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Preface

Before reading the book, please take note of a few important details about its contents.

The Intention of the Book

It is not possible to address everything that can be seen on the feet in this book, nor to understand its significance, nor even at times to be certain that I am correct in my opinion. My main aim is to provide hypotheses that will encourage discussion amongst reflexologists about foot reading, of which much has been written from the perspective of other modalities, such as the meridians and chakras and then applied to the reflexes, but very little based directly on reflexology itself.

Visual Reflexology is the only method that does this, and using it is simple and of such value that it should be taught to all reflexology students. Although there is still a lack of training available, using foot reading is gradually becoming more mainstream, and schools are starting to teach it as part of their basic curriculum. I hope that by writing this book, I am helping to make that standard throughout the reflexology world.

Some reflexologists have been using foot reading for years, but many others are complete beginners, so the book has been written with that in mind. It contains a great deal of information which is intended to be read through in the sequence in which it is presented. However, it can equally be used as a reference book when the therapist is faced with something visually that they do not understand. This way, I hope that all reflexologists, whether beginners or those with many years of experience, will be able to learn something of value.

Visual Reflexology and ‘Diagnosing’

Like all aspects of reflexology, foot reading is not to be used for clinical diagnoses. (If a photo in the book is described as a medical condition, it is because it has been clinically diagnosed as such.) However, throughout the book I make what I would call ‘Reflexology diagnoses’, i.e. using what I see on the reflexes to decide, and then describe, more precisely how the body is imbalanced and therefore how to work on that client.

This is no different to how reflexologists assess and use what we feel on the feet, and we must similarly use caution in whether and how we relay any of it to clients. Conversely, sharing our findings in books like this and opening them up for discussion amongst ourselves is an important facet of developing our profession. The ‘Reflexology diagnoses’ I have made based on my observations are part of this, and the most important thing is to use them to discuss and develop foot reading from a reflexology perspective, to add to the knowledge we have gained previously from other modalities.

Photos in the Book

The photos are mostly my own; hence, they are not always of the highest quality. Nevertheless, I hope they are suitable for their intended purposes, i.e., to inform and educate, as I could not have produced the book without them. In many photos, evidence of other foot conditions can be seen beside the ones I refer to in the associated text. This is because I only cover those related to the subject matter of that chapter. Other visual markers are covered in the chapter most relevant to their condition.

Because of the challenges in explaining how joint misalignments appear in the feet, I have used colour annotations on the photos in the first couple of chapters. After this I leave the photos unmarked in order to encourage the reader to develop their own foot reading abilities.

Videos in the Book

In addition to the written content, the book contains QR codes which take the reader directly to over a dozen videos of reflexology techniques based on the appearance of the reflexes. These codes are found in the chapter covering the aspect of foot reading where the technique is most relevant. However, there is no need for a specific problem to be present to use any of them. For ease of viewing, there is a list of all the videos’ QR codes and their accompanying text in chapter 21. This includes a couple of additional videos on foot reading for fertility from the eBook.

Reading the Hands and Face

Visual Reflexology can also be used on the hands and face. However, reading the reflexes in these areas is best left to reflexologists specialising in these fields; consequently, this book focuses entirely on the feet.

Reflex Placement

The Reflexes

As reflexologists, one of the most significant challenges we face both as individual therapists and within our profession generally, is that we use a wide variety of reflex charts. Personally, I do not have a strong affinity for any particular chart, nor do I think it is essential to follow only one. Instead, I aim to demonstrate that by using the methods shown in the book, all reflexologists can learn to read the feet in a similar way regardless of where they may place the reflexes.

However, it is impossible to write about the reflexes without giving at least approximate placements, and throughout the book I have used what I believe to be their most commonly given sites. If a placement differs from what you have been taught (or believe because of your own experience), remember that when foot reading, charts are not necessarily of prime importance, and I hope you will still be able to learn as much as you would have if I had referred to a reflex as being in the same place as you consider it to be.

Dorsal/Plantar Aspects

It is not only the charting of individual reflexes that causes disagreement. Some reflexology schools teach that the plantar aspect of the foot relates to the anterior and inner body, and the dorsal to its posterior. While others teach the reverse: the plantar foot relates to the posterior and inner body, and the dorsal shows its front. I was taught the latter, and I refer to the aspects of the feet as reflecting this throughout the book. However, as explained in more detail in a later chapter, rather than a flat 2D map of the organs, the feet actually show a microcosmic 3D representation of the entire body.

