Meridians and energy in reflexology

So let’s talk about the energy meridians right now.

2,000 years ago, Chinese Medicine identified 12 primary energy meridians that run throughout your body. There are meridians for the lungs, large intestine, stomach, spleen, heart, small intestine, bladder, kidney, pericardium, San Jiao, liver, and the gallbladder. 

In Chinese Medicine, the concept of an “organ” encompasses not just the physical organ, but also its associated energy meridian, and yin and yang elements.

And all of these meridians are interconnected, so the function of one organ and meridian depends on the function of another. If there's a problem in one, it will eventually affect the others.

Thus, in order for the body to be healthy and in balance, all of the organs and meridians need to be in balance.

The body's energy meridians are like a circulation system for blood. When energy is flowing smoothly and abundantly, then our bodies are in harmony and we experience wellness.

But if the flow of qi is disrupted, this can result in dis-ease because qi helps move the physical substances in the body such as blood, air, lymph and food. So think of these meridians like a river. When a river is flowing smoothly, the ecosystem is in balance. If a twig lands into the river, a healthy current can easily clear it away.

But if there's more and more debris falling into the river or if the current is weak or there's not enough water, then the river can't flush away the debris as easily. And over time, things start to get murky and blocked.

This same principle applies to the body's energy meridians. When qi is abundant and flowing as it should, your body is in harmony. And when it's not flowing smoothly, 

that's when problems at the energy level can shift to the physical level.

This concept of balancing all 12 primary meridians for health is what makes Chinese Medicine different from the Western approach. You have to take a holistic whole body approach to healing.

For example, if a person has eye issues, the Western approach is to look at the eyes.

 But this doesn't address the underlying imbalances. 

In Chinese Medicine, eye problems are a symptom of imbalances in the body’s primary organs and meridians.

That's why I can't recommend five points to massage for a health issue because the best points to massage are usually all of the points 

We cover all of the primary organs and meridians, in our reflexology treatment session. This is the Chinese Medicine approach to restoring health, improving your health and maintaining good health.

 Reflexology is based on Ancient Medicine, so it isn't about addressing a diagnosed disease. It's about bringing the whole body back into balance so that your body does the healing. 

Your body is the expert on the healing.

But sometimes it just needs a nudge in the right direction. 

Now let me explain an old  proverb: One disease, many treatments. Many diseases, one treatment.

What this means is that two people could have the exact same disease and symptoms, but they could be due to different organ and energy imbalances. As a result, the treatments would be different.

An example of "one disease, many treatments" would be the common cold. Two people could both have a runny nose and cough, but there would be two completely different treatments from a reflexology perspective depending on what is at the root of the underlying imbalances.

Conversely, two people could have completely different symptoms, but from a Reflexology perspective, they could actually have the same underlying organ and energy imbalances. 

The treatment for hot flashes might be the same as the treatment for fatigue. The treatment for digestive issues might be the same as the treatment for eye issues.

When I learned Reflexology, the course did include Chinese Medicine theory. I have since gone on study the meridian systems further to enhance my knowledge and to understand how reflexology worked. 

Working with the meridian systems gives you big clues to look for. When you spot these big clues you can customise your reflexology routine to help you meet the clients health goals faster.

This truly is a treatment that aids your health & well-being

Facial Reflexologywhy is it so good for you

Chinese Reflexology for Your Face: Hydrate Your Skin from the Inside Out with Traditional Chinese Medicine.

So here’s the secret to looking younger and having really good skin… Be healthy and harmonious on the inside.

Yin and Yang

To understand the ancient Chinese Medicine theory behind this approach to feeling & looking younger?

We should look at yin and yang. They’re an essential cornerstone of Chinese philosophy and Traditional Chinese Medicine. 

Yin is the black shape, and it represents female, night, rest, internal, and water. 

Yang is the white shape, and it represents male, daytime, external, action, and fire.

These two elements depend on each other and when operating at their best, they will be balanced. 

Day and night follow each other and rest and action go together. 

If either one gets unbalanced you create dis-ease in the body and this leads to I’ll health. 

When I see really dry skin and wrinkles I see an imbalance in Yin ( Yin is water 💦 , Yang is fire 🔥  ) 

And just like everything in life, as we age our Yin & Yang become depleted. 

Yin is feminine so woman are naturally a bit more Yin than the males, so when Yin starts to wane woman are going to see the aging skin more. 

