Holistic Reflexology for Integrative Health Care

Holistic reflexology is a unique and natural treatment whereby the entire body may be reached through gently massaging reflex points which are located in the feet. Its origins can be found 5,000 years ago in China and 3,000 years ago in Egypt; in the 1930s, holistic reflexology was introduced to the West.

The underlying principle is that the entire body may be treated through the feet because each organ of the body has a corresponding reflex point on the foot. The link connecting the feet and the organs are called meridians: a system of energy lines extending throughout the body from head to foot. They form the basis of Traditional Chinese Medicine and are instrumental in shiatsu and acupuncture.

Kirlian photography, which can actually photograph fields of energy surrounding objects, has proven that the field surrounding the human body increases significantly following a reflexology treatment.

Holistic reflexology aids in harmonizing and balancing the body’s energy system; enhances the self-healing power of the body; increases the blood circulation; strengthens the immune system; and relieves pain and tension in the muscles. It can also provide a deep relaxation and stress reduction. One reason for its success is that it treats not only the symptoms of a problem, but the origin. Throughout the healing process, the patient is continuously involved in order to achieve a deeper understanding and awareness for their body.

This process will take time, but an illness or disease may develop over many years, according to lifestyle, nutrition, emotions, stress and other factors. A treatment series will thus typically last between two weeks and three months. Then the body must rest using the new information received to restore the natural inner balance

Holistic reflexology is an excellent form of preventative medicine, as well. We do not have to be ill to begin thinking about our health. This is one of the main differences between integrative and conventional medicine practiced today in Western society. Often the focus of conventional medicine is on illness and disease, and doctors are only consulted after a health problem occurs. But there is an alternative to that. In ancient China, the doctor’s task was to take care of the health of the population in such a way that illness was to be prevented. If someone became ill, the doctored had failed his task.

All forms of integrative medicine, including holistic reflexology, have become more popular in recent times as many people realize that there are limitations and shortfalls of todays’high-tech medicine that sometimes treats the human body as if it were a machine. Hopefully, we are entering a time where conventional and complementary medicine may begin to work together hand in hand for the benefit of all.

Dorit Brauer is the owner of the Brauer Institute for Holistic Medicine. In Pittsburgh. For more information, visit BrauerInstitute.com. See ad, page 7.