Academy of Ancient Reflexology

Professional Therapeutic Reflexology

Crisis and Choice

You never know what you will find when you start cleaning out old files! I came across an editorial I wrote in 1997 for the then print-version of the Florida School of Massage’s Connective Issue magazine. I share it now along with a couple of questions for you to contemplate! I am happy to say that this still sums up my beliefs.

“I love the synchronicity of life. I love how, when I’m paying attention, I become so aware of the bountiful support life constantly offers me.

Last week, I came across a greeting card with a quotation credited to Anaïs Nin, the French novelist. The card read: We don’t see things as they are; we see them as we are. Ah…I liked that! Nin’s belief seemed to echo one of mine: Events are neither good nor bad, right or wrong; they just are. We interpret them to mean something based on our beliefs, on who we are.

Little did I know that the message in that greeting card would soon serve to guide me through a challenging time.

Two days ago, I found myself enmeshed in a complicated situation that involved a number of people for whom I care a lot. Many people felt incredibly angry towards certain individuals. Certain people asked for my forgiveness, while other expressed disappointment and surprise regarding my part in the play. Others’ fears were so strong that they felt directed to advise me to seek legal counsel. One thing was certain – there were obviously many ways to see the situation!

As I witnessed all this around me, as well as my own fluctuating emotions, I decided that I wanted to consciously choose my response, rather than react. And that involved a “heart-to-heart” with myself.

Anger? Found no anger, or hate, or resentment towards anyone involved in the drama we had created. Mostly, I felt compassion and curiosity.

Forgiveness? I held no judgment whatsoever towards any of the individuals involved in this story, including myself. Therefore, there was nothing or no one to forgive. Acceptance seemed a better word to describe my position.

And so I was left with the suggestion of fear. I noticed that if I allowed thoughts of worse case scenarios to occupy my head, I was easily overcome with disastrous thoughts. Since I really had no idea of the ultimate resolution of this situation I asked myself, what did I want to see happen? And why would I choose to entertain any image in my head other than what I desired?

I decided therefore to hold a particular vision for myself and the others involved – a positive one.

Immediately, a realization came to me: CRISIS DOESN’T CHANGE WHO I AM – IT SIMPLY SHOWS ME WHO I AM. Yes! If I am a loving, trusting human being, then that is how I will see/relate to myself, the events and people in my life – no matter what the circumstances. The choice is always mine, and all mine.

As I looked back on the tumultuous days just past, I had to smile. I learned a lot – about loyalty and lies and love; how ethical situations demand scrupulous introspection and a thorough examination of the “big-picture” consequences.

Even as I stumble towards perfection, I like who I am. I like who I am becoming. More and more, self-acceptance comes naturally and easily, and within that loving acceptance comes painless change and growth. I am so grateful for the many opportunities I am given from which I can create and express my emerging self.”

What about you? What are your thoughts on this topic? Do you greet each day looking only for what you want to see, or wake up expecting to see what you don’t want in your life?

 

Who Gets Credit?

I recently got into a conversation on Facebook with a new reflexologist (in another country) on whether or not reflexology “fixes” illnesses in the body. She believed that what she was doing and her skill at delivery of those techniques could “fix” (her word) another’s physical ailments. That was important to her.

Before sharing my thoughts on this subject, let me first just state that in the United States, anyone making claims to be able to “fix” someone’s health imbalances better hold a medical license before they open their mouths. Otherwise, they may find themselves in serious trouble for practicing medicine without a license!

That said, I loved the opportunity to examine this subject. I discovered that, sometimes in my own life, I seek confirmation that I am doing something that matters, something that will make a difference in someone else’s life. That comes from a small part of me that needs always to be “doing” in order to justify my own existence, my own importance, that yearns to be recognized as being really good at what I do, and that wants so much for reflexology to be acknowledged as the powerhouse I believe it is.

I can choose to speak and touch from that mindset or from other places within my inner landscape. I can drop my own personal needs and decide to trust instead; to trust my client’s path, trust her body’s innate wisdom, her body’s desire to return to wholeness, and trust that I can stay out of the way.

