I’m a certified reflexologist, so I have learned a thing or two about all this. It’s really all about the art of stimulating the points in the feet, often using the thumbs, to break up crystalline deposits that may have formed at nerve endings, interfering with the natural flow of the body’s energy. Some people are so sensitive to this that you can put pressure on certain spots on the foot and they actually feel it in the intestines, stomach, shoulder, or whatever it is you’re aiming for. A treatment is often very enjoyable and relaxing, with no unpleasant side effects. In fact, I’ve had people fall asleep half way through a session.
Feet are actually amazing when you think about it. Consider the following:
People take on average 10,000 steps in a day – about 115,000 miles in a lifetime.
Feet are strong enough to support up to four times the body’s weight during high impact activities, yet sensitive enough to detect a grain of sand.
Your feet contain 52 bones, one quarter of all the bones in your body. Your hands and feet together make up on half of the bones in your body.
There are 250,000 sweat glands in a pair of feet – they can excrete as much as half a pint of moisture in a day.
If you’d like to know which areas of the feet correspond with which areas of the body, there is an excellent visual explanation showing you the five power points in reflexology at: www.squidoo.com/5-power-points-in-reflexology
One more tip – if your feet feel tired, just do this. It works wonders!
Place a layer of ordinary glass marbles on the bottom of a bowl large enough to hold your feet. Half-fill the bowl with warm water. Add Epsom salts (they help draw out toxins) – about ¼ cup – and a little sea salt too, if you wish. Run your feet gently over the marbles for at least 10 minutes (to stimulate the acupressure points). Ahhh, bliss!