So, just as energy flows between the anterior and posterior body, it likewise flows between the dorsal and plantar aspects of the feet. This means that it doesn’t matter which aspect of the foot you were taught or believe relates to which side of the body. The foot reading methods shown in the book can still be used whether you are working on conditions seen on the plantar or dorsal aspect; the effects of a treatment based on foot reading observations still pass through to the reflexes in that part of the foot.

Before I begin the book, I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who has assisted me. A special thanks to all the reflexologists who have participated in my Visual Reflexology workshops and Facebook group. I have learned so much from you.

A special thanks to my reflexology colleagues Kristen Radden in the U.S., Andrea Foster (andrea-foster.com) in Newbury, U.K., and Felicity Bevell at (soletransformations.co.uk) in London, who helped edit the blog on which the book was based.

And extra especially to Ron, who let me rant when the computer said No.

Chapter 1

Introduction to Visual Reflexology

The Story the Feet Can Tell

As reflexologists, we know that a client’s health is reflected in microcosm in their feet, and the entire history of their well being can be felt on their reflexes. It is less well known that the feet likewise provide a visual record of this and that their appearance gives us an enormous amount of additional information.

If we don’t know how to read the feet, we miss out on a significant part of ‘The Story the Feet Can Tell’, as Eunice Ingham so aptly described it, and the full potential of our therapy is not realised. It was my understanding of this that led to my study of foot reading and the writing of this book. In this introductory chapter, I will look at the basis of Visual Reflexology, from what messages the feet are giving us, to the science behind it all.

Visual Reflexology and Foot Reading

Visual Reflexology not only covers the use of foot reading during a treatment but also its place within a reflexology practice and the profession generally. It is not intended to reduce the need for palpation or communication with clients, but rather to enhance them. It also observes the client’s body language, not only the appearance of their feet.

Unlike other foot reading methods, Visual Reflexology is based entirely in the physically identifiable reflexes of Western anatomy and physiology, and so provides a natural foundation in foot reading for those who have learned reflexology using this system. There is no need for additional study of other medical or philosophical systems to understand it as all the references used are already within the reader’s existing sphere of knowledge. So all reflexologists trained in the Ingham method, including students, can fully understand it.

Using Sight and Touch Together

Many things can be seen that cannot be felt, such as lines, broken capillaries, colour, and so on, and they all provide reflexologists with important information if their significance is understood. However, it still remains true that our hands feel textures which reveal things our eyes cannot see. Therefore, we gain the deepest understanding of a client’s health not by relying solely on touch or sight, but by combining the knowledge from both.

Learning To Foot Read

Visual observations add an entirely new skill set to a reflexology treatment and lead to an entirely different approach to working on the feet. They can help so profoundly that they become invaluable. However, foot reading is not a technique that can be learnt by rote, but rather an innate sensory skill to be practised and refined, and integrated into a reflexology treatment until it becomes as natural as palpation.

In the same way as our fingers become more sensitive over time, our eyes will become more observant, and their ability to foot read will grow. But first, it is necessary to study the feet instead of just looking at them, and given that they are right in front of us throughout the treatment, this is not hard to do.

Intuition and Conscious Observation

Because of my experience teaching Visual Reflexology, I believe that even reflexologists who think they cannot foot read may in fact be already using it intuitively.

Reflexology training teaches the brain to focus on messages from the hands, or information from the client. So, although the eyes take note of what they see on the feet, the conscious brain does not pay attention as it is already occupied. However, these observations are still stored in the subconscious, and are used at a later point to transmit messages directly to the central nervous system and used intuitively. For example, if, as often happens, the hands are drawn to work on a certain area of the feet for no apparent reason, this is the brain being guided by subconsciously stored knowledge, i.e. intuition, because it remembers the significance of similar visual examples of health issues seen previously.

But if the feet are studied with intent, the eyes become accustomed to passing visual information directly to the conscious mind. When this happens, observations can be used both intuitively and rationally, both the conscious and subconscious parts of the brain are engaged, and foot reading is at its most effective.

