FAQs

Hello and welcome to my website!

Thank you for dropping by and for being interested to learn more about Chinese Reflexology.

My apologies, but this page is bare bones right now because I’ve had to create it on the fly due to coronavirus and the increase in new visitors to my website.

I will be refining and improving it in the future.

Lots of Love and Light,
Holly

PLEASE READ THIS ESSENTIAL INFORMATION BEFORE PRACTICING CHINESE REFLEXOLOGY 

The information in this website is for educational purposes and is not intended to replace medical advice or treatment. If you or someone you are caring for is unwell, please contact a medical professional.

• If you are pregnant or have an acute heart condition, do NOT practice Chinese Reflexology
• If you are immunocompromised or have diabetes, massage lightly and for half the time recommended in any articles on this website
• If you are not sure whether it is safe to practice reflexology, check with your doctor.

Because Chinese Reflexology appears simplistic, people often underestimate the true power of this ancient healing art based on principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). 

I’ve seen people make up their own way of practicing–randomly pressing points and/or overdoing it. At best, this is inefficient or ineffective. But if you over-massage your points or massage them incorrectly, you could do more harm than good.

Here is an important mantra: MORE IS NOT MORE. 

You will not heal faster or make your body super deluxe extra strong by doing more reflexology than what is recommended. What matters more is understanding the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory behind WHY you are massaging points. 

I “bake” Chinese Medicine theory into my recommendations and carefully create point combinations to share on my website. DIY foot massage routines–without the understanding of Chinese Medicine–unbakes all of this carefully thought out theory. 

It has been my observation that the mindset to “do it alone your way” or “fix yourself fast” is at the root of many imbalances in the body.

In order to restore balance and harmony in your body, you need to take a balanced and harmonious approach.

Here are general guidelines for practicing Chinese Reflexology:

• Follow the directions in the articles. Do not make up your own routines. Do not massage for longer than the specified times.
• Do not use any sticks, tools or instruments to massage your feet. Only use your hands, fingers or knuckles as described in the articles. The recommended times and frequency are only for using your hands. Massage times (length and frequency) are completely different when using a reflexology stick. Because a stick strongly moves qi, do not use one unless you have learned how to use one properly on all of the points. Without proper instruction and supervision, it is highly likely that you will massage incorrectly and direct qi the wrong way, which is not conducive for health.
• Be mindful not to irritate the skin or cause bruises on your feet or hands. Do not over-vigorously massage points or use excessively strong pressure. This is especially applicable if you bruise easily, have sensitive skin, or have a condition where you may not notice pain or sensitivity.
• If you feel friction while you massage, use moisturizer or massage oil to reduce the friction. 
• Stop massaging if you notice any skin irritation, pain or bruising. Wait until the area is fully healed before resuming, and press very lightly and for half the time when you resume. Be mindful to pay attention to your body to prevent this from occurring again.
• If you are pregnant, do NOT practice Chinese reflexology. There are acupuncture points on the feet and around the ankles that stimulate labour. Without proper training and extensive hands-on practice in knowing where these points are and how to avoid them, it is recommended that you don’t practice reflexology if you’re pregnant. Chinese Reflexology also powerfully moves qi and blood, which is the Chinese Medicine approach for inducing labor.
• If you have an acute heart condition such as a recent heart attack, do NOT practice Chinese Reflexology. If you have a heart condition, check with your doctor because Chinese Reflexology can powerfully increase the circulation of qi and blood. 
• If you are immunocompromised or have chronic health conditions that you are taking medication for, check with your doctor before starting Chinese Reflexology. If they give the green light, massage lightly and for half the time to avoid triggering detox symptoms.
• If you have diabetes, massage lightly and for half the time. Diabetes can cause nerve damage in the feet, so you may not realize if you are irritating the skin or pressing too hard. 
• For everyone else, reflexology is like giving yourself a foot massage, only the routines and point combinations have healing intentions.
• If you are not sure whether it’s safe for you to practice Chinese Reflexology, ask your doctor.

Below are a selection of articles that answer some of the most frequently asked questions people have:

1. Which are the best Chinese Reflexology points for me to massage?
2. Should you massage a reflexology point if you’ve had the corresponding organ removed?
3. I can’t reach my feet easily. Do you have any recommendations on how I can practice Chinese Reflexology?
4. What’s the difference between Chinese Reflexology and Western reflexology?
5. Where can I get a reflexology stick? (And why you should NOT get one)

Below are common questions that I will be writing articles for soon:

• Do you see people in person?
  Short answer: no. I prefer to teach people how to fish rather than give them fish.
• Can you recommend a Chinese Reflexologist in my area?
  Short answer: only in the Toronto, Canada area.
• Can you recommend points for neuropathy? 
  Short answer: See article for FAQ #1. Neuropathy is a popular topic, so it is in my list of topics to write more about.