If I choose to be relaxed myself, stay present with what is happening and responsive to what I might offer, then everything is possible. Within the space of deep relaxation and acceptance, void of any coercion and judgment, the body can feel safe and supported enough to perhaps take the sometimes difficult path to restoration.

This is what I love about reflexology. It doesn’t “fix” anything – even though in my 32 years of practice I have witnessed many, many amazing responses to the work – it simply provides for the client the internal physical environment that makes change possible.

It is my belief then that it is the body that heals, not any intervention that I might perform. The beauty and strength of reflexology is that it puts the body into a neurological state in which the body can repair and heal itself. Relaxation heals, allowing the body to restore homeostasis.

Communication relayed between reflexes and the brain directs the body to make the changes necessary to return to health. The body, in its infinite wisdom, wants to be healthy. As a reflexologist, I am fortunate to know how to create the environment in which that can happen.

What do you think? How were your beliefs shaped?

 

New Year’s Affirmations

don’t work.

That’s because most people just don’t understand how affirmations and the law of attraction work.

It seems that every January we see affirmations posted everywhere by well-meaning, sometimes frustrated, people hoping to make big changes in their lives. I thought I would throw in my two cents!

If, for example, you are wanting to increase your income or lose weight, sitting in front of the mirror every morning reciting something like, “I now earn $5000 (or whatever amount) a month” or “I am healthy and slim” just won’t work. Your psyche knows it’s a lie.

Your subconscious mind runs the show – not your conscious mind – and your subconscious mind knows what the truth is.

If you affirm that, “My income will increase in 2015” or “I will reach my desired weight in 60 days” you have just confirmed the current lack in your life (income/desired weight) and your affirmations will continue to manifest that lack. Your subconscious mind operates only in the present moment, so affirmations must be phrased in that way. Write in present tense. Future tense implies absence of. All you do is re-enforce the absence.

The other point to understand about affirmations is that their power really comes from the emotions that they stir. If your affirmations don’t get you excited and passionate enough to bring a big smile to your face and get your blood pumping, then nothing will happen. The law of attraction works on the principle of e-motion – energy in motion. It’s the powerful draw of emotions that delivers what our heart desires, not words.

Here are some examples of what to affirm instead:

“I am actively pursuing my dreams and enjoying the process of increasing my income while doing it.”

“I am in the process of building the successful reflexology practice that I envision.”

“My daily actions are moving me closer to the state of health and weight that I desire.”

Did you notice that the above phrases feel different to state than the ones at the beginning of this article? It’s because they are true; they’re not lies you’re telling yourself.

Now here’s how to say them:

  • Stand up!
  • Start your day with affirmations. Set the tone for your day’s experience.
  • Say out loud and with ENTHUSIASM.
  • Tap into the emotion that living your desired outcome sparks. You’ve got to FEEL it.

Here are some other opening phrases that will keep your affirmations in the present moment:

  • I love knowing that ….
  • I love how it feels when ….
  • I’ve decided…
  • More and more…
  • I’m excited at the thought of…
  • I love the idea of…
  • I love seeing myself…

Remember that the universe re-arranges itself to accommodate your picture of reality. The law of attraction is unfolding and orchestrating all that needs to happen to bring you your desires.[i]

Go forth, my friends, and make 2015 the year you create the life you want!

 

[i] Adapted from “Law of Attraction” by Michael. J. Losier

An Artist’s Experience of Reflexology

Most people recognize reflexology as an enjoyable way in which to improve physical health. I’d like to relate the experience of one graduate of the Therapeutic Hand & Foot Reflexology Professional Certification; an artist and massage therapist who was pleasantly surprised to discover that reflexology delivered much more than physical relief for her. The comments below were submitted as part of her overall feedback of the program (published with her consent).

“As a massage therapist, I am always looking for ways to enrich my client’s therapeutic experience. I knew reflexology would be a valuable addition to my practice since a major roadblock to healing is often a client’s inability to let go of tension. With these ideas in mind, I decided to enroll in Karen Ball’s Therapeutic Hand & Foot Reflexology Professional Certification training. The following paragraphs describe my experience receiving my session from Karen during that training.

