Barefoot Reflexology - My Blog

PCOS is a serious genetic, hormone, metabolic and reproductive disorder that affects women and girls. It is the leading cause of female infertility and a precursor for other serious conditions including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and endometrial cancer. PCOS Awareness Month was created to increase awareness of, and education about, PCOS among the general public, women, girls and healthcare professionals. The aim is to help improve the lives of those affected by PCOS and to help them to overcome their symptoms as well as prevent and reduce their risks for life-threatening related diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and cancer. As a Fertility Reflexologist, I have worked with clients who suffer with PCOS as it can help to balance hormones and reduce some of the symptoms. It may also help to increase the chances of conception for those wishing to start a family. If you have any of the symptoms listed below, or you'

"Healing is not linear"  This is one of the truest statements I know.     Reflexology is great in supporting your healing process.  When healing is received, there is not one part of you that is not loved or nurtured, because energy will ripple and cause positive changes throughout your entire being.   But it’s important to understand that healing takes time and works with us on many different levels throughout every aspect of our lives.   Some of us may be going through what is sometimes called a  HEALING CRISIS , a period of time where we get a sort of wakeup call that things need to change, we ourselves need to grow, learn and move forward.  I prefer to call this a  SELF-HEALING PROCESS , but basically it means that we have layers on and that means that we are forever learning to go deeper, to work, grow and love from this place and to heal from within.   We may often find that in healing stages, where we will go for therapy, some issues that may seem resolved may crop up

Are you stressed or anxious? Is it making you ill? Do you want to do something about it? Reflexology is often mistaken for simply “a good foot rub”. Admittedly, it is an excellent foot rub but it’s so much more. The truth is, our bodies are working all the time to put themselves right and to stay in balance. The intelligence resident in our bodies is truly awe-inspiring, but plenty of things get i n the way of that work. One of the most common things to do this, is stress. The body has to use critical resources to manage its response to your stress and those resources aren’t available for anything else - the body totally focuses on managing the stress. When you can bring your body, mind, and spirit into a state of relaxation you create a state in which your body can do its best work. You help it help you - it doesn't have to manage the stress - it can concentrate on healing, growing, repairing and cleansing.  And, yes, reflexology helps to make that happen. The core principle of re

The wonderful thing about Reflexology is that it helps your MIND and SPIRIT just as much as your body - it brings everything into balance - so it's great for stress and anxiety as well as pain, hormone imbalance, digestive issues etc. A healthy mindset is at the core of your wellbeing, so why not try some Reflexology and see how it could help you.

Reflexology may help you to boost your immune system and beat that cold a bit faster. It has been found to be very effective when dealing with seasonal illnesses, and colds and flu are no exception. The main symptoms - headaches, congested or tight chest, blocked sinuses, runny noses, sore throat, low energy levels, muscle aches, feeling hot and cold and having swollen glands in the neck - can all be helped. Reflexology could: • stimulate our immune system and boost our immune response so we can fight off these seasonal germs.  • balance and stimulate our respiratory systems (throat, tonsils, lungs, chest area) to get rid of excess mucus. My experience is that it encourages me to cough a lot, which has been just as effective as taking an expensive expectorant and my lungs feel more open. • boost our feel-good hormones, which act as natural pain-blockers, so those sore throats, muscle aches and headaches will feel much better. In addition, melatonin encourages sleep and it is a strong a

Too often we go through life on autopilot, going through the motions and having each day pass like the one before it. That's fine and comfortable, until you have gone through another year without having done anything, without having really lived life. That's fine, until you see your kids go off to college and realise that you missed their childhoods. That's fine, until you have reached old age and look back on life with regrets. So... Love, get outside, savour food, take chances, follow excitement, find your passion, turn off the TV, travel, turn off the internet, exercise, be positive, eliminate anything and anyone negative, open your heart, kiss in the rain, face your fears, slow down.... And maybe even try some reflexology!  😉 www.barefoot-reflexology.co.uk

  Do you know a golfer? After seeing a HEAT MAP of the feet during a golfer’s swing, I just couldn’t resist sharing this reflexology interpretation!   The heat map was made by ADIDAS™ to assist in the development and production of their famous golfing shoe.  I find it so fascinating!  Hope you do too, and who knows, maybe a few Reflexology sessions would improve your game! So, this is a basic reflexology interpretation of a heat map taken during golfer’s swing (see picture):   HEAD REFLEX  Very light pressure in the head area, indicating most of the analyses and thought processes have been completed at this stage, although thought process still evident in the toes.  Slightly more pressure to be seen on the pituitary/hypothalamus, regulating hormone control.    SPINE REFLEX   Intense pressure on thoracic spine.  Also, pressure can be seen on cervical (neck) spine, especially on the right in this instance.  Less pressure to be seen on lumbar and sciatic spine.   LUNG REFLEX   More pressu

No matter where you are in your healing journey, there is always something you can do that will help you to feel better. Have you thought of Reflexology?   It is an holistic therapy that  is incredibly relaxing, pain-relieving and stress-busting - a powerful technique  that is based on the theory that there are reflex areas on the feet that correspond to specific organs and other parts of the body.  According to reflexology theory, every part of our body has a correlating point on the feet. So:  - the toes reflect the head, brain, sinuses, ears and eyes;  - the heart, chest and throat are reflected around the ball of the foot;  - the liver, pancreas, stomach, kidneys and intestines are represented in the middle of the bottom of your foot;  - the spine corresponds with points along the arch of the foot;  - the pelvis and hips are represented in the heel.    And the incredible thing is that while it’s your feet that are being worked, the effects are felt throughout the whole body.   Refl

