Academy of Ancient Reflexology

Reflexology Certification Programs and Workshops

The New Classroom

In two weeks, I’ll be on the road to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to teach my first workshop since February! Yikes! I hope I remember how to behave! 🥴

Throwing a gathering now is not as easy as it was before. I ended up changing the venue so that I could have a larger space. I want to allow for more than six feet between tables. I’ve been constantly running through the days in my mind and determining what precautions I will need to take to ensure that all of us are safe.

One thing I realized just a couple of days ago was that I could no longer accept an odd number of participants in my classes. I don’t want two people standing at the foot of the table working at the same time. So, accepting registrations is a little trickier than usual.

2021

As I stated in an earlier blog, next year will likely be my last year of teaching reflexology. I plan to teach as much as I can and am opening up my calendar now to schedule the 2021 events. I already know I will be heading to Atlanta, Georgia; Gainesville, St. Petersburg, Ocala, Deland and Saint Augustine, Florida; Memphis, Tennessee; Arizona; Toronto and Winnipeg, Canada. Please reach out as soon as possible to put your locale on the schedule, if you want me to come to you. I plan to drive to as many places as I can, so as to avoid airports and airplanes!

Safety Precautions

I fully expect to be putting safety procedures into place until the end of 2021. Here’s what I will insist on, first from the venue, then myself and of course, the attendees:

Hotels

* Increased industry-standard cleaning and sanitation procedures for guest rooms, based on recent guidance from the CDC, WHO and the AMLA (American Hotel & Lodging Association)

* Daily housekeeping service by request

* Unnecessary items removed from guest rooms

* Streamlined processes between guests and hotel associates to minimize contact, including clearly marked distancing spaces

* Disinfection of high-traffic areas and sanitizing stations throughout the hotel

In the Classroom:

* No-touch thermal temperatures will be taken at the arrival of all classes days

* More than six feet of distance will be set out between massage tables and lecture seating

* A fresh face covering (covering both nose and mouth) required while in the classroom

* Each attendee is expected to use their own table coverings, towels, foot tub and foot lubricants, and to use fresh linens on each day of class

* Tables are to be disinfected between usages. Participants should bring the disinfectant they typically use to safely sanitize their table surfaces.

* Frequent use of hand sanitizer throughout the days. I will bring and suggest that all participants bring as well.

* Classroom will be vacuumed, cleaned and sanitized, and trash removed prior to each day of classes. Hotels will be expected to follow industry-standard cleaning and sanitation procedures based on recent guidelines from the CDC, WHO and the AMLA (American Hotel & Lodging Association). In non-hotel venues, I will work with owners to ensure that standards as set out by the ABMP (Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals) and the FSMTB (Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards) are carried out. I will either personally clean the classroom at the end of each day or arrange to have the owners do so.

* Other guidelines will be explained upon arrival, dependent on the variables of the various locations.

In a Nutshell

No matter the extra expense and effort that it will now take to present quality trainings, I am committed to giving it my all this next year. I love and have sorely missed, sitting with others of my tribe and sharing information, stories and our hearts. I imagine you have missed that in your life also, so let’s plan our lives – while minimizing risk –  to once again include communing with our friends and colleagues. Contact me if you want me to visit.

Different Approaches to Knee Pain

Years ago, I was called to give a reflexology session to a woman awaiting knee surgery. Her pain and dysfunction had progressed to the point that she was relegated to a wheelchair to navigate her own home.

I arrived at her home and after an in-depth assessment suggested a traditional Thai reflexology session. I explained that this particular model of reflexology acknowledged the muscular relationship between the feet and lower legs and extended the hands-on work right up to and including the knee. She agreed.

We were both ecstatic that she was able to get up and walk on her own following the Thai reflexology session. She managed to move about her home during the final week leading up to her surgery with only the aid of a cane.

Since that time, I have used both traditional Thai and conventional western reflexology to assist people with knee pain and restrictions and immediately following knee surgery. I have found reflexology to be very helpful in supporting people with the very real challenge of ambulation when living with knee pain.

I recently read a study that pitted another natural approach for knee pain against one of the leading pharmaceuticals drugs, diclofenac. You may enjoy reading it.

Pain Management and Reflexology

Although many people are aware of the relief massage therapy offers musculoskeletal pain, many folks are surprised to learn of the long history that reflexology enjoys in this area. Some people even think that reflexology holds an advantage over massage in addressing pain disorders, because reflexology can address both pathological and non-pathological musculoskeletal pain, while massage addresses only the latter.

In North America, reflexology’s association with pain management began in the early 1900s, when Dr. William Fitzgerald, often referred to as the “father of modern reflexology”, introduced zone therapy into his medical practice. Dr. Fitzgerald successfully used reflexology to anesthetize his patients for nose and throat surgeries. One of Dr. Fitzgerald’s many research findings showed that “when pain was relieved, the condition that produced the pain was also generally relieved”.

