FootNotes
Why heat often works better than ice. Where’s your heating pad?
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July 13, 2023
These days I often ask you at the beginning of our session where you ache. Because I want to make sure I reflex those area on your feet, hands and ears. Lately, I’ve been asking those with pain, where’s your heating pad?Why? Because when I was in massage school (10 years ago now), we learned that heat works better than ice in soothing the nerves and relaxing aching muscles, tendons, and the ... read more |
Why it takes courage to come to Portland Reflexology for the first time
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May 23, 2023
You know it’s often nerve-wracking to try something new. Like coming to Portland Reflexology for the first time. You may get confused driving in my SW neighborhood. Or not fully understand what you’ve signed up for. You may be concerned about what questions I’m going to ask during the intake or how my hands will feel on your feet, hands, and ears. Or be apprehensive about meeting my small dog, ... read more |
Ah-choo... Ah-choo... That's the sound of Hay Fever
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May 5, 2023
Ah-choo... Ah-choo... That's the sound of Hay Fever It reminds me of the day I was at Best Buy (long before Covid) getting some gadget, and the young man helping me had a sneezing fit, runny nose, and red eyes. He was miserable. “It’s just my spring allergies,” he said. “Would you like to know a spot on your ears that’s very effective in clearing allergies?” I asked. ... read more |
No masks required beginning April! Relief for headaches.
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March 14, 2023
No masks required beginning April. Relief for chronic headaches.Starting Monday, April 3, masks are no longer required in doctors’ offices, and alternative health offices. That’s Portland Reflexology. I’ve changed the HEPA filters in my air purifying machines and will continue to clean for you. But mostly, I’m delighted to meet many of you face-to-face for the ... read more |
Happy Valentine's Day! Portland Reflexology Is Now Starting Its 15th Year!
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February 17, 2023
Happy Valentine's Day! Portland Reflexology is now starting its 15th year!Here I am… Monday through Saturday with reflexology because I’ve seen what these sessions do for the hundreds of people who come every year. This winter I was referring to Bill Flocco's "Reflexology" book regarding psoriasis to help someone with those red itchy bumps. Over time, ... read more |
January 2022 Flexibility Is The Name Of The Game These Days
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February 17, 2023
Flexibility is the name of the game these daysIf I’ve learned anything in these last 22 months, I’ve learned that I’m not in charge. You and I make an appointment for Tuesday at 1pm, but on Tuesday if you don’t feel good, you simply call and we reschedule. That’s been my policy since Covid started. And we understand. Recently I learned this lesson again, ... read more |
May you find meaning in your life
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October 3, 2021
Where has time gone? It’s been 15 months since I reopened Portland Reflexology for you. What a journey this has been for all of us. Thank you for continuing to come or coming for the first time. One of the highlights of this year was flying to San Francisco for a 4-hour visit with my 101-year-old former mother-in-law; we held hands and I watched her sleep. She told me she loved ... read more |
How touch affects us, and do your toes curl under?
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March 13, 2021
How Touch Affects Us When I asked you what’s the first thing you’re going to do when it’s safe, many of you said, “Hug my children whom I haven’t seen in months.” Touch reduces our stress and soothes our nerves. It’s amazing how holding a hand or massaging a shoulder or reflexing a foot can deeply relax our body and ground and bring us back to center. I ... read more |
You're invited to come see my paintings in Multnomah Village!
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November 1, 2020
You're invited to come see my paintings in Multnomah Village! Dearest Portland Reflexology Clients, Friends, and Family, Please come see my paintings at a gallery in Multnomah Village! You may not be aware of Art in the Village, a little gallery right across from the U.S. Post Office on SW 40th, but this fall gallery owner and artist Donna Sanson invited me to participate in ... read more |
Love Letter to You
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October 6, 2020
Love letter to You In these last seven months, I’ve come to realize how important you are to me. I look at my calendar and think of you. In fact, it’s a little embarrassing that I care that your water line burst, your feet ache, your retirement party had no employees... that I care about your artwork, the changes in your MS, your mother in the nursing home, that your house sold, your ... read more |
Portland Reflexology successfully re-opens
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August 17, 2020
Portland Reflexology successfully re-opens Hooray! We’ve done it together. We’ve opened Portland Reflexology successfully. I couldn’t have done this without you… your appointments, your trust, and your kind words. You have told me you didn’t realize how much you’ve missed your sessions. You've said this is just what you’ve needed. And you’ve made ... read more |
Portland Reflexology is OPEN for you. Where do we begin again?
