Reflexology: A Gift for Your Feet & Your Whole Body!!!

How kind are you to your feet? We call 'em our "dogs," but do we treat them as the beloved members of the family, like many do their furry friends?

Alice was certainly concerned about her feet as she grew taller and taller in the 2nd chapter of Lewis Carroll's famous tale:

"'Good-bye, feet!' (for when she looked down at her feet, they seemed to be almost out of sight, they were getting so far off). 'Oh, my poor little feet, I wonder who will put on your shoes and stockings for you now, dears? I'm sure I shan't be able! I shall be a great deal too far off to trouble myself about you: you must manage the best way you can; —but I must be kind to them,' thought Alice, 'or perhaps they won't walk the way I want to go! Let me see: I'll give them a new pair of boots every Christmas.'

And she went on planning to herself how she would manage it. 'They must go by the carrier,' she thought; 'and how funny it'll seem, sending presents to one's own feet! And how odd the directions will look!'"

I see great wisdom in Alice's thinking. Just from the perspective of my feet carrying me every where I choose to go, it seems being nice to them is more of a necessity than a chore. Who needs feet talking back?

Did you know that every organ, gland and part of your body is mirrored on your feet? When there are challenges in your body they show up in your feet, and when your feet have been mistreated that well may show up in the rest of your body. Reflexology may be your perfect solution. You and your feet and all the rest of you may be ecstatically happy that you finish reading this post, and take the suggested "steps" to be kind to your feet!

With the beginning of a new year focus often turns to sustaining or improving your health. Consider the option available to you to treat yourself to an amazingly rejuvenating experience. Reflexology encourages every system of your body toward greater balance, inviting your whole being into a deep state of relaxation and allowing it to find its place of enchanced health and well being.

At Footsteps In Eden Reflexology we make sending gifts to your feet much less complicated than the steps Alice encountered in gifting hers. What's more it is a treat for not only your feet, but your whole body as well. What will reflexology do for you? Besides being a most amazing experience, here are some ot the benefits you may expect from a reflexology session.

REFLEXOLOGY

1. Reduces stress
2. Revitalizes energy
3. Assists functioning of circulation
4. Assists functioning of nervous system
5. Assists cleansing of toxins from body (immune system support)
6. Assists the harmonizing of the body's systems naturally
7. Is Prevantative/Supportive/Non-Invasive Caring Touch.

Visit Footsteps In Eden website to learn more about reflexology and Lynn Watson, Reflexologist. We have sessions and packages to meet everyone's needs.

Startling Stress Statistics . . . Reflexology for Stress Reduction

This photo from Stock Vault photos is entitled, "Releasing the Demons." That is a STRESSFUL thought. In my humble opinion this photo is a depiction of STRESS. . . and STRESS is our topic here!


Look at these STRESS statistics compiled for a recent REFLEXOLOGY presentation.

*7 out of every 10 people who die each year had been living with a chronic illness.
*1 out of every 2 of us in now living with a chronic illness.
*For 3 of every 4 of those with a chronic illness, STRESS may be a contributing factor.
(American Medical Association)

*A full 43% of US adults suffer adverse effects from STRESS.
(American Psychological Association)

*More than 80% of physician office visits are associated with unresolved stress issues.
*Stress is a big factor in more than 75% of all illnesses diagnosed today with many studies putting this figure closer to 90%.
(www.About.com)

*Depression, only one type of stress reaction, is predicted to be the leading occupational disease of the 21st centruy, responsible for more days lost than any other single factor.
*$300 Billion, or $7,500 per employee, is spent annually in the US on stress-related compensation claims, reduced productivity, absenteeism, health insurance costs, direct medical expenses (nearly 50% higher for workers who report stress), and employee turnover.
(www.stressdirections.com)

Are those statistics startling and unsettling to you? After my mind has been blown by them, I'm equally saddened by the same.

