Σεμινάρια Ιανουαρίου και Φεβρουαρίου 2025

Τον Φεβρουάριο θα είμαστε Θεσσαλονίκη.

Μία καλή χρονιά ξεκινάει με γνώση και εργαλεία!

Σεμινάρια Ιανουαρίου και Φεβρουαρίου 2025

Αθήνα – Natural Health Science
Ορθοπεδική Ρεφλεξολογία
17-19 Ιανουαρίου
https://www.nhs.gr/course/orthopediki-reflexologia-2/
Τηλέφωνο: 2109825025

Θεσσαλονίκη - Kinetiks
Ιπποκρατική Μάλαξη
7-9 Φεβρουαρίου
https://kinetiks.gr/courses/%ce%b9%cf%80%cf%80%ce%bf%ce%ba%cf%81%ce%b1%cf%84%ce%b9%ce%ba%ce%ae-%ce%bc%ce%ac%ce%bb%ce%b1%ce%be%ce%b7/
Τηλέφωνο: 2315 314604

Warsaw – Poland
Refleksologia Ortopedyczna
21-23 Luty 2025
Akademia Refleksologii Terapeutycznej - ART
art@akademiarefleksologiiterapeutycznej.pl

What does a Christmas candy cane have to do with the Achilles tendon?

Reaching out to say Merry Christmas to all my colleagues, and to students of Orthopedic Reflexology.

This year I have been inspired by the Christmas "candy cane" and will talk about the Achilles tendon and how they are similar in a way.

Many Reflexology correlations are mentioned like we usually do in Orthopedic Reflexology training.

I hope you enjoy it, Merry Christmas 🎄🎁🍾🥂

If you are interested in attending training in Athens either April or September please follow this link. 

https://spiros-reflexologia.blogspot.com/2024/11/two-new-dates-for-orthopedic.html?m=1

RiEN Colleague's Voice "Vera Krijn interviews Anthony Porter"

I know both of them personally and I have also been generously benefited in so many ways by both of them. 

All I can say is that they are fabulous, beautiful,
shining examples of a Reflexologist and of sanguine temperament, always on the move and eternally youthful. 

It was a wonderful read, it reminded me of stories Tony has told me, but there where also stories I did not know.

Tony was my first international teacher and reading the interview made me aware of how much Orthopedic Reflexology was influenced by his teachings to me, which are in line with the original teachings of Eunice Ingham. "Nothing is new" as Tony says in this interview.

Following are some snippets I enjoyed. 

You can read the interview here  or go to the RiEN webpage with their collection of documents and previous interviews here.

In addition, focus on disturbed reflexes produces a therapeutic effective treatment like an acupuncturist who only inserts needles into the requisite points, not to every point. No matter how much knowledge or qualifications a reflexology practitioner may have, it is of little value without having good technique combined with sensory perception.

 

I used to work in a hospital giving 20-minute treatments to 18-20 patients a day. This established that all you need to do is just work on the disturbed

reflex. These people had daily treatments, the best approach for and effective treatment.

 

I am sure that the Piezoelectric response plays a very large part in the actions of reflexology. Let me emphasize that whenever I read about this and that technique as if it is a new discovery, nothing is new, everything is ‘out there’ and is already known. 

“Nothing is invented, for it is written in nature first. Originality consists of returning to the origin” 

- Antoni Gaudy -

"The Roots of Reflexology" Fascia, Osteopathy and Chapman's reflexes By Christine Issel

Our main source of Reflexology history has been handed down to us by Christine Issel in her book Reflexology: Art, Science & History, initially published in 1990. The second edition was published in 2014.

In 2003 her article "The roots of reflexology" was published in the June/July issue of Massage & Bodywork magazine.

Following are some interesting snippets regarding fascia, osteopathy and Chapman's reflexes.

