Academy of Ancient Reflexology

Professional Therapeutic Reflexology

Is Risk Reversal Worth the Risk?

Risk reversal has many definitions, depending on the arena in which it is being used. For example, in the investment industry, it is commonly used to describe a strategy that protects against unfavorable price movements.

Practitioners in the field of somatic practices seldom use risk reversal, yet it is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to build your practice.

Think of a risk reversal as simply a guarantee.

But, let’s back it up for a second and look at the motivation behind buying.

Why People Buy

People make the decision to purchase everything based on two factors:

  1. The perception that what they are about to purchase will solve their problem or, at least, enhance their life in some way.
  1. The level of risk associated with buying such product or service.

The first factor is covered by your ability to educate the public as to the benefits of reflexology. You must passionately believe in the power of reflexology, know your stuff and be able to deliver.

The second correlates to your willingness to REVERSE – or as I like to think of it, ELIMINATE – your customer’s risk.

(How many times have you shelled out hard-earned cash for services and/or products that claimed to be able to “fix” your problem, only to be left unchanged and less flush? I have, more times than I wish to admit, and believe me it doesn’t feel good and leaves me distrustful of many products and services out there.)

When I suggest to reflexology students that they guarantee their services, I am usually met with wide-eyed alarm. Alarm that usually comes down to FEAR. Fear of not being able to deliver.

And frankly, I don’t understand that.

If you understand how reflexology works and how it affects the body, why can’t you guarantee that an individual will feel better after the session than how they felt upon arrival?

People Want To Feel Better!

It’s that simple. Whether it’s to eliminate anxiety, or get a good night’s sleep or improve digestion or eliminate pain, they want to feel better!

So guarantee it!

Guarantee your service. Clearly state what you promise to deliver: ie. that they will feel better or feel more relaxed after their reflexology session.

You are not – and cannot – guarantee that you will end their anxiety, or promise a perfect night of rest or improved digestion or reduced pain. You are guaranteeing that they will feel better for having received a reflexology session from you. And that, I assure you, is worth a lot!

Tell the client that you will not accept payment unless they are satisfied.

Understate And Over-Deliver

★ Guarantee a little less.

★ Deliver more.

Risk Reversal and Referrals

I always guarantee my services, and I’ve never had anyone tell me they wouldn’t pay. I don’t think that most people are looking to cheat me out of a free session. And if someone was not satisfied with my service, well, that would be okay too. If what I have to offer doesn’t make someone feel better than I’m not the person for him or her.

What I have experienced from verbally offering a guarantee is:

  • relief that there was no financial risk
  • increased confidence in reflexology, and
  • complete trust in me.

Add to that, the free promotion that comes from this satisfied client telling everyone about reflexology and the guarantee that I gave them. Can’t beat it!

So, if risk reversal sounds scary to you, I invite you to challenge yourself and move beyond your comfort zone. Try it with your next new client. And after they happily pay you for the session, ask that new client if they have any friends, family or colleagues that also deserve to feel better (or whatever you guaranteed). If they say yes, ask them to pass along your card. And here’s another guarantee:

Promise them that you will provide their friends with the same quality service you extended to them.

The Silent Stream Within

Roberta Cirocco, a student in this year’s Therapeutic Hand & Foot Reflexology Professional Certification, created a wonderful short slide presentation on the lymphatic system and reflexology. In it, she introduces us to fabulous live drawings of the lymphatic system that were created by the Khan Academy. Definitely worth a look!

In addition to allowing me to share her DIS project, Roberta plans to share this valuable information with nurses she works with at the Jacksonville, Florida Veterans Administration hospital.

Enjoy! Share! Drop a comment below, please.

Lymphatic System-A Silent Stream Within-PowerPoint

 

Best Advice Ever

 I got good advice early in my career:

NEVER DEVALUE YOUR WORK.

“Always attach a level of compensation to it, other than times when you might want to donate your services.”

I clearly recall starting out as a reflexologist in Toronto in 1983 and being approached by an old family friend wanting work and not having the money to pay for it. My bleeding heart naturally wanted to just give her the sessions, but I heard my reflexology teacher’s voice in my head, reminding me that if I didn’t place a value on my work, neither would the public.

So, I bit the bullet and suggested that we do a trade. She was a fabulous gourmet cook (raised in restaurants), and I loved good food and people willing to cook for me – so it seemed like the perfect exchange to me.

We worked together weekly for a number of months. I would go to her home for a delicious three-course luncheon and then give her a foot reflexology session.

Setting my fee back then in Toronto, when all I did was reflexology, was pretty easy. I remember it was $25 for a session. (Remember, this was 1983!) Years later when I began to practice massage therapy, setting fees wasn’t so easy.