The Bigger Picture

Despite this, foot reading has only started to receive the attention it deserves in recent years, as its usefulness is slowly being acknowledged. It is perplexing why it has taken so long to reach the profession’s mainstream. Even now, it is not usually taught in depth to students, so many reflexologists still know little or nothing about it and those who are aware of its potential often feel unable to use it because they do not know how. This is not the tutors’ fault, as most will not have been taught foot reading themselves.

Or, if they were taught anything, it was methods based on reading the client’s personality, as that is what it has been used for predominantly in the past. Although this is naturally very important, it does not provide the full holistic picture, especially for a bodywork therapy like reflexology. Consequently, many reflexologists are not aware of the importance of the appearance of the feet, or consider what they see on them as having no relevance to the physical reflexes.

There is one thing, however, that all reflexologists are taught to look for on the feet, which are signs of medical conditions. But even then, it is only to consider these from the allopathic perspective, and possibly that of holistic medicine, but not their significance to the reflexes on which they appear. This means valuable information is lost because foot conditions also have different, or more significant implications for those reflexes and, consequently, for the health of the corresponding body part.

Perhaps foot reading is not given the attention it should because there is so much we do not yet know about this aspect of our profession. It may be hard at times to understand how the texture of a reflex correlates to its appearance, or may even seem to contradict it. Or the appearance of a reflex may not correspond to what we know (or think we know) about a client. But it is also the case when palpating the feet that at times we are not yet able to interpret certain things. So, none of these things should prevent us from using our observations in a treatment.

The feet have their own way of communicating with us that is particular to each client’s physical and emotional history. Everything we see on them is relevant, significant, and representative of that person’s health and we must respect the truth of what they show us, and pay the same attention to studying and understanding this as we have historically given to the textures we feel on them.

“The feet do not lie” Eunice Ingham

“And that includes their appearance”(as she might have said.)

My Foot Reading Background

When I was a reflexology student in 1992, foot reading was never mentioned and was certainly not included in the syllabus. Over the following years, several books were written on the subject using the chakras and meridians, mainly to study a client’s personality and emotions. Yet there was a surprising lack of curiosity, including my own, within the reflexology profession, about the significance of the appearance of the feet to a client’s physical health. And, very importantly, how this correlates holistically to the way their emotional well-being appears on them. And how the physical reflexes show this. It needed the health issue of a family member to spur me on to explore foot reading this way.

My First Case Study

Virtually overnight, my teenage son developed a host of verrucas over his left lung reflex although he was not run down, nor had he been to a swimming pool and exposed to the HP virus. However, it transpired that he had started smoking, and when he stopped, the verrucas rapidly disappeared.

Although I had read about their emotional significance to a reflex, I needed to know what the verrucas told me about his physical health and I couldn’t find any information provided about this from existing foot reading resources. So I considered what they might mean myself, (how I did so is covered later in the chapter) and the insight I gained from doing this subsequently led me to do so with every foot condition I encountered in my practice.

The Uniqueness of the Feet

Until this point, like most reflexologists, I had been almost wholly focused on how a client’s feet felt. I had not given much thought to the differences in appearance between individual pairs. Of course, I registered apparent deviations from the norm, such as skin conditions or unusually shaped feet, but never from a reflexology perspective. However, when I started taking photos of clients’ feet to study, looking at them side by side made me aware of the enormous differences between individual pairs for the first time. I noticed not only extreme variations in shape but also between the textures and colours at their reflexes.

In fact, every pair is very distinct from another, and their unique appearance is quite amazing. It can be seen from the photos in Gallery 1 that the feet differ quite remarkably, not just from one pair to another but even from the left foot to the right. Their appearance provides a snapshot of the complete holistic health of the person. They show a visual record of the history of that person’s physical, mental, and emotional energy culminating at that moment in their life.

The photos in this gallery are not unusual; they are a relatively random selection of my clients’ feet. But seeing them side by side makes their enormous variations much more apparent. Study their shape, the twist of their ankles, and the width between them. Look at the differences in size between the left and right, their colouring, skin condition, the shape of their toes, and their swellings, dips and lines. This provides a wealth of information about the state of the reflexes and, therefore, the client. Furthermore, because their overall appearance reflects the whole person, observing the two feet side by side offers insight into the imbalances between the left and right sides of the body.

