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Wheels within wheels

24/1/2020

Round like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel, never ending or beginning on an ever spinning reel.
With gratitude to Michel Legrand and M.&A, Bergman

A principle of A.R.T. philosophy is the ability to identify disturbed reflexes.
In my view, disturbed and sensitive reflexes are indicators of inflammatory responses within the body - a significant cause of dis-ease.
‘Disturbed’ reflexes have distinct textures as opposed to that of normal, surrounding tissue.

Developing the ability is to identify these areas is essential for truly effective reflexology. They are ‘markers’ of the primary cause of imbalance within the body.

The reflexes of the feet are part of a vast neural macrocosm bound together through the fascia and other structures. The application of focus to the disturbed reflexes, no matter where they occur will encourage therapeutic response where it is needed.
The example below goes a long way in making my point:

One of the main culprits of inflammation is a pro-inflammatory protein called Leptin which is produced by fatty tissue. Apart from the inflammatory response it causes, Leptin also exerts a significant influence on Thyroid function and even the entire endocrine system; it also influences the nervous system.

My Best Wishes

Tony Porter

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REFLEXOLOGY AND MEDITATION

17/1/2020

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Reflexology and Meditation

Dear ARTists and Reflexologists everywhere

It is always usual to make resolutions at the beginning of each new year, which although begun with excellent and positive intentions, gradually start to wear off. It is only a few who can maintain that initial drive and hold their intentions intact, and through this will realise the benefits of their initial aims. These can be, for example, to maintain a regular practice of meditation (which is of particular benefit to those in the natural healing professions such as reflexology). Or to make exercise a daily activity.
There are other pursuits, such as learning to play a musical instrument or taking the decision to read as many books as time permits.

It takes a regular and faithful practice of at least three months to begin to experience positive benefits. Three months seems to be the amount of time for the benefits of pursuits to manifest.

Many years ago I had the good fortune to meet a cardiologist at a conference I was attending on meditation. Actually, as a side note, he did not look anything like my perceived idea of how a medical consultant should look. He had something of a hippy image about him. How surprised I was when he introduced himself as a consultant cardiologist!

During a break, he explained to me the value that regular meditation had for him. He told me he practiced morning and evening and always before performing surgery. Sometimes he would go into a storeroom in the hospital for a few minutes of chanting meditation before beginning surgery. Working in his type of profession is difficult to maintain regular meditation times, however he always made it a point to practice even for a few minutes. He related that meditation was the most valuable thing he had done in his life.

He later explained that the internal vibrations caused by chanting have rejuvenating benefits on the entire body. One of the reasons is that it stimulates the Vagus nerve, while also having a beneficial effect on blood and lymphatic fluids.
This effect can be observed by the way a bowl of water reacts to the vibrations from a Tibetan singing bowl.
I used to work in the practice of a medical consultant in London, who was a leading authority on the effects of stress. He invited all of the staff to join him in a thirty-minute chanting meditation at the end of the day. This practice was received with a considerable amount of derision from the practitioners in the adjacent practices! However, it was of great benefit, particularly when performed in a group situation.
Meditation helps to make for a more sensitive and receptive Reflexologist - unless you are already doing so get meditating!
My Best Wishes

Tony Porter

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Follow your Heart and Intuition

1/12/2019

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I have been somewhat absent from sending out articles and blogs - something which I shall resume as soon as soon as I can.
In the meantime, particularly as we are approaching a New Year it is good to implant some inspirational and positive fertilisation to our thoughts to get things going in a positive way in 2020
This is one of my favourites
My Best Wishes
Tony Porter

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someones else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other people’s opinions drown out your own inner voice.
And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become, everything else is secondary

Steve Jobs

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IN FLIGHT REFLEXOLOGY

18/11/2019

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I mentioned in my last blog that I was going through my reflexology archives. As that post proved to be of interest, I decided to add some more items as I come across them — this is another.
The plan is to preserve these and other material to go towards the Eunice Ingham and The International Institute of Reflexology legacy, museum
Dwight carried on the work of his aunt Eunice Ingham, following her death in 1974.
We took the Ingham message throughout the U.K. Europe and many parts of the world, particularly from the early 1970s through to the early 1990s.

