Chinese New Year 2012

Today, we celebrate the start of the Chinese New Year, the year of the Dragon according to the Chinese zodiac calendar. So I wish thee power, good luck, success, and happiness!

Traditionally, the New Year Festival lasts 2 weeks so there are plenty of opportunities for celebrations.

Did you know that this calendar have been going on for 4710 years! When you think that even in those days, the chinese were using reflexology to treat people and provide well-being, it's amazing. Of course, the protocol and methods have changed but the idea remains the same.

So for this Chinese New Year, get working on your feet with a good reflexology session!!

Learning reflexology for fun

I previously posted about training courses to become a professional reflexologist. However, this might not suit everybody, you can be interested in reflexology without wanting to make a career out of it.

So there are other alternatives to a full certification course. There are introductory courses, one day tasters, reflexology workshops, to find out about the theory and learn to perform a basic treatment without committing to a full course and to higher costs. These workshops are great for anybody interested in learning the 'tools' to practice at home, on other family members.

It's also possible to combine such an introduction course with the purchase of a more complex book so you can develop your knowledge at home at your own pace.

Such a book can be downloaded from www.reflexologyfootmassage.com

If you then decide reflexology is definitely the career for you, then you can embark on a full certification course which requires a long term commitment.

Short reflexology workshops are available everywhere, in the UK, US and all around the world. As the interest in this field is growing, more schools are designing introduction workshops. Check out your nearest licensed reflexology school on Google to find out what is on offer.

Training to become a reflexologist

If you would like to change career and train to become a reflexologist, there are a few things to consider.

For example, you need to work out your budget and timescale.

Depending on the country you live in, you need to check if reflexology is recognized by the state and whether they are some official training schools. Many countries have strict laws and regulations in place for reflexologists. Check out the laws that apply in your country and what type of qualifications are required to practice.

There are many different types of training schools and training courses. It really depends on your availability and the speed of learning: some courses run at week-ends over a year, others are more intensive ...

I would always recommend a course that allows for plenty of practical training, literally "hands on". If fact, you will usually be asked to carry out some case studies before getting your qualification. This also gives you the opportunity to test if this is really the type of work you would like to do. I remember a person that wanted to become a reflexologist but could not stand looking at (not even touching) mishaped feet, so she gave up. It stands to reason that all feet are not in perfect shape like on a magazine cover!

It might also be important to you to have a post-training mentor, someone you can call when you are confronted by an unusual case and need special advice.

In any case, if you are considering becoming a reflexologist, start by reading some books about the subject. In particular, our "step by step" manual will give you a lot of insight about the technical and ethical aspects of reflexology.