Because of the high level of demand for the first Totally Toes seminar, the numbers of attendees had to be restricted.
I am pleased to be able to offer this seminar again.
I am pleased to be able to offer this seminar again.
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Thank you for participating in the Zoom Forum on January 14. This proved to be extremely popular. I am planning to host another one on February 21st. As soon as this has been arranged you will be notified. I am pleased to send the information regarding an exciting on line seminar, details of which are attached:  My best wishes and hope you are keeping well.
Tony I hosted the first reflexology forum on January 14th, an international event which provoked so much interest that it lasted for three hours!
It was a pleasure to see so many A.R.T. family members and colleagues worldwide and guests sharing their reflexology journeys. From Ruby Hood in Canada, who took her first seminar with Eunice Ingham and still runs a busy practice. Ann Phillpott who attended the first I.I.R. seminar I gave in London many years ago. Ann is an example of what having a positive attitude can have on our lives — she is a great motivator, just what is needed, particularly during these times. Noelle Weyeneth in Lausanne, Switzerland. Soon after she commenced giving treatments (in the late 1970s) was charged with practising illegal medicine (as reflexology was classed in Switzerland in those days) and served a prison sentence! Long term colleague, friend and former assistant Hagar Basis and Lynne Booth both gave valuable insights into their work. Charlotte Timmerman from the Netherlands related to her early days in reflexology. Charlotte was at one of the first seminars that Dwight Byers and I gave in Holland way back. It was such a pleasure to have Charlotte take part — an exceptional lady. Lee Anthony Taylor and Peter Tomlinson gave most valuable contributions. Benjamin Milton from Malta further added to the international contribution of the Forum and not forgetting Susan Hancock. She has been an A.R.T. member for many years. To you all — a big thank you. I hope that many of those who took part in this first Forum will return to give additional information at the next one I shall be organising soon. All those who gave presentations are practitioners who have the traditional or classical reflexology protocol as their foundation. I have long championed to preserve the practice of classical reflexology. This is in response to how reflexology has and continues to become diluted into something with little semblance to the original concepts that I was weaned on. Classical reflexology combines the use of contacts to the feet, using the fingers and thumbs, in combination with proper support of the hands, in such a way to prevent injury to the joints. This is used in combination with the appropriate position of the practitioner. This does mean that different techniques cannot be used. In fact, this is encouraged, just as long as they are used combined with the original types of support, A.R.T. being one example. For this reason, I have decided to look into forming an organisation dedicated to reinstating the original concepts of reflexology — news on this later. I am in the process of organising another Forum with other interesting guests - I shall also be hosting some online tuition seminars. Details of both of these events will be emailed and posted on the A.R.T. website. Keep positive. My Best Wishes Tony Tel: +44 (0)20 8920 9555 Mob: 07768 077 414 tonyporter@btconnect.com www.artreflex.com  Dear ARTists and reflexologists everywhere. These are unprecedented times we are going through. The lockdowns are causing great difficulties for most people, particularly those who like us are self-employed. It is natural to become despondent about the situation and fear what the future has in store professionally. It is always essential to keep a positive attitude and outlook on life — in these times even more so. I am sure that once this epidemic has passed, and things return to something of more normal equilibrium, our work will be even more in demand. Cultivating a positive outlook means being enthusiastic about something, in our case, reflexology. Enthusiasm stokes our inner fires, infusing the body with Qi. For this reason, the enthusiasm we have in our early days in practice gives treatments an extra potency - a phenomenon you may have noticed, However, as the initial fires of enthusiasm decline, so can the effectiveness of treatments. The quote below explains the subject and will reignite enthusiasm should it have been somewhat diminished during these times. Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your one personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.
Ralph Waldo Emerson It is imperative not to become complacent in our work. One way to combat this is to always focus on the reflex information we receive through our fingers and thumbs. Working in this way enables us to 'tune in' to the body's energetic signatures, which is the keystone to effective reflexology.
