Also, at the end of last year I spent an inspirational time with Lynne Booth who taught a group of colleagues and myself the how effective Vertical Reflexology can be. I now make very good use of these new skills in my practise.

Despite being a fully qualified reflexologist for many years it is important to me to update skills and be in the forefront of displaying and practising the latest techniques. Since completing some additional training in Pregnancy Reflexology last year, I find that many more ladies are coming for treatment as they prepare for the birth.

However, I have continued to work on many different clients of both sexes and with children, all of which I have found very rewarding. People come to Reflexology for a variety to reasons; I personally have Reflexology because I enjoy it so much, find it very relaxing, and it is good to know what my feet are saying about how I am!

January is a wonderful time of year for me; for a start it is my birthday month, but more importantly it is a time to activate fresh resolve and move forward in anticipation as a new year unfolds. In January we are still in the depth if winter with the short days and unpredictable weather patterns. Yet if you look closely you can see mother earth is sending up new growth everywhere as early bulbs and some tree branches are beginning to show us fresh growth. Like Mother Nature we begin a new year opening out from within so that we can transform the power of inner choice and allow ourselves to change as our resolves take hold.

As we activate new changes we enhance our lives thus opening the door to the creative power of inward choice, which frees us from what could otherwise be a repetitious treadmill of meaningless activity. Whether the resolve is to exercise more, relax more, read more, join a self development class or simply eradicate a habit that may hinder our contentment in life, these can lead us to gain a glimpse of the depth of self nourishing available to us. Sometimes we need a little help to spur us on and keep us on track. And it is important to find a trigger point that speaks to one and helps one to find one’s true Self.

The experience of having Reflexology is a perfect way to help us to develop self-awareness, inner strength, and freedom of choice. It can open a path to allow us to be who we really want to be. It helps us to activate changes from within which can be truly transforming.

As I look forward to the unfolding of the new year and think of the responsibilities that can sometimes burden us, I have to remember to keep my resolves simple and self nourishing so that I can address of art of living in it’s essential meaning.

These words may strike a chord: “He who listens to the music of his own soul plays his part well in life”.

Elizabeth Freeman Web is my web design business.  Over the last couple of years the web design side of my life has become so busy that I have come to the conclusion that I no longer have the time to practise reflexology.  It has taken me a while to make this decision as I have been a fully qualified reflexologist since 2006 and have loved it.  It’s hard to let go of a part of my life that I have invested a lot of time in.  I have met some wonderful people who I believe I have helped and who I know have taught me a lot.

Wiltshire Reflexology will still continue.  I have found another reflexologist, Fidelma Spilsbury who lives in Atworth, to take over Wiltshire Reflexology.  I met Fidelma 4 years ago when she came to me for reflexology treatments.  Fidelma herself has been a qualified reflexologist since 1991. She is a teacher by profession, teaching nutrition as well as training yoga teachers and reflexologists.  She is also a Reiki master.  Fidelma is an extremely gifted, intuitive therapist and I am so pleased to be able to hand Wiltshire Reflexology over to someone I know and respect.

Next week we will be making some changes to the Wiltshire Reflexology website which will be formally handed over to Fidelma on Friday, 3rd May.

If you would like to keep in touch with me, please do.  And, if you are in need of a website, please visit www.elizabethfreemanweb.com!

All the best,

Elizabeth

Hormones control the bodily processes of all of us; men, women, boys and girls.  Hormones control the growth of the skeleton, muscles, connective tissues and organs such as the kidneys and liver.  They control the activity of the thyroid gland and regulate water balance in the body by controlling the amount of water in our urine.  Hormones release milk from breasts during breastfeeding etc.

Too much or too little of any hormone can be harmful to the body, therefore a hormonal imbalance can have a major effect on your mental and physical health.

Common hormone imbalances are:

• Cushing syndrome
• Type 1 and type 2 diabetes
• Growth hormone problems
• Hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism

So, how can reflexology help with hormone imbalances?

Reflexology is all about balance.  It’s based on the belief that energy flows around the body and that if the energy can flow freely then the body is balanced an din harmony but if energy flow is blocked then the body is not balanced and illness may result.  A reflexologist works the reflexes of the hands and feet to find energy blockages and to work the blockages to restore energy flow therefore enabling the body to get rid of toxic waste products and heal itself.

Endocrine balancing techniques can be used with the aim to stimulate the reflexes of the endocrine system, then connect them together and balance the energies.  A trained reflexologist believes that they can feel if a reflex of the endocrine system is overactive or underactive and can hold the reflexes until they can feel the energy become more balanced.

Clients often report a feeling of warmth and comfort when the endocrine reflexes are held. Some clients find some endocrine reflexes extremely sensitive; for example, one client who suffered from regular migraines found their pituitary reflexes so sensitive they could hardly bare them to be touched. In this case regular reflexology treatments helped to ‘calm’ the pituitary reflex and the client reported the frequency and severity of their migraines to be significantly reduced.

How to find a maternity reflexologist near you

I hope this lady finds someone near to where she lives.  In the meantime I’ve told her to press the outside edges of her little toes and the outside edges of her little fingers as this where the acupressure points are located that I would associate with turning breech babies.

I advise clients to come for weekly treatments (if possible) to start off with so that we can build on the positive effects of the previous treatment instead of starting from square one each time we see each other. After a period of time (usually 4-6 weeks) treatments can be spaced out to fortnightly and then to monthly and then to as and when you feel the need to come.

