Massage for Reflexology, the basics step-by-step from the experts

[Music] Melanie blard is a reflexologist and a practitioner of shiatsu administered in the sitting position today she's going to help you to carry out your own session of foot reflexology the aim of the DVD is to teach you how to use this technique to treat the ailments and pains of those around you we'll Begin by explaining the different reference points on the foot so that you can locate the various zones to be treated after demonstrating the basic technique and the movements used to relax the patient at the start of each session we'll go on to examine the different systems within the human body in detail and the parts of the feet to which they correspond finally we'll introduce a few movements used in thae reflexology show you how to massage your own feet and demonstrate hand [Music] massage some sources suggest that foot reflexology originated in Peru in about the 12th century BC the technique was also practiced in China and in India more than 5,000 years ago as well as in ancient Egypt but it wasn't until the 1930s thanks to the work of the American physiotherapist Eunice Ingam that reflexology attained its present day status with a foot chart reflecting the whole body foot reflexology is an ancient science which considers that the feet mirror the body specific areas on the feet known as reflex zones correspond to IND individual organs glands or part of the body the technique works on the Oriental principle of dividing the body into longitudinal zones called meridians meridians are channels which carry energy to all parts of the human body and they all terminate in the feet according to this principle each part of the body is represented by a specific reflex Zone found in the foot [Music] we're now going to look at the different lines which divide up the foot first there's the diaphragm Line This is situated at the junction of the metat tassels and the fanes then there's the waistline this is a horizontal line beginning at the base of the fifth metat tasel the heel line is found at the bottom of the foot arch where the skin on the heel is at its thickest finally there's the ligaments line found in zone one underneath the big toe and it can easily be identified by turning the big toe [Music] up I'm now going to demonstrate the basic technique used in foot reflexology it's a creeping movement in which the inside of the thumb is placed flat and the fleshy part of the thumb moves forwards in a caterpillar movement the thumb is kept at an angle of 45° and should not go backwards move in circles or slide along it has to constantly work forwards [Music] the technique of applying pressure can also be used in foot reflexology the thumb is kept quite still and is used to exert pressure on a precise point on the foot the amount of pressure should be carefully controlled if it's too weak it'll have no effect but if the pressure is too strong and causes pain to the patient it doesn't work either the pressure should be consistent and adapted to each person the thumb of the hand doing the work should remain in contact with the skin at all times and the other hand should be used to support the foot before starting a session make sure that your hands are really warm hands which are too cold can upset the patient we can begin this session with some relaxation movements the first movement moves forward and then back the hands are placed on either side of the metat tassels and they travel rapidly forwards and back this doesn't just make the Foot and Ankle move but also affects the leg right up to the hip this movement can be made as the ankle is relaxed the palms of both hands are placed on the ankle bones and are pressed down quite hard so as Not to cause any chafing the hands then move from front to back but should never rotate finally one other relaxation movement for the start of a session rotation of the ankle holding the heel firmly with one hand place the other hand level with the junction between the fanes and the metat tassels and rotate the foot in One Direction and then in the other any combination of Rel relaxation movements at the start of a session should not last longer than 5 minutes their aim is to get the patient to relax and to let go so that he or she is ready for the reflexology session relaxation movements are carried out on one foot and then on the other they also give the practitioner the opportunity to see if there are any areas on the foot which are thicker red or which are more delicate or swollen these are indications of where the most sensitive areas on the feet are and these zones will correspond to parts of the body which have been weakened or are congested first of all we shall look at the respiratory system and the first Zone we shall work on will be the nose this zone is found on the big toe and more specifically in the central third of the big toe this is worked by using creeping thumb movements moving inwards from the outer edge and then moving out to the edge from the inside in general terms one forward and back movement is enough unless there's a special reason for working particularly on the nose reflex Zone in that case work on the same Zone can last for five or 6 minutes once work on a particular zone is finished a relaxation movement is carried out in the case of