Osteopathy 

From a historical perspective, reflexology is more akin to osteopathy in both theory and technique than massage. Osteopathy was developed by Andrew Taylor Still in 1874. No doubt Eunice Ingham was introduced to these concepts, if not through her own interests and research, then during her work at the clinic of the Osteopathic Hospital in St. Petersburg, Fla., and her association with osteopath Joe Shelby Riley in the mid-’30s. She was also a guest lecturer in the 1950s at the American School of Osteopathy. Ingham refers to osteopathic and chiropractic concepts and research in Stories the Feet Have Told. Under a section titled “Osteopathic Concept” Ingham writes, “A spinal lesion means an abnormal pull on muscle tissue. If we can release the excessive tension by contacting a specific reflex in the feet, we are helping to bring about a correction of that spinal lesion.” In this statement Ingham combines two concepts fundamental to osteopathy and reflexology — lesions and reflexes.
  

Chapman's reflexes

At the same time, palpation was thought to create a reflex action of some type. Like Chapman, Ingham uses the word reflex to describe a sensitive area while also using it to describe the physiological process produced by a reflex action. Explaining the results she obtained, Ingham writes, “Try this simple method of producing a reflex action (by manipulation) through the nerve endings on the
soles of the feet.”7 Here she is indicating a reflex action. Then, like Chapman, she produced charts that illustrated where points could be palpated to reach various organs and called them reflexes, too.

The 2nd edition of Chapman’s Reflexes contains a foreword that suggests when studying reflex work, the student: 1) learn each reflex by location rather than by sense of touch; 2) learn reflexes by groups (systems) one at a time; and 3) learn to include the endocrine gland along with the nerve and blood supply concerned in the disturbance.9

All three of these points were adopted for reflexology by Ingham. The layout design is also very similar in Ingham’s and Chapman’s books. Each chapter covers a pathology and points to work are indicated.

An interesting point to consider in Chapman’s work is that nowhere are the feet or hands involved as sites to be worked. However, we do know that sensory neurons are plentiful in the soles of the feet and palms of the hands. Joe Shelby Riley may have reached this same conclusion and adapted Chapman’s concept, which he knew about through his own osteopathic training, to the feet and hands while coupling reflexes with Fitzgerald’s work with zones. Riley’s charts are the oldest that map the various “reflex” points on the feet. Riley’s work was further refined, expanded and popularized by Ingham who worked as his assistant for several months during two successive winters in Florida prior to the publication of her first book.

Fascia

With Chapman’s concepts in mind, the palpation to the receptors on the feet may support much of the same principles. First, sensitivity in the soft tissue of the foot, [e.g., pain upon palpatory pressure] may affect the body as the fascia forms lesions and adversely affects biomechanical movement. 

To read the full article, here .

Presenting at the 20th ICR conference in Athens

Very excited that the next ICR conference will be held in my hometown Athens on the 26th and 27th of September 2025. The program is lined up with exciting and informative speakers some of whom will be providing workshops as well.

MAKING REFLEXOLOGY MAINSTREAM – THE GREEK MODEL

“What has been done and, and how?” … and, “My favorite area on the foot”

In 1992 fate had it that I work as a driver for a general physician who practiced Reflexology in his private practice. Fortunately, soon after, I became his apprentice. In the year 2000 I started working on my own and was faced with the challenges of creating a Reflexology clientele in a society where CAM and especially Reflexology where just introduced. Very soon I understood that my professional evolution and progress went hand in hand with that of Reflexology.

During my presentation I wish to share with you my experiences on the following activities many of my Greek colleagues and I pursued to make Reflexology mainstream. I was fortunate to coordinate the following examples of Reflexology integration and blessed that many of my colleagues believed and supported them.

- 10 years supporting with Reflexology the athletes of the Athens Authentic Marathon. The biggest sport event of the year for Greece. 

- Integrating Reflexology into the Pain Relief and palliative Care Unit – of the University hospital Aretaieio 

- Reflexology for the parents, the caregivers at the Children’s Oncology Unit Marianna Vardinogianni ELPIDA

- Teaching in a kindergarten setting a peer-to-peer reflexology and massage as
part of an anti bullying program

- Training prisoners in Reflexology. A pilot program at the Tyrinth Agricultural Prison as part of a Educational and vocational training

- Reflexology in the world of High performance sports and the National Mens Handball team of Greece

- Reflexology at the office as part of Corporate Wellness Programs

Finally, I will take you on a journey in foot anatomy, Greek mythology, and 

Reflexology.