This photo is of Dwight giving me a treatment while flying back from Peru in 2009 - I had injured my knee on a long mountain hike, so we did an exchange at 37,000 ft
Dwight would often give treatments to passengers and cabin crew (Initially much to my chagrin!) In those days things were far more relaxed regarding security.

I remember on a long and somewhat turbulent flight, a lady was having a panic attack which was not respond to the efforts of the cabin crew.
Dwight offered his military medical, training, combined with his hallmark reflexology. This soon not only had the lady becoming completely relaxed, but also the cabin crew.
We spent the last half of the flight in first class!

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REFLEXOLOGY TRIUMPH

16/11/2019

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From the 1975 - 1979 This was TR, my trusty friend who safely and reliably took me all over the U.K and Europe giving seminars. It was a lovingly restored 1958 Triumph TR3A. Not much room for supplies, but I travelled light in those days, I cannot believe that sometimes I actually slept in that confined space!
I can remember driving along the waterfronts in Nice, Cannes and St.Tropez with people asking to be photographed either in TR or standing by TR. It even opened doors to spending two nights at the Rolling Stones Villa while they were away on tour, without having to pay - sorry Mick!

Sadly, as my reflexology life grew, I needed a larger vehicle for transportation and had to say goodbye to TR. However it was bought by a Dutch enthusiast and went to a very good home in Holland, even winning a number of awards at various events, and as far as I know is still there.
To think that this experience came through focusing on reflexology, when I was a young lad!
As soon as you totally and continuously focus your thoughts on something it brings forth life-changing events, this is law, so take care of your thoughts and become in tune with the infinite.
Details of my seminars which will be announced soon. Yes, like TR I am still going!

Best Wishes
Tony

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Reflexology memories

16/11/2019

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Going through my archives recently, I came across this photo of me with Dwight and Nancy Byers having a coffee at bottom of Swains Lane, Highgate, London taken 1992. Dwight is the nephew of Eunice Ingham.

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A.R.T. Reflexology in France

14/11/2019

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A.R.T. REFLEXOLOGY SEMINAR ROUMENS (OCCITANIE) FRANCE

I presented a three—day seminar on September 28-30th in the lovely area of Occitanie France. It was very well attended with eager students coming from all over France, Holland and Morocco! Two of the students were eligible to sit their A.R.T. assessment exam for Registered membership.

Congratulations to Hicham Doumane ART(Regd) who is our first registered member in Morocco and Vincent Bermon ART(Regd) from Saint Laurent-du-Var France
A.R.T. has always been popular in France and continues to be so; I am looking forward to presenting more seminars next year.
My thanks go to Beatrice Delaetre, Sophie Bosc and Sylvie Julien for all the arranging, administration and help

A.R.T. Seminar Columbia Hotel, London October 24/25 2019
It was such a great pleasure to be with such an enthusiastic group of reflexologists.
This seminar also had an International flavour with delegates from South America, France, Holland, Italy and Spain, and from areas over the U.K such as Scotland, Wales and Cornwall. Apologies if I have forgotten other locations.
The Columbia Hotel, apart from having its history, also has a historical link to the development of Reflexology, not only in the U.K. but also Internationally.
It was from its conference rooms that Dwight Byers and I began promulgating Ingham Reflexology way back in the early 1970s.

Since those days, I have given hundreds of seminars, both promoting the classical Ingham approach, (which in those early days were presented by my Sister Ann Gillanders and me) and since then my A.R.T. seminars.
The walls in those rooms have been like silent custodians, watching over the thousands of people studying reflexology, where its message was taken across the world where it has become firmly established and thrives to this day.
It was also from the Columbia where the first A.R.T. conference was held back in 1989
with around 300 attending, we could have had at least 500 but had to turn people away.
We had speakers from the fields of medicine, acupuncture, osteopathy and of course, reflexology. We were so fortunate to have Maureen Lipman CBE present an inspiring speech. Maureen and I have been friends for well over thirty years, and she has always been a great supporter of A.R.T. Reflexology.
The walls in those rooms will always resonate with the energy of all the reflexology seminars which took in them over nearly fifty years.

I look forward to meeting you.