the nose this consists of smoothing the big toe using both thumbs two or three movements is enough having worked along a horizontal line we continue to work on the central third of the big toe but moving vertically this time going from top to bottom and then from bottom to top having treated the nose we shall now treat the Zone which corresponds to the sinuses the sinuses are found in the fleshy part of each toe these are worked on from top to bottom and from the middle to the outer edge move out and then back on the way back the sinuses are treated by working from the middle to the inner Edge moving always from top to bottom the throat is situated at the base of the big toe and is treated using creeping movements move out and back from the inner Edge to the Outer Edge or vice versa vertical movements can also be used going either from bottom to top or from top to bottom The Reflex zone for the throat can be relaxed by rotating the big toe two or three times is enough the next zone is that of the Brony this zone is found on both the sole and the top of the foot we shall start with the Zone on the the sole running over each Furrow between the diaphragm line and the base of the toes the basic thumb technique is always used on the so of the foot here it's necessary to move over each reflex Zone several times work on the reflex Zone corresponding to the Brony is used in cases of bronchitis nicotine and toxication or withdrawal symptoms as well as other respiratory problems to make it easier to identify the furrows on the sole of the foot it sometimes a good idea to pull the toes apart to make the furrow more prominent relaxation of the Brony is done by massaging the Deep inter metat tasal tissue both hands are placed flat facing one another level with the metat tassel the deep muscle tissue is moved by the pressure which is applied using both hands very very slow circular movements are then made by each hand in turn these can move in One Direction at first and then in the other as with any other reflex Zone relaxation movements should not last longer than one minute having worked on the of the foot we shall now begin to work on the Brony reflex Zone on the top of the foot the same creeping movement is used working with the index finger this time the foot is held in the other hand so that the metat tasal zone is stretched as much as possible The Reflex zone for the lungs is also found on both the sole and the top of the foot work starts with the sole Again The Reflex Zone being between the base of the toes and the diaphragm line across the whole foot the thumb is used and Crosses from bottom to top moving from the diaphragm line towards the base of the toes it doesn't matter if you begin from the outer edge and go towards the inner Edge or the other way around one movement out and back will usually be in enough but several movements can be made if there's a problem in this Zone The Reflex zone for the lungs should be treated for coughs asthma nicotine intoxication or withdrawal symptoms it can also be treated in cases of insomnia stress stress and skin problems such as eczema Petra of the metat tassels is used to relax The Reflex zone of the lungs using the top of the hand the whole metat tassel area on the patient's foot is compressed The Reflex zone for the lungs is also found on the top of the foot between the base of the toes and the diaphragm line creeping movements using four fingers are used to treat it this time moving horizontally From the Inside Edge to the outer edge and from the outer edge to the inside side edge constituting one outward and back movement relaxation of the reflex zone for the lungs on the top of the foot is the same one used for the work on the so The Reflex Zone relating to the diaphragm itself is found along the diaphragm line which was pointed out at the very start of this session creeping thumb movements from one side to the other going forwards and then back are used to treat the diaphragm this is the treatment for stopping hiccups but it can also be used to relax a person who is stressed only one forward and back movement is necessary unless there's a particular need to work on this reflex Zone to relax The Zone both thumbs are placed in the middle of the diaphragm line and the foot is opened up this is done three or four times a similar movement is made using the fingers on the top of the foot and again this is done three or four times work on the endocrinal system begins with work on the reflex Zone relating to the pituitary gland which is more or less in the middle of the big toe at its widest point the pituitary gland reflex zone is worked in a fan-shaped motion starting at the reflex Zone you move towards the sides and then move up the big toe the pituitary gland is extremely important in that it orchestrates the entire endocrinal system controlling the function of all the other endocrine glands it secretes hormones which influence growth sexuality and pregnancy as well well as water retention and the body's energy level this area can be worked if the patient suffers from eating disorders such as anorexia both thumbs are used to smooth the big toe to relax this Zone The Reflex Zone relating to the thyroid is found at the base of the big toe this is in fact the same reflex Zone as the throat and the same method is used in