Click here for the origin post.
Last time we explored reflexology. Today I’ll share a simple self treatment.
Obviously, take off your shoes and socks. Sit with your right foot resting comfortably on your left leg. Hold your foot with your left hand and do the thumb-walking with your right. When using your thumb, bend it slightly and work into the point with the fat pad of your thumb so you don’t inadvertently dig in with your nails.
Move your thumb forward, from heel to toe, during the walk. When you thumb walk, repeat at least three times on the reflex point you wish to work on. When you find the point, hold it at least thirty seconds, release some of the pressure, and then slide the thumb upward slightly and press again. Press on the precise areas, keeping your rhythm slow and steady. Once you’ve completed one foot, switch positions and hands and do the other.
• If your goal is to treat stress and anxiety, begin by a gentle stroking of your whole foot. Then, glancing at your reflexology chart, press the pad of your thumb into the solar plexus, kidney, and adrenal gland areas. Rotate your thumb to press even more deeply.
• If you tend to hold stress in your neck and upper back, add those areas.
• If you’re susceptible to feeling stress in your intestines, include the points for the lower abdominal areas as well.
You can do this in about twenty minutes. End by gently stroking your feet.
Be well,
David Edelberg, MD