This article is released to coincide with Stress Awareness Month. I have given multiple talks in workplaces and in the community to explain what stress is and how it affects our health and well-being. And more importantly, what we can do to mitigate and overcome the damaging effects of long-term or chronic stress.

A New Look at Stress

Stress is a physiological response in our body to a challenge, threat or danger. It activates the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS).

The ANS system works automatically to control 99.99% of everything going on in the body at any given moment. For example, we have 5 trillion bits of information coming to the brain every second, but we are only aware of about 10,000 bits.

There are 2 parts to the ANS: the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) and the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS). Both have to be in balance for the body to work efficiently and effectively. Just like the accelerator and brakes on a car: the accelerator is the SNS (revving us up to get out of a tight spot or a difficult situation) and the brakes are the PNS (slowing us down and alleviating the strain and heat from the engine, aka our body). Essentially the SNS response is supposed to save our life from a critical threat. It’s like a fire alarm system, that’s only supposed to go off in an emergency. The PNS, on the other hand, helps our cells and tissues to repair, heal and grow.

Stress is a manifestation of an imbalance in the ANS – the SNS is revved up too much relative to the PNS. And we’ll discover shortly what is actually fuelling this imbalance or stress. But first let’s discover more about what happens in the body when we’re in the fight or flight response (SNS) and how it impacts our physical health and well-being.

Whilst in the SNS response, the blood flow changes and no longer moves to the stomach to support digestion, it no longer goes to the frontal lobes of the brain to stimulate creative thought and it no longer goes to the liver to clear toxins or to the kidneys to balance electrolytes. PNS activity is curtailed. Most of the blood gets diverted to the muscles of your limbs to allow you to escape danger or contend with threats. It also narrows your focus (you get tunnel vision, i.e. you lose peripheral vision and only see what’s directly in front of you).

The other very important impact of stress is that the immune system is put on hold whilst we’re in fight or flight (SNS mode). That’s fine if our immune system doesn’t have to fight bacteria or fungi for 5 minutes, but the issue today is that we’re either in prolonged phases or in continuous states of fight or flight.

Stress is an energy problem – we deplete the battery of our cells – the mitochondria. Where there is an energy shortage in the cells, there will be cellular damage and eventually disease. That’s why we so often hear that stress is the biggest killer. It can lead to greater toxicity and inflammation in the body and it compromises our body’s ability to fight off viruses and harmful bacteria. And the tricky thing is that stress is not always easy to recognise – it shows up in many guises – nor is it simple to “turn off” in our modern times.

Guises of Stress

Stress or energy depletion in the body can occur when…

1. We over-medicate

Antibiotics will frequently kill mitochondria along with bacteria. Too often we use antibiotics for respiratory tract infections, which are viral. But we know that antibiotics have no effect on viruses, yet they are frequently prescribed. And a study was published that show women who received eight or more doses of antibiotics before their 18th birthday had a dramatic increase in breast cancer.

So it’s important to refuse antibiotics for the common cold and ear infections or when we know it’s not going to have any major effect. And what’s important to note is that all medication or pharmaceutical drugs only really treat the symptoms and not really address the cause of illness (an imbalance in our nervous system and the breakdown of our endocrine and immune system).

2. We are over-active

We subject ourselves to physical or mental over-activity. We’re often rushing around, trying to be all things to everybody as well as over-exert the body. Plus we’re mentally overstimulated by electronic gadgets (TVs, cell phones, computers) or with content overload, setting tasks or goals. The problem arises from “DOING” – which is an SNS function. We’ve forgotten about the “BEING” element of “human being” and the vital role of PNS, which is a BEING function.

3. We submit to a broken program of limitation & not enough

We are part of a societal or cultural program and conditioning that creates fear of insufficiency and inadequacy (aka limiting beliefs): we’re not good enough unless we achieve certain goals or certificates and then we set ourselves new goals and standards to chase. We think we’re not happy enough unless we have material riches. We’re not valued enough unless we’re recognised and validated by others. We’re always on a quest for “more”: to do more and have more. All this momentum and fear of “not enough” creates an energy drain and puts huge stress on the body.