that the movements made forwards and then back from one Edge to the other the difference is that in this case the movements forward and back are done a second time this reflex zone is also worked from the top of the foot the index finger is used in a forward and back movement the thyroid gland has a role in the body's metabolism heat control and the nervous system the big toe is rotated to relax this Zone The Reflex zone for the adrenal gland is situated on the inner side of the ligament line approximately at the junction between the lower and middle third of the space between the waist and diaphragm lines thumb pressure is used on this Zone if you push too hard it's not effective this zone is very sensitive if you have difficulty locating this Zone you can simply run along the Inside Edge of the ligament line between the waist and the diaphragm lines don't be afraid to ask the patient to tell you when you reach the most sensitive point to relax this Zone massage the foot arch holding the heel with your fingers and supporting the foot with your other hand the adrenal glands are also so called the stress glands since one of their functions is the secretion of adrenaline it therefore follows that this is the reflex Zone to treat people who are nervous stressed or suffering from anxiety a pancreas reflex zone is present in both feet the smallest of the two zones is found in zone one on the right foot Zone one being the zone of the big toe it's situated on a level with the waistline and a little below it this Zone corresponds to the top part of the pancreas creeping movements are used moving from bottom to top and from one side to the other this small section of the pancreas is of particular interest because it has an endocrinal role the pancreas plays a role in Sugar metabolism through the secretion of insulin and this increases the amount of glucose absorbed by the cells amers should obviously not attempt to treat the pancreas reflex Zone in a person suffering from diabetes relaxation of the Zone can be achieved by massaging the foot arch holding the heel with the fingers and supporting the foot with the other hand the other foot then has to be treated in the same way as the first one going over all the reflex zones relating to the glands which were treated previously the sensations felt by one foot can be very different from those felt by the other here we can see the reaction of a patient to the work being carried out on the adrenal gland reflex Zone a reaction which she didn't have with her right foot it demonstrates that one part of her body is more sensitive than the other and this is true for the majority of people the p pancreas reflex zone is not situated in the same place on both feet on the left foot it's found halfway between the waist line and the diaphragm Line work is carried out using creeping thumb movements from bottom to top moving from the waist line to the diaphragm line go up and then come back the group of reflex zones relating to the endocrine system should be treated in cases of hormonal irregularities hot flushes and sterility in such cases The Reflex zones relating to the uterus and the ovaries should also be treated and this is the Zone we're going to look at now the reflex zone for the uterus is found on the inside of the ankle the point is quite precise being at the center of the line linking the angle of the heel and the top of the ankle bone on the inside creeping movements in a star shape are used to treat this sensitive Zone it's ineffective if you press too high hard on this Zone which is often extremely sensitive The Reflex zone for the ovaries or testicles is situated on the outer surface of the ankle the exact point is found at the middle of the line linking the angle of the heel and the top of the ankle bone on the outside this zone is also treated in star-shaped movements just like the zone corresponding to the uterus and it's a Zone which should not be treated if the patient is pregnant these zones should be worked on for a little bit longer in cases of sterility this work stimulates the function of the ovaries relaxation is achieved by rotating the ankle The Reflex Zone relating to the Fallopian tubes and the drainage channels is a line linking the top of the two ankle bones above the ankle this zone is treated using the index fingers one index finger moving towards the other just above the ankle the basic technique is still one of creeping finger movements during the treatment the thumbs keep the foot in a bent position the genital system is treated in cases of ility ovarian cysts fibroma or in the case of men proctalgia or impotence we can carry out several forward and back movements in this Zone a suitable relaxation movement in this reflex zone is rotation of the ankle the first reflex Zone relating to the lymphatic system which is of interest is the thoracic reflex Zone it's treated in the same way as the reflex Zone relating to the Brony on the top of the foot and the furrows but this time all the fingers work together using the same creeping movements the foot is supported by the other hand which hold it where the toes join the metat tassel so that the foot is stretched out out and the fingers can Traverse each Furrow this Zone corresponds to the region of the breasts the lungs and the thorax a Zone which is