Feel good from head to toe
Suzanne Harwood is a qualified holistic and beauty therapist and has been making people look and feel their best for more than 10 years. She has even pampered stars like Westlife and Sting.
Reflexology is an unusual and wonderfully relaxing foot massage which originated in China more than 4,000 years ago, although it is really an alternative health treatment rather than a beauty treatment.
When your feet are in agony, it shows on your face. So it follows that if your feet have been soothed and are lovely and light, you'll feel fantastic! But reflexology is also a healing treatment.
Using her fingertips, a therapist will make a series of pressing movements around your feet, stimulating reflexes which are linked to every part of the body.
As a result, toxins are released, circulation is improved, organ and gland functions are improved, and your whole body and mind become relaxed. It can relieve all sorts of pain, from migraine headaches to arthritis.
Going to one of the many reflexology centres in Hong Kong can be a fun day out if you go with a friend. You can expect to pay about $200 for an hour of reflexology.
You will be asked to remove your shoes and socks. While you sit in a large comfortable chair, your feet will be placed in a tub of warm water.
The therapist will dry your feet and start gently to warm and relax your feet and toes to prepare you for the treatment.
Chinese reflexology is slightly different to western reflexology. Chinese therapists may believe in 'no pain no gain', but the feet are very sensitive. So if the therapist is working too hard on your feet, don't suffer in silence. Tell her to use lighter pressure. It's meant to be an enjoyable and relaxing experience!
Using the tips of her fingers, the therapist will work across the feet, working on areas that correspond with different parts of the body. For example, the big toe represents the head. If you have a headache, your toe may feel very sensitive.
By massaging pressure points on the big toes, your headache can be rubbed away. The sensation of a small sharp pain in the big toe represents the headache.
All this may seem whacky, but what is known is that we have more than 7,000 nerve endings in the feet, and those nerve endings lead to somewhere else in the body.
I find that reflexology helpful for keeping the body in balance, especially as we grow up and our hormones seem a little erratic. I also feel that it helps to clear the mind when we feel a little foggy.
There is a lot of truth in reflexology, which has been used throughout history. In ancient Egyptian tombs, pictures painted on the walls illustrate servants giving foot treatments to their masters and mistresses.
Do try this wonderful ancient art. Keep an open mind and enjoy the experience.
