making you more vulnerable to illness.

*Digestion is halted.

*Aging is accelerated.

Scientific studies have found, over and over again, that chronic stress increases the likelihood of developing really serious illnesses, including heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, panic attacks, depression, stomach ulcers, chronic fatigue, and migraine headaches.

And that’s why I LOVE reflexology!

What Reflexology Does

Reflexology is a very enjoyable and highly effective way to reduce stress. I’ve never had anyone get up from my table and not give me that feedback. Personally, I’d have a session every day if I could!

Reflexology is also easy and fun to learn to give.

What former participants have to say about the Academy’s 315-hour Professional Certification:

“Though I know it’s just the beginning, I feel like I really KNOW this stuff, and I’m getting good at educating the public, which feels like a very important thing. This was very well-rounded, as it dealt with not only reflexology, but also business, communication, and tying it all together…..‘Enlightening and encouraging’ is actually a good summary phrase for the whole program!”

“I’ve learned a lot and have added work that my clients are loving, and even gotten new clients. There’s a fresh buzz in my business, and my brain is full of new ideas. I’m really glad I decided to do this…… It’s really enlivened my practice, and I look forward to what happens next.”

“Karen is incredibly knowledgeable about reflexology, aromatherapy, marketing, and has really created what feels like an excellent ‘graduate program’. I really appreciated being able to ask so many questions and keep getting clarifications. I felt very well supported during the program.”

We might not be able to help everyone on this planet, but we can make a difference in our clients’ lives, and also our own. Whether you offer reflexology as a stand-alone session or combine it with massage, everyone wins. Your clients feel better; they tell others and return for more.

Register now to attend this year’s Therapeutic Hand & Foot Reflexology Professional Certification. Added bonus: you’ll get to hang in the beautiful beachside resort of Saint Augustine, Florida! The program begins on April 2, so act now!

Together we can become an army for good, changing the world one sole at a time! Are you in?

Pain Management and Reflexology

Although many people are aware of the relief massage therapy offers musculoskeletal pain, many folks are surprised to learn of the long history that reflexology enjoys in this area. Some people even think that reflexology holds an advantage over massage in addressing pain disorders, because reflexology can address both pathological and non-pathological musculoskeletal pain, while massage addresses only the latter.

In North America, reflexology’s association with pain management began in the early 1900s, when Dr. William Fitzgerald, often referred to as the “father of modern reflexology”, introduced zone therapy into his medical practice. Dr. Fitzgerald successfully used reflexology to anesthetize his patients for nose and throat surgeries. One of Dr. Fitzgerald’s many research findings showed that “when pain was relieved, the condition that produced the pain was also generally relieved”.

In my reflexology practice I can think of countless times that my services resulted in long-term relief of both somatic and visceral pain: headaches, low back pain, plantar fasciitis, TMJ dysfunction, fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel syndrome, sprains, and menstrual cramps, to name a few.

In my own life, I can recall many occasions as well. One, in particular, stands out, when I had driven out-of-town to teach a weekend workshop. Rather suddenly I found myself with an excruciating toothache. During the workshop, I worked constantly on the teeth reflexes on my hands and was able to reduce my #9 pain to a bearable #2, until such time I could get home to have it attended to. All of that without any medication!

Some economists believe pain management to be recession-proof. That makes sense. People In pain will go to any length to find relief from their discomfort. They will look high and low for someone who can provide hope, answers and a plan that can restore function and ease. No matter the cost.

Those same economic researchers tell us that manual therapy is the fastest growing segment of the service industries, and especially now that we have recognized the dangers of using opioid drugs to alleviate pain.

If you haven’t already, maybe it’s time you joined those of us who have dedicated our lives to helping others live a life of quality? The true reward for a reflexologist is having happy clients return to say they are living pain-free.  Success like that is both gratifying and lucrative for any manual therapist.

Why Study Reflexology With Me When You Can Learn For Free Online?

I’ve heard people question why they should study reflexology in a physical classroom when they can just as easily take a free course online. That’s a reasonable question, and I’d like to address that today.

I am convinced that you cheat yourself by only watching free content online IF you are ready to get serious about reflexology, yourself, and the dream of a happier life for yourself.

If you’re still at the place in your life where surfing Internet videos engages enough of your curiosity, then do that. But, if you’re ready to dive deep, then step onto the diving board!