rich in lymphatic nodes the furrows all need to be worked several times you can go over them 10 times the relaxation movement is the same as the one used to relax the lungs and the Brony The Reflex zone for lymph nodes in the groin is also the reflex zone for the Fallopian tubes and the drainage channels by this I mean that it's a line linking the two ankle bones on top of the ankle both index fingers are used at the same time on this area the thumbs keep the foot in its bent position the lymphatic system is an important part of the immune system since it plays a role in draining away numerous toxins it's also beneficial to work on this system in cases of water retention the method used to relax this lymphatic node zone is the same method as that used to relax The Reflex Zone relating to the Fallopian tubes and the drainage channels by rotating the ankle the esophagus reflex zone is worked from top to bottom the movement begins at the base of the toes and the thumb then moves in creeping movements towards the diaphragm line one or two forward and backward movements are carried out this can be followed by exerting pressure on the point where the esophagus reflex Zone crossed the diaphragm line this point corresponds to the hernia point the stomach reflex zone is on the left foot between the diaphragm lines and zones 1 to 4 of the waistline creeping thumb movements Crossing diagonally between the waist line towards the diaphragm line are used to treat this Zone treatment of the stomach and esophagus reflex zones is useful in cases of flatulence note that the stomach's reflex zone is only found on the left foot because the stomach is located on the left side of the body relaxation of this zone is achieved by massaging the foot arch the liver's reflex zone is found on the right foot across the whole zone between the diaphragm line and the waist line creeping thumb movements from the waistline towards the diaphragm line are used to treat this area moving from one side of the foot to the other halfway between the waistline and the diaphragm line and between zones three three and four is the reflex zone of the bile duct thumb pressure is used on this point this Zone can be quite tender in people suffering from problems related to the digestion when the bile duct reflex Zone has been well worked work begins again on the liver's reflex Zone in returning to the treatment of the liver's reflex Zone a pause is made on that of the bile duct this reflex zone is relaxed by massaging the arch of the foot the bile ducts reflex zone is also found on the top of the foot it's always located in the middle of the waistline and of the diaphragm line between Zone 3 and four pressure is applied gently using the index finger the small intestine reflex zone is situated between the heel line and the waist line creeping thumb movements Crossing diagonally from the waist line to the diaphragm line are used to treat this area it's important to start work on the intestine with the right foot so that the treatment follows The Logical way in which food stuffs travel down the digestive tracts one or two movements forwards and back can be carried out out on this reflex Zone the section of the colon going upwards can be found at the outer edge of the right foot between the heel line and the waistline and in zone five treatment is administered from the bottom up and one or two movements are sufficient the section of the colon which goes across is found at the lower edge of the waistline on both feet creeping thumb movements from the outer edge towards the inner Edge are used to treat this area as the colon goes further across it's reflected in the left foot and on this foot the treatment is carried out by moving from the inner Edge this time to the outer edge unlike the right foot The Reflex zone for the colon traveling downwards is found on the outer edge of the left foot at the sigmoid point on the waistline when you arrive at the sigmoid point it's beneficial to press down a couple of times this reflex zone is Then followed by work on the reflex zone of the rectum this reflex zone is found on a line running from the sigmoid point to the point where the heel line reaches the edge of the foot zones reflecting the the digestive system are treated in cases of vomiting stomach Ulus colitis and other problems relating to digestion neck muscles are reflected in the zone between the base of the toenail and the toe back muscles between the base of the toe and the waistline lumbar muscles between the waist line and the heel line and the sacrum and the coxic between the heel line and the back of the heel creeping thumb movements are used to treat the vertebral column reflex Zone and the patient's foot is held by the toes using the other hand one or more forward and backward movements can be carried out on this area when it comes to the reflex Zone relating to the neck muscles it's best to use the index finger as opposed to the thumb since this zone is more sensitive and much smaller the neck muscle reflex zone is an important Zone because it's also the reflex zone for the optic ala and auditory nerves The Reflex zone for the lumbar muscles supplies the nerves for the bladder the small intestine and the colon the waist line corresponds to The Reflex Zone L1 and the heel line to the reflex Zone L5 the