4. We focus on the negative

We are mostly focused on the negative: it’s a tendency of the mind to ruminate on the past (be angry, sorrowful, regretful) or be anxious about tomorrow (FEAR – false evidence appearing real). What we now understand is that thoughts and feelings are creative energy. When we focus on negative thoughts and feelings, we have a negative or low vibration in the body. This is a contracting or depletion energy, which obviously has a direct impact on our mitachondria. And in the quantum field like energy attracts like energy. We get more negativity happening to us when we’re in this low vibration state.

When it comes to health conditions, overly focusing on symptoms, creates more fear, more tension and stress in the body and therefore generates more symptoms to be worried about. Google can therefore be your worst enemy if you feel that something is wrong with you. Information can be helpful to expand the mind and knowledge, but if we’re using it to contract the mind into fear paralysis or psychosis, then we are helping to create more damage in our mind and body.

5. We store trauma in our cells

We now have a better understanding of epigenetics (the energy environment of our cells) and quantum physics (look up Dr Bruce Lipton – The Biology of Belief and Alexander Loyd/Ben Johnson – The Healing Code). These authors articulate very clearly that all cells have a cellular memory (captured as images) and this applies to past trauma. Moreover, trauma experienced by our ancestors can also be passed on energetically in the cells. Dr Lipton even goes as far as saying that all congenital diseases originate from stress further down the ancestral line. What this tells us is that trauma and the energy drain or stress it creates can be insidious and difficult to detect. Just like some of the limiting programs we’re not always conscious of.

5 Effective Ways to Reduce Stress

So what are we to do about stress? Well we know now that anything that activates the PNS (Parasympathetic Nervous System) is good to re-balance the Autonomic Nervous System and take us into the healing and growth cycle. It will also boost the immune system and make us less prone to infection or illness.

And we also know that anything that helps to release emotional trauma and energetic resistance generated by limiting beliefs in our cellular memory will help raise the energy in our cells. We will find that our energetic frequency changes and moves from a low vibration to higher vibration: which underpins manifestation and the Law of Attraction.

So the following are my top 5 recommendations for combating stress:

1. Activating the Vagus Nerve through Vagus Nerve breathing.

The Vagus Nerve (10th cranial nerve) is a key component of the Parasympathetic Nervous System. It helps to transmit signals from the brain to the body and from the body to the brain. When we undertake Vagus Nerve breathing we help the Vagus Nerve send signals to the brain that indicate that we are calm and relaxed. We do this by breathing in through the nose for a count of 4, holding in for a count of 7 and breathing out through the mouth for a count of 8. And as you breathe out make a shhh sound (like that of the ocean waves). It’s a white noise that induces calm and relaxation. You repeat the breathing sequence at least 6 times.

2. Self-love and self-empowerment mirror affirmations

Put the following affirmations on a sticky note and apply it to your preferred mirror (bathroom/bedroom). Stand in front of this mirror, look deeply into your own eyes and read and repeat out loud (try and memorise in time so you don’t have to read it from the post-it note):

“I am an amazing human being, I am truly blessed, I am God’s living enterprise and God cannot fail [you can switch out God for Spirit, Source or Universe]. I love myself just as I am. I am good enough and capable enough. I am right where I need to be right now. I am powerful beyond measure if I simply let be and allow the Universe/God to guide me in every moment of every day.”

This affirmation is meant to be said regularly, preferably 2-3 times a day. The words may feel awkward and alien at first, but in time your subconscious mind will adjust to them as will your conscious mind. This affirmation will help combat many self-sabotage and self-limiting belief patterns. It will help create a sense of ease, and invite a powerful surrender to flow energy (which is creative or source energy). What’s important is that you feel the energy and power of the words and let them become your mantra, your “go-to”, whenever you’re feeling less than worthy, disappointed, upset or frazzled.

