What is Reflexology?

 

Reflexology is a natural healing art; a hands-on technique for activating the healing responses of the body. Every part of the body has a reflex area on the feet. When the reflexes are stimulated, messages are carried along the neural pathways to the corresponding body part and this triggers the body to go to a state of balance or normal functioning.

 

History

Long ago when we walked barefoot on sand, rocks or uneven ground, we were naturally receiving partial Reflexology treatments, until shoes were invented and we lost direct contact with the earth which prevented us from enjoying the benefits of going barefoot. India, China and Egypt have been practicing foot work for thousands of years. In 1913 it was brought to the Western world by Dr. William H. Fitzgerald, M.D., a nose, ear and throat specialist who discovered that applying pressure on the body had an anesthetic effect on other areas of the body, which he named “Zone Therapy”. “Zone Therapy” was modified in the 1930’s by Eunice D. Ingham, who claimed that the feet and hands were especially sensitive, and mapped the entire body into "reflexes" on the feet renaming "Zone Therapy" to Reflexology.