What is reflexology?

Reflexology is a holistic health treatment using thumb and finger acupressure massage to reflex areas found in the soles of the feet and/or the palms of the hands. The main objective of reflexology treatment is to restore the balance/free flow of energy to the whole body removing congestion from body parts or organs and improving the persons general health and wellbeing.

History:

Modern day Reflexology has its origins in ancient Egypt and China about 5,000 years ago. Foot acupressure or reflexology was rediscovered by William Fitzgerald, ENT consultant, in the USA in the 1920’s as “Zone Therapy”. “Zone Therapy” was further developed by William Fitzgerald’s assistant Eunice Ingham to become what we now know as Reflexology. The main pioneer of Reflexology in the UK was Doreen Bayly, who introduced the method in the early 1960’s and set up the Bayly School of Reflexology.

Reflexology works on the principles that:

In the feet and hands there are reflex points corresponding to all the organs & parts of the body. These areas/points are arranged in a logical pattern to form a map of the whole body split into left and right sides e.g. big toes = head, insteps = spine.
The body is also split into longitudinal zones. Longitudinal zones are segments through the body, from the tips of the toes to the tips of the fingers. Whichever zones of the body an organ is in, there is a corresponding reflex area in the same zone or zones of the feet or hands. Within the zones there is a flow of energy connecting areas within the same zone.