My massages were 60 minutes; my reflexology sessions 45. Should I charge less for reflexology since I was spending less time doing hands-on? And because it’s so much easier on my body? Or should I charge more because reflexology is a specialization and I had certification credentials to back me up?

Here are some of the considerations that played into my ultimate decision:

Charge More For Reflexology

– Additional time, money and commitment to earning specialization warrants a higher price tag.

– Reflexology can address more than massage can; internal health issues (digestive, endocrine, respiratory, etc.), as well as musculoskeletal pain tackled by massage.

– Fewer qualified therapists offering reflexology so my time would be at a premium.

– Better results with reflexology.

– Services are perceived as more valuable if the fee is higher.

 Charge Less For Reflexology

– Less hands-on time.

– Reflexology is not as hard on my body.

– I could be over-booked and not meeting my expenses by charging less than I need.

– Lower-priced service could be viewed as inferior.

– A lower price might entice people to try reflexology.

So, what did I decide?

Ultimately, I decided to price my massage sessions with the industry standards in my city and charge a higher rate for reflexology. I also decided to begin all reflexology sessions with a short hydrotherapy feature, which added in a few more minutes to the hands-on time. And that felt good to me.

How about you? How do you determine what to charge for your services?

Why Do We Sleep?

In this fast-paced world we live in, some people think that sleeping is a waste of time when there is just so much to do. (I have a friend who believes this.)

I listened to a great interview conducted by NPR’s Terry Gross on Fresh Air on October 16. She interviewed Matthew Walker, who wrote Why We Sleep, the first sleep book written by a leading scientific expert on the subject. I highly recommend listening to the interview or reading the book if you are one of the thousands of people who have chronic sleep problems, and/or are one of us who are getting on in years, or just someone interested in the amazing workings of our brains. This information could change your health and the longevity of your life.

The key points brought forth by neuroscientist Matthew Walker and his team:

  1. Regularity – the number 1 point – go to bed at the same time and get up at the same time. Even on days off. Sleep eight hours/night. He shared really interesting results from studies that indicated a link between chronic sleep deprivation and Alzheimer’s disease, and what the brain actively does when you sleep (and only when you sleep) to prevent the onset of this growing epidemic. It was fascinating.
  1. Darkness. Walker recommends dimming the lights in the evening as you’re winding down. (You are winding down in the evening, aren’t you?) Not to go from bright lights to the darkness of the sleep environment. No screen time before bed or in the bedroom. Use blackout curtains so that your bedroom is dark. He relayed some interesting information on how melatonin works and the only time it actually helps with sleep issues. Once again, different than what most people think about this hormone.
  1. Walker’s studies determined that if you can’t sleep, it is best to get up, move to another room, read a book (not look at screens) in dim light until you feel tired again; then return to bed. He explained that tossing and turning in bed trying to get back to sleep for hours just trains the brain to associate wakefulness with the bed. The other strategy that worked equally well – and that surprised this scientist – is to sit up and meditate.

I generally have no problem with sleep, but on the rare occasions that I do, I am always interested to note what hours I am awake and why. I believe that my body is out-of-balance when this occurs and am ultimately grateful for the information it is sending me – although not in the middle of the night! For example, recently I did a three-day cleanse, and on the third night found myself awake between 2 and 3am. One to 3am is the time of day when the liver is most active detoxing. Made sense to me.

  1. No caffeine after 2pm. No alcohol in evening. Again, some of the recent science was new to me.
  1. Sleep in a cold room: 68 to 69 degrees. Just pile on the blankies if this sounds too cold. You will fall asleep quicker and sleep sounder.

If you’re interested, here are links to the interview and the book:

Terry Gross interview with Professor Matthew Walker

Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker

The Real Benefits Of Reflexology

Do you actually know the benefits your clients receive from your work? Or are you operating from your imagination?

What if the benefit(s) your clients are reaping are different than what you think they are? Would it change the focus of your session? Would you include different add-ons or maybe offer some resources?

As homework in the fourth module of this year’s Certification program last month, I asked the participants to ask each of their practicum clients to tell them what the number one benefit was that they were getting from their sessions. I’m looking forward to hearing what they discovered next month when they return for the fifth and final module.

In the meantime, I decided to put that same question to my clients last week. Some responses were as I expected, but some were not. And in addition to getting me to re-think my session focuses a little, my question led to some interesting conversations and deepened the therapeutic relationships. My clients were all very touched by my genuine interest in their wellbeing.

Below is what resulted from talking to four regular clients one day last week. I asked for the number one benefit; none could state just one, but they did try to put in order of importance.