What is also amazing is that the health of all the energy fields is replicated visually, making it very easy to read the feet holistically (this will become clearer as the book progresses). And valuable insights can be gained into the mood and personality of the client by interpreting the ‘language of the feet’ just as we would the language of the body itself.

Gallery 1

The Science Behind Foot Reading

Cellular Changes

After making detailed foot observations, the next logical step to gain a greater understanding of foot reading specifically, and therefore of reflexology generally, is to consider why feet differ, and why do they show us so much? Of course, changes in the appearance of a reflex is caused by changes in the skin cells, of which there is a variety of different types, including those belonging to or working directly with all the body’s systems (Image 1). It became clear to me that when a health condition causes changes to cells in the body, the same type of cells change at its reflex in the foot. And this is why any alteration in the skin’s appearance tells us so much.

Image 1

(Note: In addition to all the systems represented in the image, the health of the respiratory system is shown through skin tone, and that of the endocrine system is reflected in other ways, such as through melanocytes.)

The basis of Visual Reflexology therefore, is to consider the following when foot reading:

1. Which type of skin cells have changed?

2. What caused them to change in that way?

3. Why at that specific reflex?

Doing so will tell us about what is happening to the physical health of the corresponding body part (and also how this aligns with the client’s mental and emotional well-being).

This is still the case even if the reflex’s appearance has altered due to external trauma, such as a burn or cut because energy also flows upwards from the reflexes to the body, and the resulting texture reflects the health of the lymphatic and nervous systems in that body part. (Trauma to the foot will likewise affect the corresponding part of the body to a greater or lesser degree, depending on the severity of its cause.)

Cellular Memory

It is also believed that cellular or ‘body memory’ might exist. If so, each cell holds a lifetime’s record of every change it has undergone, and by extension, this means that every body part does too. Therefore, as cellular changes in the feet replicate those in the body, it means that ‘body memory’ is likewise stored in the reflexes and reflected in their appearance. Emotional experiences are also recorded in cellular body memory because neurological and hormonal responses trigger physical reactions. (This theory makes sense to reflexologists, who know how old emotional trauma can surface and be healed through body work.)

How to Foot Read

Reading the Physical Health

Visual Reflexology starts by reading a client’s physical energy and then follows with the emotional because reflexologists are body work therapists. The therapeutic benefits of reflexology are still attained through touch regardless of how much emotional support we give clients. So, as we stimulate healing by connecting to the physical body, an understanding of how to read this first is needed.

Also, as the feet touch the earth, they both represent, and connect us to the material world. Material energy represents physical health, so for a reflexologist, this is the best place to start. The physical is also the foundation and framework that all the other energies (emotional, mental, psychic etc.) build upon.

Furthermore, because the health of each of the energies connects and corresponds to all the others holistically, this includes how they appear on feet. So, as will become clear, if we know how to read physical energy, it immediately gives us an insight into, and understanding of how to read emotions. The importance of observing emotions and how as body work therapists, to relay what we see ethically to clients, is covered in a later section.

The Process of Foot Reading

When foot reading, the significance of all foot conditions must be considered from the perspective of allopathic medicine first. This is the correct way to work professionally, and may also give us information about how to treat the affected reflexes. Possible causes of the condition should be considered, and if there has been no diagnosis, whether one is necessary. Then, if relevant, questions can be asked of the client regarding anything they may have omitted to mention about the body part the reflex that the condition is found on relates to. After this, holistic advice can be given, and the benefit of referrals to other complementary practitioners considered.

Finally, we must think about what a foot condition tells us within the paradigm of our own profession, to understand what it tells us about the health of the reflex it is on. In order to do so, the questions in List 1 should be asked, and not only about known foot conditions, but everything abnormal that is observed on the feet.

List 1

Which physiological system’s cells are affected?
Why were they affected at that reflex, but not others?
What information does the reflex’s appearance give us?
Is it a chronic or acute condition?
Is its cause primarily physical, or emotional?
What are the best techniques to use for it?

Using Verrucas as an Example

As mentioned previously, I will explain how foot reading can be used with verrucas, and then use my son as a case history.

