What is Reflexology?
Reflexology is a science that deals with the principle that there are reflex areas in the feet and hands which correspond to all of the organs, glands, muscles and parts of the body. Stimulating these reflexes induces a healing response and may help alleviate many health problems, ailments and pain in a natural way.
The idea behind Reflexology is not new. It was practised as early as 2330 B.C. by the Egyptians, and also in India and China in 4000BC. Reflexology as we know it today was first researched and developed by Eunice Ingham, then built on this during the 1930s and refined the footmap which all reflexologists refer to today. Since 1942, Reflexology training has been a professional and accredited qualification, and is a popular therapy for those seeking a natural way to improve health and wellbeing. The most popular form of reflexology is foot reflexology. The reflexology foot chart illustrates where the reflexes are on your feet map
to your body. It is a fascinating modality.
What happens during a foot reflexology treatment?
Reflexology is a non-invasive complimentary therapy. Reflexologists use their hands, specifically their thumbs and fingers, to apply varying pressure to the reflexes on your feet. They may be able to feel subtle changes or congestion in specific reflexes, and by working these reflexes, they are stimulating blood flow and circulation, aiming to unblock the corresponding organ or system of the body.
Reflexology is used and can be very effective for physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. There are a host of health benefits from receiving reflexology. The application and effect of this therapy are unique to each person, and so everyone will respond to the treatment differently. It completely depends on what is going on for you. Some people find it incredibly relaxing throughout the entire session, others feel some reflexes slightly sensitive or indeed, uncomfortable or painful. This is because there is congestion or areas of imbalance and it takes time to work through these. Think of it like a peeling an onion, each time you work on a reflex, you are working on a layer that is decongesting and rebalancing. During the treatment, some people may note a sense of well-being and feel very relaxed. Some people may become emotional or feel nauseous afterwards, but this is transitory and is part of the healing process. After a number of treatments your body may begin to re-balance, and the physical and emotional symptoms may settle down. It may take a few sessions or a few months to see a benefit, and this depends on how deep or chronic the issue is. Top up sessions are also advisable to maintain homeostatis.
So what are Revs® Reflexology Massage Shoes?
Revs® Reflexology Massage footwear does not purport to replace a reflexology treatment in entirety. Indeed the founder of Revs®, Jen Antliff, is a trained and accredited reflexologist, so Jen’s aim was to design something that is the next best thing, a therapy shoe that provides reflexology massaging effects, because she knows first hand as a practitioner the benefits of this natural therapy and how it can, and has transformed the physical, mental, emotional health and wellbeing of many people.
Wearing Revs® is similar to receiving a reflexology treatment, where the reflexology therapist would use her thumbs and fingers to massage and stimulate your reflexes. The design of the shoes therefore had to target each and every part of the sole, to maximise the reflexes that can be targeted. This involved ensuring the heights and widths of each massaging nodule mapped the contours of the feet and ensure you receive an effective level of stimulation and comfort in all the right places. The design of the shoe also incorporated additional features to ensure maximum comfort and benefit. These are a shock-absorbing cushion comfort elastomer sole and bio-mechanical arch support.
Do Revs® Work?
Despite loving the prototype from Day 1, Jen tested Revs® for over year before bringing them to the market. It was important for her to understand the effects they had on herself, friends and family, and exactly how that compared to the effects of an actual reflexology treatment. The results were quite staggering.
Some notable comments from her case studies are: when you are tired, your feet usually feel a little more sensitive. Or when you are bloated or constipated, your intestines reflex may feel tender or crunchy, and by stimulating this, you can move things along and enjoy the relief of any blockages. If you have a hangover they might feel ‘spikey’ – this is just the reflexology massage sole doing its job – ridding the body of the toxins. If you have toothache, your toes may feel nippy and some glands if there is inflammation in the gums. The sensitivity or tolerance also varies due to emotional issues, for example if you are feeling angry, both feet may feel delicate or hard in certain reflex areas. The emotion of anger is associated with the liver and gall bladder, which contain bile. Anger can cause headaches and hypertension which can in turn affect the stomach and the spleen.
Relief was felt from joint pain and arthritis but sometimes the relief was felt the most when the shoes were removed. No pain, no gain as they say. Foot pain as a result of marathon training was also considered to be relieved with wearing Revs. Those with flat feet enjoyed the higher arch support. There was also a general feeling of relaxation and comfort in wearing Revs. It was interesting to note the frequency and duration of wearing Revs® varied among the group. So do follow the wearing recommendations and modify to suit you.
What is important to note is that you your body will react in the best way it needs to in order to heal, so you may find you want to drink more water, or eat certain food types, or rest, or scream, meditate, and in some cases, seek medical support, whether this be for physical or mental health, through your Doctor or a therapy and counselling route. You might even find things come up you didn’t know were out of balance, and your body has manifested pain or a blockage. Grief for example can sometimes do this, where if it is suppressed, it manifests in various ways, such as insomnia, anxiety, back or shoulder pain.
Revs can be a journey to better health. Shop Now or browse below to enjoy the benefits.
Revs Reflexology footwear carries the same reflexology sole in each of the styles, so you just have to choose the strap and colour you like.