How did our culture get to the point where so many are so stressed out? There are many reasons, to be sure, and no simple answers to reversing these disheartening trends. Fact is continuous chronic stress potentially leads to low thyroid function, adrenal fatigue, and eventually adreanal exhaustion where our "fight or flight" glands can no longer keep up with the demands placed upon them. The adrenals, created to kick in during those occasional moments of fright or unusually stressful situations, are being called into full-time active duty. They most likely will not be able to keep pace with the continuous chronic stress attacking from many directions, which many lead to many more health challenges on every level of body, mind and spirit.

While serious lifestyle changes may certainly be called for, and this writer strongly believes most all of us would be healthier for those choices, as stated above there are no simple answers. One excellent tool for controlling stress is REFLEXOLOGY. RELAXATION & STRESS REDUCTION ARE REFLEXOLOGY'S NUMBER ONE BENEFIT. With all of this in mind, it is easy to see how all systems of the body may be positively affected by this therapeutic caring touch.

To learn more about REFLEXOLOGY's benefits for STRESS and MUCH MORE visit About.com's article, "Cancel Out Stress with Reflexology."

Living in the Memphis, TN area? To schedule your own stress relieving REFLEXOLGY session, please visit our Footsteps In Eden site. In other locations a good source for locating professional reflexologists in your area is the website of Reflexology Association of America.

THEY ARE SEXY! They're also a Pain!

Ladies, they also make us emotionally feel on top of the world or at least a little closer to it. (That holds especially true if you're short like me.) Wait! For the tall slender types, they really lift you up there! They create the illusion of longer legs, we're convinced they are the ultimate in femininity. The pointy toe ones work wonders if you're seeking the long slim foot look. BUT physically, our feet scream all day and into the night -- especially if you must be in an upright position for hours on end with no chance to kick them off under your desk.

A few years ago, a young woman in her early 20's, an aquaintance of mine, loved her heels so much. She loved the way they looked and the empowering emotions they created in her mind and spirit. She wore them proudly every day. She had a whole wardrobe of these glorious spikes. She had done this since her teens. But now the pain she was enduring from the foot torture the heels inflicted had become excrutiating. This young lady faced the additional pain of foot surgery. She willingly submitted with the vision in mind that as soon as she healed she would once again daily don this glamourous footwear.

Somewhere I missed the logic in that young woman's choice. Of course, wearing these means you always have a weapon close at hand (or in this case, close at foot). In this author's humble opinion you also have a weapon on your foot -- a weapon of destruction of your own precious feet. I love to wear them to play "dress up," too. . . that is perhaps for an hour or two at a time with hopes that some of that time I'll be sitting down. For those who must wear them or choose to wear them regularly, please lovingly care for your feet.

I've been following a fellow reflexologist on twitter who has posted some great messages about the feet and health and the role of reflexology. She has just included a great message on this subject of "Love Those High Heels, Care for Those Tootsies." You are invited to read her thoughts at Ask Michelle.



Above photo by brittny teree smith from www.everystockphoto.com.
License agreement -- http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/

Reflexology -- Encouragement Toward Your Personal Hopes, Dreams and Goals in 2009

A new year with new hopes, new dreams, new goals. . . . Letting go of extra stress, taking better care of yourself, and renewed energy may well encourage you toward those hopes, dreams and goals whatever they may be. Consider these general, but incredible, benefits of reflexology and how they may provide some bigger than life solutions to improving your life in 2009.

Reduces Stress
Revitalizes Energy
Assists Functioning of Circulation
Assists Functioning of Nervous System
Assists the Cleansing of Toxins from the Body
Assists the Harmonizing of the Body's Systems Naturally
Preventative/Supportive Caring Touch

WOW! That's a lot of potential benefit! Appointments are available. Schedule your "experience" today!

Contact Information may be found at The Footsteps In Eden Website


Just a brief note here: Reflexology really is way more than a great foot rub! To learn more about Reflexology and Lynn Watson, Registerd Certified Reflexologist, please visit my website.