3. Mindfulness in Nature

Sit in your garden or go for a gentle walk in a park, along a country lane or in a woodland, and begin to notice small details. This is when you activate all your senses. So start by listening to whatever sounds are out there: birds calling or tweeting, a stream or water running, the rustling of leaves by the breeze, the sound of the wind, the pitter-patter sound of raindrops, the call or movement of an animal, the drone of a bee. Then notice what smells you can pick up: pungent earth, newly cut grass, salty tang of the sea, far-off smells of cooking perhaps. Then activate the sense of sight: notice the different hues of green on different types of grass, see how many shades of colour you can see in a flower, dragonfly or butterfly, see the different tones and textures of the tree trunks and branches, notice the colour and texture of the sky and the clouds. Then move to the sense of touch: thread some grass through your fingers, pick up and scrunch some leaves, touch the bark of a tree or even pick up some earth or a stone and roll it between your fingers. Then finally move on to taste. This is a more difficult one, but perhaps find a herb or grass that has a pleasant taste and suck on it.

When we activate the senses in this way and begin to notice our environment (nature provides a calming, soothing environment), we become more present in the moment. We being to release the thoughts of yesterday and tomorrow and anchor ourselves to the present moment (breathing facilitates this too). In the present moment, there is no stress, there is no fear, there is no “not good enough”. Deep diaphragmatic breathing and a gratitude practice in nature amplifies mindfulness and peace. All this helps move you into PNS (anti-stress response).

4. Gratitude Practice

Gratitude as a practice is so often underestimated in its efficacy to reduce stress. That’s because we don’t always understand that stress has different origins, including the origin of fear of insufficiency and limitation.

Gratitude is about becoming aware and expressing thanks for what we have, no matter how minor. We can start to notice that we have access to running water in our homes, we can be grateful for our pet or our child, we can be grateful for the clothes on our body and so on. We can be grateful for the many people that make up the food chain: putting food in our supermarkets and offering us so much choice. Even if our health is not 100%, we can always be grateful for something in our bodies. We are breathing, we are able to read, we are able to listen to music and so forth. Start a gratitude journal or start a mental and emotional gratitude practice in nature (nature is a great reminder of abundance from the plethora of flora and fauna).

Gratitude creates an instant shift in consciousness and in emotional frequency. We move from a lack consciousness to an abundance consciousness. And we move from a low vibration frequency of feeling inadequate, feeling poor, deprived and anxious to a high vibration of having and being enough right in this very moment. Gratitude showers us with many blessings. We attract more things to be grateful for. Being grateful is a great antidote to low mood, stress and anxiety.

5. Energy Healing

There are many forms of energy healing to deal with stress and trauma. In my capacity as therapist and energy coach, I offer 2 main services:

Reflexology

I believe reflexology (foot or facial) to be the most efficacious touch therapy to reduce stress in the body. It instantly activates the PNS and allows the body to enter a deeply relaxed and meditative state. This creates the optimal environment for the body and mind to rest, heal and regenerate. All my clients, without exception, feel lighter after a treatment (their energy vibration has been raised) and they feel more rested and at ease. Better quality sleep also ensues, which is another sure way to raise energy levels. The Federation of Holistic Therapists undertook a survey of its members and their clients to determine the most effective therapy to reduce doctor visits. It turns out that reflexology topped the bill and was also the most efficacious in dealing with stress and anxiety. Check out the following blog post: Reduced Doctor Visits After Complementary Therapy.

Energy Alignment Method & Healing Code Therapy

The Energy Alignment Method (EAM) is a form of energy kinesiology – using the body sway to tap into and diagnose energy blocks in the body (whether limiting beliefs, heavy emotions or trauma). I help my clients to uncover what is creating resistance in their energy (conscious or unconscious), release it and align to higher vibration / emotional energy.

