Lots of people ask if Reflexology can do anything to help Hammertoes. Remember, as Reflexologists we don’t treat, diagnose or prescribe. Having said that, I always respond to any such inquiry…YES, absolutely!

Why would I be so bold? Because I firmly believe that Reflexology can help just about anything.. Remember that Reflexology is never a substitute for medical treatment. If there is a medical problem they should go for medical help.

For my clients, I integrate all my great relaxation techniques for the toes and detail them in my session sequence. I might be curious whether they experience headaches or sinus congestion too!

Here’s what else I do. I have my client stand on a piece of paper. Have them hold onto a chair so they’re stable and have them put their full walking weight on one foot.

Then I draw the outline of that foot with a pen held at 90 degrees from the paper. Once the outline of each foot is on the paper, I’ll put one of their shoes over the paper and align it with the foot.

Usually you can see that the foot is larger than the shoe, especially at the toes.

Next, I send them to a good shoe store and tell them to take the paper with them.

The store will fit them to shoes that are a bit wider and half and inch longer than their foot. They should be snug and the heel will be low.

Try it. Your feet will thank you for years to come.

I hope you’ve enjoyed your Reflexology newsletter… tell all your friends so they can benefit from it too.

© Wendy Coad

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEBSITE?

You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:
Enjoy your wonderful reflexology skills.

Wendy Coad – Online health and reflexology expert and the “Reflexology Professor” publishes the popular “Reflexology Secrets, Tips and Techniques” weekly email newsletter to subscribers from around the world. If you’re ready to enjoy health, express creativity, gain knowledge and skyrocket your reflexology or holistic health career, get your FREE tips now at http://www.ReflexologyProf.com and join us at the top right corner.

To your reflexology success -

Reflex, Live Long and Prosper,

Creator of the Mega Reflexology Training

“THE FOOT FACTOR PROGRAM”

The Headache of Hammertoe is a post from: Reflexology Success

One of the easiest and most direct ways to do this – and grow your practice by leaps and bounds – is to feature the following 3 things that I do. Some of you may feel like they’re a given, but many practitioners completely forget to use them in their practice

You can never generate too much trust and satisfaction. In fact, if you enjoy getting bodywork as much as I do, you’ve probably noted the best practitioners use these simple techniques over 80% of the time! And that’s for good reason… they are hands-down the BEST way to gain instant credibility. So listen up and use them well!

There are 3 things you can do to ensure your clients success, and … also, ensure that you’re successful too.

1. Set the stage for a RESULTS-ORIENTED session.

The most effective sessions are results oriented. That is, they are set up to measure the results your clients have gotten. Be sure to include a measure for the desired result to get you client’s attention and dramatically increase their response.

Lame result measure: completing the whole session and then only asking at the end, “How are you feeling?”

Awesome result measure: check in at the beginning of the session by using a scale (or other reference) for what they are experiencing in the moment. I sometimes have my client close their eyes, so they can really notice. Then I ask my client, “What are you noticing?” and, I ask for a reference point on a scale of 1 – 4.

After the session, I ask again, “What are you noticing right now?’ and then reference the scale again. Now we can compare the differences before and after the session.

Of course, a few people are just not “noticers” and that’s okay too.

2. Include information that the client has given you.

Have you ever gone for bodywork or a massage for a particular reason? Maybe your shoulder hurt or you have a pain in your side? And, they’ve worked all around, doing the session their way, when all you want is some attention paid to the area you pointed out at the beginning! You wait and… you wait.

Yah, right! I’m sure they’ll get to my real problem… meanwhile you’re dying of suspense.

Use the information that the client has already given you with their health history. Go there early in the session. Change your usual pattern, or at least tell your client when they can expect some attention in the place they need it the most!

The more you engage your client the more they believe you’re interested in helping them. Include the area, the reflex, the site of discomfort reflex, etc… It’s important to let them know your work is geared toward them.

