Academy of Ancient Reflexology

Professional Therapeutic Reflexology

Changing the Shape of Your Heart

I was intrigued when I read the title of a recent TED Talk that claimed that emotions actually change the shape of our hearts.

Cardiologist and author, Dr. Sandeep Jauhar, called on the medical profession to acknowledge the critical role emotions play in coronary health.

He went on to state that although the heart is commonly associated with love, it is not the source of love. He explained that the heart does not generate our feelings, but is responsive to them. And that is why the state of our emotional health is so important to our overall wellbeing.

As examples, he showed how fear and grief set off a cascade of changes such as pinching the shape of the heart muscle, speeding up the heart rate, contraction of blood vessels, and increasing blood pressure – all of which can result in damage to the organ.

The above are all triggers that occur in what is commonly referred to as ‘broken heart syndrome’, a biological event that can cause ‘death by grief’. On the other end of the scale, emotions such as joy and happiness create opposite changes in the heart that support healthy functioning of the organ.

All of these observations have led to studies with some surprising results. The one that caught my interest the most was ‘The Lifestyle Heart Trial’, published in 1990 in The Lancet, a UK science publication.

In it, the subjects, all living with coronary disease, were divided into two groups: the control group, who received regular allopathic practices, and the lifestyle group, who were put on a program of vegetarian diet, moderate exercise, stress management techniques and a social support network.

The results were undisputable. Although diet and exercise played a role in slowing the progression of coronary disease, the prevalent decider was stress management techniques and social connection. Those who receiving loving touch experienced less aortic disease than those who didn’t.

Dr. Jauhar concluded his talk with sharing that over the last 10 years the decline of coronary disease has slowed, at the same time the external stressors of modern life have increased.

It’s time we take stress management seriously. Our lives depend on it.

You can watch Dr. Jauhar’s full 15-minute talk here.

 

The Biology of Stress

One hundred years ago, the pioneering endocrinologist Hans Selye first defined the way the human body responds to stress. He articulated three occurrences that develop when humans are under prolonged stress:

  1. Multiple stomach ulcers develop.
  2. The adrenal glands enlarge four or five times from their protracted effort to produce copious bursts of adrenaline.
  3. The immune system (specifically the thymus, lymph nodes and the lymph tissue in the gut) atrophies.

None of which, is good.

When Selye refers to ‘prolonged stress’, he is referring to what is classified as Type 2 stress. There are two kinds of stress:

Type 1 is a prehistoric, hard-wired response to a simple stressor.

– The source of stress is definable.  An example: a tiger running towards you.

– There is a specific action that can be taken, from which there is an accompanying reaction. (Run away or kill the tiger; eliminate the stress)

Type 2 is our modern-day, complex form of stress

– The source is not always identifiable.

– A vague sense of worry

– Ongoing, multi-faceted

The sad thing is the body doesn’t know the difference!

If you want to learn a lot about the biology of stress, take a few minutes to watch this very informative video from biologist Dr. Bruce Lipton.

Changing The Culture of Pain

What if we didn’t expect life to be pain-free?

An excellent article, written by Travis Rieder, claimed, “Our obsession with a unidimensional pain scale and a medicine that can get us to zero – but with serious costs – has been a recipe for disaster.”

I really liked the idea presented in the article linking pain intensity to its influence over day-to-day life. Apparently, so did the Defense and Veterans Center for Integrative Pain Medicine in Maryland. They have just released a new pain scale based on these four considerations:

* one’s ability to engage in daily activities of choice

* stress level

* mood

* sleep

More important than a rating of pain intensity (1 to 10) was the reflection of how the pain affected one’s quality of life.

I like this approach so much that I am going to shift the way I discuss pain with my clients. Rather than have anyone rate their level of discomfort as a numbered scale, I will ask them to rate how their pain/infirmity/injury has affected each of the above four areas. Setting functional goals based on ADLs (activities of daily living), stress levels, sleep satisfaction and moods will actually give us something concrete to work towards.