I had been under a lot of stress in my life and had been experiencing visual migraines: brilliant, multihued bands of color flashing at my periphery, especially when rotating my head quickly. I wondered how or if reflexology would affect this.

As the session unfolded, the deep relaxation became a portal into an even deeper state approaching the hypnagogic experience. The hypnagogic state is a deep transitional state between sleeping and wakefulness, often accompanied by vivid, dreamlike imagery. For a visual artist, hypnagogic imagery is a rich source of inspiration and a way of communicating with the deepest expressions of the psyche.

My consciousness began to weave into unconsciousness as Karen worked on my left foot. When she moved to my right, I noticed that my toes were especially sensitive. That’s the last thing I remember before dissolving into the psyche’s gallery of liquid imagery. There, I drifted onto that dusky limbic edge where the veils between consciousness and unconsciousness are thinnest.”

In the next couple of paragraphs (omitted here) she described – and later painted! – the visual images she experienced during this session. She concludes with…

“As the session neared completion, my experience was accompanied by a sensation of fizzing, carbonated energy bubbles cleansing the dorsal areas of my feet. This sensation channeled upward through my legs and had an integrating effect on the total body. The level of relaxation was deeply profound. I “awoke” from the session feeling rested and rejuvenated.

The meaning of these images is both profound and illusive to me. They reflect a visual/kinesthetic language that is not easily transcribed into words. An artist doesn’t make these images meaningful, they come imbued with meaning. They have a cellular motility like a vitally morphing liquid screen. When fishing in this deep pond of the psyche, one discovers an experience that is both releasing and inspiring. I discovered that reflexology is one door to this healing experience.

Oh, and no more migraines!”

The 2013 Therapeutic Hand & Foot Reflexology Professional Certification begins March 21st.

Spirit Medicine

A few years ago I was asked to create an aromatherapy product for a group who actively supported people who desired to transcend during their dying process. I was honored to contribute to this worthy endeavor and excited about the opportunity to just “live with” the energetic qualities of certain essential oils.

I had the opportunity the last few days to use these products with a friend who peacefully passed this morning after a long bout with cancer. Perhaps as a tribute to her and the inspiration she was in my life, I feel moved to share my thought-process in creating these two products. I’ll also share the formulas, along with my blessing to use.

My intention for both these products was to uplift and provide support for the individual’s transcendence. I was not looking to target any individual system of the body nor address any physical ailments. In every sense, my choice of oils and their route of application were guided by my understanding of essential oils as “messengers of energy and consciousness.” [i]

The first product was a massage oil, for which I chose jojoba as the base. I chose organic jojoba for its purity, subtle aroma and molecular approximation to the skin’s natural sebum. Since it is highly moisturizing, I thought it would be a good choice for the elderly and/or bed-ridden. The fact that it does not go rancid was a plus.

The second product was a spritz that could be sprayed around the client’s head. The base for this was distilled water.

I chose skin and inhalation routes because both applications allowed direct access to the circulatory system, thereby reaching every inch of the body.  Since the nasal cavity lacks a stratum corneum (the top protective layer of the skin), absorption is rapid. Absorption through the skin, by way of a massage, is slower. I liked that the products would provide both immediate and slower-acting absorption rates.

I took into consideration a balance between top, middle and base notes, with a result of two top, one middle and four base in all.

I also wanted the rhizome, wood, resin, flower and fruit parts of plants to be representative in the blends. A rhizome is present to support the person in time of fear and instability, and offer strength, balance and connection in a time of big change. The wood offers core support and centeredness; conducts energy and pushes one to go deeper. The resins, of which there are two, have been used traditionally to support inner reflection and meditation; to offer protection and heal wounds. The fruit uplifts, cleanses emotions, clears energy, protects and brings light to the heart and mind. The two flowers are calming and soothing to the mind, and offer emotional support. They encourage love and forgiveness. I thought that all of the above qualities would be useful at the time of one’s passing.