3. Use homework or self help to give the client the opportunity to participate more fully in their own wellness.

Give the client some useful tips or even better, homework to carry them through the week until you see them again. This will get them engaged in their own healing process.

Don’t worry, it won’t make your great Reflexology sessions obsolete. A lot of people just want to relax and let someone else to do the work. That’s why there are jobs for Reflexologists!

If you have trouble getting your clients to notice the great experiences working with you, or using your services, don’t get mad at them. You just have to educate them.

It’s rare that a client knows what to look for or what to expect. Give them the tools to monitor their own progress. Giving them even the simplest suggestions will add tremendously to the benefits of their experience. Gets them off their butts and works every time!

© Wendy Coad

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEBSITE?

You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

Enjoy your wonderful reflexology skills.

Wendy Coad – Online health and reflexology expert and the “Reflexology Professor” publishes the popular “Reflexology Secrets, Tips and Techniques” weekly email newsletter to subscribers from around the world. If you’re ready to enjoy health, express creativity, gain knowledge and skyrocket your reflexology or holistic health career, get your FREE tips now at http://www.ReflexologyProf.com and join us at the top right corner.

To your reflexology success -

Reflex, Live Long and Prosper,

Creator of the Mega Reflexology Training

“THE FOOT FACTOR PROGRAM”

The Reflexology Three-Step is a post from: Reflexology Success

I have my preference and I’m sure that you have yours. But why? Is it better to start on the left foot or start on the right?

Right away, I can tell you that the reflexologists who work both feet alternately do not have this dilemma. They do a bit of work on one foot and then they quickly move to the next, and back and forth they go. They may still have a plan for where to begin, but it won’t hold the same import as those of us who work the first foot entirely before going on to the next.

Did I hear an audible gasp? As a profession, reflexologists tend to be attached to their reflexology protocols. To many, the way they learned is the only way it’s done. Okay, if it “ain’t broke”, don’t fix it.

It would be easy to say that I start on one foot because that’s how I was taught. And, that it’s worked for me and countless others. Thousands and thousands in fact because my instructor taught for many years, I’ve been teaching for almost 20 years and many of my teacher trainees are now teaching my method.

But really, I think that the best explanation for choosing the starter foot is, preference.

Let’s look at the options – there are only two.

Starting with the right foot (as many do), since most of us are “righties” (meaning right-handed), it’s this side of the body that often holds the most tension. So, why not start of the side that may need the most attention? Good plan.

In Indian and Asian healing practices, the right-side of the body represents the yang energies, the masculine, the outward reaching, the upward moving.

And, the left side of the body represents the denser yin energy, the feminine, the inward and downward moving.

Now, I know I might be comparing apples and oranges here because these concepts are found in the eastern philosophies of both Ayurvedic and Oriental healing modalities and are not inherent in reflexology.

But, I’ve studied both Ayurveda (via Polarity Therapy) and Oriental Medicine (via Acupressure and Shiatsu) and they have definitely influenced my practice. So, when giving a reflexology session, I usually do start with the left foot, the “inward moving” or “receiving” side.

Do I always start on the left? No, not always. There are clients who have so much going on on the right side of their body that I will begin the session on the corresponding foot because I feel that the work is needed there the most.

The beauty of reflexology is – it’s not brain surgery. The body gets what the body needs. Unlike Ayurveda and Oriental medicine, where direction, and calculations rule most everything, in reflexology there is no absolute right or wrong direction, no right or wrong foot, no right or wrong protocol.

I’m not saying that how you work doesn’t ever matter. I’m saying that changing the order won’t hurt, negate or compromise to the point of negligence, the reflexology session. The one thing that I’ve learned through studying thousands of hours of different bodywork techniques is that reflexology is uniquely different. It simply and exquisitely taps into the body’s inherent wisdom so that the body can use the support it receives from reflexology to heal itself naturally.

My best advice is to say: follow your instincts. The body will get from reflexology what the body needs. I trust that above all else because that’s what I’ve observed over and over again with countless clients, students and even myself.