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June 18, 2020
Portland Reflexology is OPEN for you. Where do we begin again? In your backyard? At my home office? If you’d like a reflexology session and aren’t ready to leave home, then let me come to you. I’ve been making home visits with my reflexology chair for 12 years now. So, there’s no need to leave home. And there’s no need for me to come inside. I have the towels, sanitizer, lotion, ... read more |
Do I miss you? Yes, I do!
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April 7, 2020
Do I miss you? Yes, I do! For a while I thought I could keep my home sanitized enough to keep you safe, then I realized I couldn’t. How quickly life changed in Oregon for all of us. I’ve been home alone since March 19… emptying drawers, cleaning out file folders, washing windows, scouring the frig, stove, and kitchen floor. I even completed my health directive… a project ... read more |
Should you come for Reflexology
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March 14, 2020
Should you come for reflexology?The most important benefits of reflexology are stress reduction, improved circulation, and detoxification. You feel it when you come so you know what I’m talking about. This has to be one of the most stressful times we’ve ever experienced. So as long as I can, I’m offering reflexology to you. Here’s what I’m doing to keep you safe. Then ... read more |
How are your feet today?
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February 25, 2020
Did you know most people are wearing shoes that are too small and they don’t know it? Yes, their feet hurt, but they’ve been wearing the same size or same style for years, they tell me. Here’s the deal. Feet change because our weight and activities change. Now you can see how your feet are fitting inside your shoes by taking out the shoe linings in your shoes. Then stand ... read more |
What brings you joy?
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December 23, 2019
What brings you joy? In these last few weeks, I’ve had many new clients. One had my card for a few years and finally called. Another found me on the Internet. She is 84. Another came with a bag full of shoes. Her feet were “killing her” she said, and I wanted to check how those shoes were fitting. Whatever the reason people find me, it is my joy to talk about feet and ... read more |
The importance of Touch
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November 12, 2019
The importance of Touch Portland Reflexology is all about gentle touch, so it’s no wonder my Medicare clients come consistently. I say this because of the experience I had when I met my new doctor and went over Medicare-required questions for 90 minutes. Here’s what happened: She typed. Then she typed some more. She asked about drinking, exercise, appetite, ... read more |
Imagine the Impossible. Why that matters these days.
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June 17, 2019
These are the days that try our souls. With much we can’t do anything about. So why not do something seemingly impossible that you can do? Something you always wanted to do, but were afraid to try? Imagine knitting a sweater; take a knitting class at Northwest Wools. Date on-line. Sign up for a 5K walk. Say No when you always say Yes. Stop teaching; start writing. Tap with Helen ... read more |
More Changes Coming Your Way
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November 29, 2018
Now it’s my website. Cherie Collins, Homespun Websites, helped me create my first website and now she’s updated it so it’s readable on your phone as well as your tablet or laptop. The new website uses that incredible video produced by Yasmin Nguyen and his photos and will launch with this newsletter now a blog. https://portlandreflexology.com/All and all, it’s been a humbling, unbelievable ... read more |
Got Resilience?
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October 9, 2018
It’s that ability to move back to our better selves. I just finished reading The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels by Jon Meacham. Apparently, I’m not the only one reviewing these last 300 years of America’s history. At one point, I was 450th on the list to borrow this library book by the Pulitzer-Prize-winning historian-biographer. Believe me, this is history worth reading.Meacham’s ... read more |
Feet hurt? Chances are it's your shoes.
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August 14, 2018
One of the things I remember from my Seattle Reflexology & Massage Center training is that 85% of the trouble people have with their feet is caused by their shoes. This statement came even closer to home when I began selling shoes in 2004 to those with Diabetes and Medicare under the Shoe Bill. That bill was created to help prevent lower leg, foot and toe amputations in those with Diabetes which was costing the government ... read more |
Do Probiotics Stop Sugar Cravings?