From an allopathic perspective, if the client has not already done so, when verrucas are suspected they should visit a podiatrist for a diagnosis, especially if there is pain. From a holistic perspective, verrucas are viral, so immune boosting lifestyle changes can be recommended and the client informed about natural treatment methods.

Then to gain a reflexology perspective, the questions in List 1 can be applied.

In the case of my son, it is fascinating to note that the answers to these questions demonstrate that the verrucas provided an analogy to the holistic health of the reflex on which they appeared, and therefore its corresponding body part. And this will be shown repeatedly with all foot conditions throughout the book. I will now use his experience with verricas as a case history.

1. Which System is Affected?

Verrucas show an overall weakness in the immune system, but develop at a reflex where the system’s response is particularly under pressure and more vulnerable to the virus breaking through the skin. This means there is an equivalent immune vulnerability to viral attack at the related body part.

2. Why the Left Lung Reflex?

The verrucas appeared suddenly over my teenage son’s left lung reflex. He had bronchitis twice as a baby, showing a historical weakness in the respiratory tract, and when he began smoking this must have irritated his lungs. He is also prone to sore throats and gets cysts at his left axillary nodes when very stressed, so the lymph function in his upper body on this side is compromised. Hence, the immune cells in that reflex area were also weaker. In addition to his medical history, the left lung reflex appeared narrower when studying his feet, and the muscles around it felt tighter when I palpated them. I also knew the left side of his body was more prone to health problems overall.

3. What Information Does the Reflex’s Appearance Give Us?

Lymph consists of 90 per cent water. So the verruca’s dryness points to a reduced lymphatic flow at the reflex, meaning there is poor detoxification at the reflex (and, therefore, the related body part). In my son’s case, because of the importance of moisture to the lung’s lining, the dryness reflected an additional problem.

4. A Chronic or Acute Condition?

Verrucas are deeply rooted and difficult to eliminate, so their presence shows a chronic condition. They are mostly buried, so the problem they reflect is an underlying one, and just as the verruca may not cause any immediate problems in the foot, there may not be any current health issues in the related body part. Nevertheless, as the immune vulnerability is chronic, the area remains susceptible to attack when under pressure, such as during times of stress of any type (when the verruca may also become painful).

My son’s respiratory tract hadn’t caused any problems since he was a baby. However, as demonstrated by the cysts and sore throats, there still existed a chronic, mostly suppressed, low-level immune weakness in his left upper body. The verrucas developed when the area was exposed to the extra pressure of smoking. But because he stopped smoking soon after their appearance and because he was young, the verrucas disappeared quickly*, and the lung recovered before any (obvious) symptoms developed in the body. However, the vulnerability still remains in the area.

5. A Physical or Emotional Condition?

Although, of course, there is always a connection between physical and emotional health, it is good to know which of them is the primary trigger. In my son’s case, the main cause may have been physical, however, there were likely pressures related to the emotional vulnerabilities of being a teenager, and possibly toxic social settings in which he began smoking that he did not share with me.

If the primary reason for verrucas’ development is emotional, it happens around the time of an attack on a vulnerable area of the client’s life. They have buried their feelings deeply and formed a protective shield against the pain they caused. But with time this shield has become a barrier, and this made it very difficult to process the hurt, and therefore to build immunity to similar toxic emotional attacks in the future. Consequently, the pain and vulnerability are still there, only buried, and may surface again in times of stress.

6. Which Techniques Should be Applied?

Although verrucas should never be worked over, it is essential to work on the surrounding area in a way that strengthens and supports the local lymphatic/immune system. This includes alleviating tension and tightness in the local muscles and joints to facilitate the free flow of lymph through them. So, a verruca should be covered with an appropriately sized plaster to stop the spread of the virus and be worked around. Alternatively, the equivalent hand reflexes can be worked. (I cover the significance of verrucas again in Chapter 11)

*Verrucas can disappear very quickly in a young person as they are still growing and cell replication in their body is very rapid. However, the site they are found on is still a marker for all the information just given. Depending on lifestyle, some underlying health conditions may improve as a child grows and the reflex becomes less vulnerable, while others will remain areas of weakness for the rest of their lives.

