FootNotes

This week I spoke with a small group of 20 case workers who wanted to hear about reflexology. The talk at their retreat was an hour, and I hadn’t given a talk about reflexology in years. So, I introduced myself and gave them my definition of reflexology: reflexology is both an art and science based on the premise that there are zones and reflex areas on the feet, hands and ears, which correspond to all body parts, organs and hormones. We say the foot, hands and ears are mini-maps of the body.

Everyone had a full-color 4x6” card with the hand chart on one side and the foot chart on the other. It’s the card I give to everyone when they first come for reflexology so they know the body parts, organs, and hormones I’m working on during their session. People were immediately interested.

Then I put my notes away and asked for a volunteer to do hand reflexology: Because reflexology is not something I can talk about, it is something I feel and we feel from the inside out. We both rinsed our hands with hand sanitizer and I began working on her fingers. All the reflexes from the base to the end of the thumb and fingers: the pituitary, thyroid, brain, sinus, eyes, and ear reflexes to name a few.

When I looked around the room, everyone was working on their own hands. People were fully engaged. I answered a few questions and suggested we all rinse our hands with the sanitizer and work on each other, but no one took me up on that idea. So I worked once more on the volunteer's hands. On the left hands, I reflexed the lungs, heart and stomach reflexes. Then I moved to the right hand and reflexed the gallbladder and liver reflexes as well as the digestive reflexes.

When I asked if anyone would like me to show them the amount of pressure I apply when reflexing, they said, “Yes.”

At that point, I thanked my volunteer and began working on each person’s hand and answering their individual questions. Everyone was working on their own hands, looking at my card and listening. I was filled with this amazing energy, energy for all of them. We talked about what was bothering them and I showed each of them were they could work on their right or left hand to soothe their nerve endings.

What an amazing hour that was. I don’t know if that will ever happen again. Sometimes it takes just the right mix of people and joy and sunshine. But I can tell you I am deeply grateful that I found my way to serve people with reflexology from now ‘til the end. I can’t live in fear about the future. The future is not now. All we have is each other today.

Please touch someone or hold their hand. Touch does amazing things for all of us. And so does reflexology.