Academy of Ancient Reflexology

Professional Therapeutic Reflexology

Last Chance to Attend How To Relieve Chronic Foot Pain Workshop

Left hand holding heel of left foot. Bottom of foot has flames coming from it.

I want to let you know that registration for the How to Relieve Chronic Foot Pain workshop in Tucson on November 6 and 7 will close this coming Saturday, October 23.

If your clientele includes people living with mild or severe foot pain, I strongly encourage you to join us. From what you will learn in our two days together your clients will experience a noticeable improvement in their situation.

We will examine dozens of foot pain conditions, how the allopathic world approaches them and how we reflexologists can address those conditions. I will also share a hands-on protocol that I use to help people suffering from plantar fasciosis/fasciitis, peripheral neuropathy and tarsal tunnel syndrome that involves releasing impingement along the S1 nerve root and re-educating the muscles attaching into the feet to track correctly. That particular protocol is responsible for the reputation I have for being the ‘go-to’ person to see when experiencing foot pain.

You will leave the training with an illustrated manual, one of the Academy foot charts, document templates to use with clients, and access to a video of the protocol so that you can review at home.

In case you are wondering if I offer this training online, or if I would offer it online in the future, the answer is no. I’m ‘old-school’ when it comes to teaching hands-on techniques. My experience has taught me that people need live feedback and correction when learning new techniques such as I will share. Please note that the Tucson date on November 6 and 7 is the last time I will teach this workshop before retiring from teaching reflexology.

Click here to register.

I hope I see you there!

Build a Niche Practice Providing Solutions to Foot Pain

Hand drawn figure with feet on fire.

Several years ago, I was surprised to discover that I had developed plantar fasciitis in my right foot. In all honesty, I had, up until that time, not paid much attention to the condition. I had no choice then!

Online research indicated that it could take a year to correct and that was not acceptable!

I set about to learn as much as I could as quickly as possible, by reading current literature, studying with a chiropractor who specialized in the condition and mining information from earlier trainings I had taken. I’m happy to say that I was able to create a recovery plan that allowed me to return to normal within three months.

Since then, I have studied and learned even more and have been able to help countless others rid themselves of this painful condition. I learned that there are many external reasons and physical imbalances that can cause plantar fasciitis and its advanced and more serious cousin, plantar fasciosis. It’s not always a case of tight calf muscles. (It wasn’t for me.)

While sharing my knowledge and experience with other reflexologists over the next few years, I kept being asked about other painful conditions, so I decided to morph the plantar fasciitis class into the current How to Relieve Chronic Foot Pain workshop. This training has helped many reflexologists stand out in the crowd as the go-to person in their community when foot pain is the issue. By taking the information shared in the workshop these therapists have built successful niche practices serving people with chronic foot pain.

I invite you to join your fellow reflexologists and me this year, either in Vancouver, Toronto, or Tucson to learn this valuable work.

  • Learn a reflexologist’s approach to 19 conditions that cause chronic pain in the feet.
  • Practice a specific hands-on protocol for plantar fasciitis/fasciosis, tarsal tunnel syndrome and peripheral neuropathy.
  • Gain access to a video of the hands-on protocol.  
  • Leave with an illustrated manual and client form templates.

Added bonus! – if you join me in Vancouver, you can help me celebrate my birthday!

Here’s a link to the details.  Thank you in advance for sharing this with your fellow therapists. I sincerely appreciate that and hope to see you in one of these three locations!

  • September 18 & 19 – Vancouver, BC
  • October 2 & 3 – Toronto, ON
  • November 6 & 7 – Tucson, AZ

Stand Out In The Crowd With Traditional Thai Reflexology

I finally have all my workshops scheduled for the remainder of this, my final year of teaching reflexology. I’m excited that four of them are Traditional Thai Reflexology and thought to share with you a little about this amazing therapy.

Of the four branches of traditional Thai medicine, reflexology is arguably the most popular treatment used to maintain health in Thailand. In addition to the monks and doctors providing treatments, it is not uncommon to see rows of people seated at the side of the street at the end of the day exchanging sessions with one another.

In the United States and Canada, reflexology-based foot sessions are one of the most requested spa and clinical services available. Unlike the conventional style of reflexology practiced in America – which requires many hours of training – Traditional Thai Reflexology can be learned in just three days of study, making Thai reflexology a unique, pleasurable and beneficial treatment that you can add to your tool kit, whether a certified reflexologist or licensed massage therapist. It can be offered on a massage table or reflexology chair.

I have been teaching Thai reflexology for nearly 15 years now, and never cease to be amazed by, not just how satisfied clients are in receiving, but how wonderful I feel when giving this session. Gently moving my body and joining my client in the exchange of pure energy is so, so gratifying. And I get paid to do it!

I hope that you will join me to learn how you can Stand Out in The Crowd with Traditional Thai Reflexology!

  • August 14 – 16 in Ocala, Florida
  • September 4 – 6 in Montreal, Quebec
  • September 10 – 12 in Regina, Saskatchewan
  • November 12 – 14 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

How to Provide a Full Body Experience Without Leaving the Foot of Your Table!

In a word: REFLEXOLOGY.

Specifically, foot reflexology.

With reflexology, you can not only influence the state of internal organs and their function but through direct communication with the nervous system relax the entire muscular skeletal system.

The most recent massage research has shown that it is not our physical manipulation of muscles that relaxes them, but the communication that occurs between the muscles and the nervous system. It is the nervous system that gives command to the muscles and indeed all parts of the body to relax.

And that is where reflexology shines!