Smokers usually have premature wrinkling, and from the Chinese Medicine perspective, it’s because the smoker is introducing the fire element—the cigarette into their bodies. The health of the lungs is reflected in the skin, so introducing fire into the lungs results in a yin deficiency, and that’s going to lead to the wrinkles.  

So what can we do about it?

Try and keep yourself balanced. Replenish your Yin, the inner body will become balanced and this will reflect on your appearance. 

Then you can work on the surface appearance with the specific creams and serums that suit your skin. But remember without addressing any underlying imbalances we are not addressing the root causes and any change win our appearance will be temporary. 

So the good news is, that you can strengthen your body’s internal organs and boost your energy meridians by balancing your Yin and Yang. When that starts to happen I can see a noticeable difference in the skin, you can actually see the inner glow. 

This little blog got written after a FaceTime conversation with my sister Christina Forte, a fabulous acupuncturist based in the Uk. She was asking me how I developed from a Reflexologist ( BA Hons ) into a Dermal therapist specialising in the skin. For me it was a natural progression. As I performed reflexology and facial reflexology I found more and more people seeking me out. They wanted to an alternative to fillers and Botox and I had the knowledge, the training and the desire to deliver exceptional treatments that could erase the signs of aging and reverse the damage. 

To this day my favourite treatments are the anti aging ones. We can take it slow and steady or be more active and use various hi tech options to get the results. I find it very exciting and extremely rewarding. 

These days I’m generally booked our 4-6 weeks in advance and I have to be very mindful of taking time off and keeping myself in balance. 

It’s never to late to start. One of my favourite bookings was a hothouse grandmother who was going to be attending her grandsons wedding and all she wanted was a facial that would make her look less sad. ( when your skin drops, you do kinda look a bit sad) so we performed a non-surgical facelift, using the power of radio frequency to tighten and lift her face. The results were fabulous, even if I do say so myself. It’s still one of my favourite pics. 

You can find me working away in my home based clinic in Winthrop, Wednesday to Saturday ( Tuesdays an admin day, so a good time to call 📞 me) 

I’ve made life as easy as possible for you by putting all my info, prices and appointment system online. You can even reschedule your own appointments if need to. 

Any questions feel free to pm me, I’m always happy to help if I can. 

www.solerevivalperth.com

Reflexology techniques to balance the mind. What is it? Why use is it?

The Brazilian Toe Massage

The Brazilian Toe Technique uses acupressure points to promote deep relaxation and activates the release of toxins. This simple method can help reduce emotional stress and imbalances, and overall physical pain and achiness. This technique also reduces side effects of chemotherapy and radiation, including restless leg syndrome, insomnia, nausea, and edema.

You use this method when you want to relax somebody. Many of my clients will recognise this technique as I almost always finish off their session with this. It balances them and leaves them very relaxed and at peace.

a)      Place thumb of right hand on underside of the person’s middle toe of the left foot, then place middle finger of the same hand on top of toe, holding lightly. At the same time, place thumb and finger of left hand similarly on their right foot. It is important that you hold the toes gently 

Hold this position gently until one of the following occurs:

1)      Three minutes have elapsed

2)      Either toe jumps or twitches

3)      An even, synchronised pulse is felt under both toes. Sometimes the pulse will be felt under one toe and then the other or will be felt under both toes but not synchronised. In this case, wait until they synchronise or until the toe kicks or twitches or the three minutes have elapsed.

b)      Move thumbs to the next toe outwards toward the little toe while using your third finger, that is the next one out towards your little finger. Movements on both feet should be synchronised. Hold this position as before.

c)       Move thumbs out to the little toe while using the little fingers of each hand. Again hold this position as before.

d)      Move thumbs to toe adjacent to the big toe while using the first finger (next to the thumb). Hold as before.

e)      Move thumb to big toe while using both first and second fingers on top of toe. Hold as before.

f)       At this stage, remove hands and do not touch the person again as the body is now balanced and they will be very relaxed if not asleep.

In my experience it is seldom necessary to wait for the arbitrary three minutes as usually the pulses are felt or the twitching or kicking of the toes takes place before this time.

It is important that you do not touch the toes adjacent to the one you are holding so hold your spare fingers out of the way.