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February 14, 2018
Several of you asked if probiotics help sugar cravings. The Internet has lots of articles, but what’s the truth? Recently I met with my naturopath, Dr. Robert Madda, The Natural Path, and asked him his expert opinion. https://www.naturalpathmed.com/ Dr. Madda has been helping me with my nutrition, hormones and vitamins for more than five years and I feel well taken care of. Here’s what Dr. Madda says:“Yes, ... read more |
How Reflexology Can Help Ease Neuroma Pain
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February 9, 2018
This winter three of my clients were diagnosed with a neuroma or a Morton’s Neuroma. So here I am, sharing what I’ve learned about neuromas from my podiatrist and mentor, Dr. Ray McClanahan, owner of Northwest Foot and Ankle: “If your feet feel better when you take those shoes off, that’s your biggest clue it’s your shoes causing the problem.”Somehow your shoes have become ... read more |
Thank you from the Bottom of my Heart
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January 1, 2018
Ten years ago I started Portland Reflexology on January 1 at my apartment in Multnomah Village.It was me and the cat. No website, no cards, no clients. It was one of those great leaps of faith that we all have to make when we do something as outrageous as start a business that begins in our hearts. There are many people to thank as I look back in my paper Daytimers. My dear friend, Vonnie, who came ... read more |
How Reflexology improves well-being
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November 9, 2017
Remember how your body relaxed and responded to Reflexology at your first session? Did you realize when you relax, your muscles and blood vessels also relax and more oxygen and nutrients flow into your 37.2 trillion cells? (This number comes from someone at the Smithsonian Institute who had time to count such things.) Anyway, feeding your cells with more oxygen and nutrients is Job Number 1 for red blood cells. And when ... read more |
How to Help Hurting Feet
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November 5, 2017
Now that it’s rainy and cold, we’re back in our winter shoes and you may find your feet hurt after a summer in sandals. What I learned more than 14 years ago at reflexology school is that 85% of the time our feet hurt because our shoes don’t fit. So I often begin a first visit with a talk about how to best fit shoes.I want your feet to feel good. Because no matter how many times I reflex and ... read more |
Reducing Stress is Reflexology's Prime Benefit
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October 9, 2017
We are swimming in stress. In our homes, at our jobs, on the freeway, just listening to the radio, even NPR. And it seems to be getting worse. Research tells us that stress contributes up to 80% in the development of illness. So let me help you with stress reduction, which is the #1 benefit of reflexology. I’m grateful to see you, but I’m mostly grateful that you care enough about yourself to let down for ... read more |
What it Takes to Manage our Lives
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May 9, 2017
What I’m re-discovering is the importance of reaching out to my friends. It’s something we women have been doing for centuries. Talking and relating to each other. Delighting in the joys and sharing the sorrows. These friendships makes us human and able to cope. When we have friends to talk to about what matters most, we can be our authentic selves. Recently my dear girlfriends and I had a potluck ... read more |
Taking My Feet on Vacation
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October 31, 2010
People who help others need to retreat and feed their souls. So this week I ran away to Truth or Consequences, a flat, dry, hot place two hours from Albuquerque to soak in mineral springs and wash away layers of stuff I don’t need any more at the Charles Hotel.I thought I was coming to be alone, but I’ve now seen almost every New Mexican friend I have. We are all soaking in these wonderful ... read more |
What fun to teach what I love
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September 28, 2010
Last Monday I taught a self care class about hand reflexology. Then Saturday a 6-hour class called Self Care and Family Care Reflexology created by Judith Nourse, an RN, massage therapist and National Board Certified Reflexologist. Talk about stepping out of my comfort zone. Yes, I have over 300 hundred class hours myself and over 1000 hours working with clients, but I’ve never taught a class before. ... read more |
The joys of Hood River Lavender Essential Oil
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September 3, 2010
This summer I drove to Lavender Valley, a Hood River lavender farm, and bought their pure grosso lavender essence for my reflexology foot soaks. The fields were buzzing with bees and the smell of lavender was beyond fresh and satisfying. Now I am using our very own Oregon Lavender on my Oregon clients. I delight in every foot bath! As you may know, lavender is famous for its calming effect as ... read more |
Drinking 8 Glasses of Water may be too much. Or too little.
