WELLNESS AUTHOR
Dr. Isabel Meijering, DACM, L.Ac
THE FOOT SCIENCE OF REFLEXOLOGY n Ever heard of reflexology? Here is
a rundown on how it works and its health benefits.
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id you know some of your body parts can represent your entire body? Reflexology is the use of a body part including the ears, feet, hands and face as a mirror of the body. These body parts are all microsystems, meaning you can treat anything in the body using them. There are different areas on these body parts that correspond to the body’s organs and energetics. By applying pressure to these areas, you are stimulating the body’s peripheral nervous system, which then sends signals to the central nervous system where different parts of the brain are activated and the body will respond accordingly. Reflexology itself is over 5,000 years old. The first artifacts containing information about reflexology came out of Egypt. It seemed to be a common treatment for certain ailments.
JULY 2022
Similar to acupuncture, reflexology uses some of the same principles. However, reflexology practitioners use their hands instead of needles. The zones of the feet corresponding to different organs and areas of the body are more complex than the location of the meridians on the feet. It is really fascinating to look at a reflexology chart of the bottoms of the feet and perhaps even more fascinating to have foot reflexology done and notice which areas on the feet are tender or sore. One of the main benefits of reflexology is increased circulation in the body. Using reflexology gets you out of fight or flight, calming both your nervous system and body. It is a fantastic way to release overall tension in the body and give yourself a nice reset. People commonly seek
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reflexology today for stress, headaches, vertigo, injuries and PMS. Really, the reasons are endless. It is another modality to have in your toolbox when you feel out of balance. What personally made a believer out of me was going to a
