it’s your very first Reflexology treatment and you’re not sure what to expect. let me walk you through it

once you arrive at my studio, you will be asked to wash your hands in the available bathroom before making your way to the treatment room.

once you’re seated in a comfortable chair you are treated to a wonderful foot soak which helps to cleanse the feet, relax your body and mind, and begins the body’s detox process. while you are soaking we will review your intake form that you have completed electronically before attending my clinic.

once we’re all caught up and have together set our treatment priorities for this session, you make yourself comfortable on my zero gravity hydraulic massage table while i go down to wash my hands before the treatment begins. no need to disrobe for a Reflexology treatment.

you can expect 45-50 minutes of hands on treatment in a normal session. this time varies based on how long the discussion time is before you get on the table or your arrival time. this is why my initial consultations are 15 minutes longer, i want you to experience a full treatment each time so we allow for more time to talk in these first appointments.

the session will largely be focused on your feet, but i may move to different parts of your body (with permission ) to help release different parts of your system with acupressure.

after the session you will have a few minutes to yourself to “come back” as i once again leave the room to wash my hands and then we will discuss any questions you might have had, discuss any recommendations i might have for you and set your next appointment time, if you haven’t already done so online.

please be sure to wear loose pants that can be easily pulled up to the knees without restricting blood flow. other than that, come however you feel most comfortable. pajamas is fine too 😉

i look forward to seeing you.

i’ve spent a good part of the last 9 years of my life and career as a Reflexology Therapist researching barefoot lifestyle and overall improvement of health.

it would almost seem inconsequential that what we put on our feet (or not) could have a direct correlation to our health, but it’s absolutely true! just like what you put into your body as fuel has a direct impact on internal function. anyway that we constrict the natural movements and functions of our body will have a direct and negative impact on our overall health.

firstly, let me say that I’m not expecting you suddenly rip off your pointy toed heels and run marathons skin to pavement. in fact, this is the worst thing you can do to your feet. following accounts like @thefootcollective will help you educate yourself on the proper way to transition to a more barefoot type lifestyle.

so how does a barefoot lifestyle affect respiration and reduce stress response?

firstly, the very act of walking barefoot – unshod foot against natural surfaces – allows our body to become grounded with the earth which naturally starts a process of awareness of the body and it’s needs. your breath will immediately and subconsciously become deeper and longer. your shoulders will naturally disengage from your chin and will roll back to allow for deeper respiration.

over time, as you spend more time in barefoot platform shoes or unshod entirely, your toes will begin to retake their natural splayed form. look at a babies foot. the toes are naturally wider than any other part of the foot, there are no toes pointed inward or tucked underneath other toes there are no hammer toes or bunions on babies. just a beautiful natural fan of toes crowning the entire foot.

that space between the toes – and listen to me here – that space between your toes actually expands your lung capacity and allows for deeper breath AND actually puts more time between your thoughts!

so in your quest to manage the stress response in your body, in addition to all the things we discussed in parts 1-4 of this series, consider spending more time barefoot… particularly in nature or on natural surfaces.

#reflexology #reflexologytherapist #reflexologycanada #rcrt #winnipegreflexology #winnipeg #ayurveda #tcm #studioon27 #herbalism #fertility #pregnancy #yoga #stress #anxiety #massage #theresreflexologyforthat #magnesiumlotion #transdermalmagnesium #magnesiumdeficient #reflexologybalm #footbalm #sleep #relax #heal #breathe #justbreathe #barefoot #barefootlifestyle

in parts 1-3 of this series we discussed the effects and affects of rapid or shallow breathing on the stress response in your body. we also discussed the benefits of deep breathing for the above and on day 3 we led you through a deep breathing exercise you can take with you anywhere.

today we are going to discuss how Reflexology can help your body more quickly recover from shallow breathing and move forward with deeper more healing breath.

as previously discussed (see @studio.on.27 to catch up on posts 1-3), respiration is the only autonomic function which can be controlled by the conscious and the unconscious. so while you are busy working on conscious thought of deep breathing, Reflexology helps with the unconscious part.

using advanced Reflexology protocols we are able to reconnect the brain stem, the autonomic nervous system, the vagus nerve, the phrenic nerve & plexus and the diaphragm so that all things work together in perfect (or better at least) harmony.

did you know, for example, that 90% of the vagus nerve function is to relay information from your body back up to the brain and only 10% of that function is relaying information from the brain to the body? Reflexology links the vagus nerve & diaphragm back together so those information highways flow clear and uncongested.

and there is also new evidence showing the phrenic nerve connects to our adrenal glands via the phrenic ganglions which travel directly through our diaphragm muscle!

and what other muscle is attached to the diaphragm and spinal cord but our psoas muscles! the very core of our being and emotions.

Using advanced Reflexology protocols we ensure all of these organs and systems in the body are communicating with each other to improve respiration and reduce the overall stress response in your body over an extended period of time.

