Reflexology therapies are natural therapeutic methods derived from this study based on the principle that there are reflexes in the body that map to other parts, glands, and organs of the body. Through the application of pressure on these reflexes, reflexology therapy can:

• Relieve tension

• Improve circulation

• Support the body’s effort to function optimally

A bit of history:

The history of reflexology goes back thousands of years.  Forms of reflexology may well be found all over the world and in every culture.  The oldest documentation of the use of reflexology was found in Egypt: a pictograph showing the use of reflexology was found in the tomb of an Egyptian physician; it is well known and reproduced in reflexology books.

Some researchers believe that reflexology is actually well over 5,500 years old.  It is speculated that it was known thousands of years ago in India, and that it was brought from India to China and Japan by traveling Buddhist monks.  Monks and priests have often been involved in healing in almost every culture and religion, but especially in the Far East.

In 1295, Marco Polo, a Venetian explorer, brought stories back to Venice of the magical healing methods known to the eastern ruler Kublai Khan. 

On this continent, the Incas are believed to have practiced some form of foot work, and applying pressure to the feet as a source of healing was used by a number of First Nations.  In many American First Nations’ societies, foot work is practiced to this day, and the teachings are usually transmitted orally from generation to generation.

As people started wearing mass-produced shoes in the mid-1880s, we lost contact with the earth and the energies that flow through it.

Northern First Nations people, to this day, wear moccasins made from smoke-tanned moose or deer hide, and many have not lost contact with the earth.

Dr. William H. Fitzgerald (1872–1942) is often seen as the ‘rediscoverer of reflexology and he introduced the idea of  “Zone Therapy” in the USA.  Dr. Joe Shelby Riley, a physician in Washington, D.C., used this method in his practice and made the first diagrams and drawings of the reflex points on the feet.  His work with reflexes and zones also involved the ears, which is the earliest record in the Western world of auricular therapy. 

Eunice Ingham (1889-1974), who has been called the “Mother of Reflexology” in North America coined the term reflexology.  She worked with medical doctors and tried to convince them of the value of reflexology therapy.