Reflexology is not a magic wand that can put everything right in one go

About 5 or 6 years ago when I was newly qualified someone I knew locally came for a reflexology treatment as they were thoroughly miserable with rheumatoid arthritis and they wanted to see whether reflexology could help. I talked to them about how a course of treatments would be best for them as reflexology is not like waving a magic wand where everything could be put right in one go. She was reluctant to book a course of treatments as she was sceptical and wanted to see how she felt after one treatment which was fine.

A couple of weeks later I bumped into her in town and she told me how she had felt great for about two days after the reflexology treatment but after that she felt bad again. Her conclusion had been that reflexology hadn’t worked. As I was newly qualified I didn’t have the confidence to point out that in my opinion the treatment had worked! Had she been to a doctor’s and been given a pill that had made her feel great for two days she would have gone back to the doctor’s for another pill.

Of course, reflexology is not for everyone and I would never be offended if one of my client’s said that reflexology was not for them. We are all individuals after all!

A reflexology treatment to induce labour is very different from a usual reflexology treatment.  I use plenty of massage techniques at the beginning and at the end of the treatment but the actual reflexology part of the treatment can be very uncomfortable.  The reflexology treatment is concentrated on stimulating hormones (the endocrine system), the digestive system and various acupressure points which are naturally sensitive.

During pregnancy I believe reflexology is very good at balancing hormones and may help women cope with the changes to their body during pregnancy.  Many women suffer with backache, heartburn, pelvic pain etc. during pregnancy all of which may be relieved through regular reflexology treatments.

Pregnancy is a highly charged emotional time.  At the start of the pregnancy you may be thrilled to be pregnant or you may be horrified or somewhere in between. During pregnancy there are many emotions that may take you by surprise. Rather than being a joyful time many women find it very stressful and get anxious about their baby’s health, their own health, how a new baby will affect their relationship / family dynamics, their finances etc. Although reflexology cannot solve all your problems it may support you through this time and help reduce stress levels.

Reflexology ‘induction’ is likely to be more effective if a woman has been having regular reflexology treatments as your body will have had time to respond to reflexology so that the labour priming treatment can be focussed on just bringing on labour and not ‘fixing’ anything else.

How soon in my pregnancy is it safe to have reflexology?

I believe it is safe to to have reflexology at all stages of pregnancy. However, reflexology is not recommended if you have a DVT (a blot clot inside a vein) or if you are over 32 weeks pregnant and you have high blood pressure.

I would recommend choosing a reflexologist who has additional training in maternity reflexology so that you can be confident that the therapist knows how to adapt reflexology treatments for pregnancy.

So, don’t delay. If you’re pregnant, book a reflexology treatment soon.

Common triggers of headaches

• Stress
• Hormones
• Diet
• Dehydration
• Certain sounds
• Certain smells
• Lighting
• Fatigue
• etc.

If you can identify the cause of your headaches and can avoid the cause then the problem should be solved.  However, life is rarely that simple!

What if you can’t identify what is triggering your headaches or it’s impossible to avoid the triggers?

It’s not always possible to avoid the cause of your headaches.  I don’t believe any of us lead stress-free lives so what can you do if stress is triggering your headaches?  It’s possible to avoid some stressful situations but impossible to eliminate all sources of stress from our lives.  It is fairly common to get headaches AFTER a period of stress when we are just trying to relax which seems very unfair.

How can reflexology help with headaches?

A reflexologist may be able to help you pinpoint the cause of your headache by asking you questions about your lifestyle (diet, exercise, fluid intake etc.) and then direct questions about how often you get the headaches, what time of day you get them, what you may have been doing beforehand etc.  All reflexologists should ask these questions as part of the consultation process before your reflexology treatment.

Every reflexologist would advocate a balanced diet and regularly drinking water throughout the day as well as trying to establish a good sleep pattern.

What reflexes would a reflexologist treat to help with tension headaches?

Tension headaches can happen when we have tense muscles in our neck, shoulders and head.  This constricts the flow of blood to the head and causes a build up of waste products in the tissues.

We are all individuals and have our own reasons for getting headaches, however a reflexologist is likely to focus on the following reflexes to help sufferers of tension headaches:

Suggested treatment plan for tension headache sufferer

Neck, shoulders, spine and central nervous system
These reflexes would be worked to release tension in the neck, shoulders and spine and to balance nerve impulses across the central nervous system.

Hypothalamus
Work the hypothalamus reflex to encourage homeostasis of the body and mind.

Head / Brain
Work this area to improve circulation to the area and with the intention of balancing function.

Eyes
Eyes often become very sensitive during headaches. Work to normalise function of the eyes and relieve any visual disturbances.

Liver
Work to encourage detoxification.

Diaphragm & Lungs
To relax the diaphragm and optimise breathing.  Deep breathing helps us feel more relaxed and reduces anxiety.

Solar Plexus
Hold to help combat stress and tightness.  This helps to calm and normalise breathing.

Adrenals
Again, work to calm the adrenal reflexes with the intention of bringing balance.

There are many other reflexes the reflexologist may choose to focus on in addition to this list.  Reflexology is a holistic therapy so all reflexes should be worked as part of every treatment. An experienced reflexologist will be able to assess which reflexes are imbalanced and naturally focus on these so that every person receives a unique treatment tailored to their individual requirements.

I hope you have found this useful.  If you would like to book a reflexology appointment please email me.