Client #1

My Imagination: increased mobility

Truth:
#1 body-mind connection/awareness
#2 strengthened nerve stimulation

Follow-up:
* This woman arrived in a wheel chair four months ago after having had a stroke that paralyzed her legs. She has gone from that to a walker and now a rollator, so we are seeing great improvement. My imagination was that restoring the ability to walk unaided would be number one.
* I’m not sure yet how my intention will change here, but I have this undeniable sense that it will. Obviously, I will continue to work to stimulate nerve function and strengthen her muscles, but I think there’s more. Not sure what yet.

Client #2

My Imagination: relaxation

Truth:
#1 deep relaxation
#2 escape from everyday life
#3 improved sleep

Follow-up
* The first two came as no surprise, but the third did. Now that I know that sleep is an issue, I will add in the endocrine reflexes in addition to the CNS and diaphragm reflexes I have been focusing on.
* I will create an ambient essential oil spray and an essential oil blend she can massage into her feet before closing her eyes for the night.

Client #3

My Imagination: less pain in hands and feet

Truth:
#1 quiet mind and relaxed body
#2 elevated mood
#3 improved feeling/less pain in hands and feet
#4 decreased back tension

Follow-up:
This client initially came to me because of the hand and foot symptoms she was experiencing as a result of an ongoing chemotherapy regime she must take for the rest of her life. I assumed that what kept her coming back week after week was the positive results we had achieved that now allowed her to resume some of her regular activities. To hear that she placed a greater importance on the quieting of her internal chatter and her mood changes was revealing, and encourages me to share other ways she might raise her mental and emotional sense of well-being between visits.

Client #4

My Imagination: decreased neck and shoulder pain

Truth:
#1 “always, always, ALWAYS feel better than when I arrive”
#2 relaxation
#3 quieted mind and body

Follow-up:
* Interesting that she didn’t even mention the chronic neck and shoulder pain of 20 years! Now that she no longer experiences that, she is able to go deeper in her contact with herself and allow her high-strung personality to relax more and more with every session.
* The best part of this interaction though was the increased trust she felt; so much so that she shared a niggling health concern that I think warrants an intervention by someone other than a reflexologist. Although not a big deal in this moment; left unattended, it will be. I’m so glad that we talked about this and that I am able to refer her to someone who can help.

I’m sharing this little exercise with the hope that you may feel inspired to do the same with some of your regulars. This is such an easy way to increase the value of what you are offering. Getting the specifics might just surprise you. If you do decide to try this little experiment, I hope you will share what you learn in the comment section below.

OMG! Our Cells Are Listening!

Constant stress wears down the telomeres (caps) on the chromosomes that protect our cells from illness and aging. To add insult to injury, it turns out that our cells are actually “listening to our thoughts”; our bodies hear everything that we say. That means that what we say to ourselves is impacting our body’s ability to fend off illness and early aging.

These days, I find that I have to be far more diligent regarding my automatic reactions to what is going on around me. I have to monitor my own thoughts so as not to fall into negative, hopeless loops of self-talk.

I think it’s futile to think that we can avoid stressors in our life. I do believe though that we have a choice as to how we want to view and respond to the stimuli in our lives.

If I notice myself feeling tired, anxious, worried, listless, irritable – all telltale signs of stress mounting inside me, I can see those behaviors as my brain’s way of informing me that something needs my attention – or, I can mindlessly resort to the instant gratification of unhealthy behaviors, such as over-eating, binge-watching, indulging in too much alcohol and/or coffee, over-sleeping, and/or morphing into a reclusive slug.

Stress is defined as our response to physical, mental, or emotional factors that result in bodily or mental tension. Stressors can be external, ie. from the environment and/or social situations, or internal (illness, medical procedures and/or our internal dialogue).

I think that remembering that stress is my response to…. is the key for me. It’s not the factors itself; it’s my way of dealing with life in the 21st century.

So, as much as I can – or remember to – I’m making sure to get adequate sleep, to practice Tai chi regularly, spend quality time with friends, begin my days with a walk on the beach, avoid negative media as much as I can, meditate, and receive regular reflexology sessions to remind me of how good I feel when operating from a deep sense of relaxation and wholeness.

How are you responding to the unpredictable and de-stabilizing world we live in at this point in our history? What are you saying to your cells?

10 Ways to Better Health

It poured hard for the entire three hours of our World Reflexology Week event last month. As if we needed anymore water! At one point there was this loud crack of thunder and lightening that startled us all as the large glass windows rattled with much force. It brought back recent memories for some of the force of nature visited on our state just two weeks earlier.

People in many parts of the world have been traumatized by recent weather, and welcome suggestions on how to get back on track to feeling better, to feeling normal. This is one of the hand-outs we gave to people. I’ve attached a pdf of the document if you want to download and share with your clients.

