Was it a good year, ...a bad year for Reflexology?
I would say it was a good year overall.
Research is going well, Wyatt in the USA and Kay&Whatley in the UK had progress in 2016.
It was very interesting to see research come out of countries like Iran and a growing interest for reflexology in Turkey. Such that it is being regulated!
It was also very positive that the Scandinavian countries have more and more articles in their native languages, thumbs up, continue to do whatever you are doing.
Unfortunately I would like to inform my Spanish colleagues that they are the only ones still using Groupon, thumbs down!
Reflexology Associations are trying to keep up with this changing world, they are going through challenges and many more are ahead of them. Bottom line is that your everyday reflexologist does not care because he/she feels you do not care, or that you (the association) have nothing to offer.
Think about it in 2017.
At number 10.
Reflexologists believe that the brain is represented on the tips of our fingers and toes. here
It seems we are right...
"...but researchers at Umea University in Sweden have found that the neurons that extend into our fingertips perform the same sorts of calculations that take place in the cerebral cortex."
picture credit: Felip Alcon Spain
I always found interesting his trust and passion for Reflexology.
Reflexology was a part of his foundation in Spain the reflexologist in charge is Joaquim Muñoz.
Reflexology was a part of his foundation in Spain the reflexologist in charge is Joaquim Muñoz.
At this link you can watch and listen to him speaking about Reflexology.
The foundation information were Reflexology is listed
At number 8.
I would really like to meet this nun one day! The remarkable thing she did is that "she is still going" spreading the word of reflexology.
Best keep an eye on her.
Sister Jubilatas motto is: "First massage instead operate."
With the words "where it hurts, press" and "clean, clean, clean".
http://www.onetz.de/pfreimd/vermischtes/ansturm-auf-schwester-jubilatas-kurs-ueber-fussreflexzonenmassage-den-richtigen-schalter-zur-linderung-finden-d1201211.html
7. Iran research in Reflexology
The middle east has a growing interest in Reflexology and there seems to be no clear explanation on how it began, who, where, how etc.
Interesting...
The effects of two methods of reflexology and stretching exercises on the severity of restless leg syndrome among hemodialysis patients.
CONCLUSIONS:
At number 6.
In the country of Eunice Ingham comes a beautifull example of the much needed cooperation between reflexologists. Thumbs up!
I am rather concerned about their definition since it is NOT in line with Ingham's definition.
In my opinion Reflexologists around the world can all agree that Ingham began Reflexology as it is practised today. We should all then agree on her definition, her described technique and her chart.
- See how problems disapear, ...like magic.
After that as far as I am concerned "feel free to say whatever comes off your head...!"
There are three arms of reflexology in the United States. They are:
- The American Reflexology Certification Board (arcb.net)- a nonprofit, independent testing agency
- Reflexology Association of America (RAA; reflexology-usa.org)- the national membership organization
- National Council for Reflexology Educators- the voice and resource center for reflexology educator
These three branches came together this past year and decided it was time for a collective definition for reflexology. This is the definitive definition:
"Reflexology is a protocol of manual techniques, such as thumb- and finger- walking, hook and backup and rotating-on-a-point, applied to a specific reflex areas predominantly on the feet and hands. These techniques stimulate the complex neural pathways linking body systems, supporting the body's efforts to function optimally. The effectiveness of reflexology is recognized worldwide by various national health institutions and the public at large as a distinct complementary practice within the holistic health field."
http://blog.customcraftworks.com/blog/foot-massage-vs-reflexology
At number 5. ...I take my hat off to PR...
I cannot believe it, it seems that signing a petition online can actually help!
A HUGE pat on the back to all Professional Reflexology Members and friends who signed our petition to NICE Re: NICE guideline on Supportive and palliative care in adults.
