This week’s massage tutorial video is on reflexology basics. Now, I should point out that this is my version of reflexology—I’ve long since forgotten most everything about meridians and organ reflex zones, but I’ve been using the techniques for a decade now. This routine feels great, and it seems to create a more profound client experience than your typical Swedish foot massage.

So, does reflexology “work”? That’s a question that I hear from clients and therapists alike. I think people are asking if we can really influence distant organs by interacting with the foot, and I don’t know the answer to that question. I do know that the technique feels vastly different than the stripping and compression that we’re used to. I know that the rhythmic press, press, press of reflexology has an interesting effect on my body and mind, making me feel floaty and dreamy (and making my feet feel fantastic). In this way, I can emphatically say that, yes, reflexology works.

I feel much the same way about craniosacral therapy, and shiatsu, and Thai massage, and just about every massage modality. I can’t answer questions about their underlying mechanisms of affecting the body, but I know that the techniques involved have their own unique feel, and that each has its own fascinating effects on the body and mind. While I’d eventually love answers to those “how” questions, for now I’m satisfied with the fact that each of these traditions of touch represent their own way of interacting with the body. I’ve seen people get pain relief from each, and some people respond to one while being unimpressed by the others. Another reason to keep a full toolbox!

Let me know what you think of the video, and of your thoughts on reflexology. Have you had any interesting experiences with the modality, either as a client or therapist?