Special Offer available until 31 May 2014 at the end of this blog...

Over the past few months I've had a number of clients who have come to Reflexology for the first time and I've been absolutely delighted by their response to the treatment.

I've been a reflexologist for the past 16 years and although I try not to take it for granted, I do sometimes forget just how amazing Reflexology is.  So, it's wonderful to have clients who remind me just how blessed I am to be able to practice such a gentle, yet powerful treatment.

One of the biggest surprises, for clients new to Reflexology, is just how relaxing it is: someone recently said they'd never been so relaxed in their life.  Well if that's not a recommendation, I don't know what is!  For me, I love the fact that clients can get really, really relaxed without having to do a thing.  

And that sense of relaxation can create a powerful healing space.  We spend so much of our time and energy - physical and psychic - out in the world trying to get results, or cope with the results of the efforts of others, that we often forget to come back to ourselves.  It's a bit like going out in the morning, but forgetting to come home at night.

I often wonder if that's why Yoga and Meditation seem to be increasing in popularity at the moment.  Einstein's 3rd Law of Motion says that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction (I'm sure I've not got that exactly right, but the meaning's there).  The more stressful life becomes, the bigger the demand for a space of stresslessness (OK, so it's not a word, but it does look relaxing, don't you think)?

Therapies like Reflexology have never been more popular and I think it's because they give clients an opportunity to relax, to be still and to take stock.  Our bodies are amazing healing machines which, with the right fuel, maintenance and recovery strategies, will keep going strong.  The relaxed feeling that Reflexology can create offers a healing space in which the body can re-calibrate, re-balance and repair.  So, Reflexology is fabulous for keeping you healthy!

But Reflexology can also help you recover better health.  Relaxation may help reduce inflammation in the body and that can have a beneficial effect on many conditions, such as IBS or arthritis.  It also has a positive impact on the hormone system by reducing the production of stress chemicals and hormones in the body.  

And, for me, one of the most significant effects of the relaxing effect of Reflexology is that it helps to develop awareness in the client of the distinction between tense and relaxed - for without awareness, nothing can change. Some of the biggest "Ah Ha" moments in my Reflexology practice have been with clients who seemed to me to be stressed, but didn't feel themselves to be stressed.  By the end of the treatment they felt relaxed and were then able to recognise how high their stress levels had actually been.

Relaxation also helps with pain management, so painful conditions can often be helped through Reflexology - and there is research to support this.

So, if you've never tried Reflexology before, why not give it a go, because you'll never really know what you're missing until you try it out for yourself.

And to put my money where my mouth is, I'm going to give a £5 discount to all new clients who book before 31 May 2014 - just call me (Doris), on 07724 197627 and quote Blog when you book your appointment.  Looking forward to meeting you.

Have you ever wondered if any of the rich and famous are addicted to Reflexology?  No? Neither did I until I read a facebook post from the Association Of Reflexologists about Susie Amy (best known for her role as Chardonney in Footballer's Wives, back in 2002).

Susie not only enjoys reflexology sessions, but is now training to be a reflexologist - that's commitment for you!  If you want to read the complete article here's the link:  http://www.aor.org.uk/images/pdf/Susie%20Amy%20article%20finished.pdf

So the article got me curious ... are there any other "celebrities" who enjoy the benefits of reflexology.    A quick google search helped me find a blog by Amy Kreydin entitled "Reflexology's Use By Famous Persons".  Amy list a number of famous people who enjoy reflexology including:


*   Marc Antony and Cleopatra

*   James Hetfield, lead singer and guitarist for the band Metallica

*   Jackie Chan (He purchased a property in Singapore where his property agent plans to develop “a foot reflexology business” or offices for the second and third floors.)

*   Chef and author, Anthony Bourdain (He, visited Master Soon, a Reflexologist in Singapore for his first Reflexology session during one of the  “No Reservations” TV shows.)

*   Princess Diana received regular Reflexology sessions.  (Newsweek magazine is cited as saying “In the end Diana looked less like a royal and more like a sleek Manhattan socialite. For one thing she was well groomed. She got manicures and pedicures, had foot reflexology three times a week.”)

*   Dr. Mehmet Oz, author and professor of surgery at Columbia University (He demonstrated Reflexology techniques on Oprah Winfrey’s show in May 2007.)

*   Regis Philbin, then co-host of Live with Regis and Kathie Lee (He is quoted in Laura Norman’s well-known reflexology text book as saying “Laura Norman's reflexology spared me from a kidney stone operation and saved my life. What she does is the second best thing in the world.”)

*   Ann Romney, wife to former Massachusetts Governor and U.S. Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, shared in an interview with National Public Radio that Reflexology is part of her regular routine. “‘It's a lot of effort, but it's very, very important that I eat healthy,’ Romney said. Her therapies also include acupuncture treatments and reflexology.” Mrs. Romney was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1998.

If you want to read Amy's article in full, here's the link: 
https://suite.io/amy-kreydin/175c20j

Some further research led me to the information that Howard Sterns (American radio and TV personality, media mogul, humorist, actor and author) states in his autobiography that Reflexology played a huge role in relaxation and reducing the symptoms of O.C.D.


And Suzi Perry, TV presenter, has been using Reflexology to support her efforts to have a baby - full article here:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/suzi-perry-on-ectopic-pregnancy-and-quest-1406796

Now I wouldn't want to encourage a celebrity culture, far from it - rather, what surprised me most was how few celebrities own up to benefiting from Reflexology, given how popular it is with us regular folk.

I'd like to see more celebs putting their hands up to having regular reflexology treatments, wouldn't you?