So pick a foot and get started.

Happy New Year from the Reflexology Professor!

Enjoy your wonderful reflexology skills.

Wendy Coad – Online health and reflexology expert and the “Reflexology Professor” publishes the popular “Reflexology Secrets, Tips and Techniques” weekly email newsletter to subscribers from around the world. If you’re ready to enjoy health, express creativity, gain knowledge and skyrocket your reflexology or holistic health career, get your FREE tips now at http://www.reflexologyprof.com and join us at the top right corner.

To your reflexology success -

Reflex, Live Long and Prosper,

Creator of the Mega Reflexology Training

“THE FOOT FACTOR PROGRAM”

The Reflexology Two-Step is a post from: Reflexology Success

1. The first place I looked for a custom that involves the respectful touching of feet was India. Steeped with ritual and ceremony, it has long been practiced that children bow down to touch the feet of their grandparents or of their elders. This practice is followed by either a blessing or a hug by the elder as an acknowledgement of the respect and love they feel.
2. In the Native American culture, drums were played with the feet. The Aztec and Hopi Indians used hollowed logs with wooden coverings that when danced upon would resonate.
3. African and Indian cultures, along with others, have a tradition whereby a specialist is called in to paint intricate designs on the hands and feet of the wedding party. This custom is thought to bring good luck to the bride and groom and to ward off evil.
4. In Asian cultures, depictions of the footprint of Buddha carries great spiritual meaning. As many as 65 symbols for devotion can be found in these carvings and paintings. The central image on the foot is that of a wheel with 8 spokes. Each spoke represents part of the eightfold path to enlightenment.  It’s interesting to me that this symbol is in the same location as our reflexology “Solar Plexus” reflex. I’ve always felt that there is a lot of wisdom and spiritual connections in this potent point.
5. A ritual that is said to originate as a hospitality practice in ancient times was the custom of foot washing. Even the kings of europe engaged in this practice in the royal courts up until the 20th century. Washing the feet of guests was once a common practice and has endured in religious ceremonies to the present day.
6. Sumo wrestling is an ancient Japanese practice which dates back many thousands of years. Seeped in ritual that is said to originate with the Shinto religion, the wrestlers perform a foot stomping ceremony (Shiko) to initiate the event and salt is then used to purify the ritual.
7. My favorite is practiced by mothers around the world. I call them the first reflexologists, naturally. Yes, it’s mothers and sometimes fathers, aunts, uncles, siblings, cousins and babysitters who have all found that “one common denominator” when communicating with babies.

I’m talking about the ancient practice of “this little piggy went to market” or whatever else it’s called in as many languages as there are cultures.

Where would we be as a species without the delightful and spontaneous practice of playfully pressing and gently squeezing babies toes? This is something that comes as naturally as rocking them in a cradle. We’ve all done it and all had it done to us.

But, think about it for a minute. What reflexes are being supported and stimulated here? You got it…. the CNS. And what is expanding exponentially as babies grow and learn. Right again! It’s their brain and nervous system (along with all other parts of their bodies).

I think that moms just “get it”, and their preliminary efforts at reflexology can and do have a positive effect. Why else would it be practiced everywhere, ever since time or toes began.

So, there you have it. I invite you to celebrate your (or someone else’s) feet for the next 7 days or seven weeks (or 7 minutes) by foot bowing, dancing, foot painting, solar plexus holding, foot washing, foot stomping and please, don’t forget to wiggling those toes.

Happy New Year from the Reflexology Professor!

Enjoy your wonderful reflexology skills.

Wendy Coad – Online health and reflexology expert and the “Reflexology Professor” publishes the popular “Reflexology Secrets, Tips and Techniques” weekly email newsletter to subscribers from around the world. If you’re ready to enjoy health, express creativity, gain knowledge and skyrocket your reflexology or holistic health career, get your FREE tips now at http://www.reflexologyprof.com and join us at the top right corner.