Best Wishes

Tony Porter
A.R.T Founder and Director

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The Meditation of Reflexology

1/9/2019

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Meditation is a practice of stilling the constant chatter which constantly flows through our brains. To achieve this, attention has to be focused on something else other than the procession of thoughts. This is achieved through repeating a mantra or fixing attention on the process of the breath going in and out of the nose. Chanting a mantra is also another means of achieving a state of one mindedness.
Interestingly reflexology acts as a type of a physical mantra — the sensation of feeling the fingers and hands applying pressure to the feet, cannot help but take attention away from the chatter of thoughts in our brains, to what is being experienced through the feet.
This focus of attention gives a meditative quality to a reflexology session — a profound, detachment from the everyday concerns of life.
Meditation has been shown to cause the release of endorphins and the other feel, good factors which I have previously mentioned, but in combination with ‘effective’ reflexology, a cornucopia of endogenous chemicals flood the brain with the potential of immense, therapeutic value.
It is not just the gentle touch which evokes this response, although in certain individuals this may be required — as I have said, there is not a one size fits all type of contact, and each person needs variations of techniques to suit their individuality. I have patients who get into the meditative ‘zone’ only when more robust and focused contacts are applied.

Tony Porter

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SPECIAL A.R.T. REGISTERED MEMBERS SEMINAR/WORKSHOP

30/8/2019

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THIS SEMINAR HAS BEEN POSTPONED AS THE DATE DID NOT SUIT MANY PEOPLE. IT WILL BE ARRANGED FOR EARLY NEXT YEAR AND ON A WEEKEND IF POSSIBLE.
Apologies
Tony

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A.R.T® (Advanced Reflexology Techniques) by founder Tony Porter

1/8/2019

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Although the techniques and philosophy of A.R.T. have become entrenched into the annals of Reflexology since I introduced them in 1989 and continue to be taught internationally. I feel that I should explain the origins and concepts of A.R.T. .
I began my reflexology career in 1972, and since that time, I have been able to witness the therapy's transition from then up to the present day.

The emphases of treatments at that time, was, to quote Eunice Ingham's mantra 'Find a sore spot and work it out' and this was the primary objective of each treatment. Her technique consisted of the 'walking' type of movement using the thumbs and fingers, this is now known as the classical technique, and today, at least in the West is the way (albeit in various interpretations) that most Reflexology is performed.

It is a positive approach, given in combination with the fingers and thumbs combined with proper support, and because of this, is experienced as a satisfying 'good' pain.
It was the type of treatment that I was taught and 'weaned' on all the years ago. However, a gradual change or should I say, dilution has gradually encroached on the original classical, concept. It is important to note that the classical technique cannot be used in conjunction with any form of lubrication.
Today, the trend is more towards providing a soporific interlude as the purpose of treatment — this is the way that the public generally perceives Reflexology, the fact that the receiver may feel a positive sensation is taboo! It is because of this that the original legacy of the classical approach has become (and continues to be) diluted.

It was against this backdrop that in the 1980s I formulated the concepts and philosophy of A.R.T. I aimed to preserve the original, classical origins of Reflexology but in combination with techniques which would allow for all the structural and reflex variations of feet to be contacted as effectively as possible.

Effective, therapeutic Reflexology depends on the utilisation of touch with the purpose of detecting, interpreting and applying the appropriate techniques to the 'disturbed' reflexes, this is the mainstay of Reflexology, above anything else.
I made it a prerogative to demonstrate how the more focused approach, of A.R.T. differs from the diluted image of Reflexology, which is commonplace today.
The techniques of A.R.T. can be used individually or incorporated into existing protocols, such as the original concepts of Eunice Ingham, this is the reason why I call A.R.T. ‘The Evolvement of The Original Concept'.

For details of my seminars, please go to the seminar page on this site

I look forward to meeting you.

Tony Porter

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Wheels within wheels

REFLEXOLOGY AND MEDITATION

Reflexology and Meditation

Follow your Heart and Intuition

IN FLIGHT REFLEXOLOGY

REFLEXOLOGY TRIUMPH

Reflexology memories

A.R.T. Reflexology in France

A.R.T. REFLEXOLOGY SEMINAR ROUMENS (OCCITANIE) FRANCE

The Meditation of Reflexology

SPECIAL A.R.T. REGISTERED MEMBERS SEMINAR/WORKSHOP

A.R.T® (Advanced Reflexology Techniques) by founder Tony Porter

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