Reflexology is amazing at relaxing – digestion, breathing, the muscular skeletal system, and importantly our restless minds and rollercoaster emotions. It does so through unique manual techniques that deliver pressure to our neural pathways, which in turn assists the body to function optimally.

Working on the feet, you can maintain six feet of distance (or close to, depending on the height of your client) while offering the benefits of reflexology and massage!

People are hungry for touch and relaxation right now, at the same time that fear prevents many from disrobing for a massage and having a therapist breathing close to their heads (mask or no mask – vaccinated or not). People’s systems have suffered undue trauma this last year; you can provide relief and restoration and maintain safety for all. You just have to learn how – something you can do in just one weekend.

I invite you to spend two days receiving foot reflexology yourself and learning how you can give a full-body experience to those seeking respite. I will be in Venice, Florida on May 22 and 23. Please join us! 

Do You LOVE What You Do?

You must make a Chice to take a Chance or your life will never Change.I am happy to report that I do. I feel both blessed to be on the path I walk and recognize that my life’s work was built mostly from acting on well-thought-out choices, not chance.

One guiding principle I have worked from is to always pay attention to my inner voice; the part of me that ‘knows’. Those messages come to me when I am deeply relaxed, usually when receiving reflexology or about to fall asleep. And, believe me, the instructions always surprise me and always involve taking a chance.

Last week I had one of those communications as I was waking up. As is customary, I paid attention. I don’t always do what I’m being told (hah!), but I always give the idea serious consideration.

After a lot of deliberation, I have decided I must cancel the 2021 Therapeutic Hand & Foot Reflexology Professional Certification program. I was ever hopeful and optimistic about gathering a group of excited and inspired people together this year, but alas, it seems that the nightmare named COVID had other plans. A year into this pandemic and things don’t look any better.

So many massage therapists interested in attending this year were forced to shutter their practices for a good portion of 2020 and subsequently found themselves without the finances to invest in themselves and their businesses at this time. Add to that the uncertainty of this unpredictable virus and climate – well, you get it. Prospective students just feel too uncomfortable making a 10-month commitment. I understand.

I do plan to continue to offer workshops in 2021 though. Two or three-day commitments seem to be more do-able for most. If you are already a certified reflexologist or a massage therapist with a strong basic training and practice in the art, and you would like to expand the ways you can lovingly help your clients optimize their health, then please join me in this my final year of teaching reflexology.

Reflexology is so powerfully beneficial for our bodies and minds it’s impossible to list all the ways here. But first and foremost, 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!) Your clients will fall in love with reflexology and how good it makes them feel.

If your inner voice is compelling you to dive a little deeper into reflexology, then check out the workshops already scheduled for 2021 and keep up to date on future dates being added. Hope to see you!

As for now, I’m off to Atlanta, Georgia this weekend to show folks How to Relieve Chronic Foot Pain.

A New YOU!

Person jumping chasm between two rocks labeled 2020 and 2021Whew, 2020 is in the books! What an exceptional year of change, challenge, and lessons.

Every New Years Day brings an opportunity to reflect on our desires for the year ahead. Yet this year it feels even more significant, maybe because 2020 was so remarkable.

What do you want for yourself in this new year? Did 2020 change you, or reshape your priorities? What did you learn last year that you will carry forward? What new things would you like to learn?

If you are ready for a very constructive challenge, I urge you to consider making this the year you become certified in reflexology. The Academy of Ancient Reflexology’s Professional Certification Program teaches you how to safely and comfortably help people relax. And wouldn’t you agree the world needs more of that right now?

The program can be life changing. You’ll learn how to perform reflexology, of course! And that is a wonderful, marketable skill. Reflexology is a very enjoyable and highly effective way to reduce stress and to help your clients improve their health. Reflexology is also easy and fun to learn and to give!

But in addition, you’ll learn things about yourself. What truly motivates you? How will you align a reflexology business and marketing plan with your core values? How can you most effectively communicate with clients to be the best healthcare provider you can be?

The Certification is a 315-hour program, with 200 in-class hours that provide training in foot reflexology, hand reflexology, and even a short introduction to ear reflexology. (According to the National Council for Reflexology Educators, most reflexology schools only offer 110 in-class hours, and teach only foot reflexology!)

In-class hours are educational and FUN, and best of all—you get to spend 25 days on Saint Augustine Beach!

Sign up now and pay in full by February 15 to receive a $200 discount! Follow this link to register.

Here’s what one graduate had to say about the Professional Certification Program:

“I’ve learned a lot and have added work that my clients are loving, and [I’ve] 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.”

Contact me to see if achieving reflexology certification is the right New Year Resolution for (a New) YOU!

Oils, Lotions and Butters

Glass jar of body butter with spoon and surrounded by pink roses.Although it’s true that bodyworkers use lubricants to be able to easily glide across tissue without causing discomfort, more often we use lotions, oils and creams out of habit.

As an example, when I learned reflexology, I was taught to work ‘dry’. When I learned how to give a Swedish massage it was using an oil; connective tissue and neuromuscular therapy, a butter. It’s what I was taught and how I carried on.

You may have been shown something different. No matter what though, we could all give a little more conscious thought to the use of lubricants so that we can make our work easier and more effective, because too much lubricant (the word means ‘slippery’) decreases real contact.

I still prefer to offer reflexology without lube; I can distinguish between tissue changes better and feel like I am making better contact with my client as well. Anointing the feet with oil or butter at the end has become a luscious way to end the session for me.

Maybe we might better serve our clients if we reduce the amount of lubricant we use to just enough to reduce friction but still allow for ‘meaningful contact’. After all, that is one of the main reasons people seek us out, isn’t it?

 

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.