Our petition was signed by over 6000 people and over 1900 comments were sent to NICE. This is what they sent us via Email this morning:
"NICE would like to thank stakeholders for their interest in this guideline and their support with the development of the guideline scope. We have received a large number of comments on the draft scope from people concerned about our proposal to remove recommendations on access to complementary therapies and other topics from the update to the improving supportive and palliative care guideline (CSG4) and to update other parts of the guideline. We agree that the current recommendations within CSG4 are important and still relevant. Having reflected at length on the range of comments received we have decided to retain this guideline and to develop a new guideline on the service delivery element of the end of life care for adults."
Our petition was signed by over 6000 people and over 1900 comments were sent to NICE. This is what they sent us via Email this morning:
"NICE would like to thank stakeholders for their interest in this guideline and their support with the development of the guideline scope. We have received a large number of comments on the draft scope from people concerned about our proposal to remove recommendations on access to complementary therapies and other topics from the update to the improving supportive and palliative care guideline (CSG4) and to update other parts of the guideline. We agree that the current recommendations within CSG4 are important and still relevant. Having reflected at length on the range of comments received we have decided to retain this guideline and to develop a new guideline on the service delivery element of the end of life care for adults."
4. Reflexology is booming in Turkey!
For over a year I have been noticing a lot of "action" in this country having to do with reflexology training of course. Just some years ago a couple of research papers were published also. Again how did it begin, who taught them, how can they have results to show with no organized association? What's the lesson here?
Anyway, I was invited to offer a weekend course and surprised to find out that those attending would be doctors!
More specifically Attending the course were:
1 Medical Practitioner1 Anesthesiology doctor
1 neurology doctor
1 rheumatology doctor-Prof
7 PT&R doctor
3 PT
Would you believe me if I told you that a major pharmaceutical paid for it?
It's a changing world.
Doctors in Turkey are training in Reflexology!
Number 3. Online training
It's here, it's legal and it does not matter if I like it or not.
What is interesting is that though you have associations, councils and networks stating that they are interested in high standards of training and most of them disagree with online training, ...they invite tutors that offer online training as speakers to their conferences!
What is the message here?
For instance Father Josef is hosting the next ICR conference in Taiwan, ..much success. He travels the world and teaches the poor to practice reflexology, good for him!
The ICR we must assume approves of this. If you are a member of the ICR then you should NOT be asking reflexology to be regulated and neither for high training standards. Reflexology belongs to all.
Lone Sorensen, has my respect by the way, teaches reflexology online - so do many others. Since the ICR invited her over to speak at their conference then me must assume that the ICR, the other speakers, the members of the ICR and those attending all approve of online training in Reflexology?
In 2017 let's all be more clear, crystal clear.
Gina is a friend, she is also a Canadian, most importantly she is a passionate reflexologist. She travels the world teaching and offering reflexology. She began small a while back, but now there seems to be a snowball effect and there are more like her.
I approve of this very much. We need more reflexologists like Gina and her colleagues, especially compared to some very dissapointing examples for a reflexologist in the civilized world.
For number 1 I chose "hand holding", this simple and humble act of being there for someone.
The world definetely needs more of it!
it is unfortunate that we need a research paper to back it up.
"Most strikingly, the effects of spousal hand-holding on neural threat responses varied as a function of marital quality, with higher marital quality predicting less threat-
related neural activation..."
Lending a hand: social regulation of the neural response to threat.
AbstractSocial contact promotes enhanced health and well-being, likely as a function of the social regulation of emotional responding in the face of various life stressors. For this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, 16 married women were subjected to the threat of electric shock while holding their husband's hand, the hand of an anonymous male experimenter, or no hand at all. Results indicated a pervasive attenuation of activation in the neural systems supporting emotional and behavioral threat responses when the women held their husband's hand. A more limited attenuation of activation in these systems occurred when they held the hand of a stranger. Most strikingly, the effects of spousal hand-holding on neural threat responses varied as a function of marital quality, with higher marital quality predicting less threat-related neural activation in the right anterior insula, superior frontal gyrus, and hypothalamus during spousal, but not stranger, hand-holding.
I wish you a happy and prosperous 2017 with health and a lot of Reflexology!
