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Reflexology and a cork block

29/7/2020

4 Comments

 
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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.

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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. 
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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
4 Comments

La dilution de la réflexologie Partie 2

14/7/2020

3 Comments

 
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À tous mes merveilleux étudiants et amis en France

La première partie de ce blog a suscité un nombre considérable de réactions, non seulement sur le sujet mais aussi sur les débuts de la réflexologie. C'est pourquoi j'ai décidé de m'écarter légèrement du sujet et d'inclure d'autres informations qui pourraient être intéressantes.

Le sujet principal de la première partie était la différence entre la façon dont la réflexologie était perçue à l'époque où j'ai commencé, à la fin des années 60 et au début des années 70, et celle d'aujourd'hui.


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Ce sujet de "La dilution de la réflexologie" est né d'une discussion que j'ai eue avec Dwight Byers il y a quelques années sur la façon dont sa tante, Eunice Ingham, administrait les traitements. Deux de ses étudiants de l'époque étaient également présents et pratiquaient toujours ! Ils m'ont raconté qu'à l'époque des années 50, les références dont nous disposons aujourd'hui n'existaient pas - ils étaient très seuls pour trouver les moyens les plus efficaces de faire travailler leurs pieds.

Imaginez la difficulté d'être seul et de devoir créer une façon de travailler, un toucher spécifique, sur les pieds sans les supports et références qui existent aujourd'hui ? Les chartes de réflexologie n'étaient pas aussi compressives qu'elles le sont aujourd'hui. Elles ont été conçues progressivement au cours de nombreuses années de développement constant (dans le cas d'Eunice Ingham, en passant par les services des hôpitaux et en appliquant différents types de pression sur les zones des pieds des patients et en observant la réponse). On les comparait aux diagnostics cliniques et allopathiques). 

C'est grâce à ce suivi constant qu'une meilleure compréhension de la réflexologie s'est progressivement constituée, et que les tableaux de base ont été élaborés.

Comme Eunice était kinésithérapeute et travaillait avec différents médecins, cela signifiait que la réflexologie (un terme qu'elle a inventé) s'alignait exclusivement sur le soulagement des maux physiques.

Ma longue association avec la famille (Ingham), et le fait d'être « le gardien » de certains des écrits d'Eunice Ingham, confirment que ses efforts ont été le point central du développement de la réflexologie dont nous bénéficions aujourd'hui. 
En effet, où en serait la réflexologie aujourd’hui et que ferions-nous sans sa contribution ? Elle a été une véritable pionnière. Tous les réflexologues, en particulier en Occident, font partie d'une lignée qui remonte à elle, sous une forme ou une autre.

Revenons au sujet original de la finalité et de la reconnaissance de la réflexologie de cette époque jusqu'à aujourd'hui. Vous pouvez déduire de l'introduction ci-dessus comment la réflexologie était utilisée pour divers troubles physiques, pour lesquels, lorsqu'elle était utilisée de manière ciblée, avait une valeur significative. C'est ainsi qu'elle était encore perçue à mon époque (je suis sûr que d'autres de mes contemporains seront d'accord avec moi)

J'ai raconté comment les clients s'attendaient à vivre des séances « positives et fermes ». Ils n'auraient pas toléré certaines des versions "massage-spa" de la réflexologie qui dominent aujourd'hui.
Il est difficile de faire le lien entre le statut de la réflexologie d'il y a 50 ans et celui d'aujourd'hui. 
On pourrait faire une analogie en essayant d'expliquer l'atmosphère qui régnait dans le Londres des Sixties ; ce n'est pas possible. Mais comme le dit le dicton : "Si vous vous souvenez des années 60, vous n'étiez pas là !

