Reflexology by Sharon

18/11/2025

Reflexology is much more than some people think…

Reflexology is much more than some people think it is. It’s calmer shoulders, deeper breaths, and your nervous system going, “Ahhhhhh, finally.” 💆🙌💜

   

11/11/2025

🌼 Hormones affect everything - from your mood and metabolism to your sleep, skin and stress levels.

🌼 Reflexology can support the endocrine system by encouraging balance and relaxation throughout the body.

🌼 Reflexology can be especially helpful during times of hormonal change - puberty, menstruation and menopause.

Our hormones influence everything. Our mood, energy, and sleep, metabolism, fertility, and emotional resilience. When they’re out of balance, we can feel it in every part of our lives.

Reflexology offers a gentle, holistic approach to supporting the endocrine system - the network of glands that produce and regulate our hormones (including the thyroid, adrenals, pituitary, and ovaries/testes).

When we’re under chronic stress, our bodies release high levels of cortisol, the primary stress hormone. Over time, this can throw other hormones off balance - affecting menstrual cycles, thyroid activity, weight regulation, and even immune function.

By calming the nervous system and promoting deep relaxation, reflexology helps lower stress hormones and encourages the body to return to homeostasis - its natural state of balance.

🧠 How it works:

Reflex points corresponding to endocrine glands are stimulated, helping to improve communication between these systems via neural and circulatory pathways.

Activating the parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) response reduces cortisol and adrenaline levels.

With less stress load, the body can better regulate hormones like oestrogen, progesterone, insulin, and melatonin.

📚 What the research shows:

A 2019 study published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research found that women who received reflexology during their menstrual cycle experienced reduced PMS symptoms, less pain, and improved mood.

In Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice (2017), researchers reported that reflexology helped reduce anxiety and fatigue in menopausal women, suggesting a beneficial effect on stress-related hormonal imbalance.

Other studies note reflexology’s potential to lower blood pressure, improve sleep, and enhance overall wellbeing - all indicators of a more regulated endocrine system.

✨ The bigger picture:
While reflexology doesn’t replace medical care or claim to “fix” hormonal disorders, it can be a valuable complementary approach to help the body find its rhythm again.
For many, it offers a sense of calm, better sleep, and renewed emotional balance - the foundation for healthier hormone function.

18/10/2025

As the autumn 🍂 weather arrives why not book yourself in for a relaxing, therapeutic reflexology treatment 👣

Take an hour out of your busy day just for YOU 😊
🌟07958 636545 or mail@reflexologybysharon.co.uk to book your appointment 🌟

As the weather shifts and the air gets cooler, our immune system works harder to protect us from seasonal colds, flus, and fatigue. One gentle way to support the body during this transition is through targeted reflexology.

For immune support during autumn, key reflex areas often focused on by reflexologists include:

💨 Lungs & Bronchial Reflexes – supporting respiratory health as seasonal viruses increase.

🧠 Solar Plexus & Diaphragm Reflexes – calming the nervous system, which plays a crucial role in immune regulation.

💧 Lymphatic System Reflexes – encouraging lymph flow to help clear waste and support immune response.

🦠 Spleen & Thymus Reflexes – both of which are integral to immune cell production and defense.

🧂 Adrenal Reflexes – supporting the stress response. Lower stress can mean stronger immunity.

✨ Why this matters:

Chronic stress can suppress immune function. Reflexology has been shown in some studies to reduce perceived stress and promote relaxation.

Gentle stimulation of reflex points may support circulation and lymphatic drainage, which are essential for immune system function.

Reflexology sessions are often experienced as deeply calming, and rest is one of the best immune boosters we have.

🦶 Practical tip: Even a short, self-applied routine focusing on the solar plexus point (found in the center of the foot beneath the ball) can help activate the parasympathetic nervous system and create a moment of calm in your day.

Want to strengthen your seasonal wellness routine? A reflexology session can support your body’s natural defenses and help you feel more balanced this autumn. 🍂✨

09/10/2025

This is a wonderful explanation showing how reflexology supports the lymphatic system. Any questions please contact me 07958 636545 or mail@reflexologybysharon.co.uk
https://reflexologybysharon.co.uk/

Beneficial for:
🌼 Chronic inflammation
🌼 Autoimmune diseases
🌼 Hormonal imbalances (PCOS, estrogen dominance)
🌼 Lymphedema or lipedema
🌼 Digestive issues
🌼 Stress-related immune dysfunction
🌼 Post-surgical swelling or trauma

👣 The Power of Reflexology in Lymphatic Healing

When feet speak, the body listens.

