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Let Your Feet do the Talking

By Rosa Ghidella

How often do you think about your feet? Most of us usually only do so after a hard
day at work, a strenuous workout, or a hard night of  partying, as we painfully peel
off our shoes to give those poor, aching, neglected appendages some relief.

Regardless of how often we are aware of  our feet  or give them any  thought, the fact
is that our feet are always talking to us. Our feet are powerful indicators of our general
health and wellbeing. Tired  swollen feet, bunions, corns, tender points  on our feet can
give us an indication that they, and our bodies, need some TLC.

It is estimated  that an average  person will have  walked over a whopping 120,700
kilometres or 75, 000 miles in their lifetime, which is enough to take you around the
world a few times.

From the age of a preschooler until retirement, many of us wear closed shoes for six or
more hours a day, five plus days a week; and many  young women  are known to wear
tight,  ill-fitting, high  heeled  shoes.  Despite  their  neglect, the  health of our feet is
intrinsically tied to the health of our bodies.

Our feet are quite complex structures, and not to be scoffed at.  Each foot comprises
of  26  bones, 19 foot  muscles, 33 joints, 3 arches, 50 ligaments, 7200 nerve endings,
and hundreds of metres of blood vessels, lymphatic vessels and nerves, and hundreds
of sweat glands and skin pores.

Not only are our feet  important in producing  movement, they also support our whole
body, offer balance & act as effective shock absorbers. High heels, poor fitting shoes,
bad posture and neglect can all lead to long term and serious issues with our bodies.

Reflexology is an ancient science-based therapy, which  focuses on  the principle that
reflexes, or key points, in the feet, hands and ears, relate to internal organs and other structures of the body, offering relief from every day stress.  

We live  in a constant  state of  hyperactivity, information-overload and  stress, forcing
our  bodies  in and  out of a  constant  state  of fight or flight response. With time, this
process drains energy from the structural, biochemical  and psychological  realms of the
body, and over the long term, this will affect the body’s capacity to function effectively.

Reflexology assists in reversing this process by inducing a deep sense  of relaxation and expelling suppressed emotions, such as anger, fear, rage, confusion, doubt & frustration
that hamper the body’s natural ability to function well.  

Reflexology is a powerful preventative tool in maintaining good health as well as being
effective in treating different forms of physical and  emotional discomfort. Reflexology
treats  a range  of issues including  digestive  problems, sinus pain, constipation, fluid
retention, pre-menstrual tension, menstrual irregularity, stress, fatigue, migraines and
skin problems. It also maintains energy and health levels.

Because reflexology brings total relaxation, it can effectively complement any health
modality.

How does it work?

All organs and body parts are reflected along one or more of the ten reflex zones that
run the entire length of the body ending in each toe and the  tips of the fingers - five
zones on each side of the body.

Each zone is considered to be a channel for life energy or qi.  Along  each reflex zone
there are many reflex points.  When these zones become blocked or  congested, pain
ensues, which reflects some form of strain, weakness, damage or disease in the body
part that the zone corresponds with. Usually this congestion appears as crystalline or
granular deposits in the feet.

Reflexologists  believe  that  granular  or  crystallized  accumulations  of  waste matter
concentrate  around  reflex  points in the form of uric acid and calcium crystals. These
deposits reflect an imbalance in that part of the body. Reflexology focuses on breaking
down these deposits in order to free up the energy flow along the zones.

The  application  of  pressure  to  any  of  the  reflexology  points  promotes  a healing
response for the body. As the  pain in the  reflexology points diminishes, & with regular
reflexology, most people find that there is a corresponding improvement in that part of
their anatomy. 

For example, working over the sinus points can result in an almost immediate release of congestion within the sinuses. Some health issues require a series of treatments before
long-standing results are seen.  

Some Reflexologists will combine their treatment with aromatherapy essential oils to
further enhance their therapy. As the body begins to function better, this promotes
the regeneration of healthy tissues, further promoting good health and wellbeing.

Furthermore, massaging tense foot muscles promotes easier blood flow and promotes
the  distribution  of nutrients  and oxygen  throughout the body. The most wonderful
thing about reflexology is how you feel at the end of a treatment. 

Most people fall into such a deep place of relaxation that they fall asleep somewhere
during  the  treatment... Unless  you  are  extremely  ticklish, you  will  find  that the
Reflexologist’s touch is soothing and nurturing. The other thing that most people find
is that they feel refreshed, alive and vibrant after a reflexology  session, without the
drowsiness that sometimes accompanies a massage.

So, don’t ignore those niggling discomforts in your feet. Let your feet do the talking &
walk your way back to good health.

About the Author:

Rosa Ghidella is the  Director of the Haberfield  Naturopathic Centre, a multidisciplinary
natural therapy centre in Sydney. She practices aromatherapy, remedial massage and reflexology and  is a qualified  counsellor.  She is  also the Managing Director of Argital
Australia, which  imports  a beautiful  range of  organic, natural skincare  and personal
care products.

© Rosa Ghidella, 2011