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Dr. Marco Paret Universite Europeenne
Reflexology
Hello, I'm Michelle Kluck.
The soles of your feet represent a virtual map of your entire body.
As a matter of fact, there are over 7,000 nerve endings in the bottom of your feet
that correspond to every organ and system in your body.
These nerve endings are called reflexes,
and reflexology is the technique of stimulating these nerve endings
to elicit a natural healing response from your nervous system.
The natural mechanism involved is simple and powerful.
There are 10 different energy zones that run the length of your body and end in each foot.
Applying pressure to the reflex points on the soles of your feet
works to clear blocked energy pathways by relaxing the surrounding muscles.
The increased blood flow allows the energy to circulate more freely
and thus enhance your body's natural healing powers.
I designed this program to give you an understanding of how reflexology works
and to demonstrate the simple techniques that you can use on yourself or someone else.
I'll take you through each of the four major areas of the foot
and show you the exact points to work on to address specific conditions.
You can follow the routine for the entire foot
or simply focus on the particular areas that are affecting you.
At the end of the program, I'll demonstrate how to use several different massage tools
to help you press even more deeply and firmly on the pressure points.
And I'll also introduce you to reflexology socks,
an easy-to-follow guide to all the most important areas on the bottom of the foot.
Reflexology is not a foot massage or a medical treatment.
It's a powerful tool to balance your body's natural system
and revitalize your natural energy.
It can help improve many physical conditions,
but I particularly recommend it for stress-related disorders
such as lower back pain, chronic indigestion, headaches, and high blood pressure.
Using this reflexology program regularly will help improve your circulation,
ease aches and pain, relieve stress, and enhance your overall physical well-being.
But perhaps most importantly,
it will help to bring the warmth and power of touch into your daily life.
In order to get the most benefit from reflexology
and to locate specific reflex areas on the foot,
it's important to understand how the feet are a mirror of the body
and how each foot is divided into areas and zones.
Each foot represents half of the body.
The left and right foot corresponding to the left and right sides of the body.
Each foot is divided into five areas which correspond to certain areas of the body.
The four lines which divide the foot are the neck and shoulder line,
which is just below the toes,
the diaphragm line, which is below the ball of the foot,
the waist line, which is in the middle of the foot,
and the pelvic line, which is just above the heel.
Each foot is also divided into five vertical zones
running from the toes to the heel,
which correspond to five zones of the body.
You can locate specific reflex points on the foot by studying these divisions and zones
and understanding the areas of the body to which they correspond.
The area on the feet above the neck and shoulder line
corresponds to every part of the body on or above this line,
including the head, eyes, ears, brain, and neck.
The area above the diaphragm line corresponds to every part of the body
between the shoulders and diaphragm,
including the heart, lungs, and shoulders.
The area below the diaphragm line corresponds to organs between the diaphragm and waist,
including the stomach and liver, the spleen, and kidneys.
The area between the waistline and pelvic line corresponds to organs below the waist,
including the lower abdominal organs, bladder, colon, and small intestines.
Finally, the area below the pelvic line corresponds to the pelvic area, hemorrhoids, and sciatic nerve.
The inner or medial edge of the foot corresponds to the spine,
and the outer or lateral edge corresponds to the arm, shoulder, hip, leg, and knee.
The following program will guide you through a basic reflexology session for the entire foot.
You can follow the entire program or you can focus on specific areas of your feet which need particular attention.
As you learn to feel the foot, a weakness or imbalance in some area of the body
may be experienced as tenderness in the corresponding reflex area on the foot.
Be sensitive to these tender areas, which may feel like grains of sand under the skin,
and spend more time here as these areas need it the most.
As you learn to locate specific reflex points, you'll be able to tailor your technique for each person
and give the most effective reflexology treatment possible.
Before beginning your reflexology session,
relax the feet by first placing your hands on the top of each foot and then the bottom.
Bring both hands under the heels and pull back, giving a slight stretch to the lower back.
Move your hands to one foot and place the outer edges of your hands at the heels
and move your hands from side to side to loosen the entire foot.
Bring one hand underneath to support the heel and rotate the ankle one way a couple of times
and then the other way.
Gently stretch the toes back to release the arch of the foot
and then bring the toes forward, stretching the top of the foot.
Repeat this stretch.
This reflex point can relax and calm the entire body.
We'll begin the reflexology session by thumb walking.
Using the outer edge of your thumb, walk your thumb up the big toe
by bending your thumb and taking small steps.
Hold the center of the big toe to stimulate the reflex area to the brain.
Continue to walk down the big toe and up and down all of the other toes.