In my reflexology practice I can think of countless times that my services resulted in long-term relief of both somatic and visceral pain: headaches, low back pain, plantar fasciitis, TMJ dysfunction, fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel syndrome, sprains, and menstrual cramps, to name a few.

In my own life, I can recall many occasions as well. One, in particular, stands out, when I had driven out-of-town to teach a weekend workshop. Rather suddenly I found myself with an excruciating toothache. During the workshop, I worked constantly on the teeth reflexes on my hands and was able to reduce my #9 pain to a bearable #2, until such time I could get home to have it attended to. All of that without any medication!

Some economists believe pain management to be recession-proof. That makes sense. People In pain will go to any length to find relief from their discomfort. They will look high and low for someone who can provide hope, answers and a plan that can restore function and ease. No matter the cost.

Those same economic researchers tell us that manual therapy is the fastest growing segment of the service industries, and especially now that we have recognized the dangers of using opioid drugs to alleviate pain.

If you haven’t already, maybe it’s time you joined those of us who have dedicated our lives to helping others live a life of quality? The true reward for a reflexologist is having happy clients return to say they are living pain-free.  Success like that is both gratifying and lucrative for any manual therapist.

Thai Reflexology To The Rescue!

I unearthed this testimonial sent to me a while back from a student who attended the 3-day Traditional Thai Reflexology workshop. Somehow it slipped through the cracks and I never shared it. It is sooo worth reading! Never underestimate the human body’s ability to find a way.

“Four years ago, a gentleman in his 50’s, asked if I could help him with the difficulties he was experiencing, as a result of his last year of cancer treatment. As he told his story, I came to know that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer, and had agreed to enter an experimental treatment in Texas that would offer him a 5% chance of survival. Yes, you read right: 5%. He was one of eight people in the small study.

After removing most of his esophagus, the surgeons re-positioned his stomach inside his chest wall and then somehow stretched the duodenum of the lower stomach so as to reach the small intestine.   Months of painful radiation and chemotherapy followed, leaving him with pain when breathing and swallowing, and discomfort when eating.

I recognized how traumatized this man’s body was. Since his doctors had forbidden massage to his torso I decided to offer him a Thai Foot Reflexology session. For two years, I gave him that session every two weeks. We have now extended the time between visits to one month. He returned over and over again because he was convinced the Thai Foot Reflexology was the only thing that was bringing him any sort of relief in his new existence.

Throughout all the times I have had the pleasure to work with this man, he always experiences ‘fluttery’ sensations where his esophagus once had existed when I perform the Thai technique affectionately known as ‘Cut a Groove’. This technique runs through the third branch of sen Kalathari in the third zone of the plantar surface of the foot. Sen Kalathari is an energy sen line that crosses the body from left to right within the abdomen, which might explain his response.

There’s a good ending to this story. My client’s now expected chance of recovery is 98%. He is one of two people to have survived cancer and the treatment.”     

I was flabbergasted, to say the least, when I read the above. The impulse to live is so strong in each of us, and when given just a little, continuous support, will ignite.

Of course, Thai reflexology supports those with less dramatic conditions than the one above. It is a masterful and time-proven way to balance the body’s energy so that our organs and glands can function optimally.

Massage therapists enjoy learning this protocol. The techniques are unlike any taught in western massage (and reflexology, too.) It takes only three days to learn, unlike the training to become a certified reflexologist, which takes months. Certified reflexologists like having another reflexology approach to use other than the conventional western style they are trained in.

When I offer this training, you will be provided with an illustrated manual, Thai wooden tool, organic Thai oil and lifetime access to a video of the hands-on protocol. Check the schedule for upcoming workshops.

 

Continuing Education – 2019 Lineup

Dive into continuing education. I just did. I spent last weekend with a gifted teacher who inspired me to no end.

Get excited about what you are learning. Tap into and express your gratitude for the privilege of learning. Many in this world are not afforded that opportunity.

Share that excitement and your new skills with clients. Grow your business.

Here is the Academy’s line-up for trainings this year:

Tired of Living With Painful Feet?
January 19th 1 to 3pm
Saint Augustine, Florida
* a free community class for people who wish to learn what they can do to relieve their chronic foot pain
Register: https://bit.ly/2FbqZX7

All the following workshops provide continuing education credits for the American Reflexology Certification Board (ARCB), the Reflexology Association of Canada (RAC), the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB), the Florida Board of Massage Therapy, and the Georgia Board of Massage Therapy.

Visit this link for details and to register for any of the following.

