In therapeutic reflexology the feet are seen as the microcosm of the macrocosm. Say what?!!! Let me explain in normal language.
The terms sound worse than what it actually is. These are Greek words where Microcosm means small world while Macrocosm means large world. These words are used in various contexts and in various subject disciplines which may give it a weird connotation to some people, but let us look at it from a simplified perspective.
In some disciplines it is believed that the microcosm (body) represents the macrocosm (cosmos or outside world or the universe). Let me clearly state it here that this meaning is not what is meant with this blog post at all. This article is not about your body being part of or connected to the cosmos or the outside universe at all, so please read further.
Microcosm of the macrocosm in sociology merely means a small group of the larger group. Stating this differently: South Africans (Macrocosm) is a large group consisting of two smaller groups, namely males (microcosm) and females (microcosm).
Explaining this a bit further: Have you ever visited an airport and as you enter there is a small or miniature replication of the airport that was build with the purpose of providing visitors with the ability to view how the entire airport looks by literally standing in one place. It can be said that the miniature model or replication of the airport is the microcosm of the airport (the macrocosm), because it is not the actual airport, but as a smaller version, fully represent the real airport.
This can be explained in another way as well. When looking at my children play, they use Barbie dolls that in their play time represents real people. I remember as a child myself, playing with my Hot Wheels’ cars represented real cars in my play time.
Now let us take this analogy to the topic of this post. Therapeutic reflexology: Microcosm of Macrocosm. In therapeutic reflexology it is believed that the feet represent the entire body. Stating this differently, the feet are the microcosm of the macrocosm of the entire body.
What this means is that in therapeutic reflexology the feet are seen to represent the different organs and parts of the body on it in a similar way as the miniature replication of the airport represents the actual airport. The different parts of the feet thus represent different parts of the body. This is an interesting concept and part of what makes therapeutic reflexology such a unique complementary healthcare modality.
In therapeutic reflexology it is said that the different parts of the body are reflected on the reflexes found in the feet. The feet are the main domain of work for the therapeutic reflexologist, but when talking about the microcosm of the macrocosm, it should be mentioned that the human body has been created so wonderfully that it is not only the feet representing the entire body, but various other parts as well, like the hands, the ears, the face and so forth. A fully qualified therapeutic reflexologist is thus able to work not only on the feet, but on other parts of the body as well, but within the limitations of the scope of practice as prescribed by the Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa (AHPCSA) which is the regulating statutory council for the profession of therapeutic reflexology in South Africa.
It should also mention that this principle of the microcosm of the macrocosm is not unique to therapeutic reflexology, but found in other disciplines as well. Iridology represents the entire body in the eyes. Iridology is used for diagnostic purposes in modalities like homeopathy and naturopathy, but since therapeutic reflexology is a therapy and not a diagnostic profession, that falls outside the scope of practice for therapeutic reflexologists.
There are many explanations as to what exactly the reflexes are on the feet. Explanations range from meridians which is a concept within Traditional Chinese Medicine to the flow of energy which is found in some alternative therapies. From a more Western Scientific perspective reflexes can be explained as nerve endings on the feet. Each foot contains about 200 000+ nerve endings and nerves basically interconnect the entire body as it is located from the specific sensor (like on the feet) to the spine and to other organs and to the brain. That is why when the therapeutic reflexologist touches the sole of your foot, you can feel it. You feel it due to the impulses being send along the nerve endings telling your brain that the therapist is touching the sole of your foot.
Therapeutic reflexology is a recognised health profession that states that the stimulation of these reflexes on the feet, but also other body parts like the hands and ears and so on, provides health benefits, both in treating already diagnosed conditions as well as in the form of preventative healthcare keeping stress levels low in order to prevent conditions from appearing or worsening.
There is a whole conversation about the different reflexology charts floating around on the internet where body organs are not always represented in the very same place on the different charts. Reflexology is an age old profession and charts have been floating around for many years, some originating in the East and others in the West; sometimes charts differ because somebody wants to come up with a new idea, but due to copyright on the charts cannot use somebody else’s and then slightly modifies the layout.
So, is reflexology just thumb sucking if charts can be manipulated? No, there are numerous research studies that provides scientific proof that reflexology is effective in certain instances.
It should also be noted that Therapeutic Reflexology is differentiated from Reflexology in South Africa where the latter is often used in the beauty industry where any chart is used as the beautician is not a trained therapist. Therapeutic Reflexology is regulated and training is provided by only one of three training academies in South Africa (as prescribed by the AHPCSA). This ensures that therapeutic reflexologists are properly trained in healthcare subjects like anatomy and physiology, pathology, pathophysiology and so on. This also provides more standardisation on the charts being used.
As a therapeutic reflexologist trained with the prestigious International Academy of Reflexology and Meridian Therapy (IARAMT), I only make use of their standardised therapeutic reflexology chart and thus ensuring that all patients seen are treated from a standardised foundation. It is also good to note that therapeutic reflexology is a holistic approach to healthcare and therefore the entire foot (representing the entire body) is dealt with in each of the treatments I provide and not only the specific area that might be related to a specific illness conditions. This approach ensures that all the reflexes are being stimulated (regardless of the therapeutic reflexology chart being used) in order for the body to relax and have the opportunity to heal itself or at least attempt to balance itself from the inside out. A healthy and balanced body has the ability to continue to stay healthy and fight off various illness conditions.
The feet (microcosm) representing the body (macrocosm) is therefore an integral part of what therapeutic reflexology is all about!
As a fully qualified therapeutic reflexologist I am able to work on various body parts within my scope of practice as prescribed by the AHPCSA and within the procedure codes provided by medical aids, namely feet reflexology, hand reflexology, ear (auricular reflexology), face reflexology and body reflexology (includes arms, legs). Even with this ability, working on the feet remains my domain of preference due to the feet containing so many nerve endings, but also because the feet provide a bigger surface to work on where the reflexes of the various body parts are represented bigger than on areas as the hand or ear. This being said, I do make use of a combination treatment and may include various of the body parts when working on patients; each person and his/her circumstances and conditions are unique and therefore each treatment is customised for the specific individual ensuring each person receiving therapeutic reflexology from me, is receiving the best possible therapy for him/her.
Therapeutic reflexology is an amazingly fascinating healthcare modality from which I have personally seen tremendous positive results and lives changed. I have been involved and used reflexology since 2003 and it is still my healthcare modality of choice in my private practice.
It remains a huge privilege being entrusted with the feet of the person in front of you and by stimulating the various reflexes on the feet, play a small part in seeing awesome results in the person and being part of the change in that person’s life.
What adds to the value of therapeutic reflexology is that it is a totally non-invasive therapy that offers real results as confirmed by various scientific research studies done globally. It is also a very relaxing and enjoyable therapy.
If you have been curious about therapeutic reflexology, but never tried it before, it may be the ideal time to schedule your appointment to experience how the feet (microcosm) produces total relaxation in the entire body (macrocosm).
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Christo A. Scheepers: Therapeutic Reflexologist
Dip.T.R.(Cum Laude)[IARAMT]
AHPCSA: A11945
Pr. No.: 1080000737453
Tel. 072-800 7243