Reading the Emotions

Emotions appear very clearly on the feet, so being able to read them is a powerful skill that can and should be used during a treatment. In this book, and in Visual Reflexology generally, the Metaphysical Method is used to read emotions, as this, like reflexology, is based on modern anatomy and physiology. The Metaphysical Method is explains energy transference between the mind and body, and how one affects the other with almost exactly like-for-like symptoms (as just described regarding verrucas).

Sharing Your Findings with Clients

As a body worker, it can be difficult to know whether and how to ethically share observations of a client’s emotions with them. Depending on their preferences and each practitioner’s way of working, it can be used:

Simply to provide context for the reflexologist regarding a client’s state of mind
As a tool to reach a deeper understanding of a client’s health holistically, and as a backdrop to an improved treatment.
And/or to initiate further dialogue about a client’s health and well-being, but in a way that stays within the reflexologist’s professional guidelines.

As we are not mental health therapists any more than we are doctors, staying within our professional boundaries can be challenging, and using foot reading to give counselling that we are not trained in, is just as unprofessional as providing a physical diagnosis. Nor should we admonish clients, or make judgemental comments based on what we see.

However, used the right way, observations of emotions can provide anything from a profound, but unspoken guide for how to work on a client’s feet holistically, to a catalyst for an in-depth discussion of their feelings. It is, of course, important to know whether the client themself wants or expects this type of feedback from reflexology. Many may not, but if they do, it is possible to use foot reading similarly to palpation to support their emotional well-being, i.e. as a guide to asking them the most helpful questions in the most appropriate way. They then will be most likely to express their feelings, and be enabled to connect with their own inner wisdom and self-healing. This also avoids bringing up emotions that they are not yet ready to face, and that we are not equipped to deal with.

It is equally important to respect our own boundaries, and also consider our well-being. We may find a client’s queries about their emotions distracting, or not wish to use foot reading to give this kind of feedback for a variety of other reasons. But, even if we would like to do so, it can quickly become draining discussing the emotional problems of clients at length whilst simultaneously trying to stimulate healing by working on their energy physically. Then, rather than being a neutral conduit to channel their energy, we leave ourselves vulnerable to absorbing it, which is unhealthy for us and does not provide the optimum healing environment for them. And if appropriate, although it may be difficult, we must know when to discuss with a client the possibility of seeing, for example, a bereavement counsellor, life coach or psychotherapist.

Ethical Guidelines

As of writing this book, existing professional reflexology guidelines do not cover the ethical aspects of foot reading, so it may be helpful to add some. These guidelines mainly cover how and when to give feedback on emotional health and well-being issues, and help set personal, ethical and professional boundaries. (With thanks to Sam Belyea, a fellow foot reading teacher who co-wrote them with me.) Note: They are only guidelines, not binding rules.

I will follow existing professional reflexology guidelines and always conduct myself honestly and ethically.
I will bear in mind that not all reflexology clients may want feedback from foot reading, so I will request verbal permission before offering it.
I acknowledge that it is not the client’s responsibility to agree with or validate anything that I read on their feet.
I will refrain from using foot reading in a diagnostic or prescriptive way for physical or mental health conditions.
I acknowledge that I do not have counselling training. I am aware that during foot reading, emotional reactions may occur that are outside my capabilities to deal with professionally, so I will consider when to refer to a suitably qualified person. Therefore, I will keep a list of mental well-being professionals, such as bereavement counsellors, life coaches, etc., and refer clients when necessary.
I acknowledge my ability to decline a client’s request for further information should I feel that it would compromise the integrity of the session by leading me to diagnose, prescribe or give counselling.
I will endeavour to have regular foot reading myself for both my own well-being, and to experience it from a client’s perspective.
I will educate those clients with whom I share foot reading assessments on foot reading theory as I understand it.
I will respect other practitioners who may approach this work from a similar or different understanding of the practice.

KEY TAKEAWAY POINTS FROM THIS CHAPTER –

All foot conditions reflect the health of the reflexes on which they are seen.
Cellular changes on the feet reflect changes in the cells of the same system in the body.
What is observed on the feet may not fit with our knowledge or perception of a client, but their appearance never lies.
Reflexologists need to know how to read physical health first.
Using foot reading in conjunction with palpation is always more powerful than using either on its own.
Check whether a client wants feedback from foot reading, and never use it to give a physical or mental diagnosis.

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