The Triumph of Our Feet and Hands
by Carolynn Sikorski

Our hands and our feet are a triumph of engineering, biochemical marvels in fact, tying together mind, body, and spirit in remarkable ways. They are what is known as “pentadactyl limbs.” Five fingers. Five toes. Times two. Ligaments and lumbricals. Their movements are tied into many other parts of the body, controlled by muscles in the forearm and leg, for example. The skin on our hands and toes plays a part in the magic, too; it is the collection point of a huge number of nerve endings and skin receptors, critical to much of what we do. The foot alone has 26 bones, 33 joints, 19 muscles, and 57 ligaments. So, arose homo sapiens with toes and fingers, hands and feet. We walked out of Africa and across the world. Our opposable thumbs made us astonishingly successful tool makers, from stone axes to interstellar rockets. But, such busy tender, terrific body parts need care and attention.

Reflexologists are exceptionally skilled therapists for them both.

In its simplest form, reflexology is an intuitive skill we all are born with. Professional reflexologists work on many different levels. They bring substantial experiential learning to this art and science. It is a deeply researched discipline, a system of massage used to relieve tension, improve circulation, and much more. Reflexology supports the body’s yearning to function at its best. Reflexology is about reflex points on the feet, hands, and head linked to every part of our body. It is a remarkable holistic healing art.

Reflexologists treat the body, mind, and spirit as a whole. They get to the root cause of disease and treat that. A reflexologist also knows that the key to success is working hard at developing a robust client/therapist partnership. This holistic approach nurtures clients to take responsibility for his or her own state of health.

Reflexology promotes the function of the autonomic nervous system. Reflex stimulation on the feet teaches the body to self-correct using its own healing capabilities. This improves the nerve, blood, circulation, and lymphatic supply to the body. Reflexology is very effective in reducing stress by putting the client into a parasympathetic state (rest and repair). The reflexologist understands the body’s landscape of the 12 body systems. These different body systems include the skeletal, nervous, muscular, respiratory, endocrine, immune, cardiovascular/circulatory, urinary, integumentary, reproductive, and digestive systems.

• Reflexology is a safe, non-invasive therapy that encourages balance and wellness.
• Reflexology can complement cancer treatment by reducing the stress levels, anxiety, and intensity of the side effects that are commonly experienced through treatment.
• Reflexology helps seniors suffering from mild to moderate dementia by reducing stress and pain levels, resulting in better sleep quality and decreased insomnia.
• Reflexology can alleviate symptoms of fatigue associated with rheumatoid arthritis.
• Reflexology can help children suffering from chronic constipation.

Case 1: A client with a very stressful job came to me to “try reflexology” out of curiosity, as she felt she was in good health and loved her work. On observing her body language and reading/assessing her feet, I suspected there was more going on than she wanted to discuss. It was apparent that she was experiencing extreme stress/exhaustion/fatigue from being in a constant sympathetic state of fight, or flight, due to her work. She shared that she had been experiencing some symptoms of panic attacks due to the excessive stress in her workplace and also suffered from inability to sleep most nights.

After her session, she commented on how deeply relaxed her body felt and that she didn’t remember the last time she felt so calm and “at ease” in her body. Reflexology brought awareness that she needed to re-evaluate her health and well-being, and gave some encouragement to take better care of herself. She has been receiving regular reflexology sessions for over six years now and has built for herself a more realistic view of life/work balance.

Case 2: A client called me with severe back pain and was only able to slip his feet into unlaced boots, barely able to get onto the massage table. Midway through the reflexology session, he commented, “…is it weird that my back pain is gone?”

I responded with “…reflexology can provide relief from acute and chronic back pain by loosening the spine to help improve circulation and blood flow to the sensitive nerves of the back.”

After completion of the reflexology session, the client was able to get off the table, and to his amazement, was able to bend over and tie up his bootlaces.

If you are interested in experiencing reflexology, be sure to seek out a qualified, skilled therapist at www.reflexologycanada.org.

Your Healthy Career Starts Here!

Upcoming Courses: Manitou Beach—Foot Course, August 23–27; Manitou Beach—Foot Course, September 27–October 1; Regina—Hand Course, October 22–24; Regina—Foot Course, November 5–21 (two-weekend intensive).

Carolynn Sikorski, RCRT, LCRT, is an experienced Registered Canadian Reflexology Therapist and Licensed Canadian Reflexology Teacher. She teaches Hand and Foot Reflexology in Regina, Manitou Beach, and Saskatoon. She is well-known for her extraordinary commitment to the education and overall health of her clients and students. She owns Carolynn’s Reflexology and Wellness Training business in Regina, SK. You can reach her at contact@carolynnsreflexology.com, online booking at carolynnsreflexology.coconutcalendar.com, Instagram at carolynnsreflexology, and FB @CarolynnsReflexology. Also see the Directory of Services ad on page 19 of the 27.2 July/August issue of the WHOLifE Journal.