To your reflexology success -

Reflex, Live Long and Prosper,

Creator of the Mega Reflexology Training

“THE FOOT FACTOR PROGRAM”

Foot Factors From Around the World is a post from: Reflexology Success

So, when he had foot pain, I wanted to pay him back for all the support he’s given me. I gave him a soothing foot reflexology session before he went to bed. (I was also thinking about the late night project I might do with all the great energy I’d be generating for myself.)

Now, as a reflexologist, my first thoughts were not about Steve’s feet! As I worked, I asked him to tell me what areas, if any, were tender. I also noticed the areas where there was a change in the tissue texture.I won’t give away all his secrets, but you can be sure there was a connection between the areas of tenderness and health/diet issues.The feet are such gossips, they will tell you everything.

So, I asked a few questions relating to the spine and the organs in the abdominal cavity. It’s not about being a genius, it’s just about asking useful questions (something else you learn in class).

I would never tell anyone that there’s something wrong. They would have to see a medical practitioner for that. (Reflexologists never diagnose, treat or prescribe!)

We can be intelligent though and once issues are confirmed, our conversation centered around which diet/lifestyle, etc., changes could best help.

As a reflexologist, my main interest is in the body, the organs and organ systems. But, I know there’s still a foot (or two) involved.
I wanted to help there too.

So I asked Steve what he already knew to do… “tell me something that’s helped you in the past” (commonly, this isn’t the first time a problem appears in the area).
Since we’d covered this territory before, Steve knew that soaking his feet in alternating warm/hot and cool/cold water helps a lot. He also knew that specific, light exercise (the ones we learned in class) and working some very tight muscles on his leg helped too. Asking the question reminded him of that.
Although he was told by a podiatrist that he had a heel spur and it would need cortizone shots,  he opted for my reflexology and his own hot and cold hydro-therapy techniques.

After a short while, his pain was almost completely gone. That was several years ago now and it has never come back.
My work with my favorite client may never be done (and, I hope not). But, there’s nothing more satisfying to a reflexologist (and a wife) than knowing that I can help.
And, he’s taking responsibility for his own body – he knows where to go for help, and… how to help himself.
I wish the same for all.
Happy Holidays.

Enjoy your wonderful reflexology skills.

Wendy Coad – Online health and reflexology expert and the “Reflexology Professor” publishes the popular “Reflexology Secrets, Tips and Techniques” weekly email newsletter to subscribers from around the world. If you’re ready to enjoy health, express creativity, gain knowledge and skyrocket your reflexology or holistic health career, get your FREE tips now at http://www.reflexologyprof.com and join us at the top right corner.

To your reflexology success -

Reflex, Live Long and Prosper,

Creator of the Mega Reflexology Training

“THE FOOT FACTOR PROGRAM”

How Steve Cured His Foot Pain is a post from: Reflexology Success

Is that enough? It’s a lot already. But what if you had an opportunity to offer even more relaxation, with minimum effort. That’s right – almost nothing more for you to do.
Here are “the 4 most powerful relaxation reminders I create for my clients…and for myself.”

