Chapter 2: Zones

There are many ways to chart or map the feet and the whole body. Charting or dividing the body conceptually into sections helps us understand how each section works.

Once we chart all the sections, the whole makes more sense. On top of just mapping out the reflex points to corresponding organs on the soles of the feet and palms of the hands, there is another theory that reflexology encompasses: the belief that there are invisible pathways of energy that run vertically along the body.

These energy flows or lines are called zones. Imagine your body tattooed with pin stripes that run the length of your body from your toes on up to the top of your head. These pin stripes are your zones. Working with these lines, and with points along the lines, is known as zone therapy.

The body is divided into ten longitudinal zones, which provide a simple numbering sequence. Each toe falls into one zone, and there are five zones in each foot, with the big toe as zone one, through to the little toe, which is zone five; the fingers link up to the zones in the same way.
Zones are distributed up the body like slices, and when you work on the feet, you are automatically working through the whole of the human body. The principle is that, within these zones, energy runs up and down between all the parts of the body.

This energy connection should be free-flowing, in order that all the parts of the body – organs, muscles, nerves, glands and blood supply – work in harmony and at the optimum level for good health. If there is a block of the body’s natural energy, it will have an effect on any organ or part of the body that lies within that particular zone.

Balancing the zones

If a reflexologist finds sensitivity in one particular area of the feet or hands, this indicates that there is an imbalance in the entire length of that zone. For example, if someone is suffering from conjunctivitis in the right eye, zone therapy would suggest that this creates an energy imbalance in the right kidney and in any other bodily structure lying in that zone, causing it not to function as effectively as it should.

Each organ or part of the body is represented on the feet, hands, ears & face.

Using pressure on each reflex point can stimulate the flow of energy, blood, nutrients and nerve impulses to the corresponding body zone, which thereby helps to relieve disorders in that zone. The reflexes on the feet and hands are effective because they are situated at the ends of the zones and are therefore more sensitive than other parts of the body.

It is important to understand the theory of zone therapy, because disease and illness tends to run along these lines. For example, diabetes is a disease primarily caused by malfunctioning of the pancreas.

Take a look at the zone therapy illustration. The area where the pancreas would lie is located between zones three and four. Associated complications with diabetes include problems with the kidneys, which are also located along zones three and four (on both sides), and the eyes, which are also in zones three and four.

Each zone acts as a link to each organ or body part along the same meridian. A break or stagnation anywhere along these lines can disrupt the flow of energy to an organ or body part, which may cause the organ or body part to malfunction.

Lesson Activity

SAMPLE ONLY

Core & foot Reflexology Manual- Read Chapter 2.

Core & Foot Reflexology Workbook - Answer questions on pages 7 - 10.