Ewald Kliegel - Reflexology Made Easy: Self-help techniques for everyday ailments

Disclaimer

The information in this book is given in good faith and is neither intended to diagnose any physical or mental condition nor to serve as a substitute for informed medical advice or care.

Please contact your health professional for medical advice and treatment. Neither author nor publisher can be held liable by any person for any loss or damage whatsoever which may arise from the use of this book or any of the information therein.

First edition 2015

Reflexology made easy

Ewald Kliegel

Cover photography: Fred Hageneder

Models: Eliza Misu, Jens Jacobsen

Illustrations: Ewald Kliegel

This English edition 2015 Earthdancer GmbH

English translation JMS books llp

Editing by JMS books llp ( www.jmseditorial.com)

Original title published in German as Reflexzonen Easy

World copyright 2014 Neue Erde GmbH

All rights reserved

Cover design: Dragon Design

Set in News Gothic

Typesetting and graphic design: Dragon Design

Printed and bound in China by Midas Printing Ltd.

ISBN 978-1-84409-666-4

Published by Earthdancer GmbH, an imprint of:

Findhorn Press, 117-121 High Street,

Forres, IV36 1AB, Scotland.

www.earthdancerbooks.com ,

www.findhornpress.com

Contents

Important notice and treatment restrictions

Reflex zone massage (reflexology) can be enjoyed at any age, although you should ensure that the treatments are always enjoyable and never become painful. If a reflex zone produces a sensitive reaction, it is best to adapt and reduce the intensity of the technique.

Certain restrictions have to be applied to every effective technique, and reflexology is no exception. Massages should be administered during pregnancy only with the unequivocal consent of a doctor, and even then all abdominal and hormone-related zones must be avoided. Reflex zone massage must not be used in cases of serious illness, such as cancer, chronic rheumatism, illness where fever is present or conditions that are acutely debilitating. And all symptoms of illness that cannot be explained must be referred to a medical professional. Please also be aware that reflexology treatment can enhance the effects of medicines.

Foreword

Be honest. What sort of ailments and problems make you visit the doctor? Is a slight headache enough, or do you wait until its a chronic migraine? And what about that feeling of tightness or stiffness in the joints when the weather changes, or a cold or muscle tension? As a rule, we manage without a doctor for these kinds of annoying but common small complaints. Some people just say to themselves itll be fine, while others pop a few tablets; but theres a third option, one that allows us to exploit the communication channels between the surface of the skin and the inner organs: reflexology. Applying pressure briefly to the head will make the feet feel warm; a few massage strokes on the hands will relieve lower abdominal tension during menstruation; and self-massage of the lower back will improve circulation in the legs when travelling by plane.

So is reflexology some kind of new miracle therapy? Not at all! It is, however, a convincingly effective technique with a long history and has proved its considerable worth in both everyday and therapeutic contexts. Whether you are at home, in the car or at a party, your reflex zones are tools for preventative health care and can boost your powers of self-healing in all kinds of situations in life. An added bonus with these applications is that they can be combined with many other techniques and physiotherapy treatment is significantly more effective when used in conjunction with reflex zone massage, for example, and essential oils, coloured light and crystals lend the technique an extra dimension, greatly extending the effectiveness of a wide range of treatments.

During times when the healthcare sector is forced to make economies, every step towards taking personal responsibility for our health is a step in the right direction. Making use of the reflex zones is without doubt one of the steps we should be taking as it trains us to pay more attention to ourselves, and in this capacity, the zones can be used as preventative measures, helping us to sidestep difficulties and lessening the severity of bouts of illness.

Most importantly, we always have the tools we need to hand, quite literally: our hands (for massage) and the surface of our skin, where all our many reflex zones are to be found. A knowledge of the zones should therefore be a part of every first aid manual.

Wishing you joy and the very best of luck with your reflex zones,
Ewald Kliegel

THE BASICS

Our health maps

Most people have heard of the reflex zones, but treating them is often viewed as an old and over-complicated Chinese technique. No surprise then that reflexology has yet to become mainstream.

However, the principle of the reflex zones is quite simple and the system is easy to follow. Imagine that, when complications arise, your bodys organs can switch on a warning light, like on the dashboard of a car, as a kind of visual diagnostic tool showing what is wrong. Reflex zones are the error indicators that pop up on our own dashboard that is with us at all times: our skin. These emergency signals appear on the skin in the form of reddening, swelling, spots or eczema, to name just a few of these signs.

Tuck into the meat dishes at a boozy dinner, and the liver and gall bladder are pushed to their limits and the emergency signals or warning lights appear in the form of swelling around the liver and gall bladder zones of the various reflex zone systems, such as on the feet or back. The next day, blemishes may even appear in the relevant zones on the skin of the face. In this way, the reflex zones are an external indication that something is not right internally. When these kinds of symptoms appear, it is no wonder that attempts to treat them cosmetically achieve little; however, when support is provided for the organs affected, the skin problems clear up on their own when the oil indicator light goes on on the dashboard of a car, we check the oil, we dont disconnect the indicator light. In the case of overindulgence in meat dishes, suitable complementary treatments would include in addition to reflex zone massage drinking herbal teas with bitter compounds and avoiding fat and alcohol to relieve the pressure on the liver. This allows the organs to then switch off their warning lights.

Reflex zone signs at a glance

The signs or symptoms on the left suggest the conclusions drawn about the condition of the connective tissue in the associated organs listed on the right:

These emergency signals or warning lights alone would justify the reflex zones reputation as a health map, but they are capable of even more. In addition to identifying problems, most of the zones also allow us to exert an influence on our bodys functions. This opens up an absolute gold mine of applications, with a wide range of options for therapists and professionals offering wellbeing treatments, as well as lay practitioners.