Je conclurai ce sujet en répétant comment la réflexologie d'aujourd'hui a été largement (et non exclusivement, je suis heureux de le dire) presque totalement reconnue comme étant un contact doux sur les pieds à des fins de relaxation. Cela peut avoir de la valeur - qui peut nier les bienfaits de la relaxation ?
Si les techniques de relaxation sont utilisées pour répondre aux besoins du client et font partie du vaste répertoire de la réflexologie, le réflexologue peut très bien les utiliser. Le problème est de savoir si c'est le seul type d'application connu par le praticien ? Si c'est le cas, la véritable portée et la valeur de la réflexologie sont refusées aux clients.
Il existe une variété infinie de types de pieds, combinée à une variété infinie de besoins physiologiques/émotionnels des personnes. La réflexologie est une modalité unique et exige une connaissance des nombreux types d'applications pour en maximiser le potentiel. Ce n'est qu'à cette condition qu'il sera possible de fournir le meilleur traitement possible aux clients.
Il y avait quelques thérapeutes dits de "zone" à Londres dans les années 1960-70. L'un d'eux était Joe Corvo, avec qui j'ai eu plusieurs séances et que j'ai appris à connaître assez bien lorsqu'il avait un cabinet dans le nord de Londres dans les années 1970.

Dire que ses traitements étaient positifs est un euphémisme. Je me souviens « m'être accroché à la table de massage avec mes dents ! » 
Il utilisait une sorte de sonde en caoutchouc dur ou en bois pour entrer en contact avec les réflexes.
Ses séances duraient environ 20 minutes. Il a eu beaucoup de succès, les gens faisaient littéralement la queue pour ses traitements. Il comptait parmi ses clients des personnalités du monde du spectacle, de la politique et même de la royauté.
Il travaillait sans relâche, se déplaçant continuellement d'une salle de soin à l'autre, donnant environ 25 traitements par jour. En outre, il était en quelque sorte chanteur d'opéra et donnait un petit « récital »durant son traitement. 

Je peux attester qu'un médecin à la retraite m'a dit que le traitement de Joe Corvo l'a guéri d'une grave maladie.
Je ne vous suggère pas du tout de commencer à travailler de cette manière, mais je vous ai donné ces informations comme une comparaison de différents types d'approche.

L'un des fondements de la réflexologie est qu'un réflexe douloureux indique automatiquement un problème, un déséquilibre, quel qu'il soit - une sorte de prophétie d'une maladie imminente. Ceci n'est pas valable, ni exact et est la cause de confusion, de désinformation et de peur. Pour une personne en bonne santé, les pieds doivent réagir de façon vivante. C'est la texture d'un réflexe qui révèle des informations précieuses, donnant une indication beaucoup plus fiable de l'état "énergétique" d'une personne. C'est l'un des piliers de la formation A.R.T.
Un autre consiste à "traiter ce que vous trouvez et non ce que vous cherchez". C'est ce qu'on nous a inculqué, à nous les étudiants en physiothérapie. Cela s'applique particulièrement à la réflexologie : 
Laissons-nous les pieds révéler les réflexes perturbés et nécessitant d’être « travaillés », ou bien le réflexologue traite-t-il les réflexes qu'il estime avoir « à travailler » pour diverses affections ?
Ceci fera l'objet d'un futur blog.
Je vous souhaite un bon retour au travail, quand ce sera le cas!

Meilleurs vœux
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;

3 Comments

The dilution of reflexology part 2

9/7/2020

5 Comments

 
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Part 1 of this blog produced a considerable amount of response not only to the subject but also to the early days of reflexology. For this reason, I decided to deviate slightly and include some other information which may be of interest.

The main subject was the difference between how reflexology was perceived during the time I began in the late 1960s and early 70s to that of today.
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This subject of 'The Dilution of reflexology' came about through a discussion I had with Dwight Byers a few years ago relating to the way that his Aunt, Eunice Ingham gave treatments.

Also in attendance were two of her students from those days and were still in practice! They related that in their days of the 1950s the availability of reference we have today did not exist — they were very much on their own to find the most effective ways to work feet.