Isnt teamwork AMAZING? Tomorrow you can follow me off the cliff as I discuss how a barefoot lifestyle can help rehabilitate your breath.

reflexology #reflexologytherapist #reflexologycanada #rcrt #winnipegreflexology #winnipeg #ayurveda #tcm #studioon27 #herbalism #fertility #pregnancy #yoga #stress #anxiety #massage #theresreflexologyforthat #magnesiumlotion #transdermalmagnesium #magnesiumdeficient #reflexologybalm #footbalm #sleep #relax #heal #breathe #justbreathe #breathwork #barefoot #barefootlifestyle

in the past 2 days we have reviewed shallow or rapid breathing and it’s connection and creation of a stress response in your body. we have also discovered the benefits of deep breathing for stress response and optimal performance of your body’s systems and functions. head to my bio at @studio.on.27 to catch up if you just got here. we will wait 😉

today we are going to lead you through a breathwork meditation (training) from _ at @_soulstoked . shows us how to reset our breathing. This meditation can be done anywhere, seated standing or lying down, in an office chair or a dentist chair, at a dinner party or on your living room couch.

save this post, refer back to it tomorrow and tomorrow’s tomorrow etc until you are an old pro and guiding your body through stress with breath.

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Hit the pause button.
Stop scrolling.
Save this post in case you need it again later.
Check in.
How do you feel?

Now take a big Breath in through your mouth deep into your belly.
When your belly is full, breathe up into your chest…
Hold at the top…
You’ve got this…
Just a few more seconds….
Exhale.
Again!
Deep breath in through the mouth deep down filling up your belly – allow the belly to expand with your inhale.
Now breathe up into the chest…
Exhale.
One more time big belly breath…
Up into the chest…
Exhale.

Now check in again.
How do you feel now?
Calmer, lighter, more grounded?

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thank you @_soulstoked for sharing that lovely training with us so freely. 💕

join me tomorrow as i discuss how REFLEXOLOGY can help reconnect your breath and reduce the stress response in your body.

#reflexology #reflexologytherapist #reflexologycanada #rcrt #winnipegreflexology #winnipeg #ayurveda #tcm #studioon27 #herbalism #fertility #pregnancy #yoga #stress #anxiety #massage #theresreflexologyforthat #magnesiumlotion #transdermalmagnesium #magnesiumdeficient #reflexologybalm #footbalm #sleep #relax #heal #breathe #justbreathe #breathwork

yesterday we discussed shallow or rapid breathing, both an effect and affector of the stress response in your body. head back to my link in bio (@studio.on.27) to catch that post

respiration holds a unique position in our physiology because it is the only autonomic function which can also easily be controlled by willpower! breathing connects our conscious and subconscious minds and is closely related to functions of the heart (Touchpoint Denmark). during inspiration the sympathetic activity goes up and the heart rate increases. when we expire the opposite happens and the heart rate goes down.

so then it goes to logic that taking long slow inhalations with an even longer slower exhalation would reduce the stress response in our body.

so we know shallow breathing (or more than 10-12 breaths in one minute) is bad for us – so how do we retrain our body to breathe deeper? and what are some of the benefits of deep breathing?

deep breathing allows you to gain more oxygen which allows you to expel more carbon dioxide at every out breath. this is why it is important to have a longer exhalation than inhalation, ridding your body of what is poison to it.

deep breathing is a natural relaxer. just by thinking about deep breathing you are more in tune with your body and it’s needs in the moment and better able to attend to it. deep breathing also relieves pain, stimulates the lymphatic system (detoxifies the body and requires breath and movement to work), improves immunity, increases energy, lowers blood pressure and improves digestion! AMAZING!

tomorrow we will look at a breathwork meditation that we can do any time to help retrain our breathwork and reduce the stress responses in our body.

#reflexology #reflexologytherapist #reflexologycanada #rcrt #winnipegreflexology #winnipeg #ayurveda #tcm #studioon27 #herbalism #fertility #pregnancy #yoga #stress #anxiety #massage #theresreflexologyforthat #magnesiumlotion #transdermalmagnesium #magnesiumdeficient #reflexologybalm #footbalm #sleep #relax #heal #breathe #justbreathe

have you ever counted your chest rise and falls within a minute? did you know that the non-stressed person inhales and exhales an average of 10-12 times per minute?

rapid or shallow respiration is a key identifier in stress. and it only takes 10 seconds to diagnose. if you are taking breaths 2-3 times in that 10 seconds, your body is definitely identifying with stress, even if you are not consciously aware of it. small shallow breaths followed by deep sighing breaths is also an indicator of stress response in the body.

shallow breathing disrupts the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide, which keeps the right amount of oxygen coming in and equal amounts of carbon dioxide going out.

shallow breathing increases blood pressure and increases heart rate (important if you are in real physical danger, not so important in 99.9% of your day)

shallow breathing leads to a reduction in exercise of the respiratory muscles which equates to reduced physical ability, reduced endurance and quicker winding.

shallow breathing also causes sleep issues, complicating fatigue experienced by not breathing effectively with the respiratory muscles which leads to—or exacerbates—pain, including headaches and pain in the neck and upper back due to the disengagement of the diaphragm.

tomorrow we will discuss deep breathing and how to retrain your body to take deeper breaths

reflexology #reflexologytherapist #reflexologycanada #rcrt #winnipegreflexology #winnipeg #ayurveda #tcm #studioon27 #herbalism #fertility #pregnancy #yoga #stress #anxiety #massage #theresreflexologyforthat #magnesiumlotion #transdermalmagnesium #magnesiumdeficient #reflexologybalm #footbalm #sleep #relax #heal #breathe #justbreathe

welcome to part 4 of my oxytocin series. if you missed parts 1-3 you can scroll up in my profile ( @studio.on.27 ) to catch up

previously we discussed what oxytocin does for the body, how it can reduce stress signals in the body, which parts of the body are responsible for oxytocin production, and some ways you can increase your oxytocin levels to help yourself reduce stress.