Then to cement the effect further I apply the Healing Code created by Alexander Loyd & Ben Johnson. It’s a 6-minute practice that releases all stress from the body on a conscious and unconscious level. I help you to apply this practice, but in a way that is uniquely mine. I call it the joy activation method of the Healing Code (where I use joyful music to enhance the effect of healing the heart of any stress issues).

Conclusion

If you are interested in having a reflexology treatment, you can book here or save on a package – check this out on the Packages-Offers page.

And if you are intrigued or interested in energy healing using EAM/The Healing Code, please book a taster session at a special price of just £65.

This article is released to coincide with Stress Awareness Month. I was invited to talk about how to cope with stress at home and at the office by a group of professional women employed by a leading bank in London. This post is a more detailed account of my understanding of stress and some of my own strategies for handling stress applicable to both the work and home environment.

What is Stress?

Stress, according to an online dictionary, is defined as a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances.

Stress is our body’s natural response to danger, threat or uncertainty. It causes the body to flood with hormones, specifically cortisol, epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline). These hormones form part of the sympathetic nervous system and are called in to prepare the body to evade or confront danger or challenges. It’s a survival instinct. It’s commonly known as the fight, flight or freeze response mechanism.

The physical impact of stress is that it:

• increases our heart rate and blood pressure
• accelerates our breathing
• activates the sweat glands so that you sweat more
• tenses our muscles (ready for action)
• increases alertness (therefore counters drowsiness and sleep)
• inhibits the rest and digest mechanism (the parasympathetic nervous system).

Types of Stress

There are 2 forms of stress.

Acute stress is short-term stress connected to an isolated incident or event, such as a one-off argument with a colleague or spouse, moving house, changing jobs or even meeting an important deadline.

Chronic stress is more prolonged and serious in nature. Sources of chronic stress can be around lack of time or money, losing a job, persistent family problems, an unhappy marriage or a strained business alliance, divorce, bereavement or some other traumatic experience, such as abortion or pregnancy loss.

Long-term Effects of Chronic Stress

Chronic stress can have devastating effects on our health and well-being.

The physical effects can cause:

• unexpected weight gain or loss
• tension headaches and migraines
• muscular tension, cramps, pins and needles
• tightness in the chest and constricted breathing
• excessive sweating and body odour
• nervous spasms or twitching
• disturbed sleep or insomnia
• tummy upsets, constipation, diarrhoea

And over a sustained period of time, chronic stress can:

• compromise the immune system and make us susceptible to autoimmune diseases and infection
• make us more prone to heart disease and heart attacks
• make us more susceptible to strokes
• increase the risk of diabetes
• cause stomach ulcers, IBS and other digestive tract issues
• lead to adrenal fatigue, which has implications for women going through the menopause (possibly exacerbating symptoms of peri-menopause – check out this earlier blog post).

The mental and emotional fallout of stress include:

• long-term anxiety
• depression
• other mental health disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• lack of focus and mental perspicuity
• poor recall and memory
• lack of motivation
• lack of self-esteem.

Stress on the Rise

Stress is on the increase due to changes in culture and global events.

Women and men are now in interchangeable roles switching between breadwinner and care-giver. Whilst we have more technology at our fingertips to reduce the burden of mundane, repetitive tasks both at work and in the home, we also have the distraction of IT and growing consumerism that puts pressure on us to “have” more, rather than “be” more.

Terrorist attacks (Lockerbie, 9/11, London 7/7, Manchester Arena), Covid-19, the environmental degradation of our planet and even more recently the Ukrainian War are all examples of large-scale stressor events which have affected the global psyche and global stress levels.

Stress, especially for working parents, often arises from:

• multi-tasking in the office/work environment and at home
• conflicting priorities
• feelings of guilt
• overwhelm
• burnout
• perfectionism
• pressure to have and do more
• tight or unrealistic deadlines.