1. Consider THE VISUAL – You want the surroundings for your clients and for you to be relaxing, calm and peaceful. In my office I have lots of fabrics, calming images, sculpture and curtains (which hide some of my storage, for me a necessity for reducing the distractions and for my clients it eliminates any visual clutter).  You can work in an office, your home or a rented space but keep the area of your work visually calm and soothing.  How can you do this at home or if you share a rental space? An inexpensive solution is to use screens and/or curtains to separate living and working areas in your home.  In a rental space, bring some fabrics and pin or drape them to set the tone and offset that office feeling. A silk fabric or a beautiful floral banner can fit nice and lightly into any Reflexology travel kit.  This creates a memory or reminder for relaxation.
2. Consider THE AUDITORY – Have a pleasant sounding environment. This too can create a memory or reminder for relaxation.  Try a cascading fountain or a sound machine that produces gentle nature sounds. Music-only tapes and CD’s that have soothing melodies are great. Remember it’s best if there are no words to the music.  Why no words? People naturally go into their heads when they hear words. Some songs might have sad memories attached, which is another reason why “neutral” works best.  And…REMEMBER that for people who work in the music business, any music might put them in work mode. Often they’ll request silence.  Sound can be powerfully relaxing or a stress trigger. Bottom line – offer the option and let the client choose.
3. Consider THE TACTILE – This is what we do. We create a relaxing touch experience for our clients. It’s touch that’s safe, compassionate and therapeutic.  The tactile can also be represented in color and the textures of our table linens: sheets and coverings.  Again, this creates a memory or reminder for relaxation.
4. Consider THE AROMATIC – First, choose whether to work with aromas or not. If your space has any kind of odd or musty smell then the choice has already been made for you! If you can’t move, AROMA INVIGORATE!  Did you know that several common essential oils are anti-viral, anti-septic, anti-fungal AND anti-biotic. Remember that around cold season!  Did you know there’s no standard to the essential oil industry? All essential oil products differ. Some of the “best” blends can have other oils added (still pure and natural, but you’re paying a lot for common vegetable and nut oil extenders). You need to research and trust your distributor.  For those who choose Aromatherapy, your session space should have a pleasant supportive aroma. You can change the mood of the session, i.e. uplifting, calming, healing, etc. … with your choice of pure essential oils.  The mere whiff of the pure and natural essential oils that I use, “evokes a little bit of Wendy Heaven”, as one of my clients described it.  Several clients, whenever they enter my office, say they immediately feel relaxed. That’s before I’ve done anything!  Remember my reference to Pavlov? Well, my clients senses are reminding them of the previous sessions and how relaxing and good they felt.  I choose to work with these powerful healing tools because of their versatility in my sessions.  My clients draw real benefits from this. They can also be reminded and brought back into relaxation at any point afterward, just by carrying an essential oil previously used in the reflexology session.  It’s true that some clients will request “no aroma” at all. In this case, it’s easy to keep your space neutral since aromas diffuse quickly. Only a very, very few clients won’t be able to tolerate any aroma. And in fact, I don’t have any such clients.  I LOVE working with AROMATHERAPY.  I carry 2-3 essential oils with me at all times. They’re in small bottles and they’re life savers.  Where have they saved me most often? On airplanes, on the streets of New York City and in taxis and subways. I know it’s so pedestrian (no pun) but more than once, I’ve reached for an oil and saved my nose and sanity!

Want to learn more? Everything you need to know is in my Aromatherapy Training Program, and it starts this spring 2012!

Enjoy your wonderful reflexology skills.

Wendy Coad – Online health and reflexology expert and the “Reflexology Professor” publishes the popular “Reflexology Secrets, Tips and Techniques” weekly email newsletter to subscribers from around the world. If you’re ready to enjoy health, express creativity, gain knowledge and skyrocket your reflexology or holistic health career, get your FREE tips now at http://www.ReflexologyProf.com and join us at the top right corner.

To your reflexology success -

Reflex, Live Long and Prosper,

Creator of the Mega Reflexology Training

“THE FOOT FACTOR PROGRAM”

The 4 Most Powerful Relaxation Reminders…I Create for my Clients and Myself. is a post from: Reflexology Success

FYI – my 2012 Reflexology Tele-seminar Series is almost ready to announce. You’ll see it here soon.