Reflexology helps in oxytocin production, and by proxy stress reduction, in so many different ways.

Reflexology is a hands on touch therapy. Prolonged periods of touch between client and practitioner naturally stimulates the flow of oxytocin, the “touch hormone”. And in that prolonged period of therapeutic touch, the endocrine system is balanced, the autonomic nervous system is addressed, the cardio-pulmonar plexus is relaxed, the digestive system is worked deeply and thoroughly. Chakras are balanced, the vagus nerve and phrenic plexus … every part of the person where oxytocin could be produced is addressed, stimulated or sedated as needed, creating the best possible environment for oxytocin to thrive.

Deep and prolonged experienced of reduced stress and calm are actualized by clients who have sought Reflexology for stress reduction. And in a world where we cannot always change our stressful situation (work, relationships, health, finances etc..) the next best thing is to help our bodies manage the stress in the most effective manner. Reflexology is that most effective manner.

in the previous 2 days we have looked at what Oxytocin is, what it does for your body, and where it comes from. if you didn’t catch those posts, head over to my blog roll to catch up, then come back! today we are looking at how to get you sooooooome!

oxytocin, known to be released in our body in large amounts when we are touched or receive manual therapies such as massage or Reflexology, is also released when we share a meal with someone (yes, even a business lunch is never free), or even when we are exposed to romantic engagements such as a wedding or dancing.

they did a study once on oxytocin levels at a wedding. bloods were drawn on all of the attendees throughout the event. the bride’s levels were highest, and then levels of those within a few feet of her were next and then as they went farther and farther away from the bride the levels dropped, yet everyone in that event had elevated levels of oxytocin … a phenomenon known as hearth math.

but did you know that intakes of fatty foods or stimulants like alcohol and tobacco also raise oxytocin? This is one of the reasons they are so addictive. (hopefully this makes it easier for you to understand and be compassionate towards addictive behaviours.)

it’s also been shown that estrogen increases the effects of oxytocin. and while both sexes have estrogen present in their systems, xx chromosomal people (women) tend to have much higher quantities which would then translate into a heightened oxytocin experience in almost every situation. or put differently, oxytocin stimulates the female aspects of the human being; what we have come to equate as more “female” behaviours.

a large amount of things can be done to stimulate the release of oxytocin into the blood and thereby reduce the stress response, but some of the most important are: Human Touch, REFLEXOLOGY, Exercise, Massage, Acupuncture, Meditation,
Positive Thinking, Sex, Bliss (Touchpoint Denmark)

Join us tomorrow as we wrap it all up with a big shiny bow.

yesterday we talked about what oxytocin does in our body – beyond child birth and lactation. (if you haven’t had a chance to read it, pop back to my bio and pick it up from there @studio.on.27)

but what organ is responsible for oxytocin production?

until recently, science thought that the hypothalamus was responsible for oxytocin production and that it was secreted into the blood stream by the posterior pituitary gland. and while that may be a major contributor to oxytocin in the system, we now also know that “oxytocin can be found in controls and processes in many other parts of the body. it is even manufactured in tissues outside of the brain, the heart and probably functions as a neurotransmitter” (Touchpoint Denmark)

so knowing what oxytocin can all do for us and knowing it is produced in many organs/cells in the body – we can also extrapolate that there would be a multitude of ways to naturally increase the levels of oxytocin in our body for longer periods of time to help with overall health and well being – but more importantly ; with regards to the focus of this series, for STRESS REDUCTION.

join us tomorrow to see how to get more of this magic hormone.

oxytocin, commonly known as the “love hormone” or the “touch hormone” is commonly spoken of in terms of birth and breast/chest feeding – but it is far more dynamic and far more intricate than those two purposes. oxytocin does so much more than make us feel loved or help us in childbirth.

it is a growth hormone, responsible in part for uptake of nutrient, cell division, healing & repair, weight gain.

it has expelling effects in the situation of the uterus and mammary glands.

it helps with extrovert behaviour supporting curiosity and less fear, mothering, social interaction, selective social memory and even sexuality.

oxytocin does have a short term stress effect in raised cortisol levels and increased heart rate/blood pressure, but higher oxytocin levels over time have an anti-stress effect and support rest/relaxation, raised pain threshold, lower cortisol levels, lower blood pressure and heart rate.

oxytocin also supports a stronger immune system and has an influence on appetite and thirst.

join us for part two tomorrow when we discuss where oxytocin comes from and how to get more of it

source: The Oxytocin Factor, Kerstin Unvas Moberg, Perseus 2003