My first solution to reaching the above goals is, without a doubt, reflexology. Why? Because I know that reflexology can help reduce stress levels, improve sleep patterns and moods. Experience has also shown me that reflexology supports the body’s musculoskeletal system in relaxing and functioning without pain.

The article is short and well worth the read.

Thank You

This year-end is even more jammed packed than usual for me, what with packing and moving on top of my weekly clinical practice, a rare December teaching engagement this last weekend, starting a state non-profit chapter of reflexologists, and my stepped up social calendar.

People assume that I’m stressed, but that’s not the case. When I examine why that it is, I find that my dedication to the following not only keeps me sane, but relaxed:

* limited intake of alcohol, caffeine and sweets

* 8 to 9 hours of sleep/night

* regular reflexology and massage sessions

* a nightly review of all that I am thankful for from that day

* lots of time with friends, sharing good food, silly memories and thoughtful conversation

I want to wish you all a blessed holiday, filled with good friends, loving family, delicious food, lots of rest and time to give thanks for the year just past.

Whether you are in a snow-covered landscape or basking on the beach, the meaning of this time of year is the same. Boots or flip-flops, it doesn’t matter – I know from experience having moved from the Canadian prairies to the Sunshine state years ago.

My appreciation and gratitude to all of you. You are the reason I do what I do.

Dream Big. Aim FAR.

According to the well-thought-of astrology site, Astro Butterfly, December is the best time to dream big and envision a new reality for yourself. The planets Jupiter and Neptune encourage us this month to envision something that doesn’t yet exist.

I had to smile when I read this in my Inbox yesterday. Why? Because four other reflexologists and I decided that was exactly what we would do. We would shoot for the stars and create a formal chapter of reflexologists for the state of Florida.

We announced the birth of the Florida Association of Reflexologists – FAR, for short – a few days ago. We plan to GO FAR, and we totally trust that the stars will guide us as we aim our intentions high.

Florida has been without a reflexology membership organization for many years now – and it’s time the Sunshine State got back in the game. Florida reflexologists deserve and need a strong support network! At the Reflexology Association of America conference in Chicago earlier this year, five of us got talking and decided to fill that void.

We invite all reflexologists and lovers of reflexology to GET INVOLVED! As a fledgling organization, we could use help in so many areas. Here’s how you can get involved right now:

★ Sign up to receive our periodic newsletters.

★ Follow us on Facebook. Chime in when you feel moved to do so.

★ Enter a logo design; win a free FAR membership until June 30, 2020 (that’s 18 months) and receive credit on FAR’s (soon-to-be) website as our Logo Designer. If not you, maybe you know a student who needs items for his or her portfolio? Just send the design as a JPEG file to yours truly by December 20.

You might include the shape of Florida; a graphic of feet, hands and/or ears; the letters FAR and/or ‘Florida Association of Reflexologists’.

Finalists will be sent out in an e-blast on December 27 to all FAR members to vote on. And yes, that means membership will open soon. Only members will get to vote, so make sure to stay informed (through the newsletter and Facebook) of when you can get an inaugural membership!

★ Build our website. If you have experience in developing on a WordPress platform and are interested in submitting a bid, please contact – guess who? I’ll send you the RFP.

And, I think this is the perfect segue into who the founding FAR board members are:

Karen Ball, President (Saint Augustine)
Julie Wesling, Vice-President (Saint Augustine)
Lorna Eaton, Treasurer (Miramar)
Gail Lanning, Secretary (Delray Beach)
diane Wedge, Director (Venice)

Please join us in our excitement as we support the wonderful healing art of reflexology and all the practitioners in Florida, the U.S.A. and the world!

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

It’s the Holiday Season in the good ‘ole US of A! The official start is tomorrow: Thanksgiving. I’m excited! I LOVE this time of year. Lots of socializing with friends, yummy food and exchanging of thoughtful gifts of appreciation.

