Reflexology is foot magic

You all know I love new experiences – they’re part of my personal formula for staying young.

And I’m certainly not afraid of having my feet touched; remember the fish spa adventure?!

So it may not be a total surprise to hear that I’ve jumped into the wonderful world of Reflexology with – you guessed it – both feet. Thanks to the fabulous Paula Jurko at Footprints to Wellness, I’m now a rabid Reflexology fan as well as Reiki devotee.

I’ve always loved giving and receiving foot rubs with those I love and trust most. There’s a reason the washing of feet played such a prominent role in the New Testament – first, people back in Biblical times had very dirty feet. And second, foot washing is an intimate and sacred ritual and way to serve.

According to Reflexology, the feet are the gateway to holistic wellness and… well, basically the whole body.

The theory behind Reflexology is that specific areas of the foot correspond to organs and systems of the body. Pressure applied to the foot is believed to bring relaxation and healing to the corresponding area of the body.

Knowing all this, I once again headed to Powell to meet up with Paula at the aptly-named Footprints to Wellness to try my ~~foot~~ hand at Reflexology. Again, Paula was extremely generous with her time so that I could get the full experience and share it with all of you. I am so thankful to Paula and Footprints to Wellness for their in-kind support of this blog!

My Reflexology experience

You know how there’s a huge difference between a relaxation massage and a medical massage? I’ll never forget the first time I had a medical massage – I was black and blue for days afterward. It bordered on extremely painful the entire time. I probably should have spoken up, but she was trying to help me fix a problem so I suffered silently and let her do her thing. And it did help, ultimately, despite the bruising!

I tell you this because Reflexology, at least the first time you go, is not necessary all relaxation and butterflies. The pressure applied to your feet and toes is anatomical in the way that truly effective medical massage is. In other words, it can be a bit uncomfortable at times.

Reflexologists who know their stuff, like Paula, know that this treatment is both art and science – it’s both energy work (the relaxing part) and a physical treatment (the can-be-a-bit-uncomfortable part). I’ll just advise you to speak up if certain areas of your feet or toes are more sensitive, so your Reflexologist can ease up a bit as needed.

Paula gave me a briefing before my treatment so I knew what to expect. Then I hopped up on her table with bare feet and lay back for my first time experiencing Reflexology. As stated above, it was part energy work (not dissimilar to Reiki)… and that part I loved and embraced. I got the warm fuzzies just like in Reiki, and I loved it.

But the other part is quite anatomical in that it felt at times my feet were being taken apart and put back together. It was intense! That said, I knew going in I have a few problem areas – like my sinuses/allergies have been TERRIBLE for the past month or so. I’ve tried solving this problem at home and nothing seems to be helping. I am medicating myself night and day but still having symptoms.

And sure enough – my feet were VERY tender in the areas corresponding to sinus/upper respiratory system. Like VERY tender. But I remember thinking, “well if this helps my allergies it’s totally worth it” and I’ll be darned if I didn’t have a couple of COMPLETELY allergy symptom free days and evenings after my Reflexology treatment. It was utterly amazing!

I also suffer from sore feet quite often – nothing awful, just annoyingly achey feet/ankles that I’m sure is age-appropriate – and I had none of that after Reflexology. I felt like a million bucks! My little tattooed feet had never felt better – and neither had the rest of me.

Bottom line, if you want straight energy work with warm fuzzies/tinglies out the wazoo, I’d go for Reiki. If you have specific physical symptoms or maladies that you’d like help with, and would like a side dish of awesome energy work, then go for Reflexology. Both are awesome and Paula is as professional and talented as they come!

Since embarking on this energy work series with the support of Footprints to Wellness, I am looking at life and energy in a whole new way. I keep thinking… what are the implications here for business? For my career? For my relationships? For my health and wellness as I age? For my pets, as they age?

I am so thankful to Paula for sharing her energy, business and talents with me – I know that I’ll be working with her for a long time. I have a new favorite hobby and it’s energy work!

If you’re interested in trying Reflexology or Reiki (read about my awesome Reiki experience!), be sure to reach out to Paula at Footprints to Wellness. She is generously offering my readers $10 off your first Reflexology appointment – just mention Lewis Center Mom!

And if you too are in love with Reiki and other forms of energy healing, let me know if you have any good links or references to send my way as I continue to learn. I’d love to hear from you in the comments below or over on Facebook.