In part one of this blog I mentioned that some of the disturbed reflex areas that we detect on the feet will be psychosomatic in origins. It is quite possible that you have ‘worked’ on these areas without recognising them. This does not present a problem, and indeed once released through your administrations, it may have been the reason your patients, also experienced an emotional catharsis.
The potential psychosomatic component of our work is another reason why we should continually evaluate what the reflexes are telling us.
It is the subtle skill of touch that enables the detection and interpretation of those disturbed reflexes which need to be treated. Being unaware of this will mean that we merely work on the feet in a general way without understanding the wealth of information that lies beneath our fingertips.
This may feel pleasant to the patient, but the potential of the treatment is significantly reduced.
The traditional belief that a painful reflex corresponds to a physiological problem in its related area can be true - but is not always the case, and this has caused much confusion. This is why I have drawn attention to another way of interpreting what the reflexes can reveal.
I mentioned in Part 1. That - as with the feet, there are areas all over the body; where sometimes very subtle changes in the tissues can be detected. These changes have unique ‘signatures’ and can reveal a lot of information.
I consider the skin an extension of the brain and nervous system, through which mind/body interactions are revealed.
In reflexology one can detect these changes more readily on some feet than others, particularly at the beginning of one’s practice. However, with perseverance and close attention to the information coming through your fingers, an acute sense of touch will develop. This is where your reflexology journey really begins.
Eunice Ingham described it perfectly in the title of her book, ‘Stories The Feet Can Tell’.
My forthcoming book goes into this subject in far greater detail.
My Best Wishes
Tony Porter