I ofen offer reflexology
tasters, which I think is a good way of showing people what
reflexology is about. When I do this, I usually meet two camps of
people: the first love their feet being touched and played with and
would be happy to sit there all day; the second group of people hate
even the thought of getting their socks or shoes off, let along
anyone even touching their feet. I have to confess that I orginally
fell into the second camp of people – I hated the idea of anyone
tickling my feet and would see me tensing up even at the thought of
the idea. I also once nearly kicked a student therapist in the head
for trying to hold my foot too gently. So, what changed my mind?
I went for a massage, and
had about ten minutes of reflexology on my feet. As she even touched
my foot the whole relaxation of the massage went out of the window,
but, after a few minutes I found I was relaxing again. It really
wasn't what I was expecting; yes, there were some sensitive spots,
but they weren't overly ticklish and it really was quite bearable.
After that I did have a few more reflexology tries, trained in
reflexology and found myself having monthly regular treatments!
So, after the consultation,
what actually happens during a reflexology session? It starts off
with a massage to relax your foot, get blood flowing more to the
surface and to check the mobility of your feet. Then, a set sequence
begins where the therapist uses pressure on various points and moves
her thumb (not lightly!) throughout the sole of the foot. I usually
tell apprehensive people that if I tickle them they're more than
welcome to kick me, as I know how bad that tickly fear can be!
If you've got ticklish feet,
then I would say to expect some tension at the beginning: you don't
know what you've let yourself in for and you're really challenging
your fears about what you're expecting. Once you realise its not a
purposeful tickle, you should find yourself beginning to relax into
the treatment (unless you're not accustomed to relaxing, which means
it could take a few sessions to get your body into the idea). There
may be some sensitive areas but this can be your body's way of
protecting the area or highlighting a possible underlying issue. For
example, if you have sensitivity on the ball of your foot it may be
related to a lingering cough, chest complaint, asthma, even tight
muscles in the chest region.
The treatment begins on one
foot and then the other foot is worked. After this you may find some
areas are treated again. This means the therapist found some areas
that they felt needed to be worked further. After this there is
likely to be further work on both feet. If at any point something is
unbearable, you should tell your therapist and they will take
appropriate action. Some people like to relax during the treatment
and tell the therapist about any sensitive areas at the end of the
session. It's important for you to remember you're a paying client
and you talk if you want or close your eyes and relax if that's what
you'd prefer – your therapist should be led by you. You usually
know the treatment is coming to an end as the therapist may use cream
and will probably end with a massage.
And thats it – all over!
You may feel relieved to have confronted such a personal fear and you
may be very relaxed. The therapist will probably tell you any areas
picked up on that related to your body (maybe your neck was stiff or
your digestive felt a little sluggish). They will also provide
aftercare, such as drinking water.
Hopefully you should find
your experience changes your view about having your feet touched; and
if that worry about how your feet look still stops you, don't worry,
most feet arent perfect and a therapist is used to it! So there you
go, what to expect from a reflexology visit, without the usual
explanations, but, if you do want to know more about the theory,
meridians and benefits of reflexology then try booking an appointment
with a reflexologist and ask them!
