Reflexology is a technique of applying a light and gentle pressure to certain reflex points and areas on the hands and feet. This light pressure applied aims to stimulate the body’s own healing processes and helps a person’s body regain balance and well-being.
HISTORY
Reflexology has been around for a long time and is by no means a recent concept or therapy. It dates back to Ancient Egypt, more than 5,000 years ago. One of the earliest examples of the theory was discovered from an Egyptian Tomb on a wall painting. There has been much evidence to suggest that Reflexology had also been widely practiced across parts of India and China.
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The history of modern Reflexology is routed in America, where Dr William Fitzgerald introduced ‘zone therapy’. He devised a theory that the body is divided into 10 zones, running from top to toe. Within each zone can be found different parts of the body, with energy flowing throughout. He discovered that stimulation applied to reflex points within a certain zone, could relieve pain and therefore create a positive effect on another zone or part of the body.
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Later in the 1930’s, a lady named Eunice Ingham made a significant contribution to the creation of modern Reflexology. Whilst researching further into Fitzgerald’s Zone Therapy, she altered the theory in line with her own findings and created the ‘Ingham Method’ which is now the foundation of modern Reflexology. Concentrating on the feet, she developed an accurate diagram, known today as foot maps and used by leading Reflexologists around the world. In addition, she also concluded that congestion in any part of the foot mirrors tension in a corresponding part of the body. Eunice Ingham has become the ‘Mother of Reflexology’.