vertebral column reflex zone is treated for cases of neuralgia in the back neck and Lumbar muscles and is also useful for cases of stress the vertebral column in effect corresponds to the nervous system for the linked lymph nodes which are located to either side of it relaxation of the vertebral column is achieved by twisting movements the hands are placed side by side parallel with the line running from the metat tasel to the fanges of the first metat tasel and with the Palms in contact with the top of the foot and the thumbs level with the foot arch a twisting movement is carried out on the foot by the hand nearest the big toe the other hand keeps quite still during the movement both hands then need to move so that treatment is given across the entire area at least two or three twisting movements are applied in each Zone the bladder's reflex Zone can be found on both feet at the intersection between the heel line and the vertebral columns reflex Zone creeping thumb movements moving upwards on the diagonal over an area of some 2 square cm are used to treat this Zone one can move over and back several times in this Zone Whenever there are any signs of swelling or congestion but otherwise it's enough to just go over the area once and back one can move over and back several times in this Zone Whenever there are any signs of swelling or congestion but otherwise it's enough to go just once over the area and back the urethras reflex zone is situated along the inner edge of the ligament line right up to the waistline the kidney's reflex Zone occurs on both feet level with the waist line and on the outer edge of the ligament line it's worked vertically in both directions but it can also be worked going across after having worked on the kidney's reflex Zone a return to that of the urethra is necessary followed by further work on the bladder Zone The Reflex zones related to the urinary system are worked in cases of cystitis renal colic shingles varices incontinence and fatigue a session of Chinese foot reflexology can be brought to an end with a few movements taken from Tha reflexology Thai foot reflexology is very different from Chinese foot reflexology Chinese foot reflexology is carried out without the use of any lubricating substance so that the various points can be stimulated with the greatest degree of precision Thai reflexology on the other hand uses oil because it's much more akin to massage and uses an enveloping technique encompassing the entire for foot its aim is to bring all the energies in the body back into balance in contrast to Chinese foot reflexology it's not directed towards precise points on the foot here we're working on the gaps between the metat tassel on the top of the foot as a treatment for the lymphatic system here we're working on thoracic nodes when we carried out this work using Chinese reflexology we used the basic creeping movement but here the treatment's much more fluid because we're aided by a lubricating substance the ankle bones on the inside and the outside of the leg represent the reflex zones of the reproductive system it's the system we worked on previously using Chinese reflexology we're now treating it using Thai reflexology the aim here is twofold first to bring the reproductive system functions back into balance and secondly to release energy so that it rises to the level of the the joints the Achilles heel represents the reflex zone of the lymphatic system of the groin working on the Achilles heel also helps to strengthen the whole system tie foot reflexology doesn't only use the fleshy part of the fingers and thumbs like in Chinese reflexology it also uses the digits themselves as the work is all embracing the work is not carried out Point by Point rotation movements can be carried out across an entire Zone in Thai reflexology its frequent to come back to zones which have already been treated here you can see we've returned to the reflex Zone relating to the thoracic lymphatic system in Thai reflexology the lymphatic system is a very important system in that it plays a big role in the body's immune system during a Thai foot reflexology session a few pressure points are identified there can be five or six of them depending on the size of the foot treatment begins at the heel line and moves up towards the diaphragm line coming back down again to the heel line this sequence can be carried out once or twice having worked on these pressure points it's a good idea to relax the line the toes play an important role they in fact represent the head and the sinuses but they're also the point where the great channels of energy known as meridians come to an end it's therefore important to end a reflexology session by stimulating the toeses holding each toe at its base use your other hand to pull on each toe in turn tie foot reflexology is carried out on one foot and we'll finish the session with the other the foot any foot reflexology session whether it be Chinese or Thai is brought to a close by work on the reflex zone of the solar plexus The Reflex zone of the solar plexus is situated at the middle point of the diaphragm line this is the only Zone which is worked on both feet at the same time the thumbs are used to exert pressure pressure it's good to relax the pressure from time to time and to then exert pressure again for a few