A quote in the article that I wrote about in Reflexology and Osteopathy? brought a smile to my face. Credited to Dr. Fred Mitchell, DO, in a forward he wrote to one of the seminal books written on osteopathy, Mitchell states, “Bizarre combinations of reflexes may be impossible to explain with our present knowledge. Treat what you find…not what you are looking for!” [i]
I couldn’t agree more. I repeatedly instruct reflexology students to find reflexes to work with their hands, not their memory of the location of reflexes. Treat what you find, rather than set out on a “search and destroy” mission for some reflex associated with your client’s health complaint. Instead, meet your client in the tissue, practice stillness and awareness together, and then watch the real magic occur!
[i] An Endocrine Interpretation of Chapman’s Reflexes by The Interpreter, 2nd edition, pg. iv.
I hope in the future we will have better comprehension of things at the molecular level, better mapping of the reflexes, and a better understanding of how the nervous system processes stimuli to other body systems. Perhaps we who practice this modality will be able to work closer with others in the medical profession to advance the knowledge that is literally at our fingertips. I hope in the future we will be better informed to make the connections that we today sometimes take on faith. It is the work of dedicated individuals, like yourself, forging paths for the rest of us, that will help make this possible. Keep up the good work.