Reflexology, Stress and the Immune System
This could be an article on any health paradigm – wellness or disease. That’ s seeing the immune ( a. k. a. the lymphatic ) system is the first line of defense for all that ails us and keeps us well.
Understanding the Immune System, Chronic Conditions and How to Command Them
The immune system is tied for protecting the body from visible influences, removing metabolic wastes and facilitating the ebb and flow of interstitial fluids. It identifies bacteria and viruses as well as pathogen cells which may adversely affect the body and helps to eliminate them. If the body is a garden, then the immune system is the fence and the gate which protects this garden from intruders.
Like most living things our immune system consists of different elements: proteins, cells, fluids, tissues and organs as well. All of these combine together to function as a system with the singular plan: keeping the body safe from potential harm. Parts of the body involved include the spleen, the bone nucleus, the lymph nodes and T - cells ( which mature in the thymus ) all which perform very important functions.
Our immune systems evolve as we age in distribution for the body to adjust and combat new pathogens. A healthy immune system is the foundation for health in an odd. And, we all know that stress plays a part in our immune function and in consequence reducing stress may quicken the process with which the immune system can function to our benefit.
Any disorder in the immune system is a concern. Disease can be particularly harmful in riveting the body when the immune system is at a less than optimal level. A amount of chronic conditions affect people with a lackadaisical immune system too. Some immunodeficiency diseases may close when the body reacts to pharmaceuticals, an infection or even as a determination of a genetic disease.
On the other hand, when the immune system performs beside oneself actively, it tends to attack contrastive healthy tissues as if they were pathogens or foreign organisms. In this case we have diseases of the immune system which may decision and which is known as autoimmune disease including rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus type 1 and lupus erythematosus. All of these affect the human body in their own way and the conditions may range from mild to downright unbearable.
Any essence that affects the human immune system will true go-ahead a person weak and sometimes painful to a debilitating degree. They influence the ability to sleep, go to work, to the quality of life in general.
All immune system diseases need medical attention, and so, there will always be a team in place.
Diet and exercise can help gorge some of the symptoms of the chronic conditions. Of course I add reflexology to the help victual owing to when stress is flat, figure in the body not only functions better but, has a better chance for rejuvenation ( or a return to homeostasis ).
In the case of painful individuality like arthritis, exercise or range of motion techniques may not seem like the thing to do but in mind, doctors have suggested that exercise with such conditions has immense benefits. Other benefits receive increasing bone and muscle strength and increasing energy levels. Exercises like mobile, yoga, tai chi, ( cycling and jogging which are more advanced ) should be done with doctor driver's seat.
And, people should get to be consistent with their comparable health protocols such as moderate exercises and chin music from overdoing instrument. Summon up as with any advanced disease stages a person must get their doctors permission before embarking on any identical health routines including exercise and / or reflexology. It’ s also best to exercise when the pain level is at its lowest. It’ s a good thing to build up gradually and not to overwhelm you by trying to do too much, too this day.
If you’ re thinking about your reflexology, ( and I am too ) this is exactly what we do, start slow and gently and gradually increase the amounts of time and / or pressure.
Just as with the diet a person adopts it’ s a crucial element of well - being that the diet should be geared towards fulfilling certain goals.
I have long contended that reflexology should also be geared to fulfilling certain goals.
So what does that penurious for reflexologists?
One of the most powerful things we do in our reflexology is to connect to the liquor tides. Not in the way that massage does. No, in a more subtle “ conversational” way through the touch that is native in our reflexology.
Now, let’ s go likewise. I’ m talking about the touch that is gentle, biddable, touch that is about the nerve center, the concentration, the listening and being non - invasive. What I’ ve just described here - our reflexology alternating mold and finger walking fretfulness. The dwarf incremental “ bites” as we inch along, stopping to note even the most minute changes in tissue meat.
That’ s the touch I’ m words about.
But there’ s weighty more, decisive greater than the weight of all our concentration and safe, dove-like touch.
There’ s a symphony of movement beneath our thumbs, there are rivers and streams, canals and tributaries all moving in their rhythms, their orchestrated ebbs and flows.
The secretion that is moving there, unbefitting our ply and finger tips is busy installment the body by transporting and removing metabolic unnecessary, waste, fluids, lymphocytes, pathogens… the brochure of events goes on.
And we’ re speaking in a perfect world here. What if things get thickheaded? What if, as John Sarno states, ( Heal Your Back Pain ) there is congestion created in the body by trauma, injury but also emotions and thoughts?
What’ s a body to do?
You know I’ m going to say Reflexology…
And, as a reflexologist, you also know this is what we’ ll polestar on - the lymphatic system reflexes: the groin lymph reflexes - located around the ankle bones, introductory aspect; the axillary lymph reflexes - located between the webs of the toes, dorsal angle; the spleen ( largest lymphoid in the body ) reflex - located midway between the lengths of the 4th & 5th metatarsal shafts, plantar angle; and the thyroid reflex - located at the society of the 1st metatarsals, medial attribute.
I detail these reflexes at smallest once in every convention.
Okay, you know that. What you might not know is that congestion in any area can be further investigated.
How?
By listening to the bones – in reflexology, I call it “ Foot Whispering”.
If the bones are hard and tight, ( every bone has its own range of motion ) then there is a pull in the connective tissue ultimately. That pull is impeding the structure elsewhere to alteration in it’ s natural flow or it’ s homeostatic rhythm.
These pulls or adhesions can sick influence the liquor tides of the body. And, a possible byproduct is “ congestion”.
Now all this is happening on the most subtle of layers and I would never try to manually reflex any change to any of these body structures. This is the job of a medical know stuff.
But we, as reflexologists, also live in the land of attention and intention. Many would say that’ s the most powerful place to be.
So for your next client showdown, and the next one and the next one, bring your attention to the level of the bones. It’ s the deepest, densest layer of the body that concept deeper floats on.
Put your ear to the ground and listen. Be attentive, just listen.
Hear the whispers and you’ ll be agitated at the power of the shifts that will occur.
© Wendy I. Coad
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