Say Goodbye to Headaches
February 23rd  9am to 6pm
Atlanta, Georgia

Reflexology: Massage Therapy’s Secret Weapon
March 10th  9am to 6pm
Gainesville, Florida

Therapeutic Hand & Foot Reflexology Professional Certification
begins April 4
Gainesville, Florida

Traditional Thai Reflexology
April 26th to 28th  9am to 5pm
Killington, Vermont

(foot) Reflexology
May 4th & 5th  9am to 6pm
Winter Park (Orlando), Florida

(foot) Reflexology
May 18th & 19th  9am to 6pm
Lake City, Florida

Traditional Thai Reflexology
June 16th to 18th  9am to 5pm
Vaudreuil-Dorion (Montreal), Quebec

How to Relieve Chronic Foot Pain
June 22nd & 23rd 9am to 6pm
Indianapolis, Indiana

Traditional Thai Reflexology
June 28th to 30th 9am to 5pm
Gainesville, Florida

Reflexology: Massage Therapy’s Secret Weapon
August 18th 9am to 6pm
Gainesville, Florida

(foot) Reflexology
August 24th & 25th 9am to 6pm
Winter Park (Orlando), Florida

Here’s the link for all the above workshops.

Jenny and I hope to see your shining face at one of these events!

Comparing Thai Reflexology With The Western Style

Thai reflexology is often referred to as the “marriage of India and Asia”, because it incorporates elements of India’s Ayurvedic medicine (which are its origin), Japanese shiatsu and Chinese reflexology.

When asked how Thai reflexology compares to our western model of reflexology, Thais will respond with “same same”, meaning “similar and not the same”. Here’s what they mean by that colloquialism:

Although both models work to reestablish homeostasis in the body, the focus in Traditional Thai Reflexology is not on reflex points, as it is in conventional western reflexology. Thai reflexology seeks to restore balance within the body’s 72,000 sen (energy lines), by removing energy blockages and strengthening the flow of energy within the sen, rather than stimulating the optimal functioning of organs through the stimulation of reflex points. With energy balance reinstated, the body is then free to correct whatever imbalances are present.

Although the session can be offered on the floor, in the west a massage table or reclining reflexology chair and stool are more often used to accommodate the physical needs and preferences of a western society.

One aspect of Thai reflexology’s development that I really admire is how the protocol manages to avoid repetitive strain injuries. Utilizing stretching and a variety of manual techniques applied to the feet, lower legs and knees, very little stress is put on the digits or vulnerable joints of the hands.

People receiving Thai reflexology always report feeling relaxed afterwards; the treatment is also more often described as refreshing and revitalizing, as opposed to sedating.

If this interests you, please join me for an upcoming workshop to learn how to give this lovely session. It only takes three days to learn the protocol!

Traditional Thai Reflexology

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.

Here in the United States, 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.

I have been teaching Thai reflexology for nearly 10 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!

Please join me for an upcoming class to learn how you can to Stand Out In The Crowd with Traditional Thai Reflexology!

Why Thai Reflexology May Be What You’ve Been Waiting For

Thai Reflexology
Thai Reflexology

I’m getting very excited about offering the Traditional Thai Reflexology workshop. I love, love, love sharing this art!

Why Thai?

This is an ideal workshop for massage therapists who are not interested in committing to a full training in western-style reflexology, and yet would like to respond to the requests they get for foot reflexology and would like to stand out in a crowd of massage therapists by being able to offer reflexology.

Thai reflexology techniques are very different that the conventional style practiced in North America, and are offered on the lower legs and knees, as well as the feet. The protocol, as well as the theory and principles, can be learned in just three days.

For certified Reflexologists, Thai reflexology is a great add-on to your regular reflexology menu. Particularly, if you have clients complaining of problems with the knees or calves. I have clients that like to switch back and forth between conventional and Thai reflexology; they can’t decide which they like more.

What Others Thought

“I knew it was going to be interesting. It was more. It was totally amazing as to what this treatment can do for the spirit and body. By far, it exceeded my expectations. You made learning fun and your approach to connecting was non-invasive. Your intent to teach, for us to learn, was very evident.” Danny G.

“For what we learned and for the small fee I am so pleased at what I can do and make money at it. It has been well worth it and it by far exceeded my expectations.” Jenny K.

“Karen’s expression of Thai reflexology, both in theory and her hands-on teaching is something you need to experience.” Debra C.

I hope that you decide to join us for an upcoming workshop. Details and registration can be found here.

 

Thai Foot Reflexology – Sen and Now

Buddha StatueI learned Thai reflexology in 2003, and fell so totally in love with the philosophy and experience of giving and receiving this beautiful modality that I just had to turn others onto this amazing art.

Over the many years of teaching Thai Foot Reflexology, the one constant from attendees was a curiosity to know more about the sen lines, and how Thai reflexology intersected with the western style that most of us have been introduced to in North America.

