Hand and Foot Reflexology

Autorentext

Kevin and Barbara Kunz are researchers, authors, practitioners, and consultants in the field of reflexology. Kevin and Barbara are innovators of illustrative, descriptive information on reflexology.

Their further work in reflexology includes that of co-directors of Reflexology Research Project, researching and developing information on reflexology. In addition, Barbara and Kevin are the authors and editors of Reflexions, a quarterly journal.

Klappentext

Whether you are using it as a quick reference or as the basis for further study, Hand and Foot Reflexology: A Self-Help Guide tells you what you need to know about the simple but potent experience of reflexology - by yourself and for yourself.

Zusammenfassung
Here's a revolutionary way to fine-tune your relationship with your body, reduce stress, and feel better all over: Stimulate the reflexes in your hands and feet!
It's all in this hands-on encyclopedia of personal reflexology information. Here, Kevin and Barbara Kunz (authors of The Complete Guide to Foot Reflexology) bring you their unique self-health approach to wellness. Through reflexology, they teach you how to free and channel your pent-up energy -- and to prevent and correct common health problems.
With more than 500 detailed instructions, this book includes:

• Why your feet and hands are "important sensory organs," and their "special relationship" with your whole body.
• Why reflexology works.
• Specially designed pressure and movement techniques that reduce stress and actually alter the body's tension level. Fully illustrated, with step-by-step procedures, for quick and easy application!
• Treatment plans for specific aliments, from acne to whiplash.
• Stride Replication, the Kunzes' latest program of foot and hand relaxation.
• A more in-depth look at body parts and their corresponding areas in the hands and feet -- all conveniently indexed.
  Whether you are using it as a quick reference or as the basis for further study. Hand and Foot Reflexology: A Self-Help Guide tells you what you need to know about the simple but potent experience of eflexology -- by yourself and for yourself.

Leseprobe
THEORY AND PRINCIPLES

THE FEET, HANDS AND BODY: A Special Relationship

To the body, the feet and hands are special. No other sensory organ reaches out to touch the world around us, to travel through it and to manipulate it. The feet and hands sense what is underfoot and what is in hand.

The task is no small accomplishment. The infant struggles to stand and begins a life-long, two-legged, weight-bearing activity commonly referred to as walking. While it is not the fastest way to move about, walking on two legs provides a mobile platform from which the hands are able to interact with the world.

The demands of staying upright on two feet require a special communication between the feet, the hands and the rest of the body. The "language" the body uses to accomplish this is actually a combination of the stretch of muscles, angulation of joints and deep pressure to the bottom of the feet. This form of communication is indeed a silent one but it is most vital for it determines our very survival.

The feet and hands not only allow us to react to danger but they themselves also consume energy to meet the ordinary demands of the day. Survival and the energy necessary for survival link the hands and feet into a special relationship with the body. In case of danger, both feet and hands participate in the overall body reaction to ensure survival. This reaction is familiarly known as "fight or flight" because the body gears its internal structures to provide the fuel for either eventuality. The feet and hands must be ready to do their part. The hands are readied to reach for a weapon while the feet are prepared to find firm footing or flee.

The inextricable link between hand, foot and body is thus forged. The hands and feet provide the necessary moves while the internal organs provide the fuel. A special communication and relationship is required for such a system.

The system is also a participant in more mundane daily activities. For example, upon waking, the body not only assesses internal organ measurements but it also requests body position information. The feet are polled in this positioning process. The rest of the day is spent in silent dialogue between internal organs and the organs of movement. Every move made, whether to walk, sit, stand, jump, run or skip, requires up-dated information and continual communication. Every move made requires an allocation of the body's energy.

Thus the feet and hands are a part of day-to-day energy consuming activities. This demand forms the basis of very strong links within the body's communication system. To ensure continuity from day to day, the body learns a communication operating pattern. In locomotion, continuity is all important; any interruption in the communication or energy systems could be catastrophic, resulting in, for example, a fall. Therefore the signals of locomotion have major impact on the energy system, the sensory system and the overall tension level of the body. Tension is a state of readiness occurring throughout the body. A footstep requires a great deal of tension to be successful.

This high degree of muscular readiness not only consumes a great deal of energy but it also must be matched by the readiness of the internal environment. The readiness of the body to respond to any eventuality exists as a level of tone or tension throughout the body. Tone describes the constant communication with all parts of the body which provides the capability to move and to survive. This calls for knowledge of the position of every muscle, joint and tendon. The ability to survive requires a perception of the internal and external environments. The pooling of the information about both provides an opportunity of interaction for the parts of the body we cannot reach in and touch. As active perceivers of the external environment, the feet and hands thus communicate with the internal environment.

Any sensory information gathered must be evaluated as a potential threat. For this reason, any sensory signal can be viewed as a stressor, demanding interaction with the body's tone. Thus, as a sensory organ, the feet and hands contribute to the body's tone. The contribution is made in the body's language of proprioception. Gathering information about movement are some very sophisticated gauges, such as deep pressure to the bottoms of the feet, the angulation of joints and the stretch of muscles and tendons.

In summary, because the hands and feet are sensory organs of locomotion, they have a special relationship with the body. Furthermore, because of the special relationship, they can serve as a means of interaction with the state of tension and energy consumption throughout the body.

THE BODY MANAGER: TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE WAY THE BODY WORKS

For every individual an opportunity exists to communicate with the whole body through the hands and feet. The special relationship between the feet, hands and body can be used for the purposes of:

• stress reduction

• energy savings

• building greater body awareness

The possibility for interaction becomes an opportunity for management when sensory experience is applied on a frequent and consistent basis. The body manager is one who deliberately interacts with a part of his or her body, in this case hands and feet, to influence the whole body. Such interaction allows one to manage the body's resources more efficiently and is at the very heart of the concept of "self help".

Energy

Energy is a body resource, a basis for the body economy. It exists always in limited supply, but there is a potential for regulation and an opportunity for conservation.

A…