Reflexology
Reflexology History
The earliest evidence shows Reflexology being practised in Egyptian and Chinese culture The most concrete evidence of the practice of ancient healing art of reflexology was the discovery of the below wall painting depicting the practice of hand and foot reflexology in thephysician's tomb of Ankhmahor at Saqqara. This Egyptian wall painting dated at the 6th dynasty, about 2,330 B.C. shows a person holding the foot of another person and applying pressure to the soles. Reflexology is an ancient technique of applying pressure to reflex points of the feet and hands.
The translation of the hieroglyphics reads:
"Don’t hurt me."
The
practitioner’s reply: " I shall act so you praise me. "
This ancient healing art has been traced back to ancient China. Archeologists have found stone-carved stone reflexology charts of Buddha’s feet dating to around 40 B.C. preserved in a Buddhist temple. Most ancient cultures had some form of foot therapy. The Native American Indian cultures, Egyptians and Chinese independently developed methods which were all based on the same principle.
The reflexology has spread abroad since Dr Fitzgerald (Germany), an American ENT surgeon found that The human body is the reflection zone. He has developed the theory of the link between reflex zones in the feet and hands with corresponding areas and organs of the body, introduced reflexology to the West about 1913. Dr William Fitzgerald is considered the discoverer of zone therapy. Recently foot massage in Thailand has flourished because it descends from this Chinese foot massage.
Foot Reflexology
Reflexology is the practice of stimulating reflextion zones on feet and hands to affect changes to the linked organs of the body for better health. The Chinese believe every meridian point in our foot reflex to a part of our body system. Foot pain, foot tenderness or foot numbness indicates what system of the body may have become imbalanced. Reflexology addresses these imbalances and brings the root of the imbalance into awareness.
Foot Reflexology technique utilizes reflextion zones on feet to provide relief for a variety of illnesses as well as to energize the body system, relax your body, decrease pain, improve circulation, improve elimination, and provide a simple way to bring your body back into balance again. Reflexologist believe that the body is represented on the feet through a system of reflexes mapped out on specific areas around the feet. Reflexology is not massage, as there is no rubbing except perhaps at the end of a session. A foot massage simply aids overall relaxation.