There is a bone in the human foot named navicular which means boat, because it resembles a boat. We will begin from this bone a journey to visit a nearby area on the foot that I have noticed many Reflexologists already work on constantly and naturally. It is also my favorite area on the foot, and I think this area is very special and stands out.  This area has been called by anatomists “zone of confusion” or “The Bermuda triangle of the foot” and I want to show you why and how not to get lost.

Regarding the Athens ICR conference, visit the following link.

https://icr-reflexology.org/2025-conferences/

For those interested I have scheduled a 3 day Orthopedic Reflexology training in
the english language. Either attending the ICR conference or not, if you are interested in attending this training in September or even earlier in April visit this link: https://spiros-reflexologia.blogspot.com/2024/11/two-new-dates-for-orthopedic.html

History of Reflexology - Roots in North America "True or False?"

I find it surprising how few people study the history of Reflexology, even more surprising then the small number of Reflexologists that read research. I believe that there is a lot to be learned from our history and that is why Reflexology history is included in Orthopedic Reflexology trainings. 

And if we are ever to evolve towards a science status we will need an accurate history. 

For decades of reading up on anything Reflexology related, one of the most interesting pieces of historic information that I came across, but has no reference to support it, is about the origins of Reflexology in North America and the native indians.

More or less the story goes something like this...

"Like other traditional cultures around the world, many of the First Nation Tribes of Canada and the United States Native American tribes have applied pressure to the feet as a means of healing. The Bear Clan of the Cherokee Nation believes that the feet connect us with the earth, and by this connection the spirit is linked with the universe. To some tribes, footwork is a healing art, used as part of sacred ceremony to heal beyond the physical body."

Or, "Our feet are our contact with the earth and the energies that flow through it..." - Jenny Wallace, Cherokee Tribe

On a recent training this year in London I got into talking about this subject with
my colleagues Linda Frank, Hagar Basis and Amy Kreyden. Amy mentioned what you read above, but when I asked her for a source or a reference she was unable to do so, as we all are regarding this piece of information. I am not saying that it is not true, I am just saying it cannot be verified, at least yet.

But just recently I came across an interview in the Journal of the Dr. Ida Rolf Institute titled Structure, Function, Integration. During this interview to Jeffrey Kinnunnen, author and therapist Jeffrey Burch spoke about the history of manual therapy and drawing everything back to Andrew Taylor Still, the founder of osteopathic medicine, physician, and surgeon (1828–1917). Follows the abstract of the interview.

JB. Taking us back to Andrew Taylor Still—his father was a medical doctor, and although Still was born in Virginia, his father soon took a job in Kansas Territory. This job was with a precursor organization of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, providing healthcare to Native Americans on a reservation.

This led to a couple of significant developments. Still would accompany his father on house calls, meaning his medical education began before he even started elementary school. Additionally, he learned the language of the Native American people and studied with their traditional healers. Late in his life, Still said that the core of what he was doing in osteopathy came from what he had learned from the Native Americans.



JK: And that would be the Shawnee tradition?



JB: Shawnee, yes.



JK: That is fascinating because I noticed you describe Still as the discoverer of osteopathic medicine, as opposed to its founder. That makes a lot of sense in this context.



JB: That was Still’s language. He described himself as the discoverer. Yes, the implication is that he didn’t create it—



JK: It had always been there.

I cannot but wonder if their is any association between the work of Andrew Still, Dr. Fitzgerald, Eunice Ingham, Dr. Mahlon Locke and others, the timeline allows for such wonders. Maybe one day we will find out. 

Regarding the Cherokee, there are seven clans and the Bear Clan is a subdivision of the Anisahoni, or Blue Holly Clan. Historically, this clan produced many people who were able to grow and prepare herbs for food and medicinal purposes. The medicine was made from a blue plant which is where the clan gained its name.

For those interested, there are scheduled two trainings in Athens for 2025 in April and September, information here https://spiros-reflexologia.blogspot.com/2024/11/two-new-dates-for-orthopedic.html

London (Reflexology Academy) is scheduled for the beginning of July, information here

https://www.reflexologyacademylondon.com/courses/cpd-advanced/orthopedic-reflexology-course