seconds it's also beneficial to follow the rhythm of the patient's breathing more pressure is exerted as the patient breathes out and the pressure is released as the patient breathes in a reflexology session finishes the same way it began with some relaxation movements these are the same movements which were carried out at the start of the session but this time they're a lot more Dynamic and much faster because the object is to wake the patient [Music] up [Music] [Music] Young [Music] [Music] you [Music] Young if you don't have the opportunity to have a professional reflexology session you can also practice massaging your own feet this self massage is carried out using a lubricating substance such as oil or body milk oil is generally the substance which is used first you should sit in a comfortable position so as to reduce any tension and make sure that your feet are completely clean ideally have a foot bath before you carry out the massage but if you don't have time simple antibacterial wipes are adequate the choice of oil is quite important you can choose a neutral oil like sweet alond oil or a borage oil to suit your skin type and then add your own essential oils for people suffering from stress you can add a few drops of essential oil of lavender or for those in need of stimulation a few drops of citrus oil such as orange or lemon for people with digestive problems a few drops of essential oils of Basil or cinnamon are suitable before using any essential oils find out as much as you can about the way they're used it's in fact very important to know what the proportions of essential oils to neutral oils are since essential oils are very powerful the benefits of essential oils can dissipate leaving only bad effects if too much is used it's therefore important that you should visit a bio or dietetic shop and consult an aroma therapist whenever you wish to use essential oils the most important thing when it comes to a session of self-massage of the feet is that you carry out more or less the same movements on both feet and for roughly the same time don't be afraid to work on each toe since as we saw earlier the toes represent the points where the most important meridians in the whole body come to an end the toes are also the zones which should be worked on in cases of migraines and insomnia self massage can combine Chinese foot reflexology and Thai foot [Music] reflexology young [Music] [Music] [Music] you [Music] [Music] yeah I [Music] you [Music] I [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Music] oh [Music] you [Music] [Music] you [Music] [Music] after your session of s massage it's good to leave the oil which you've used on your feet for as long as possible this will keep your feet hydrated and they'll benefit from the effects of the essential oils which you added to the neutral oils to carry out a hand massage sit the person in a comfortable position in front of you and get as close as possible the best position is for your patient to bring his or her knees together and for you to then sit with your legs to each side unlike foot massage and particularly self massage of the feet you can use an oil but you shouldn't add any essential oils to it the patient very likely to touch his or her face at some stage and there is a risk of the essential oil coming into contact with the eyes where it can have a very nasty effect hand massage is a calming massage its aim is also to make all the joints more Supple it's a very practical massage technique because it doesn't need to be carried out in a specially designed place just like self massage of the feet you can combine both Chinese hand reflexology and my reflexology by this I mean you can combine the exertion of pressure and the creeping movements as well as all enveloping movements up until now we've only spoken about foot reflexology but hand reflexology is also a very interesting topic just as we identified zones on the feet which corresponded to all the organs parts and glands of the body we can identify the same zones known as reflex zones on the hand hands the same reflex zones can be found on the hands and the feet but because the structure of the hands and the feet is so different the guidelines which enable you to identify the zones are very different a knowledge of foot reflexology alone won't enable you to work professionally as a hand reflexologist and for this reason we've chosen to show you just one example of hand massage and not delve any deeper into the topic of hand reflexology the hand massage session can be brought to an end just like the foot reflexology session by exerting pressure on the reflex zone of the solar plexus the more you watch these images the better acquainted with the basic techniques of foot reflexology you'll become although foot reflexology is not a technique which is open to improvisation with hand massage you can let your imagination run free and be creative [Music] young young I [Music] [Music] [Music] you [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Young [Music] oh [Music] h [Music] I [Music] you [Music] you [Music] [Music] [Music] you [Music] [Music] Young [Music] [Music] Young [Music] [Music] [Music] you [Music] Young [Music] [Music] I oh [Music] [Music] [Music] you [Music] [Music] oh [Music] 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