The Benefits Of Light Touch Baby Reflexology
How can learning light touch baby reflexology benefit you and your family? It took me almost a year to realize the amazing benefits of reflexology for my own children... and I'm a reflexologist!
Reflexology is a technique where the foot is representative of the entire body, with reflexes corresponding to every organ, gland and part of the body. Pressure is rhythmically applied to these areas to generate immense relaxation, restoring energy flow and helping the body to rid itself of any toxins. Reflexology has been found to reduce blood pressure, relieve pain, improve circulation, boost the immune system, to name just a few benefits. LTBR uses lighter pressure and the techniques are more specific to a baby’s needs.
I qualified as a Certified Reflexologist in 2008. My daughter was four years old at the time and my twin boys were two. Bedtime for the boys was dreaded, the bane of my life. Getting my boys to stay in their beds and go to sleep was nothing short of a nightmare. Granted, it made evenings a positive experience in the exercise department; my husband and I would be up and down the stairs at least fifteen times to settle the boys. The alternative was duct taping them to their beds (joking), or one of us silently guarding their bedroom door for an undisclosed, indefinite and seemingly never ending amount of time. We were tired, frazzled and fed up.
I don’t quite remember how it occurred to me but one night, some months into the nightmare, I had an epiphany and honed in on the “high maintenance” of my two cheeky monkeys (who were literally jumping on the bed). I mustered up all of the calm energy that I could in the circumstances and carried out a gentle mini reflexology treatment on his cute, pudgy little feet. The effects were almost immediate. His eyes got that glassy look, his body relaxed and he lay there as I did the same for his brother. I held my breath and slowly backed out of the room, pausing outside their door in slight disbelief. That night, my daughter and I resumed uninterrupted bedtime stories for the first time in months and my husband and I got to have a conversation, relax and watch a complete show. Who knew that four minutes of reflexology could bring so much relief! The following evening, my boys lay on their beds, held their feet in the air and asked for “fixology”. We never looked back, “fixology” was incorporated into the evening wind down routine and bedtime stress became a thing of the past.
It was at this point that I began to research the benefits of reflexology specifically for children. I took a certification class through a well-known teacher in the United Kingdom and I soon came to realize that this wonderful modality can benefit children at every stage and have a variety of benefits. My own children were well beyond the baby stage but had I known, I would have used the techniques to help with colic and teething pain and would have totally avoided the months of bedtime stress by using reflexology to establish healthy sleeping patterns right from the start. I am however, thankful that I discovered the benefits when I did as I have incorporated them into every stage of my children’s development so far. It has benefited them on all levels, not just the physical. As well as helping boost their immune systems, relieve cold symptoms and unexplained tummy pains, it also calms them down after evening soccer practices, comforts them when they are stressed about exams or school and in a busy, and sometimes chaotic household where the kids are becoming more independent, it simply reinforces that nurturing, healing, loving connection between us.
If you like the sound of learning some useful reflexology techniques that will help you to soothe your little one to sleep, ease their tummy or teething pains, calm them when they are stressed, boost their immune system, avert tantrums, lower your own blood pressure (yes, literally), give you that precious one on one time, restore peace, love and harmony in your home... you get the idea, visit my Facebook page or email me and find out when my next monthly workshop will be taking place.
- Sara Farrell, Certified Reflexologist (Sole Reflexions)