1. On average, in a lifetime, a person will walk between 125,000 and 250,000 miles. The first one adds up to more than four times the distance around the world and the later is the distance from the earth to the moon. No wonder we need to take good care of our feet… so they can take care of us and last a lifetime.
2. The skin on your soles is up to 20 times thicker than the skin on any other part of your body.
3. When you run, the pressure that is applied to your feet is four times greater than your normal body weight.
4. Ever notice the shoes you just bought that felt right in the store feel tighter when you get them home? It may be because the shoe stores put a plush carpet down to make everything feel more comfortable. But also, our feet will swell slightly during the day and by afternoon they are up to one size larger than they were in the morning (that’s a 5% increase in volume). So, if you bought your shoes in the morning they may not feel as comfortable by the end of the day.
5. And, between our two feet, one foot will be a half to a full size larger than the other (at any time of the day).
6. Our feet contain approximately 250,000 seat glands. These glands can excrete a cup of moisture in a day. (That’s why it’s so good to wear cotton socks and breathable footwear.)
7. Our feet stop growing when we hit our teen years and the last bone in the foot to mature fully is the 1st metatarsal.
8. Shoe sizes were first “standardized” in the 14th century by King Edward II who declared that the diameter of a grain of barleycorn would be the measure for one full shoe size. We still use this system!
9. In about 20 % of the population the second toe is longer than all the others.
10.  The 52 bones in a pair of feet represent a quarter of all the bones in the body.  That’s a lot to articulate about.

Now, I’ll leave you with a sign that was spotted outside of a Podiatry office window:

“Time wounds all heels”.

Enjoy your wonderful reflexology skills.

Wendy Coad – Online health and reflexology expert and the “Reflexology Professor” publishes the popular “Reflexology Secrets, Tips and Techniques” weekly email newsletter to subscribers from around the world. If you’re ready to enjoy health, express creativity, gain knowledge and skyrocket your reflexology or holistic health career, get your FREE tips now at http://www.ReflexologyProf.com and join us at the top right corner.

To your reflexology success -

Reflex, Live Long and Prosper,

Creator of the Mega Reflexology Training

“THE FOOT FACTOR PROGRAM”

10 Interesting Things About the Feet is a post from: Reflexology Success

That was a while ago.

Then, as soon as I found I could get one – I applied for a credit card machine. I went through the long application process and set up a credit card merchant account.

And, I was happy with the ease and convenience but it did cost me monthly to maintain it – even if I didn’t use it all the time.

The best part about taking credit cards is that it makes it easier for clients to pay. This is true whether it’s a lot – many hundreds of dollars for a 5 or 10 session “Wellness Package” or just a little, like adding an extra half hour onto their existing session. (It also eliminates the need for clients, who have no checks and too little cash, to go to the corner ATM and run back with their payment.)

Now people are using their debit and credit cards even more.

Here are the 3 things that every Reflexologist will want to consider as options for payments:

1.  Accept “Paypal” payments. You probably have a Paypal account, especially if you shop online. It’s free, not difficult to set up, and most people already use it for internet purchases. All you need to do is set up your account to accept payments and have your clients pay the funds for the sessions.You can direct clients to use it for larger payments like multi-session packages. This works best for payments in advance (rather than after the reflexology service has been provided).
2. Set up a merchant account. In the past I’ve had various types of these accounts – one from a financial institution and the other from an internet provider. These take time to navigate, require a business bank account and charge you monthly for services plus a percentage of the amount charged (usually between 2 & 3 percent). I’m happy I’ve had mine all these years, but their costs have deterred some Reflexologists.
3. Now we come to what I think is a great solution. It’s the newest in e-commerce and if you have a “smart phone” and want to take credit card payments you need to check it out. There are services like “Square” that are catering to businesses large and small with a transaction speed that’s all of 30 seconds.

The credit card “swipe” attachment to your phone is the size of a postage stamp and it opens in a program that is so simple to use and it takes no time at all. I bought mine at Apple but you can find them at Radio Shack and even Target.

The purchase cost is minimal, no need for a business bank account, plus there are no monthly charges. Payments go into your bank account in a few days and the fee that is taken from each transaction is about the same as other methods. It’s been more than worthwhile having it for my business.

It’s up to you to decide how you’ll take payment for your reflexology sessions, but remember, the easier you make it for your clients, the better.

Enjoy your wonderful reflexology skills.