The 4A Strategy to Cope with and Manage Stress

1. Aware

• Be aware of your emotions. How are you expressing yourself? Do you feel angry, impatient, worried, overwhelmed? These are all low vibration energy emotions. Start a journal to determine how you are feeling morning, noon and night.
• Be aware of your body’s response to stress: tightness in the upper back or chest cavity, clenching of the stomach or gut area, constriction in the throat or nasal passages, fogginess in the head or tiredness around and dryness in the eyes.
• Be aware of your focus – what is your self-talk? Is it negative? Are you judging yourself and others? Are you focusing on what you haven’t achieved rather than what you have? Are you focusing on lack of time and money, rather than being grateful for what you already have?
• Be aware of how you’re spending your time: are you getting easily distracted by family or colleagues gossiping, are you succumbing to social media pressure and over-exposure. Is being sucked into social media a form of procrastination or self-sabotage? Acknowledge and be truthful with yourself. No judgement, just curiosity and awareness.

2. Avoid & Adapt

Avoid the following and adapt your perspective and approach accordingly.

• Multi-tasking – do one thing at a time and give it your fullest attention before moving on to the next. Setting clearly defined, manageable goals for the day and week ahead.
• Information and assignment overload – we can get easily overwhelmed and stressed by expecting too much of ourselves and setting ridiculous targets. Be realistic. Take a step back and assign importance and urgency ratings to each task you plan to do each day. Start the task with the highest score and work your way down. This can apply to work-related tasks or jobs at home.

• Compromising your energy by not communicating your wants and needs – this is your need for balance, creativity and self-expression. Communication and leadership when interacting with others are key components to self-regulation.
• Long periods of physical inactivity – leads to lymph stagnation and restricted blood flow (causing all sorts of physical ailments, such as swelling of joints, high blood pressure, headaches). Try switching your mode of transport to involve more walking. Take a lunchtime break that involves walking. Take the stairs, not the lift. Get your 10,000 steps in or go to a workout/fitness class. Dog walk or offer to dog walk. Walk to the shops. Start swimming before work or after work (great to de-stress).
• Insufficient water intake – as with lack of physical activity, this will cause more physical (and therefore more mental and emotional) stress. Our body is mainly made up of water and water is vital for the efficient flow of blood, transport of nutrients to our cells and lymph flow (a vital part of our detoxification and immune system). Have a thermos flask on your desk with some herbal/fruit tea or with some (lemon) water or low calorie squash.
• Poor eating habits – avoid sugary or fatty foods (junk food is often the first port of call when stressed). Processed foods and our guilt around eating less nutritious foods add to the stress spiral. Instead eat complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, fatty acids found in fish, meat, eggs and nuts and more fruit.
• Over-exertion and lack of rest – know your physical, mental and emotional limitations and boundaries. Take regular 10-15 minute breaks throughout your day (2-3 x am and 2-3 x pm), You will benefit in terms of greater productivity when you do come back to your tasks.
• Toxic environments, people and media – move away from negative talk (yourself and other’s dialogues), reduce consumption of sensational media (tabloids, social media and TV in particular). Listen to news in a short, succinct format (radio). Listen to inspirational podcasts or books on audible. Some great podcasts include: Dare to Lead by Brene Brown, Oprah’s Super Soul, Say Yes with Carla Hall, The Marie Forleo Podcast.