I shall be presenting a free Zoom reflexology forum on Thursday, January 14th at 2.00 GMT. Details on this website. Best wishes Tony  Nous sommes en 1950 et une épidémie de polio se propage au Royaume-Uni et dans de nombreuses régions du monde. Des milliers de jeunes étaient frappés par le virus, certains avaient de la chance et souffraient d'une légère paralysie, tandis que d'autres comme moi, bien que très malades, étaient épargnés. Il y a eu 45 000 cas et plusieurs centaines de décès dus à la polio au Royaume-Uni cette année-là. Ma sœur Ann Gillanders (fondatrice de la British School of Reflexology) n'a pas eu cette chance et a souffert d'une paralysie sévère et permanente de sa jambe droite et des muscles de la colonne vertébrale ; elle avait dix ans. J'avais cinq ans à l'époque et je me souviens que ma sœur était une gymnaste et une nageuse douée, avant la polio. Notre père était un coiffeur pour hommes, réputé à Londres. Il était également connu pour autre chose que la coiffure, à savoir le massage de la tête. Il était très demandé par sa famille et ses amis pour exercer « sa magie » et soulager les maux de tête. Je me souviens de l'avoir vu soulager la gueule de bois et les migraines de nombreux clients qui se présentaient tôt le matin, après une nuit de beuverie dans les différents clubs "Gentleman's" du West End. Après son intervention, non seulement le mal de tête avait disparu, mais le client quittait le salon avec une attitude et une posture totalement différentes. C'est quelque chose qui m'a toujours marqué. C'était dans les années 1950, bien avant que le massage crânien ne devienne ce qu'il est aujourd'hui. Il avait une méthode unique pour "faire rouler le cuir chevelu", comme il le disait. J'ai inclus cette information dans la suite de l'histoire. C'est au cours d'une période particulièrement froide que j'ai été témoin d'une chose qui, bien qu'inconnue de moi à l'époque, était le signe avant-coureur de ma vie future en réflexologie et qui allait également changer la direction de la vie d'Ann. Dans ces années d'après-guerre, la vie et les choses étaient très austères ; les soirées se passaient, blottis autour d'un petit feu de charbon. Je me souviens de la glace qui se formait à l'intérieur des fenêtres de la maison du nord de Londres où nous vivions ! Ce froid n'était pas favorable à la circulation d'Ann ; sa jambe devenait bleue dans le froid et gonflait dans la chaleur. Ce que j'ai vu, c'est mon père qui frottait un bloc de liège (ressemblant à une pierre ponçe comme sur la photo) sur le dessous et les côtés du pied froid et bleu de ma sœur. Je me souviens avoir demandé ce qu'il faisait, il m'a répondu qu'il "stimulait les nerfs". Je n'avais que six ans à l'époque, alors naturellement, je n'ai pas cherché à en savoir plus. J'ai regardé la jambe bleue se transformer progressivement et se teinter d’un rose sain et chaud ! L'action consistait en un mouvement de frottement d'avant en arrière des orteils aux talons, en contact également avec la zone médiane de la colonne vertébrale des pieds (il ignorait ces détails), et était effectuée sans lubrification. L'action était assez vigoureuse et appliquée sur les deux pieds. Cette vision est encore fraîche dans mon esprit, et je regrette de ne pas lui avoir demandé d'où il avait appris cette technique. C'est peut-être le coiffeur allemand qui lui a enseigné sa méthode de massage de la tête au début de sa carrière. Il a également suivi un cours d'assistant médical militaire de six mois avant la guerre ; peut-être que quelqu'un, alors, lui a montré cette technique là-bas. La scène de cette froide soirée d'hiver de 1951 flotte souvent dans ma conscience comme un nuage teinté non seulement de tristesse, mais aussi un message sur ce que la résilience humaine peut accomplir alors que tout semble être contre vous. Ann a élevé quatre enfants, a écrit trois best-sellers, a dirigé une école de réflexologie qui a connu un grand succès et, bien qu'ayant à vivre et dépasser le défi d'être gravement handicapée, ne s'est jamais plainte. Son mantra était "faites-le" - une leçon pour nous tous.  La photo de nous a été prise en mars de cette année à l'occasion de son 80e anniversaire.
