Integrative Reflexology
There are over 100,000 nerve endings in each foot and we rely on them for recognizing terrain, temperature, and keeping our balance. Nerve impulses relay information to the brain, but when they’ve been compromised by crystals, deposits, or bound up tissue formed from shoes, hard floors, or congestion in the body, our feet can become numbed to that nerve information. Breaking these up will promote unimpeded energy flow of the nerve impulses allowing for a renewed sense of feeling and of “being” in our feet, and improve our balance. - Claire Marie Miller
Zone Theory
Zones have always been the basis for Reflexology. Similar to a grid, they map out points in the feet that correspond to other parts of the body. The foot on the Left shows the zones used in Integrative Reflexology as anatomically based and corresponding to the four cavities of the body - head & neck, thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic.
-Claire Marie Miller, Integrative Reflexology® Founder
Structural Alignment Theory
This diagram shows where the client is holding their fascial tension. For example, the shape of the medial arch in the feet relates to the alignment of the back and spine. A collapsed arch or swollen inner arch, near the heel, generally indicates sacral misalignment.
-Claire Marie Miller, Integrative Reflexology® Founder
Meridian Theory
Meridians are energy pathways through which Chi (life force energy) flows. The major meridians bein or end at the fingers and toes. The connection between meridians and reflexology is an important part of Integrative Reflexology. The meridians offer another way of stimulating the organs and bringing balance to the whole system - body, mind, and spirit - it honors the need for balance within ourselves in order to heal.
-Claire Marie Miller, Integrative Reflexology® Founder
Psychoneuroimmunology Theory
This theory is based on the connection between the nervous system, the immune system, and the emotions. The feet are one place in the body where we can access all three of these systems. This theory shows how an Integrative Reflexology session can simultaneously improve brain chemistry, activate a calming effect in the nervous system, and stimulate the lymph system to clear toxins out of our body.
-Claire Marie Miller, Integrative Reflexology® Founder