Wendy Coad – Online health and reflexology expert and the “Reflexology Professor” publishes the popular “Reflexology Secrets, Tips and Techniques” weekly email newsletter to subscribers from around the world. If you’re ready to enjoy health, express creativity, gain knowledge and skyrocket your reflexology or holistic health career, get your FREE tips now at http://www.ReflexologyProf.com and join us at the top right corner.

To your reflexology success -

Reflex, Live Long and Prosper,

Creator of the Mega Reflexology Training

“THE FOOT FACTOR PROGRAM”

Reflexology 3 Easy-Pay Solutions is a post from: Reflexology Success

There’s a very special rhythm created by the movement of the cerebral-spinal fluid, which baths our brain and spine like a tide that washes up and down it’s length.

And, there’s a pulse that is palpable which follows the flow of this tide. The rate of this rhythm is approximately seven beats per minute.

So, in addition to our heart rhythm and the rhythm of our breathing, our whole skeletal system gently pulses – inverts and everts – to the flow of the cranial-spinal fluid.

It took me some time to learn how to palpate the cranial rhythm since it’s so deep within our body. It’s with the utmost respect and the deepest “listening“ through my fingertips that I finally sensed the magic of it’s movement.

As if that weren’t awesome enough, I learned that with the gentlest of techniques this primal motion could be safely paused, as if to set it to rest for a few seconds and up to several minutes.

It’s known as inducing the “still point.”

Once the cranial rhythm is put into a pause the body can rest in a natural way, freed momentarily from one more task, albeit a natural one.

This is where the deepest relaxation effect is to be had – like a mega alpha state where consciousness is well beneath the surface, but not to the point yet of unconsciousness.

We’ve all experienced it when we receive reflexology and our clients have too – that’s why we love our work so much, the relaxation effect of this state is profound.

An experienced crainio-sacral practitioner is very familiar with the still point and how to induce it. Once set into place, the practitioner need do nothing more than wait for the body to reset itself.

And the body will naturally resume its cranial rhythms, so slight and gentle that they are almost imperceptible even to the trained.

Along with this reset is the potential for irregularities in the natural movement to be corrected and be brought back into greater alignment.

So what does this have to do with reflexology and our solar plexus points?

When we hold these simple reflex points, we can naturally induce this state of deep relaxation – the “still point”.

By changing nothing that you already do, just be aware that your thumbs placed in the solar plexus center of both feet, with a hold that is both gentle and firm, will likely do what Cranio-sacral Balancing practitioners strive to do to help their clients.

It’s a good thing for body and soul.

Ever wonder why, at the end of your session when you hold these points, there’s yet another wave of relaxation that comes over your client?

Well, now you know and by doing nothing else, you’ve supplied a magical addition to your session.

And, that’s another reason why I begin and end every session with the solar plexus reflex.

Enjoy your wonderful reflexology skills.

Wendy Coad – Online health and reflexology expert and the “Reflexology Professor” publishes the popular “Reflexology Secrets, Tips and Techniques” weekly email newsletter to subscribers from around the world. If you’re ready to enjoy health, express creativity, gain knowledge and skyrocket your reflexology or holistic health career, get your FREE tips now at http://www.ReflexologyProf.com and join us at the top right corner.

To your reflexology success -

Reflex, Live Long and Prosper,

Creator of the Mega Reflexology Training

“THE FOOT FACTOR PROGRAM”

“Cranial” Reflexology is a post from: Reflexology Success

Keeping Digestion on Track

The kinds and amounts of food a person eats and how the digestive system processes that food play key roles in maintaining good health.

Eating a healthy diet is the best way to prevent common digestive problems. Having said that…

What can reflexology do?

You can see from the information in last week’s article that the digestive system is a vital and complex system that involves the whole body – digestive organs, nervous and endocrine systems.

Now we know where the digestive system is and how it functions in the body – let’s review the location of the reflexes on the feet.

