This last week I gave sessions to two people who have been absent from my table for a few months now. My heart melted listening to their comments afterwards:
“I forgot how much I love foot reflexology!”
“That was the deepest experience of myself I have every had!”
“I needed that so much!”
“That was unbelievable!”
That got me thinking of my own experiences receiving reflexology and the numerous benefits that I, and others, get from this profound modality.
In an article that I wrote for Massage Magazine I outlined the three main reasons people seek out reflexology. I realize that for many others though, their love for reflexology is motivated more from their experience of being in that altered state that the alpha and theta brainwave patterns deliver. Here’s what I’ve been privileged to witness:
1. Reflexology is grounding for people who see themselves as “spacey, ethereal, in the clouds”. These are generally people who fall under a predominant Air or Ether quality, whose minds float around amongst many ideas, and struggle with the more mundane tasks of daily living. After reflexology, they report feeling more grounded – literally – and more able to effortlessly take care of business, without sacrificing their desired state of being. They report feeling more connected to the earth.
2. By letting go of conscious thought, the subconscious mind can more readily offer up solutions to dilemmas or problems people are wrestling with. I take advantage of this aspect of reflexology a lot. When I am trying to reach some sort of decision on something, I will quietly pose the question just as I am about to slip into that delightful parasympathetic state. I am always rewarded with a clear awareness some time during the session that perfectly directs me to the needed action or decision. Some times the answers lie in another part of our being other than the thinking brain, and reflexology really delivers here.
3. Receiving a reflexology session provides a rich resource for images and symbolic meanings for many creative souls. You can read of such comments from one artist here. My home has been blessed by a number of gorgeous works of art that resulted from this particular woman’s sessions.
4. Reflexology provides an alternate, gentle approach to healing for people undergoing mental/emotional therapy. Especially when received congruently with talk therapy, reflexology allows individuals to feel themselves as healthy, happy and at peace, without having to actually understand anything about the mechanism by which they achieved that desired state. I still recall a client from years ago telling me that his reflexology sessions were as valuable, if not more so, than his talk therapy, because he did not have to explain anything about what was going on for him; he could just be. What a gift!
5. People in recovery from substance abuse use reflexology to both assist in detoxification and to calm a nervous system reeling from withdrawal. The ability to relax as deeply as reflexology provides, and to enjoy the prolonged benefits for hours and sometimes days afterwards, is invaluable for people under this level of stress. One of the grads of the Therapeutic Hand & Foot Reflexology Professional Certification has focused much of his attention to this population. An amazing way to support the difficulty of breaking addictions.
6. Some people like reflexology because they find that their dreams over the next few nights are more vivid than usual. Dream interpretation is a highly recognized way in which to understand the language of the subconscious brain. In dream analysis, symbols, rather than words, explain lingering physical symptoms, anxieties, mental conflicts, etc. to the dreamer open to what is being shared.
So, you see, there are lots of very good reasons to learn how to gift the people in your life with reflexology. There are three opportunities to learn foot reflexology over the next two months. Register now to guarantee a spot.
June 29 & 30, 2013 – Orlando, Florida
July 13 & 14, 2013 – Tallahassee, Florida
August 17 & 18, 2013 – Orlando Florida
And before you leave this page, please share why you receive reflexology. Maybe we’ll grow the list!
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