3. Accept

• We are not victims, we are creators of our reality, so be “response-able” (read Viktor Frankl’s “Man’s Search for Meaning”). If there is a situation that we don’t like and it’s causing us stress, look within to see what’s activating this. The Law of Cause & Effect works to create an external reality that is a reflection of our internal state. If we’re ill at ease, feeling constrained, lacking, stressed and worried, then you will create or rather manifest more of the same on the outside. Also read “As a Man Thinketh” by James Allen.
• We are all human and deserve forgiveness, compassion, kindness and validation. We all can deviate and follow the wrong track in life when misguided by ego self or others’ demands and expectations. Offer support, encouragement and give compliments regularly. Not only the person receiving this will benefit, you too will raise your energy vibration in doing this.
• Negative thinking gets you nowhere: it’s a fixed mindset. Embrace positivity and a solutions-focused, not a problem-focused mentality – a growth mindset.
  As an example in relation to money. Instead of thinking, “I am terrible with money, and I will never be able to control my finances or get out of debt,” try this new thought and manifestation mantra:
  “I’ve not made very wise choices in the past with my money, but I’m resilient and I learn fast. I am willing and able to adopt a more healthy mindset around money. Money is a beautiful expression of energy and worth. It flows to me effortlessly when I think grateful, appreciative thoughts about myself and others in my life. Do read The Having: The Secret Art of Feeling and Growing Rich by Suh Yun Lee and Jooyun Hong.
• Your body needs to rest and recover sufficiently to be able to function optimally (mental and physical rest are intertwined). Find yourself a calm setting to just be on your own for a bit during the day. Sit out in the garden if working from home and the weather is clement, or sit on a park bench, or go out to a café in a garden centre or a pub with a beer garden or conservatory. Just absorb the environment, look at and listen to the birds, observe the flora and fauna. Don’t feel the need to do anything. Book yourself in for regular reflexology treatments (foot or face). Reflexology is an incredible, yet extremely underrated, way to de-stress and re-energise.
• You only have 24 hours in a day and a third of that should be allocated to sleep or some form of rest. Being all things to everyone serves neither yourself nor any member of your family or work community.

4. Amplify

• Your well-being and self-care by doing a yoga and/or breathing practice, booking in a complementary therapy (massage/reflexology). Why not indulge in a scented bath or listen to calming music in a room by yourself. Fragrance the room with a diffuser incorporating essential oils: lavender, geranium and bergamot are great to calm and restore mood.
• Your joy by doing creative things. If your job does not provide a creative outlet and is fairly mundane, adopt a sideline interest or a hobby that draws on and satisfies your creative spirit (we all have this urge to create within us and this is expressed in different ways depending on our talents, abilities, knowledge, insight).
• Your contribution – helping others helps you. We are wired to feel good when we help others. Offer to mentor, to be an accountability partner or just be a considerate, attentive listener to someone else. Alternatively, do volunteer or charity work.
• Community spirit – build or join a community of positive-thinkers and share your experiences and expertise. Look for or create a networking group that supports working women’s self-development and fosters work-life balance.
• Your capacity to self-regulate – start a meditation practice (in particular a body scan meditation which involves progressive muscle relaxation), try out journalling and deep heart-centred breathing.
• Your self-love, by treating yourself to verbal/written compliments (write a self-love and self-appreciation journal daily or several times a week) and give yourself little gifts/rewards for achieving both minor and significant milestones. Listen to this self-love meditation I created.
• Your self-belief by saying positive, self-affirming affirmations: I am capable, I am strong and resilient, I appreciate myself, I am good with money, I manage my time effectively, I look after my health and know it to be an expression of self-love and self-worth. What I focus on, I grow.
• Your ability to manifest positive things in your life – start visualising morning, noon and night (best time is just before sleep or immediately after waking, when your subconscious mind is most receptive to positive manipulation from the conscious mind). But instead of thinking of your ideal life, think from your ideal life. Embody being the person who is in your ideal life scene: feel their feelings, their higher vibration energy of having everything they desire accomplished. Look at the big movie screen and also components of it (enact in your mind individual scenes or scenarios, injecting positive emotion into these). Einstein said imagination is more powerful than knowledge and is the “preview of life’s coming attractions”. I recommend you read Neville Goddard’s Awakened Imagination.

