REFLEXOLOGY is a theory and therapy that uses the feet to treat the whole body.
Reflexology involves applying gentle pressure to the feet or occasionally the hands where certain points on the feet correspond to organs in the body.
Reflexology works on energy pathways similar to acupuncture. It aims to relax you, ease stress and tension and help with general well being.
The principles behind massaging the feet, treating the body holistically (as a whole) and dividing the body into zones or lines of energy – date back thousands of years.
The connection between them is energy: every part of a zone is linked by energy and exist in the same energy zone. If the energy of one part is blocked, this will mean that the whole zone will also be blocked.
The application of pressure as a healing therapy for over 5000 years. The ancient therapy of acupressure uses thumb pressure on acupoints – a series of points along lines of energy throughout the body – to help unblock energy and thus let the body heal itself. Acupuncture is similar but needles are used instead of thumb or finger pressure.
Both these therapies are thought to have influenced the development of reflexology because they are all based on the principles that there is a relationship between the point where pressure is applied and the rest of the body.