Two of my friends and I start the season off every Thanksgiving morning with a ‘Walk of Gratitude’. We make our regular two-mile walk along the beach tossing out things we are grateful for the entire 45 minutes. It’s a great way to start the day and the season.

So, in keeping with the theme of gratitude, I would like to offer you an easy way to simplify your holiday shopping, as a way to express my gratitude and appreciation to you.

Order these beautiful gift cards for your friends and family at the tremendously low price of $30 for a 30-minute hand or foot reflexology session!

Give REFLEXOLOGY!
* the gift of health and relaxation
* the gift that keeps on giving
* the gift that fits perfectly into the new practice of giving ‘experiences’ rather
than ‘stuff’
* the gift they’ll be talking about for quite some time

I don’t usually give 30-minute sessions nor offer my work at such a considerable loss but decided to offer them for the low price of $30 because I realize that not everyone’s budget can include multiple gift cards for the regular $85 70-minute session.

Let me know how many gift cards you would like, and we’ll make arrangements for you or your recipients to receive.

LET THE HOLIDAYS BEGIN!

PS. Want to eliminate the stress of holiday shopping AND look like an angel to the people in your life? Buy a reflexology gift card for EVERYONE on your gift-buying list who lives in the Saint Augustine area! And your shopping is DONE!

Why Shoes Matter

If you are a subscriber to Massage Magazine, you will have read the article I wrote for the October issue on Foot Care for the Massage Therapist. As an additional bit of information, I also wrote an online article on Tips for Buying Shoes That Fit.

I was inspired to write that piece after I read that the two advancements in civilization that have contributed the most to our chronic physical pain are the chair and shoes.

Apparently, though, it is those evolutionary developments that have led to the chronic back and foot pain that society lives with now.

Since we are rapidly advancing toward covering as much of Earth in concrete and cement as we can, I don’t see the demise of shoes in the modern world any day soon—and that means we must take counteractive, preventative measures to keep our feet healthy and strong.

Read The Steps to Choosing the Right Shoe

Living Long And Living Well

Mallorca, Spain — Spain, Mallorca, Senior couple running along beach, smiling — Image by © Carlos Hernandez/Westend61/Corbis

Longevity does not occur because one has dodged every disease out there. A long life, lived well, is the result of a life lived with intention and consistent healthy habits. That is what arms the body with the defenses it needs to fight off unwanted disease; to recover faster and better.

Reasonable steps culled from studying long-living populations around the world and cutting-edge scientific research point to these seven habits as making the difference between a long life of suffering or a long life lived with vitality:

  1. Keep breathing! As the Chinese fortune cookie advises: ‘The secret to long life is to keep breathing’. Identify times in your day when you can consciously take three to five deep breaths. It’s that simple. Here are some ideas:

* first thing in the morning before getting out of bed

* in your car, whenever you are stopped at a red light

* standing in line at the grocery store

* before you start and end every reflexology session

* last thing in the evening before turning out the light

  1. Move. The ability to exercise remains the single most powerful predictor of longevity. Movement encompasses cardio activities, strength training and flexibility activities. Together they strengthen your bones, your muscles and your heart, teach balance and combat depression.
  1. Sun.15 minutes/day or 1000 IU of vitamin D. With the weakening of the ozone barrier that protects us from harmful rays, it’s best to avoid being out in the sun during the peak hours of 10 am to 2 pm. Try an early morning walk just after the sun has risen.
  1. FoodEat food that looks the same when you eat it as when it came out of the ground. Whole, unprocessed food. Avoid the ‘dirty dozen plus’, if you don’t buy organic; they’re heavily laden with pesticides. They are strawberries, spinach, nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, tomatoes, celery, potatoes, sweet bell peppers, hot peppers, Make half your plate fruits and/or vegetables.
  1. Maintain a healthy weight. Obesity leads to systemic inflammation that leads to raised blood sugar, unhealthy LDL-cholesterol levels and high blood pressure, which all damage the lining of the arteries. Excess fat increases cancer risk, leads to joint pain, diabetes, peripheral neuropathy and an early death.
  1. Sleep more than seven hours/night. Adequate sleep increases the growth hormone, a critical vitality booster. Regular patterns of four to five hours/night create a blood sugar level equal to that of someone above the legal level of alcohol, leading to impaired thinking and judgment, as well as other potential problems caused by a sugar imbalance.
  1. Purpose. Find a reason to get up every day. A reason to be here. You have one life; it makes sense to love living it.