In the quiet language of pressure points and touch, there lies a powerful form of healing that’s often overlooked — reflexology.
But when paired with an understanding of the lymphatic system, this ancient therapy becomes more than just relaxation —
…it becomes a pathway to fluid movement, immune support, and deep tissue detoxification.

🌿 What is Reflexology?

Reflexology is a therapeutic technique that involves applying gentle pressure to specific points on the feet, hands, or ears — each of which corresponds to an organ, gland, or body system.

Think of it as a map of your body, mirrored in your feet.
Stimulating these points helps trigger neural pathways and activate the body’s own healing responses — particularly through the autonomic nervous system and lymphatic circulation.

🌀 How Does It Support the Lymphatic System?

The lymphatic system is a fluid-based network responsible for:
• Removing waste, toxins, and pathogens
• Supporting immune function
• Regulating inflammation
• Maintaining fluid balance in tissues

But unlike the heart, the lymphatic system has no central pump — it relies on muscle movement, breath, and manual stimulation to flow.

That’s where reflexology becomes powerful:

👣 5 Ways Reflexology Boosts Lymphatic Health

1. Stimulates Lymph Flow Without Strain

Gentle foot pressure increases local and systemic circulation, helping lymphatic fluid move through congested vessels and nodes — especially helpful for those with swelling, fatigue, or sedentary lifestyles.

2. Activates Reflex Zones for Key Organs

By working on the liver, kidneys, colon, spleen, and intestinal reflex points, reflexology supports the body’s natural detox and drainage systems — reducing the burden on the lymph.

3. Reduces Stress and Cortisol

High stress = tight fascia + sluggish lymph flow.
Reflexology downregulates the sympathetic nervous system, allowing for parasympathetic healing, reduced inflammation, and better vagal nerve activation (which impacts gut and lymphatic communication).

4. Improves Digestive-Lymph Connection

The gut is home to 70% of your immune system (GALT). Reflex points on the feet related to the intestines and abdominal area help calm inflammation, improve motility, and stimulate visceral lymphatic flow.

5. Breaks Down Fascial Restrictions

Foot reflexology encourages release of fascial tension, which can compress lymphatic vessels and impair drainage. This is especially helpful in cases of chronic swelling, hormonal fluid retention, or post-surgical stagnation.

✨ Clinical Benefits Observed:
• Reduced swelling and puffiness (especially lower legs, ankles, abdomen)
• Improved energy and reduced fatigue
• Less fluid retention during PMS or hormonal shifts
• Clearer skin and improved elimination
• Calmer mood and better sleep
• Enhanced response when combined with Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD)

🔬 Backed by Research:

Recent studies have shown that reflexology:
• Increases peripheral blood circulation
• Modulates immune and inflammatory markers
• Improves quality of life in chronic illness patients
• Activates vagal tone, which regulates both gut and lymph function

A 2022 pilot study on reflexology and lymphedema in breast cancer survivors showed a statistically significant reduction in arm circumference and reported swelling after six weekly treatments.

🌸 Who Can Benefit Most?

Reflexology is especially beneficial for those with:
• Chronic inflammation
• Autoimmune diseases
• Hormonal imbalances (e.g., PCOS, estrogen dominance)
• Lymphedema or lipedema
• Digestive issues
• Stress-related immune dysfunction
• Post-surgical swelling or trauma

🌿 The Healing Power of Touch

Reflexology is gentle.
It’s non-invasive.
And yet — it can reignite movement in places where your body feels stuck.

Whether used alone or as a complement to lymphatic drainage therapy, reflexology helps the body do what it was designed to do:

🌀 Move.
🧬 Balance.
💧 Detox.
💚 Heal.

Final Thought:

If the lymphatic system is your inner river,
then reflexology is the gentle current that guides it home.

01/10/2025

🌸 October is Menopause Awareness Month 🌸

Reflexology can help to support women through the menopausal years. A research study showed that foot reflexology was effective in reducing hot flushes and sweats and improving quality of life in menopause.

I have advanced and specialist training in Reflexology for Menopause. Your treatment with me will be tailored to your individual needs wherever you are in your menopause journey.

09/09/2025

✨ New study shows reflexology has a positive effect on the systolic and diastolic blood pressures of cardiovascular patients.
🌿 Reflexology = simple steps with powerful benefits.
📖 Read the research: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40802408/

01/09/2025

🍁 September 🍁

15/07/2025

Did you know reflexology can be used for emotional support for children and adults.

Reflexology for Emotional Support

Reflexology doesn’t require you to explain or re-live anything, it simply works gently, through touch and it helps to deeply relax.

It eases grief, anxiety, trauma, overwhelm, even overthinking.

When using too many words to talk about our emotional issues, the brain is responding to it and this can affect how we feel. Reflexology doesn't need us to talk about the emotions, it offers a safe, silent space to feel and heal.