Reflexology as some people may know is the ancient art of treating the body through the feet and that different areas of the feet relate to different areas and organs of the body. Many people use Reflexology for physical ailments and blockages, in my early days of being qualified my clients sought me out to clear blocked sinuses, digestive problems, joint pain, and balancing hormones.
Now in my practice, I specialise in Fertility and clients seek my treatments if they are struggling to conceive I concentrate on balancing hormones which as we know are extremely important with fertility. Balancing female hormones is one of the areas but we are now becoming more and more knowledgeable on how stress can affect can even inhibit the balance of our hormones.
So what is happening when reflexology and other hands-on treatments are given and what can they actually do for us on an emotional level.
I have had some clients, that whilst having a relaxing reflexology treatment have spontaneously started crying they could not explain why, and after the completion of the treatment they felt lighter and cleansed, wording used has been on the lines of less burdened.
We know that crying is a cleansing mechanism for our minds and bodies, but what is actually happening?
Being touched causes the skin receptions in our bodies to release chemicals into our bodies which brings toxins out of our muscles and starts a chain reaction from our sensory circuits. As children, we are taught not to touch things as they can be dangerous, so touching something hot was a no-no and kept us safe. But touch is also about pleasure too!
Touch in addition to being a pleasure is also calming us down and reducing our stress response releasing noradrenalin. A friendly touch also increases the release of the hormone oxytocin — also called the “cuddle hormone” — which affects trust behaviour.
Oxytocin is a hormone that acts on organs in the body (including the breast and uterus) and as a chemical messenger in the brain, controls key aspects of the reproductive system, which includes childbirth and lactation, and further aspects of human behaviour. Low oxytocin has also been linked to some depressive symptoms and it has been proposed as a treatment for depressive disorders. However, there is not enough evidence at present to support its use for any of these conditions as yet. Over the last year, we have all had the ordeal of not touching and hugging our loved ones. So now is the perfect time to look after our mental by looking at some hands-on treatments.
Having Reflexology on a regular basis releases more oxytocin into the body, changing not only the endocrine system hormones which include stress hormones, and reproductive hormones it is essential to helping the body be more balanced overall.
So when are you booking your next or perhaps first reflexology session to reduce your stress levels?
When a woman becomes her own BEST FRIEND, life is easier
Diane von Furstenberg