Bilaterally, the digestive system reflexes occupy the area on the plantar surface of the feet, between our reflex landmarks of the diaphragm line and the pelvic line (exceptions are the esophagus and sigmoid colon reflexes).

If you follow the bones – the digestive system reflexes are superficial to the shafts and bases of the metatarsals and all of the bones of the mid-foot (the 3 cuneiforms, navicular and cuboid bones).

And, just as these organs are located on the left or right sides of the body, the reflexes will be found on the corresponding left or right foot. As above, so below.

I’m always on the lookout for changes in tissue texture in the soft arch of the foot. I call it the soft “belly of the foot” because that’s where the “belly” or digestive reflexes are mostly located.

The mere size of the digestive system reflexes on the feet, proportionately give feet a winning edge for addressing the digestive system over the hands, face or ear reflexes.

But, even though the feet have the space advantage, the other reflexology areas (hand, face and ears) are better for other reasons – like a deeper relaxation response – so don’t count them out.

If I’m not detailing a specific digestive organ reflex, I keep the techniques general.

Thumb-walking the 5 zones from the pelvic line to the diaphragm line essentially addresses the digestive system reflexes “en mass” (the sigmoid colon and rectum reflexes dip into the heel on the left foot).

Now, as a reflexologist it’s always a relief to me that we don’t treat, diagnose or prescribe.

But, as we know, everything in the body, all our systems and processes are affected by stress and not in a good way.

I know from the vast amount of research that’s out there now – reflexology can profoundly affect the parasympathetic nervous system and has the greatest potential to reduce stress.

It’s useful to “listen” very carefully to what the feet will tell you here. Any changes in tissue texture found on the arch will add the digestive system to my menu of reflex areas to detail in the session.

And, for self-help, the access we have to the “soft belly” or arch of the foot is such that it’s almost made to rest our hand and scoop into it.

Even a few minutes of general work can make a difference. But, when you detail the specific reflexes research proves that our effectiveness can increase threefold!

It’s apparent from last week’s article that both the endocrine system and the nervous system are featured prominently in our digestive processes and therefore those reflexes would be important too.

Key steps for your digestive health

It’s important to keep in mind that we are what we eat. Choosing the right food and eating in a calming environment is ideal.

These tips will help you maintain better digestive system health:

• Choose high quality, fresh organic foods – raw foods have their own enzymes which are especially important when your body is healing and may be low on enzymes in general.
• Chew your food thoroughly – Digestion of carbs like starch and sugar, begins when they are mixed with saliva and enzymes in your mouth. The role of the enzymes is twofold, to break down your food, and to also attack bacteria.
• Don’t rush when you’re eating – take your time and sit down to eat. It sounds obvious, but a lot of people hurry their meals.
• If you drink a beverage with your meal make sure it’s room temperature – If you drink ice cold liquid with your food, your body has to heat it first and that takes more time and energy away from the digestive process. Drinking enough water is always a good idea and it will aid all your body’s processes. But drinking it (or any beverage) cold with your meal will slow digestion down. Enough said.

There’s so much I’d like to share with you on this topic, so I’ll be adding more future newsletters.

I’ll be talking more specifically about each organ of the Digestive System individually in future Reflexology Newsletters and on my Blog www.ReflexologySuccess.com -

As Charles T. Copeland once said:

“To eat is human, to digest divine.”

Enjoy your wonderful reflexology skills.

Wendy Coad – Online health and reflexology expert and the “Reflexology Professor” publishes the popular “Reflexology Secrets, Tips and Techniques” weekly email newsletter to subscribers from around the world. If you’re ready to enjoy health, express creativity, gain knowledge and skyrocket your reflexology or holistic health career, get your FREE tips now at http://www.ReflexologyProf.com and join us at the top right corner.

To your reflexology success -

Reflex, Live Long and Prosper,

Creator of the Mega Reflexology Training

“THE FOOT FACTOR PROGRAM”

“About the Digestive System” – Reflexology Rules! is a post from: Reflexology Success