We had a great time reading the feet in my SOLE STORIES: Health & Personality Cues Revealed by the Feet workshop this past weekend. There were 11 reflexologists in attendance. On Saturday we focused more on reading the foot shape and health cues and on Sunday we looked at accessing the emotions in the feet and performed toe reading. Here are some comments I received:

"The class was extremely enlightening and will help with my reflexology. My approach to assessing is different now...."

"Great presentation - Kristen has compiled knowledge from multiple sources and presented it well."

"Another excellent class that is preparing me to offer clients the depth of info in a session that I imagined I'd be able to offer clients. This is definitely a class I would consider essential to a professional reflexologist...."

I'm teaching Reflexology for Family & Friends, a 3-week introduction to reflexology to be held on Mondays, March 28, April 4 and April 11 from 7 - 8:30 p.m. There is a $20 donation per class. Here's the course description:

Reflexology for Friends and Family is a 3-week introduction to reflexology, an acupressure-based modality for the feet and hands that brings the body back into balance. You will understand the benefits of reflexology, learn how to correlate the body to the feet and hands, and practice basic techniques to perform a reflexology session for your loved ones.

Sharon Kay is hosting this at her home in Joppa. The address is 539 MacIntosh Circle, Joppa, MD 21085. If you're interested in attending, please contact me or Sharon Kay at shiatsushar@comcast.net.

Brenda and I attended A Wedding Soiree! Luxury Bridal Show representing Good Foot Brides on Saturday, March 5. The event was hosted by Bianca Samone Events and held at the Radisson Lord Baltimore Hotel in Baltimore. A pretty swanky affair, there were delicious hors d'oeurves and great music.

We worked on several soon to be married couples. No one had tried reflexology before and everyone was melting out of the chairs by the time we completed the sessions. We got a lot of great feedback and hopefully some potential business.

SOLE STORIES: Health & Personality Cues Revealed by the Feet will be held March 26 - 27. Here's a course overview:

Uncover the physical and emotional health secrets the feet hold! This 2-day continuing education course is for reflexologists, bodyworkers, energy therapists and wellness practitioners wishing to deepen their client assessments through foot reading. 

 Course Objectives:
~ Gain an introduction to major foot reading theories and methods
~ Identify 5 foot shapes based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) five elements
~ Discover foot reading from a reflex and meridian perspective
~ Understand the emotional symbolism of common foot conditions
~ Learn the symbolism of each toe and how to asses the toes for signs of endocrine imbalance, sinusitis and brain stress
~ Identify emotions reflected in regions of the foot and access them through simple mobilization and range of motion techniques
~ Learn the basics of foot glyphology assessing the fine lines, wrinkles, calluses and textures of the feet for health cues such as acid reflux, thyroid conditions, heart disease, breast cancer, digestive issues, mineral imbalances and internal pathogens
~ Examine feet for health and personality cues
~ Discuss ways to integrate foot reading into a bodywork or wellness practice
~ Practice foot reading

I've been asked a few questions about this course so here are my replies:
(1) Will the course be offered again later in the year? No, I plan to offer it only once a year in Maryland.
 
(2) Is this like the toe reading class that came to Maryland a few years ago? No, this is more health focused and meant to be used as an adjunct tool for reflexologists, bodyworkers, wellness practitioners and nutritionists. We will cover toe reading in class, but it is a subset of the class.
 
(3) Is the course approved for continuing education units? Yes, it is approved for 12 NCBTMB CE units and is now approved for 12 ARCB CE units.
 
(4) Why should I take this? Here's an example from my personal experience: I performed weekly reflexology sessions for a 70-year-old client and began to notice a callus forming in a particular region on the ball of her foot. This callus grew quickly and became more defined over the next 4 weeks. Upon questioning, the client said her health was fine and she hadn't noticed any changes - her doctor had given her a clean bill of health only 3 months before. Based on the visual cue on her foot, I suggested that she get her blood pressure checked again. She went back to the same doctor who put her on high blood pressure meds. They later discovered she had developed a heart murmur. In the SOLE STORIES course you will learn to identify cues NOT for diagnostic purposes but so you can make appropriate referrals for your clients or better serve them during their sessions. If you've taken my Acupoint Reflexology course, these cues will help you determine the most effective acupoints to balance.
 
(5) Do I need to purchase books for class? No, you will receive a detailed manual.There are resources I highly recommend for further study. See the slideshow below. 

The registration deadline is March 18 so if you're interested, let me know ASAP.

On Wednesday morning, March 2, Brenda and I traveled to WellAdvantage in Sykesville, MD to deliver reflexology sample sessions to the employees. WellAdvantage provides corporate wellness programs so it was nice that they received an in-house wellness treat! They all loved their 15 minute sessions and suggested it become a regular event. I received an email the next day from their office manager:

"Thank you so much for yesterday! You made everyone’s day! We really appreciate your taking the time to come out and treat us all to your specialty." 

I'm co-hosting with colleague, Brenda Morris, a Reflexology Study Group. This is a series of 90-minute information sessions exploring the fundamentals of reflexology through discussion and hands-on demonstration. These meetings will be open to the public and reflexology students are encouraged to participate. Please join us if you are:
 
(1) curious about reflexology
(2) a reflexology enthusiast
(3) a reflexology student

Our first meeting is Saturday, March 19 from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the Joy Wellness Center. We'll explore...

What reflexology is and isn't
Benefits of reflexology
History of reflexology
Foot mapping system - how to correlate the body to the feet
Thumb walking technique

In future meetings, we'll cover...

Relaxation techniques
Proper hand placement
Foot zones and mapping
Foot anatomy
Client documentation
Pacing and flow during sessions 

For more information, visit www.reflexstudygroup.weebly.com