Ancient Chinese Philosophy

10 Ways to Better Health

Less alcohol, more tea

Less meat, more vegetables

Less salt, more vinegar

Less sugar, more fruit

Less eating, more chewing

Less words, more action

Less greed, more giving

Less worry, more sleep

Less driving, more walking

Less anger, more laughter

10 Ways to Better Health

Connecting Your Heart to Your Hands

When people think of the chakras in the body, they typically envision seven. However, there are many more than the seven major ones associated with the endocrine system.

Two important ones for bodyworkers are the ones in the palms of the hands. Although smaller than the major seven, these are very important for two reasons:

First, they work to create trust and connection. They receive and transmit healing electromagnetic energy directly from the universe and therefore vibrate at a very high frequency. Because you can easily open and close these chakras, they are seen to deal with control issues, and how we allow (or don’t allow) opportunities and others to come into our life.

Secondly, the hand chakras are intimately connected to the heart chakra. This allows healing loving energy to be transmitted between you and your clients during your hands-on sessions.

Activate Your Hand Chakras

Here’s a simple way to open the hand chakras and connect with the heart chakra. This is a great way to open your reflexology sessions.

Vigorously rub the palms of your hands together for a few seconds and then allow your arms to hang freely at the sides of your body. Take a few seconds to notice the warmth in the palms of your hands and to feel the flow of energy moving from your heart to your hand chakras.

Give thanks, and begin.

exerpted from the manual: The Hidden Messengers: How the Endocrines, Chakras and Elements Communicate to Control your Health

Interested to learning more? Join us for an upcoming The Hidden Messengers: How the Endocrines, Chakras and Elements Communicate to Control Your Health workshop.

33 Ways To Reduce Stress And Be Good To Yourself

 

It’s quite obvious when I say the stress-level has reached an all-time high right now. There are certainly many good reasons to be concerned and feel the need to take action. I won’t argue with that, and at the same time, I want to remind all of us of the importance to be kind to others and to be good to ourselves. Here are some ways to take care of yourself:

  1. Get up 15 minutes earlier.
  2. Prepare for the morning the night before.
  3. Avoid relying on chemical aids to get through your day.
  4. Look at problems as challenges. Look at challenges differently.
  5. Practice breathing s l o w l y.
  6. Eat dinner by candlelight.
  7. Play every day. Dance. Laugh. Goof off.
  8. Do everything in moderation.
  9. Strive for excellence, not perfection.
  10. Stand up and stretch throughout the day.
  11. Know your limitations and boundaries. Let others know.
  12. Get regular reflexology, massage and acupuncture. They are necessities, not luxuries.
  13. Smile!
  14. Walk around when talking on the phone.
  15. Remember you always have options and choices.
  16. Quit trying to “fix” other people.
  17. Get enough sleep.
  18. Cultivate a network of people who support you. Make time for these people in your life.
  19. Talk less; listen more.
  20. Express gratitude daily.
  21. Pay it forward.
  22. Simplify your life.
  23. Do what’s most important FIRST.
  24. Pet a dog or cat
  25. STOP saying negative things to yourself!
  26. CHOOSE happiness.
  27. Look up at the stars.
  28. Start the day with meditation, stretching and exercise. You’ll feel and think better.
  29. Buy yourself flowers.
  30. Take different routes when driving to routine places.
  31. Watch a movie and eat popcorn.
  32. Eat breakfast.
  33. Relax. Take each day as it comes…. YOU HAVE THE REST OF YOUR LIFE TO LIVE!

World Reflexology Week Is Coming!

In honor of World Reflexology Week, the Academy of Ancient Reflexology has partnered with Atlas Physical Therapy to host a free community event focused on healthy aging, this year’s theme of the annual week-long event.

Don’t Miss It!

Students and grads of the Academy’s Therapeutic Hand & Foot Reflexology Professional Certification will be on hand to answer your questions on reflexology and give mini complimentary hand reflexology sessions.

Atlas Physical Therapy will share self-care techniques for healthy aging that you can integrate into your life immediately.

Experience Reflexology For Yourself!

We will be showing the informative audio-visual presentation, The Artistic Science of Reflexology, have reading materials for you to take home, a raffle for full free reflexology sessions, and of course, some light refreshments.

We hope you will join us. We are excited to share our experience of reflexology and answer your questions. I realize that many of you live too far away to join us, but if you know anyone in our area, you can help by sharing this blog. Thanks!

Atlas Physical Therapy in the World Golf Village Town Center

425 West Town Place, Suite 102, Saint Augustine, FL 32092

Saturday, September 23 10am to 1pm