What is Reflexology?

 Reflexology is a hands-on (literally!) healing art practice that involves applying pressure to certain areas of the feet, hands, and ears. These body parts have reflex points, which are tied to the body’s organs and bodily systems. Applying pressure to the right points provides benefits for that particular organ or system, improving overall health or targeted health of one specific area in the body, such as the liver, bladder, or lungs.

Reflexology has been around for thousands of years. There is archaeological evidence from Egypt, China, and Japan that indicates the ancient practice of reflexology. The Egyptian artifacts date as early as 2330 B.C. - how’s that for ancient? Since then the practice has continued to many cultures and civilizations throughout history.

Reflexology sounds a little like massage…

You may have heard of reflexology and wondered how it differs from other pressure-based therapies like massage or acupressure. All of these practices involve pressure and touch, but they are not all created equal!

Massage is the practice of gently manipulating the body’s soft tissue in order to help you relax or to achieve systemic benefits for circulation, lymphatic drainage, etc. While a relaxing massage is wonderful, it’s definitely not the same as reflexology, which manipulates specific body parts with reflexive pressure points to achieve a targeted result, benefiting the internal organs.

Acupressure (and acupuncture) are closer to reflexology, as they too focus on the manipulation of points on the body in order to affect other areas from the pressure. However, the pressure points between the practices are different. Acupressure points (over 800 of them!) are derived from energy lines called meridians, while reflexology points on the hands or feet mirror the human body, as you can see in reflex maps on the hands, feet, and ears. We’ll share these maps below for your reference.

Why Try Reflexology?

The American Academy of Reflexology lists the following benefits of reflexology:

• Stress reduction and total body relaxation
• Reduction or elimination of pain
• Improved circulation
• Detoxification
• Improved organ and gland function
• Increased range of motion
• Overall improvement in quality of life, energy, and productivity
• Normalization of bodily functions
• Prevention of new health challenges
• Safe nurturing touch

Reflexology is a safe healing art with many benefits. If you have general health issues to address or a specific concern, like allergies, back pain, or liver detox, it would be worth your while to try some reflexology treatment. Self-treatment is possible (and indeed is necessary even if you are seeing a practitioner, to maintain your treatment on a more frequent basis). A professional reflexologist will help you determine the best way to work on your problem areas with the use of reflexology.  To schedule a private session with a professional reflexologist at Puma Yoga in Lakewood Ohio, please contact info@pumayoga.net or call 216.402.0266.