In addition to selecting oils according to their psychological and spiritual properties, I also created the massage oil to include all of the Five Elements: water, wood, fire, earth and metal. The Five Elements is one of the two main pillars of eastern medicine and is most simply described as the phases or movement of energy, each of which either supports (creates) or controls the process.

My friend was unresponsive the last few days, resting peacefully, thanks to the loving attention of Community Hospice of NE Florida’s caregivers, so I have no tangible way of knowing if the oils and my contact with her feet eased her passage. I trust that they did though, as I know they soothed my loss.

Formulas shared in next two posts.

 

[i] Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit; p.7; Gabriel Mojay.

Living from Intention

I am often asked how I got “into reflexology”. I’d like to say that my career choice was the result of a well-thought-out trajectory or a middle-of-the-night dream-induced epiphany – but that would be lying.

I actually just wandered into it. At the time (1983), I was thinking that I would like to open a health food store in Toronto and had taken a job working in one to see if that really was what I wanted to do. (It didn’t take me long to realize that I didn’t want to work in retail.)

One day, one of my regular customers came into the store and told me that the Reflexology Association of Canada was about to start up their next certification training and that he thought I should enroll. I thought, “Why not?”. I was totally consumed by anything that had anything to do with what I called the human potential movement and was eager to gobble up whatever information and training that I could. I had or was already immersed in nutrition, herbology, meditation, yoga, Bach Flower remedies; so, reflexology – why not?.

Fast-forward to 1989, now living in Florida, and having just received my state massage therapy license (so that I could practice reflexology legally) – when one of my massage teachers informed me of a chiropractor in town looking for a new therapist to join his team. I had never even considered working for a chiropractor, but once again, thought, “Why not?”

I worked with this man for four years, offering a combination of reflexology and “spot” massage to patients prior to their adjustments. Wow! Such a fabulous learning experience for me – and for the doctor. At first hesitant about the efficacy of reflexology in injury cases, he was won over by the added benefits his clients received from prefacing their massage with foot reflexology.

Looking back on how my careers in Toronto and Florida started, what I see in common was that I pursued what I thought would fulfill me. Learning how to offer bodywork that brought so much relief and pleasure to others harmonized with a core desire of mine to make a difference in the world. Over the years, I have often reverted to that means of decision-making – and have never regretted it. I continue to choose a “career” of living a happy and intentional life rather than looking for work that manifests enough money so that I can buy and/or do things that make me happy.

How and why did you get started?

Unclutter Your Mind

We see lots of magazine articles and television shows these days talking about “de-cluttering our lives”. This takes that idea a little deeper, I think.

~ Beginners acquire new theories and techniques until their minds are cluttered with options.

Advanced students forget their many options. They allow the theories and techniques that they have learned to recede into the background.

Learn to unclutter your mind. Learn to simplify your work.

As you rely less and less on knowing just what to do, your work will become more direct and more powerful. You will discover that the quality of your consciousness is more potent than any technique or theory or interpretation.

Learn how fruitful (the block group) or individual suddenly becomes when you give up trying to do just the right thing. ~

… from The Tao of Leadership by John Heider

 

Collaboration vs. Competition

In their pursuit of supremacy in the tech world, Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google constantly surprise us with creative, useful designs and unexpected business models. Their relentless out-of-the-box competition almost guarantees that no matter which of these innovative firms tops this month’s A-list, no doubt one of them will disrupt something – or everything – come next.

Although I admire a lot about these companies, I am disturbed when I learn of the unfair, unethical and/or illegal tactics they sometimes utilize to win the race. Their behaviors seem to indicate that the only way to succeed is on your own and on the backs of others. I don’t agree with that. I think that we need to support each other. Isabelle Allende once said that the end doesn’t justify the means, the end is decided by the means. If we’re petty and greedy and shallow and put our need to win ahead of our humanity, then nothing good will come of our careers.

Recently, I was contacted by the regional office of AmeriCorps (a national and community version of the Peace Corps). They were planning a mid-term appreciation day for a group of 25 young college grads that had volunteered one year of service in Jacksonville, Florida. The organizer was wondering if the Academy might be willing to provide reflexology sessions to these deserving young people.