“The Brazilian toe Massage” is suitable for use on its own (very effective for calming children who have had nightmares) or at the end of a massage or reflexology treatment. If it is necessary to use this treatment to calm a very nervous person, let them rest for 15-30 minutes before beginning other treatments. Touching the body again immediately after balance has occurred will cause the system to become unbalanced again. The calming effect will then be short-lived.

How does it work?

There are two possible theories.

Firstly, Dr Fitzgerald, the originator of zone therapy, discovered that the body can be divided into ten zones (five on each side of the body) along its length, with five zones to a toe and the corresponding finger on the same side of the body.

Dr Fitzgerald stated that applying pressure to the extremities could cause anaesthesia in other parts of the zone. Holding these finger-to-toe positions possibly allows the zones to go to sleep one after the other and thereby allows the body to balance.

The other theory is related to the ancient Chinese yin-yang theory from which acupuncture and Qi Gong have their origins. According to yin-yang theory, the fingers of each hand have positive and negative charges, the first finger on the right hand being positive, then next three negative, positive and the little finger negative. On the left hand the first finger is negative and the next three positive, negative and positive,, while both the thumbs are neutral. When the hands are put together in the prayer position, the charges are all cancelled out.

Thus when we hold the toes in the manner described, we have the middle finger of the right hand negative (-) in contact with the middle toe of the left foot (+), the middle finger of the left hand (+) in contact with the middle toe of the right foot (-), which completes a circuit through the body and allows a balance to take place.

Another benefit of this technique is that after you have used it, you will feel quite relaxed yourself and after you have used it several times you will be well aware of energy flows within the body even if you have never noticed them before or have even doubted their existence.

THE ROLE OF REFLEXOLOGY IN TREATING AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES

JAN 22 2020

Your immune system plays a key role in keeping you healthy. It safeguards your body against infections and diseases by blocking pathogens like bacteria, viruses, and parasites from entering and wreaking havoc in your body.

But what if your immune system turns on you and begins attacking your body instead? This is the reality of those who have been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease.

The Basics of Autoimmune Disease

A properly functioning immune system would be able to tell the difference between invaders and your body’s cells. An autoimmune disease, however, causes your immune system to mistake healthy body cells as foreign ones. Thus, it attacks your body by producing proteins called ‘autoantibodies’ that impair the body’s tissues.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences notes that there are more than 80 types of autoimmune diseases that stem from an interplay of genetics and environment. Some of the most common ones are type 1 diabetes, lupus, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and Celiac disease. Typically, medication is prescribed to help ease the painful symptoms of an autoimmune disease. From oral medication to injections the kind of medicine depends on the condition. There’s still no cure for them, but their reaction on the immune system can be managed with immunosuppressants — medications that weaken the immune system’s activity.

Researchers still cannot pinpoint a clear reason as to what causes an autoimmune disease to develop. What’s more, Parsley Health reports that a worrying 20 million Americans currently have some form of autoimmune disease — but most don’t even know. Unexplained rashes, body aches, fatigue, and hair loss are just some subtle but common signs you may be suffering from an autoimmune disease. If these are symptoms you experience, it would be best to consult with a medical professional to check the condition of your immune system.

Reflexology’s Role in Treating Them

Tracing its roots as far back as ancient China and Egypt, the art of reflexology is a form of therapy where pressure is applied to the hands, feet, and outer ears. Reflexology has healing effects like providing deep relaxation, decreasing body pain, and strengthening nerve stimulation, which was previously shared on the Academy’s post ‘The Real Benefits of Reflexology’.  So, how can reflexology help aid those with autoimmune diseases?

Living with an autoimmune disease can be extremely stressful, as the bodies of those diagnosed will most likely be attacked by their own immune system for the rest of their lives. Fortunately, a study published in the Journal of Education and Health Promotion found that anxiety, depression, and stress in women with multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disorder, significantly decreased thanks to reflexology treatments. This is because its relaxation techniques have the ability to release muscle pain, which has severe implications on both a person’s physical and mental health.

More than just a massage, the pressure applied to the body part touched by a reflexologist can reach different body systems, such as the digestive system, the endocrine system, the nervous system, and the circulatory system. This, in turn, can help bring balance to an immune system that’s not functioning properly. By stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system that helps calms down high-energy functions in the body, reflexology lowers the amount of stress-inducing hormones while helping the body harmonize and relax.

Although autoimmune diseases are complex conditions, the simple power of touch can make all the difference for the pain they cause.

Reflexology for health & wellbeing