60,000 miles - that’s nearly two and a half times around the Earth!   Here are 6 other amazing facts about blood vessels: 1.  They carry a million barrels of blood in a lifetime - that’s about 1,800 gallons of blood every day. 2.  Blood vessels act as a force field for the brain - the blood-brain barrier, which keeps harmful substances from reaching the brain.  3.  Blood vessels are affected by the weather - they expand to release heat, allowing you to cool down, and narrow or constrict to conserve heat.  Another consequence of extreme exposure is frostbite, which can happen after just a few minutes in freezing conditions. 4.  Blame that ice cream “brain-freeze” on your blood vessels  -  when something cold touches the warm roof of your mouth, blood vessels constrict to minimise heat loss, then relax to restore blood flow.  This triggers the familiar burst of pain. 5.  Your blood vessels might get a boost from chocolate - eating moderate amounts of chocolate may keep your heart and blo

“While you are alive collect moments not things, earn respect not money and enjoy love not luxuries.”  – Aarti Khurana I LOVE this quote and here are 4 reasons why I think it’s true:   Experiences help us learn about ourselves If you’ve ever taken a trip on your own or walked along a nature trail before, it will have given you time to reflect and become self-aware.  Experiences allow us to learn about what we like and what we don’t like. They teach us how to face and even conquer our fears.  Experiences can test us at times, and show us what we are capable of accomplishing.  Hiking up to the top of a mountain, for example, can test your endurance.  Rock climbing or bungee jumping may help you conquer a fear of heights.    Moments allows us to bond with others They’re about creating social connections with others, and being closer to other people tends to make us happier.   Memories of Moments are precious Experiences tend to be brief, but the memories from these moments can last a life

The truth is that in my treatment room, aside from sighs of relief, snores or relaxing music, a rumbling tummy is one of our favourite   sounds!     This week at least three of my lovely clients have apologised for their rumbling tummies and asked me why it happened, so I thought I’d explain because it’s actually a really good sign.   If you find your stomach rumbling during a treatment, please don't be embarrassed - it's a real compliment to a therapist to hear your body respond to the work that is taking place, because you can't fake the fact that your body is quite literally shifting gear.   Our bodies are governed by our Nervous System which controls a lot of the things we can't consciously control, such as blood pressure, heart rate, digestion, sweating, breathing rhythm, etc.  It operates in two 'gears' - these two gears are also referred to as 'fight or flight' (Sympathetic Nervous System) and 'rest & digest' (Parasympathetic Nervous S

Did you know that male infertility is increasing?   A landmark study by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem , published in July, showed that among men from Europe, North America and Australia, sperm counts have declined by almost 60% in less than 40 years.    Sperm are specialist cells designed to transport your DNA to your partner’s egg.    Whereas a woman is born with all eggs she’ll ever need, a man has to make new sperm continuously - and each sperm takes around 90 - 100 days to develop and mature.   Making healthy sperm is complicated.    First, you need to make lots of sperm that are strong swimmers and are able to fertilise the egg when they arrive.  Second, your sperm need to contain good quality DNA, essential for making a healthy baby.    Sperm are sensitive and their quantity and quality can be affected by a number of medical problems and lifestyle factors.      But, here’s the good news.... because you make new batches of sperm every three months, simple lifestyle changes ca

  Are you feeling fatigued, got chronic pain, not sleeping properly?  Are you emotionally drained?  It might be a problem with you adrenal glands.  Surprised?  Read on...   The adrenal glands are the two small but important glands that sit on top of your kidneys.    They are involved in producing over 50 hormones (such as cortisol and adrenaline) that drive almost every bodily function (such as regulating blood pressure and controlling metabolism) - many of which are essential for life.    (Which is why we need to look after them!)    They work closely with the pituitary and hypothalamus glands, to control all the hormones - an intricate balancing act that is the ‘government’ of the body, and essential to our health and wellbeing.   A lot of clients come to me feeling generally unwell and have no real explanation for why they’re feeling so out-of-kilter.     After consultations and treatments, it often becomes clear that their chronic pain, poor sleep, anxiety, emotional issues etc. ar

There are many different types of migraines but one thing they all have in common is that they absolutely floor you.  I get migraines myself and I know that they are a perfect illustration of how stress generally affects our bodies.  Think about how you feel after a migraine – upset tummy, lethargic, foggy?  Well that’s how a congested and stressed body feels.  Now think about how you feel when everything has cleared – more alive, happier, a sense of release. Some amount of stress is good if it drives us, but the wrong kind of stress is toxic and it is vital that it is released.  When you get a really bad migraine it’s obvious that your head is under stress but the  dis-ease  doesn’t just stop there.  Nerves carry signals from your head to other regions of your body and these signals alert different organs, muscles and systems to the fact that there is something wrong.  Immediately they too start to react, perhaps your neck feels stiff, your stomach feels nauseous, your fingers tingle…

  I never fail to be amazed by the power of Reflexology!   A  review of 168 research studies  found that Reflexology can increase blood flow to organs, enhance organ function, lower high blood pressure, reduce anxiety, cause positive changes in brain wave patterns, and reduce pain linked to arthritis, kidney stones, and diabetic neuropathy.  It can alleviate the pain of migraines and tension headaches and other forms of chronic and acute pain.   However, during a recent visit to my chiropractor, the importance of taking responsibility for my own health in between visits, was driven home in a very painful way!  I have been going to him for about 3 years now, for knee and lower back problems and I suppose I’d become a bit complacent - turn up for the appointments, pay the bill and forget about it until the next appointment.   This time, as I was lying on the table, with his thumb pressed firmly on a point on my psoas muscle (the one just inside the pointy bit of the hip bone) and grittin