I no sooner hung up the phone than an email arrived telling me about a 15-year-old neighbor boy awaiting a $70,000 liver transplant. I have had the pleasure of meeting young Alex Fast and was shocked to read of the constant health challenges he has faced since age three. I immediately saw a way to say yes to both of these opportunities.

I put out a call to some local graduates of the Therapeutic Hand & Foot Reflexology Professional Certification program and was immensely gratified with speedy agreement to my invitation. I suggested that we spend a couple of hours delivering 20-minute hand or foot reflexology sessions to the AmeriCorps volunteers and that we turn over the stipend offered to the Academy for this service to the Children’s Organ Transplant Association, the organization collecting donations to make Alex’s life-saving operation a reality.

Collaboration. We all won. The incredibly appreciative volunteers (they stood and applauded us as we left and sent a card signed by all) got to relax with an excellent taste of reflexology; Alex moved one small step closer to his needed goal; and us, we really won. We left feeling really good inside, both about young people and ourselves.

So, what’s better? Competition or collaboration? What do you think?

 

Dusk on the River

My intention today was to write something on reflexology, as well as remind you that you still have time to register for this year’s Therapeutic Hand & Foot Reflexology Professional Certification beginning February 2.

I considered Parkinson’s disease, hammertoes, menopause, phantom limbs, colds & flu – some of the many conditions that certified reflexologists commonly and successfully address. And then, in one of my many moments of distraction 😉  , I came across a blog post that so totally captivated my attention that all other possible topics faded away.

The article has nothing to do with reflexology or massage, so consider yourself warned, my friends! Hopefully though, like me, you are prompted to reflect on how you choose to respond to what’s coming at you in your world. Let’s face it; life does seem to be happening at warp speed these days, with impending events often heralded by predictions of gloom and doom.

I am referring to a blog post written by a Western woman teaching at a university in Japan. She writes about a reading/discussion assignment that centers on a lovely tale written by the American Buddhist Pema Chödrön.

I read this simple story, asking myself the same questions as were asked of Ms. Thomas’s students. At the end, as I read the comments expressed by the Japanese, I was reminded how easily I can become trapped in the emotions and perspectives which my culture has cultivated in me, and how differently we all might perceive a shared experience. I am thankful for the reminder this article gifts me: that my way – my vision – is but one of many valid ways in which to experience this wild and crazy ride.

Dusk on the River

And, by the way, I will write on those other topics at some later!

365 Thank Yous

I hope you all are enjoying this end-of-year holiday season in whatever way you choose to celebrate. I came across a book the other day that I really loved and want to share it – as my holiday gift to you.

The book is entitled “365 Thank Yous” and was written by US lawyer John Kralik. The book reprints 365 thank you notes Mr. Kralik sent – one every day for a year – during a very difficult time in his life.  What happened as a result of his decision is both heart-warming (especially the first note sent to his son) and inspiring. You can watch a short interview here in which Mr. Kralik explains his motivation and some of the surprising results arising from his decision.

For many years, I have believed that gratitude is the quickest route to happiness, and have regularly made my appreciation tangible in a gratitude journal as well as direct verbal expressions to others and to myself. “365 Thank Yous” has inspired me to kick it up a notch, to write a thank you note, not every day as the author did, but one every week over the next year. And I’m starting with this one to you:

Dear Readers: Thank you firstly for reading my blog posts. I love the process of selecting a topic and then reaching inside for words to share that I hope will have some usefulness or meaning for you. Without you, there would be no one to “talk” to; to listen.

Thank you for posting your own thoughts and opinions, both through this blog site and my personal e-mail. I know how busy all our lives are, and I am touched that you take time from your busy schedule to communicate with me.

And finally, thank you for sharing your hands, heart and intelligence to help others heal their lives. I acknowledge your desire to further your education, and to contribute the best you have to the world. As Wayne Muller once stated: “To dedicate a single act to the healing of others is a day well lived”.

I wish you a joyful, peaceful and safe holiday! Until next year…