Resources:
TimeYour Body– Dr. Mehmet Oz
The Blue Zones, The Science of Living Longer– National Geographic

The Academy’s Foot Reflexology Poster

Allow me to brag here for a few minutes. Rather, let’s let Massage Today do the bragging for me! They rated my foot reflexology poster a 9.5 out of 10! Here’s what their reviewer, Ronnie Ginsberg had to say:

“This attractive, professional chart is large, and that is a good thing. The 38-by-22.5-inch size allows plenty of blank space to allow for easy visualization. Foot structures are marked colorfully against a sedate background. There are a lot of reflexology charts out there, and many are too crammed with information in a small space to be of much practical use while working. This one is easy to read for the clients and for a practitioner to use during a session. The large size allows for some structures to be indicated that are not often on smaller charts (i.e., vocal cords, Eustachian tube, axillary and cervical nodes, etc.).

Left and right views clearly are differentiated, which is particularly useful for the plantar views. There also are dorsal, medial and lateral views, which many charts either do not indicate, or the print is too tiny to be easily seen. Left and right views are included in the dorsal, medial and lateral views; this is convenient, but redundant, in that the info bilaterally is the same. Still, the views offer a convenient no-brainer for quick access.

The whole poster is laminated on both sides, also useful if the need arises to remove oil marks. Grommets for easy mounting are provided in the four corners. I recommend this poster, and it will find a place in my office.”

If you would like to own one of these informative and attractive wall charts for your office, please visit this link. They are a great visual teaching tool to use with clients after their sessions, and provide a good-looking professional wall hanging for your practice space. With close to 100 reflexes identified, you might just learn something too!

Academy Foot Reflexology Poster

Eliminate Stress With One Simple Decision

Part of my intent in the Say Goodbye to Headaches class is to give therapists the tools and forms that they can use to help people identify the source of their headaches and secondly help them strategize ways to eliminate or reduce the incidence and severity of their headaches. (In addition to hands-on reflexology procedures, of course.)

In last weekend’s class, we were doing an activity around stressors; identifying our habitual responses to them and how we actually would like to respond – all in the hope of reducing stress levels that cause the most common form of headache – tension.

The common element I heard from participants was the belief that they must change someone else’s behavior or some outward situation in order to eliminate the pain and discomfort they were experiencing. Believe me, this group was not unique. I hear this all the time. It seems to be a natural human belief that, in order to eliminate my own discomfort, I must change the world around me.

And that, my dear friends, will never work. We will never get the world and all its inhabitants to do exactly what we want.

The only person we can change is ourselves.

The only thing we do have control over is our response to an event or person.

So, if we want to remove stressors from our lives, and the subsequent health issues that result from living under constant stress (like headaches, depression, insomnia, digestive issues), then we must learn how to respond differently to that which we do not like.

Here is the strategy that we worked with and what resulted in some positive options:

* Identify what is stressing you; what upsets you.

* Describe what it is you would like to see happen.

* Determine what you could do to move yourself closer to what you want.

* Decide if you are willing to take action.

The beauty of this strategy is that it puts you in a place of power. You are no longer a victim to outside circumstances and people. It also reinforces the fact that you must take responsibility for your own state of being. And that’s all good.

This approach does not ask that you change yourself forever. It simply suggests a different approach to try – as an experiment – for a limited amount of time. That is do-able.

Try it next time you find yourself complaining about a situation or person that has you irritated – or angry – or frustrated – or sad – or……

You have nothing to lose but your pain.