So, in response to those queries I created a 1-day Advanced Thai Reflexology class that explained how the two models relate (ie. which western reflex points the Thai sen lines run through, and which systems in the body were governed by which sen lines), and also give a more in-depth look at the philosophy of the practice.

Sen

The Thai sen are what we would refer to as meridians or energy lines. They actually resemble the Ayurvedic energy lines (nadis) more than they do the Chinese meridians though, in that they do not correlate with any organ system in the way that the Chinese meridians do.

The Thai meridians all begin at the navel and end at the extremities of the body and are used to address any and all organ systems through which they pass along their course. In that way, the sen more resemble the zones of Chinese reflexology rather than acupuncture.

and Now

Fast forward now to 2016, and I have decided to combine the initial 2-day and the advanced 1-day into a 3-day training I am calling Traditional Thai Reflexology. Enough people have indicated to me that this is the better format for their learning and time schedule.

Video

I am also responding to requests that I provide a video of the hands-on protocol, in addition to the diagramed step-by-step manual that is included with tuition. So, I’m doing that also!

Anyone reading this who took the initial 2-day Thai Foot Reflexology workshop with me over the last 10 years is also eligible to receive lifetime access to the video demonstration of the protocol for review purposes.. Just shoot me a quick email with the year and location that you attended. I’ll include you in the roster. karen@academyofancientreflexology.com

 

I hope that you will join us for an upcoming Traditional Thai Reflexology workshop and experience for yourself what so many others have claimed as “the ultimate in relaxation and rejuvenation”.

Also, in case you’re wondering, no previous reflexology training is necessary to attend the Traditional Thai Reflexology workshop. This training is perfect for massage therapists and certified reflexologists; the techniques are completely different than what is practiced in conventional western reflexology.

 

The Answer is No – and Yes

cameraI have struggled for years when asked if I teach reflexology classes online or have videos of the demos from my continuing education classes.

In response to the first part of that question, it took time and a lot of self-examination to feel comfortable just saying,

“No, I don’t teach hands-on classes remotely.”

I’ve watched how education has moved more and more towards Internet learning over the years, and how many bodywork teachers and schools are converting their programs to these new formats.

I’d ask myself,

“Am I shooting myself in the foot here?”

“Will people interested in learning reflexology just click off my website to pursue someone else’s classes because they’re more convenient?”

“Am I a dinosaur?”

I would drive myself crazy!

But the truth – my truth – is, I just can’t do it.

I have taught hundreds of people reflexology for over more than a quarter of a century, and I have NEVER – I repeat, NEVER – had even one person who was able to watch the demo and then execute the techniques and flow without some feedback and correction from me. I just don’t think it’s possible, even for a very seasoned therapist.

I don’t want people to purchase a video of my work and then start offering it incorrectly, claiming to have learned the protocol from me. That doesn’t sit well with my ethics.

It’s important to me that people leave my trainings having been given adequate attention at the tables; that they leave with some level of confidence and skill regarding what was demonstrated; that their time and money was well spent; and that they leave with something useful to add to their practices.

That said, I also totally get that people who have attended the Therapeutic Hand & Foot Reflexology Professional Certification, the How to Relieve Chronic Foot Pain workshop and/or the Traditional Thai Reflexology workshop might really appreciate a visual resource for review purposes. There’s a lot to remember in those classes.

So, it’s time to say YES to the request for a visual resource of hands-on procedures!

I have spent a lot of time this year researching and developing a platform that would provide video access to the hands-on protocols of the above trainings for those people who have attended.

The students in this year’s Certification program were the first to enjoy the benefits of a hybrid program, and are loving having videos of all the live instructions. From my end of things, I see the impact having review videos has had on their hands-on work.

I am super excited to announce that beginning with the next weekend workshop in Winter Park (Orlando), Florida on August 20 and 21, attendees of all How to Relieve Chronic Foot Pain classes will be given access to a video of the hands-on protocol that I teach in this highly-popular training. The video has been shot, and my videographer, Chrissy Martinez, is editing it right now.

Anyone who has taken the workshop in the past is invited to send me an email at karen@academyofancientreflexology.com if you would like to receive an invitation as well. (Please mention when and where you took the training.) You have all paid for this information – I’m thrilled to be able to offer you the gift of live images of how to execute the techniques for your review. I really want to see you all out there offering this great service to the public, and I think this resource will support that.

Beginning with the September scheduled dates, the same bonus will be available to all past, present and future attendees of the Traditional Thai Reflexology training.

I love technology and love exploring ways in which to use it to make my life easier and to offer more value to the people I interact with. I feel certain that these videos will contribute to your success. Let me know below what you think!