Free content may offer you information, but it can never produce the results that a personal instructor’s thought, effort and commitment to you and your success will deliver. It’s not possible.

Online programs are formatted for the masses; the material is generalized and nonspecific to you and your life. You deserve more than that and will need more than that if you want to build a successful practice for yourself.

From the very beginning of the Therapeutic Hand & Foot Reflexology Professional Certification we focus simultaneously on mastering the two sides of a successful reflexology practice:

  1. The skills to offer a results-oriented reflexology session. That involves more than just learning hands-on techniques. It’s how to put it all together. It’s knowing how and when and why to offer what.
  1. The steps to manifest an ideal business and life for yourself. It pains me to no end to see people invest their time, money and heart into something and then never reap the rewards they imagined for themselves. For that reason, we start right at the beginning of the program to clearly visualize your dream and strategize an action plan to make that dream come true.

By the time your classroom hours are fulfilled, you will be equally adept at offering a reflexology session and have created a marketing plan to create a successful reflexology business.

And, I’ll hold you accountable to your business plan!

We’ll set up a private consultation to fine-tune your ideas for success and establish achievable goals and deadlines that will get the results you want. I’ll hold you to your commitment (unless, of course, you don’t want that support).

I wish I had had a coach when I started out; someone to help me to move past the limiting beliefs that stopped me from being all that I was meant to be. I didn’t, so I had to figure it all out for myself. Let me be your personal coach – make your journey easier than mine was.

Another thing to consider when contemplating whether to take an online course (free or paid) or take your reflexology certification in a classroom setting:

If you wish to become nationally board-certified in reflexology, or licensed in reflexology (five US states require a specific license to practice reflexology) and/or hold a Professional level membership with the national and/or state reflexology organizations, you will require live classroom hours of training – plenty of them. These organizations consider live classroom instruction, supervision and feedback essential to attaining the skills to practice safely and effectively.

I charge for my reflexology trainings because I see value in what I have to offer. I’m proud of my teaching abilities and have been recognized nationally by the Reflexology Association of America for “serving as a role model for all educators to inspire students to aspire to create a successful life on their own terms.”

I’m way better than free!

Join us (this year only) in Gainesville, Florida for the 22nd Therapeutic Hand & Foot Reflexology Professional Certification. Classes start April 4, so act now.

The Gift

People often tell me that I have an amazing gift.

I’m always a little baffled when I hear that. Not to sound self-deprecating, but what does that mean? What do these well-intentioned folk mean by ‘gift’? A special talent? Something that was bestowed upon me by some greater power? Something I was born with?

Or is it something that I cultivated?

I wasn’t born a reflexologist, and neither was I born an inspiring teacher.

I cultivated skills to be able to do what I do.  And, these skills were acquired later in my life.

I didn’t have a clue in my earlier years what I ‘wanted to be when I grew up’. I just kind of followed my nose and did whatever interested me. That road eventually led me to formalized trainings in subjects such as herbology, nutrition, meditation, aromatherapy, personal growth, massage therapy and yes, reflexology.

The one thing I did know at a very early age was that I wasn’t cut out to be a school teacher (boring), bank teller (hate math) or nurse (fainted at the sight of blood). And those were the only job opportunities placed in front of me! That was it!

I knew that I didn’t want a job that just paid me. I wanted to derive meaning from my work and I wanted to look forward to getting up every morning to do that work. I wanted to contribute something of value.

Does this sound like you? Do you yearn for more than just work? Do you want what you do to matter? And to be rewarded monetarily for your time and skill?

Well, you can have that. No matter how young or old you are, how healthy or unhealthy, how confident or not so confident. If you hold a sincere desire to heal yourself and through that process to touch the lives of as many other people as possible to help them improve the quality of their lives, then you can fashion a life for yourself that matters.

I know you can – because I did!

My real passion is to inspire others on their chosen path of self-inquiry. And yes, I realize that path may not be a career as a practicing reflexologist.

Participation in the Therapeutic Hand & Foot Reflexology Professional Certification may turn you in another direction. That’s fine with me. And that’s because the mission of the Academy of Ancient Reflexology is to create an environment in which people learn how they can improve first the quality of their own lives – and then others – through the vehicles of reflexology, aromatherapy, service and self-awareness – or – perhaps not.

The 2019 Therapeutic Hand & Foot Reflexology Professional Certification starts April 4 in Gainesville, Florida. Join me for a comprehensive course like nothing you have experienced before.