If you need more help or support in tackling a stressful situation or environment, do not hesitate to reach out and connect with me one on one. I do not have a medical or psychology degree or a counselling background, but I am trained in holistic therapies and as an Energy Alignment Method mentor (someone who specialises in releasing resistant energy from the head, heart and body and guides you to embrace a more positive, higher vibrational state).

I thought it appropriate to release a post in the run-up to National Feet Week about the incredible power of your feet to tell a story. Did you know that a person’s entire life history is recorded on their feet? Your feet harbour and express a secret language all of their own.

Visual vs Palpation Reflexology

I’m currently studying Visual Reflexology – something I’e been meaning to do for the past year or so. I intend, with client consent, to gradually integrate this into my standard reflexology practice.

Standard reflexology is different in that it is about touching and feeling the reflex of the feet – what reflexologists call “palpation”. Visual reflexology on the other hand is more about recognising the appearance, contours, structure, shape, colouration, markings and patterns on your feet and using these as visual clues to interpret your personality as well as gain some insight into your current and past health, physical and sometimes emotional.

Personality Foot Reading (Solestry)

Are your feet inverted and tense or are they loose and relaxed? Inward-turned and tense feet could be a sign that you are a shy or retiring person. If they are loose and more outward turned, it could be an indication that you are more outgoing and laissez-faire, i.e. easy-going.

Are your arches high or low? High could mean that you are independent and self-sufficient. Low arches on the other hand indicate that you are practical, but possibly look to others for decision-making guidance or provide a suggestion that you need to use your imagination more.

Jane Sheehan is an expert in personality foot reading, what she has called “Solestry”.

The Energy Story of the Feet

From my point of view as an energy healer, I’m more interested in what the energy story is of the feet – what picture do they paint of you from a physical and emotional health aspect?

Even a verruca (or any other type of viral infection), whilst on the surface suggesting a low immune system, could indicate some other underlying story, depending on which reflex the verruca is positioned on the foot.

Cracked heels could mean that you have obstacles in your path and that your roots are not stable. Or you may feel torn in different directions.

Swollen or puffy feet (apart from indicating a lymph flow issue) could suggest that you’re holding back and need to express your emotions and resolve past issues or burdens.

When I’ve worked with people in my energy coaching capacity to release limiting beliefs often associated with past emotional upsets and pain, I’ve inadvertently helped them resolve physical conditions, such as restless leg syndrome, or lower back pain. It’s because we’re highly complex creatures with an intricate emotional mind-body energy system of cause and effect and biofeedback loops.

Energy Chain Reaction

Things do not appear by magic on the feet. We certainly know this as reflexologists, because there is a whole intricate map of reflexes on the feet correlating to different body areas. Changes in the cells of the foot reflex correspond to changes in the cell of the body area that corresponds to that reflex. It’s a fascinating area of study. So there’s a whole chain reaction of prior events leading up to the energy change and the change in physical appearance of the foot reflex.

Significantly, energy we know is always in flux and is circular – it moves up from the foot reflex to the organ and not just down from the organ to the reflex. So the surprising conclusion is that external wounds on the feet will affect the corresponding part of the body connected to that reflex.

Variations and Anomalies

Moreover, the same condition can present itself visually in one client differently from another. This is because each person has a different genetic code and medical history as well as personality. Anomalies can occur as a result of different lifestyles and emotional experiences, including the person’s ability to handle emotional triggers.

Anomalies and variations in the appearance of the feet are invariably the result of imbalances in the energetic field of that person.

The Whole Story

After reading the Biology of Belief (Dr Bruce Lipton), You Can Heal Your Life (Louise Hay) and the Molecules of Emotion (Dr Candace Pert), I’ve understood there is an interesting correlation between the mind, the emotions and the body. There is an energy transference that cannot be ignored.

Therefore, to have a fuller picture of any of my clients’ health, it’s important to understand the circular transference of energy and attempt to understand cause and effect. Often our physical symptoms mask an emotional story.

Do your feet have a story to tell? Please comment and share.