Reflexology HistoryWelcome to a fun summarised reflexology history! 5000 years ago... Ancient India According to ancient Chinese records Buddhist Monks brought early reflexology from India to China about this time
Ancient China Heaps of ancient chinese text talks about things like the "examining foot method" and reflexology techniques, the most exciting text/book is the great Yellow Emperors Medical Book (Inner Cannon, Classic of Internal Medicine.. depends where you look) The information in this ancient text is still used by traditional chinese medicine practitioners all over the world today. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is great- in TCM the key is to never be ill, you see physicians when you are well to stay well, cool.
Egypt In Egypt, there are many examples of possible reflexology history evidence, but this is the most plausible; There was this Egyptian guy called Ankhmahor, he was a Vizier (second in charge of everything after the king) and in his tomb in Saqqara, they found heaps of pictures of different tradespeople, people making jewelry, craftsman etc. When they found the room dedicated to medical pictures they found one of people practicing something that looks an awful lot like reflexology. One guy having his feet done, another his finger. Underneath reads.. (this is my translation, there are heaps of versions, but this is the gist of it)
"do not cause pain!"
and the physician replies "I will give you only super pleasure!" just under 100 years ago... United States of Amercia An ear, nose and throat surgeon, William Fitzgerald, discovered how to operate on his patients without using painkillers.He did this by using a theory he made up called "zone therapy", the start of western reflexology history. He found zones that run up and down the body, and realised that by applying pressure to a particular area on the finger or toes you can make a completely different but related area in the face or jaw go numb. So, now he could operate with no painkillers!! I know, nearly unbelievable for the 1930s, but it still works true today. We are working on a tips and tricks page with how to info so you can do this too. It's just great to get rid of tooth aches and head aches.
United States of America In the late Thirties, Eunice Ingham worked with Fitzgerald and together they furthered his discoveries even more. She really turned up the fire, because she discovered that not only can you apply pressure to the foot or hand and make a different but very specific area on the body go numb, Eunice discovered that by applying repetitive/ pulsing pressure to the foot or hand you can make a completely different but very specific area on the body heal better! A massive discovery! And the reason we love her so much? Because she took these discoveries to the world and shared reflexology universally for the first time. She wrote books, travelled, and spent her life educating and working with communities all over the world to teach about the wonderful healing powers of reflexology.
Denmark Inge Dougans is our Contemporary Reflexology Champion. She has written all the books on the recommended reading list when studying reflexology, (will get a page up here so you can buy the books straight away, hers are the best books for any level reflexologist), she established the International School of Reflexology & Meridian Therapy, and is constantly pioneering new ways to take reflexology to the world. She's a real star in reflexology history.
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