At the tips of each toe lies the reflex area for the sinuses.
Thumb walking is the technique you can use on the entire foot.
Concentrate on taking small steps with your thumb,
applying steady pressure by using your other fingers as leverage.
On the inside edge of the big toe,
you'll find the reflex areas to the pituitary and pineal glands.
As you walk just below the pinky and fourth toe, you'll stimulate the reflex area to the ears.
Below the second and third toes lies the reflex area to the eyes.
At the base of the big toe lies the reflex area to the neck.
If you feel any pain, press here.
Moving to the ball of the foot,
pull the toes back slightly and walk up each zone, starting at zone 1,
beginning at the diaphragm line and moving up to the neck and shoulder line.
When you reach the outside edge of the foot,
stretch hands and walk up each zone again, moving toward the inner edge of the foot.
The middle of this area contains the reflex points to the lungs and heart.
On the large pad on the ball of the foot, below the big toe,
you'll find the reflex area for the thyroid.
The amount of thyroid activity can affect your moods
Stimulating the thyroid can help PMS and boost your sex drive.
Moving about half an inch toward the outer edge, you'll find the reflex area to the thymus.
The thymus monitors and regulates the energy flow throughout the body.
On the outer edge of the foot, in zone 5, is the reflex area to the shoulders.
Now bring your hands to the top of the foot
and thumb walk in the grooves between the bones to stimulate the chest area.
You can also use your fingers to stimulate this area,
moving from the base of the toes toward the ankle.
Bring your hand back to the sole of the foot and thumb walk across the diaphragm line,
moving from the outer edge inward and come back the other way.
An easy way to locate the diaphragm line is to find where there is a slight color change
between the ball of the foot and the beginning of the arch.
Next, bring your thumb to the center of this area
and make small circles.
This is the solar plexus, a network of nerves located behind the stomach
and in front of the diaphragm, which regulates the functioning of all organs.
Stimulating the solar plexus can calm and relax the entire nervous system.
Hold your thumb here and gently bend the toes forward
to get a little deeper into the solar plexus.
Move your thumb down to the waistline and beginning at the outer edge of the foot,
thumb walk up all five zones, moving between the waistline and the diaphragm line.
Closer to the outer edge, you'll reach the reflex areas to the spleen and pancreas.
Moving closer to the inner edge, you'll reach the reflex area to the stomach.
Thumb walk back across, moving from the diaphragm line toward the waistline.
In this same spot on the other foot, you'll find the reflex spot to the liver,
the largest gland of the body. The liver is the great filter of the body,
processing nutrients and storing fats, sugars, and proteins until the body needs them.
If you ever have a hangover, this is the area you'll want to stimulate.
Next, move your thumb down to the pelvic line, which is just above your heel,
and thumb walk up each of the five zones, moving from the pelvic line up to the waistline.
In this area, you will find the reflex points for the descending colon,
which will help with digestion and elimination.
And the small intestine, located more in the center of the foot,
which can help relieve cramps and abdominal pain, especially after eating.
And the kidneys and bladder, which are located closer to the inner edge of the foot.
To work the colon area, begin just below the waistline
and thumb walk from the inner edge toward the outer edge.
Thumb walk vertically down to the pelvic line, and then thumb walk across, back toward the inner edge.
This follows the transverse, descending, and sigmoid sections of the colon,
and can help the body's elimination process.
To stimulate the kidneys and bladder
and to relieve water tension and bladder infections,
thumb walk from the inner edge of the foot, moving diagonally upward to the center of the foot.
You can also affect the adrenal glands, which sit on top of the kidneys.
These glands help promote your inner energy and regulate and balance your metabolism.
Closer to the outer edge on the left foot, you'll find the reflex area to the spleen,
which can aid in purifying your blood flow.
Now, move down to the pelvic line and thumb walk across the entire line.
On both heels, beneath the colon, you'll find the sciatic nerve.
This is not a reflex area, but rather the actual nerve,
which runs from the base of the heel, up the leg, and into the buttocks.
Many people suffer from sciatica, and stimulating this area can be enormously helpful.
Work the base of the heel to help relieve hemorrhoids.
Now, move to the inside or medial edge of the foot
and thumb walk all the way up the foot, stimulating the reflex area for the spine.
Starting at the heel, stimulate the lower back.
Thumb walk up the inner edge of the arch to stimulate the middle back,
and up the ball of the foot to stimulate the upper back.
Move up the spine with the other hand, stimulating the sacrum at the heel,
the lumbar vertebra, the thoracic vertebra, and the cervical vertebra.
This can help relieve back pain throughout your entire back.