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August 24, 2010
I like to give my reflexology clients a glass of water when the session is over. No ice…just plain, filtered tap water. Because water plays a vital role in nearly every bodily function and lack of water is the #1 trigger for daytime fatigue. According to Clark Bartram, Bodybuilding.com, a 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, give us trouble with basic math, and make it difficult ... read more |
Bathing in Epson Salt Does More Than You Know
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August 21, 2010
One of the great joys of being a reflexologist is being out in Portland meeting other alternative health care providers. Recently I met up with Karin Edwards, a ROLFER. Besides being fascinated by feet, we also discovered we both encourage clients to take hot Epson Salt baths after a treatment. Two cups of Epsom Salt in the tub does wonders calming the nerves and pulling toxins from one’s system. According ... read more |
What Do My Feet Say About Me?
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August 10, 2010
My friend Mary handed me a New York Magazine photo of a man’s bare feet and said, “What can you tell me about this person?” Actually we can tell a lot about a person by looking at his or her feet. In fact, an internationally respected reflexologist, author and speaker, Chris Stormer wrote a book called, Language of the Feet-What the feet can reveal about health and wellbeing ... read more |
Grab your shoes...let's go dancing
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July 28, 2010
I’ve been out dancing in Portland lately. Three different dance locations and three different dance styles to see why they call Portland the dancin’ town. (Check out this amazing website, PortlandDancing.com And it didn’t take long before I ended up at The Leotard on NE MLK Blvd for a pair of dancing shoes. Because no matter what style you dance, you’ve got to have shoes ... read more |
Take Your Feet Street Rambling in Portland
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July 20, 2010
We all agree that walking is more fun with a friend. So look what I found…a group walk every Tuesday and Thursday at 6 PM, rain or shine. It’s called Street Rambles,organized by Mazamas –a hiking, walking, mountaineering club.Grab your walking shoes…the more flat and down- to-earth the better for your feet and let’s go. Meet at the REI store (NW 14th and Johnson ... read more |
Vibram FiveFingers...the ugliest shoes I've ever seen.
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July 14, 2010
You won’t care what they say about your Vibram FiveFinger Multi Sport shoes because your feet will feel like you’re walking barefoot. You’ll feel connected to the Earth and free. This is the shoes for everyone who says,”I’d rather go barefoot.” Where will you find this silly looking shoe that brings your feet back to life? At www.REI.com In fact, ... read more |
How Reflexology Helps during Pregnancy
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July 13, 2010
Today I finally meet Frederick James. What a privilege to hold this sweet sleeping soul. The privilege actually began weeks ago when I was invited to Amy and Mark’s home to do reflexology for Amy who was eight months pregnant. Amy and Mark are here from England where reflexology is a part of the national health services. Vivante Midwifery and Women’s Health in Portland connected us.As ... read more |
Walk or run barefoot a quarter of a mile at a time to start
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July 6, 2010
If you’ve been walking or running in your cushy shoes with inserts and maybe even orthotics, here is sound advice from naturopathic podiatrist, Dr. Ray McClanahan, at Northwest Foot Clinic in NW Portland. In an article he wrote for Walk About, walking and hiking for fitness.“While research proves there are significant benefits to walking (or running) in a barefoot position, the change cannot be made ... read more |
So You Want to Run Barefoot?
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July 6, 2010
I recommend Barefoot Running by Michael Sandler. This will give you everything you want to know about how to run light, free and in touch with the Earth. Part inspiration, highly practical, this book tells the story of Barefoot Ted’s Adventures from skater to barefoot runner. Not an easy journey, but a rewarding one. Check out www.BarefootTed.com if you can’t wait to get started. read more |
Nancie Hines, MA
OR LMT 18833
ARCB
Oregon Reflexology Network
Oregon Reflexology Network
National Certified Reflexologist
(1 of 2 Nationally Certified in Portland)