Imagine the difficulty of being on your own and having to create ways to contact the feet without the support and references which exist today? Reflexology charts were not as compressive as they are now. These were gradually conceived over many years of constant development (In Eunice Ingham's case, going through the wards of hospitals and applying various types of pressure to areas of the feet to patients and monitoring the response.) This was compared with clinical, allopathic diagnoses.) 

It was through this constant monitoring that a better understanding of reflexology was gradually built up, and through this, the basic charts were developed.
Because Eunice was a physical therapist and worked with various doctors, it meant that reflexology (a term she coined) became exclusively aligned with easing physical ailments.
 
My long association with the (Ingham) family, and being a guardian of some of Eunice Ingham's writings confirms that her efforts were the pivotal point in the development of reflexology which we enjoy today. 
Where would reflexology be, indeed what would we be doing today without her input? She was a true pioneer. Every reflexologist, particularly in the Occident are part of a lineage going back to her in one form or another.
 
Getting back to the original subject of the purpose and recognition of reflexology from those days till now. You can deduce from the introduction above how reflexology was used for various physical ailments, to which when used in a focused manner had significant value. This was the way it was still viewed in my day (I am sure that others around at that time will agree)
 
I have related how clients expected to experience positive and authoritative treatment sessions. They would not have tolerated some of the 'interpretations' of reflexology which dominate at this time.
It is difficult to relate the status of the reflexology of 50 years ago to that of today. 
An analogy can be made when trying to explain the atmosphere in London during the (swinging) 1960s. It is not possible. But then, as the saying goes 'If you remember the 1960s you were not there!'
 
I will conclude this subject with repeating how reflexology of today has largely (not exclusively I am pleased to say) become recognised almost totally as a gentle, contact of the feet for the purpose of relaxation. This can have value — who can deny the benefits of relaxation?
 
If the relaxation techniques are used to suit the perceived needs of the client and are part of the extensive reflexology, repertoire of the reflexologist all well and good. The problem is if that is the only type of application known by the practitioner? In this case, the true scope and value of reflexology is being denied to clients.
 
There is an infinite variety of types of feet, combined with an infinite variety of physiological/emotional needs of people. Reflexology is such a unique modality and demands a knowledge of the many types of applications to maximise its potential. Only then will the ability to provide the best, possible treatment for clients be possible.
 
There were a few 'zone' therapists around in London in the 1960s-70s. One was Joe Corvo with whom I had several sessions and got to know quite well when he had a practice in North London in the 1970s.
 
To say that his treatments were positive is something of an understatement. I can remember hanging on to the treatment couch by my teeth! 
He used a type of hard rubber or wooden probe to make contact to the reflexes.
 
His treatments were around 20 minutes. He was very successful, people were literally queuing up for his treatments. Luminaries from the world of show business, politics and even royalty were among his clients.

He worked non stop, continually moving from one treatment room to the other, giving around 25 treatments daily. He was something of an opera singer and would give a 'performance' while treating. 

I can attest to being told by a retired doctor how Joe Corvo's treatment cured him of a serious medical condition.
I am not suggesting that you start working in this way at all but related the information as a comparison of different types of approach.
 
One of the underpinnings of reflexology is that a painful reflex automatically indicates a problem, imbalance, whatever — something of a prophecy of an impending ailment. This is not valid and is the cause of confusion, misinformation and fear. In good health, feet should display robust reflexes. It is the texture of a reflex which reveals valuable information, giving a far more reliable indication of the 'energetic' status of a person. This is one of the mainstays of A.R.T. training.
 
Another is to 'Treat what you find and not what you are looking for'. This was drummed into us, physical therapy students many years ago. It applies particularly to reflexology: 
Do we let the feet reveal the disturbed and valid reflexes, or does the reflexologist treat the reflexes which they feel are valid for various conditions? 
This will form the subject of a future blog.
 
I wish you a successful return back to work, whenever this will be!

Best wishes

Tony 


 

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    Tony Porter

    Tony is a London-based reflexologist and founder of Advanced Reflexology Techniques (ART)

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