How to do the Thumb Walk

Thumb walking is one of the most important techniques of reflexology. It's hard to achieve a good thumb walk without seeing an experienced therapist perform this. Also it seems to differ from one country to another! So I have found an extract from Teresa Rich's video (UK) to share with you. It is similar to the technique I use in France and illustrates it quite well on the shoulder area.

This thumb or caterpillar walk enables the therapist to feel any toxin deposits, cristals or jelly-like areas on the foot which indicates a sensitive organ or disorder. At the same time the forward movement pushes these deposits so they can be eliminated.

Notice that the nails are kept short and tidy so they don't dig into the patient's foot. No need to add displeasure to the reflexology session!

New Year Resolutions

(belated) Happy New Year!
At the beginning of the year, I took the resolution to publish more often to my reflexology blog. But here we are at the end of February and I'm just doing my first article of 2008. Despite this slow start, I will try to increase my posting and keep adding my point of view on the subject of reflexology. I might also talk about other subjects such as naturopathy or aromatherapy, etc. And as usual I welcome all your comments and experience in this field. I would like this blog to become a worldwide shared resource for reflexology.

As people are feeling more and more stressed by the pressures of modern life, they seek natural remedies that will bring relief to their aches and pains. Reflexology offers that immediately as the person receiving the treatment is able to stop, sit confortably and do nothing for an hour. I think the preparation is very important in the session so that the person receiving the treatment makes a conscious effort to "stop the clock" during the session. They need to be ready to receive in order to get the most from the treatment. It's not easy in today's world when we are continuously bombarded by information, always planning activities, thinking about problems and so on.

This preparation can be a foot bath, a light massage, lighting candles or incense or deep breathing exercice. There are many ways to put the person at ease but it is essential for their well being. They will get more out of the treatment if their body and mind are able to focus on the reflexology rather than being a thousand miles aways on other matters.

Unusual Reflexology Chart

There are many foot reflexology charts out there but I had never seen one quite like this one. I like the "realistic" drawing of the organs. It's helpful for students as they can immediately identify the reflex area corresponding to the organ, they don't need to refer to a list with numbers. It is somewhat different from Bayly's, Byer's or Kunz's versions to name a few and it does not seen to contain all the organs and glands. Nevertheless I like its looks and the fact that it is unusual.

For information, I've found it on a site about Bali (http://blog.baliwww.com/guides/609/). Apparently reflexology massage is becoming very popular with tourists to that area. I don't know how it compares with the Western reflexology we practice here, I would like to find out more so post a comment if you have done any comparative study.