03/14/2017 / By Amy Goodrich
Our lives certainly aren’t getting any less stressful, and more and more people are stepping away from health damaging, addictive drugs like Xanax to calm their nerves, and are instead healing themselves through natural remedies.
Reflexology or “zone therapy” is a natural treatment that has successfully been used since ancient times to fight pain, relieve stress and rebalance the inner self. What’s more, you don’t need fancy equipment or an hour of expensive therapy to get the job done; it only takes five minutes of your time, and can be practiced anytime and anywhere.
Since as far back as 4000 B.C., Chinese and Egyptian healers used foot and hand massage therapies to improve conditions of the body and mind. While the technique flourished in ancient Japan, it took until the early 1900s before the method was introduced in the U.S. by an American doctor, William H. Fitzgerald. He discovered that zone therapy not only relieved pain, but also relieved its underlying cause. (RELATED: Stay informed about more natural remedies at Remedies.news)
While there aren’t many scientific studies backing up this alternative way of healing, it has helped millions of people worldwide to cope with the stress modern life creates. Reflexologists attribute various illnesses to blocked forces of energy fields. Stimulating certain areas in the hands and feet allow vital energy to flow freely to initiate the healing process and balance the inner self.
Before therapy, a reflexologist will ask about your full medical history, since the aim is to find the root cause and treat the whole body rather than just soothing the symptoms. During a session, they may use massage oils, wooden sticks, rubber balls or other equipment to apply pressure to certain points on the hands or feet.
These one- to two-month treatment plans include reflexology sessions that take anywhere from half an hour to an hour. However, depending on the severity of your issues, it’s also possible to learn how to administer these pain and stress-relieving reflexology techniques yourself from the comfort of your home.
While this ancient method is a powerful, natural, holistic and non-invasive way to take stress away, The Hearty Soul recommends patience, as its effects may not kick in straight away; for some it might, but others will need more time to feel the benefits.
As reported by The Hearty Soul, every finger is related to a particular attitude or feeling. The index fingers house feelings of fear. The middle fingers are connected with resentment and anger, while the ring fingers combat sadness or depression and encourage decisiveness. Finally, our pinky fingers are related to optimism and self-confidence, as well as reducing feelings of stress and anxiety.
To rebalance your energy and fight feelings of stress, take hold of your thumb or pinky with the opposite hand. Wrap all your fingers, thumb included, around the thumb or pinky and hold for one to two minutes. When you feel a pulsing sensation in your hand, you know it is taking effect. Repeat the process for the other fingers.
Also, to calm your mind, push into the center of your palm with the thumb of the opposite hand. Apply pressure for at least one minute to find inner peace. While you need some pressure for reflexology or zone therapy to do its magic, it should never hurt. If you feel pain, it is important to apply less pressure or loosen your grip. (RELATED: Follow more news about mind techniques for stress relief at Mind.news)
Regularly practicing these two simple stress-relieving techniques will help you to stay calm and balanced in life. Need some more help? Watch the video below for more information.
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Tagged Under: hand reflexology, inner balance, massage, reflexology, stress, stress relief, zone therapy
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