Cela me semble encore surréaliste quand je pense à la façon dont ce massage avec ces blocs de liège dans les années 1950 a conduit à une vie de réflexologie qui a inclus de nombreuses aventures et rencontres merveilleuses à travers le monde jusqu'à aujourd'hui. Je n'ai pas mentionné notre merveilleuse mère. Elle a joué un grand rôle dans le maintien de la cohésion, en particulier pendant ces jours sombres. Elle avait également un lien avec la réflexologie : Elle souffrait de symptômes digestifs et prétendait les guérir ou du moins les atténuer en passant un peigne métallique sur le dos des mains. Naturellement, elle a été ostracisée par son médecin et ses amis. Elle ne se savait pas que le Dr Fitzgerald, célèbre pour sa thérapie des zones, utilisait des peignes métalliques sur les doigts et les mains pour soulager la douleur. Mes voeux vous accompagnent. Tony Pour obtenir des informations sur les séminaires A.R.T. en France, veuillez contacter Sophie BOSC Tél: 06 31 57 10 49 or s.bosc262@orange .fr;  The year was 1950, and a polio epidemic was spreading throughout the UK and many parts of the world. Thousands of young people were being struck down by the virus, some were lucky and suffered mild paralysis, while others like me, although being very ill, were spared. There were 45,000 cases and many hundreds of deaths from Polio in the U.K that year. My Sister Ann Gillanders (Founder of The British School of Reflexology) was not so fortunate and suffered severe and permanent paralysis to her right leg and spinal muscles, she was ten years old. I was five at the time and can remember my Sister in her pre-polio days as being a gifted gymnast and swimmer. Our father was a well known London-town gentleman’s hairdresser. In fact, ‘Jimmy of Mayfair’. However, he was also known for something else other than hairdressing, which was head massage. He was in demand from family and friends to work his magic in relieving headaches. I can remember witnessing him alleviating the hangovers and migraines of many of the clients who ‘presented’ to his salon in the early morning after a night of drinking in the various west end ‘Gentleman’s’ clubs. After his ministrations, not only had the headaches disappeared, but the clients left the salon with an entirely different persona and posture. This was something which has always stayed with me. This was in the 1950s, long before head massage became what it is today. He had a unique method of ‘rolling up the scalp’ as he put it. I included this information as it leads to the next part of the story. It was during a particularly cold spell that I witnessed something which, although unrealised to me at the time was the harbinger of my future life in reflexology and which also was to change the direction of Ann’s life. In those post-war years, things were very austere and evenings were spent huddled around a small coal fire. I can remember ice forming inside the windows in the north London house where we lived! The cold did not bide well for Ann’s circulation, her leg would turn blue in the cold and would swell in the heat. What I witnessed was my father rubbing a cork block (resembling the sanding block as shown in photo) on the bottom and sides of my Sister’s cold and blue foot. I remember asking what he was doing, he replied ‘stimulating the nerves’. I was only six at the time so naturally did not enquire further. I watched the blue leg gradually turn to a healthy and warm pink! I must stress that the block was 100% cork. The action was a back and forth rubbing movement from toes to heels also contacting the medial, spinal area of the feet, (not that he knew that), and was performed without lubrication. The action was quite vigorous and was administered to both feet. This vision is still fresh in my mind, and I regret not asking where he learnt this technique. It may have been from the German hairdresser who taught him his method of head massage early in his career. He also completed a six-month military medical assistant course before the war, so perhaps someone showed this technique to him there. The scene on that cold winter’s evening in 1951 often floats into my consciousness like a cloud tinged not only with sadness, but also with a message of what human resilience can do when the chips are down. Ann raised four children, wrote three bestsellers ran a very successful reflexology school and although having the challenge of being severely handicapped never complained. Her Mantra was 'just do it' — a lesson to us all.  The picture of us was taken in March this year on the occasion of her 80th birthday. It still feels surreal to me when I think how that cork block massage back in the 1950s led to a lifetime in reflexology which included many wonderful adventures and meetings throughout the world up to the present time. I have not mentioned our wonderful mother. She played a big part in holding things together, particularly during those dark days. She also had a link to reflexology: She suffered from digestive symptoms and claimed to cure it or at least alleviate the discomfort by running a metal comb over the back of the hands. Naturally, she was ostracised by her doctor and friends. Little did she realise that Dr Fitzgerald of Zone Therapy fame used metal combs on the fingers and hands to relieve pain. My best wishes Tony Tony's original ART Manual and DVD are available on Amazon Click here to view ART Manual Click here to view DVD |
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Tony PorterTony is a London-based reflexologist and founder of Advanced Reflexology Techniques (ART) Categories |
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