Work your way back down, spending more time in certain areas,
such as the lower back, which may need more attention.
Next, move your thumb to the outer edge of the foot
and thumb walk up from the heel toward the toes.
As you stimulate the outer edge of the heel,
you'll reach the reflex areas to the hip and sciatic nerve,
moving up toward the knee and leg, arm, wrist, hand, and shoulder.
Work your way back down, again spending more time in areas that need more attention.
Now, turn the foot so that the inside of the ankle is facing you
to stimulate the reproductive organs.
Place your index finger on the left side of the foot
and place your index finger on the right side of the foot.
Now, turn the foot so that the inside of the ankle is facing you
to stimulate the reproductive organs.
Place your index finger on your ankle bone and place your fourth finger on the back of the heel.
Let your middle finger fall in between your index and fourth fingers,
and that is the exact location of the reflex point to the uterus and prostate and the sex organs.
This can help relieve PMS and impotence.
Don't press here if you're pregnant, as it can stimulate contractions of the uterus.
On the outside of the ankle, in between the ankle bone and the back of the heel,
you'll find the reflex area to the ovaries and testicles.
This can help boost your sex drive.
Next, use both hands to finger walk between the ankle bones
across the top of the foot.
Along this band, you'll find the reflex area for the fallopian tubes,
the lymph drainage area, the vas deferens, and the seminal vesicles.
This can bring blood to the area and can help balance and energize your reproductive organs.
Now, let me guide you through a quick full-body reflexology routine
that can help you relieve many common problems.
To help relieve sinuses, stimulate the tops of the toes by squeezing gently between your thumb and index fingers.
For migraine headaches, stimulate the big toe.
To ease neck tension, work the area below the big toe.
To help your thyroid function better, stimulate this area on the ball of the foot.
This can ease PMS and improve your sex drive.
Work the eyes just below the second and third toes
and the ears just below the pinky and fourth toes.
For congestion from colds, flu, or allergies,
work the reflex area to the lungs, located in the middle of the foot.
For stomach aches and pains, work the area in the arch, closer to the inside of the foot.
And the center area below the toes.
For stomach aches and pains, work the area in the arch, closer to the inside of the foot.
For energy and to boost your immune system,
work the area located next to the stomach and the thyroid.
For heart problems, work the reflex area on the left foot, closer to the outer edge.
For hangovers and any other liver problems, work the reflex area to the liver,
which is located closer to the outer edge of the right foot.
To detox your body
and help water retention,
work the bladder all the way up to the kidneys.
To detox your body and help water retention,
work the bladder all the way up to the kidneys.
To detox your body and help water retention,
work the bladder all the way up to the kidneys.
Also work the intestines
and the colon on both feet.
Stimulate the colon
by thumb walking up the ascending colon
across the transverse colon,
down the descending colon, and across the sigmoid colon.
You might want to spend some time working on the right foot as well,
because treating the reflex points for the colon on both feet is particularly beneficial
for people who have any bowel irregularities.
Working on this area can also help alleviate the pain of Crohn's disease
and irritable bowel syndrome.
Work the sciatic nerve
back and forth a few times.
Stimulate the area for hemorrhoids
along the base of the heel.
For back pain relief, work your way up the inner edge of the foot
stimulating the entire spine and then come back down.
Since the back is an area of tension and pain for many people,
spend extra time in this area.
Now work the shoulders
at the outer edge of the foot.
Now work the shoulders
at the outer edge of the foot.
This is a great reflex area to work on
for people who carry a lot of tension in their shoulders.
Stimulate the hip area
at the outer edge close to the heel.
Stimulate the reproductive organs
on the inside of the ankle for PMS relief.
Stimulate the reproductive organs
on the inside of the ankle for PMS relief.
And stimulate the reproductive organs on the outside of the ankle
to help increase your sex drive.
Finally,
take both feet in your hands
and hold.
Finally, take both feet in your hands
and hold.
Gently touch the toes
and bottoms of the feet
and bring your hands back to the top of the feet.
Finish by holding the big toes between your thumb and index fingers.
This is the reflex point to the brain which can help clear your mind
To get deeper into reflex areas
that may require particular attention,
you can use reflexology tools such as these wooden knobs
which are easy to hold and manipulate.
Rollers are wonderful to stimulate your entire foot.
Reflexology socks are a great new, easy way
to find specific reflex areas on your feet.
These one-size-fits-all socks will show you exactly where to press for everything
from PMS, migraines and sciatica to hangovers, stomach aches and a low sex drive.
These unique socks make it easy to give the most effective foot massage possible.
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