The influence of the neck on the reflexes of the feet.

23/2/2020

• In my early physical therapy days back in the 1970s. I was fortunate to have met and taught by Arthur Lincoln Pauls, osteopath and founder of Ortho-Bionomy - a passive system of structural correction.
  Arthur made much of the fact that no matter where the imbalances or ‘lesions’ were in the body, lesions (tensions) in the neck always had to be corrected first.
   
  It was not until I had been in practice for sometime, that I became aware of the significance of his assertion.
  It was a frequent experience to observe how a presenting problem, far distal to the neck such as low back pain would ‘magically’ resolve, following passive, manual applications to the soft tissues of the neck. At least it would provoke a general relaxation of the body, making each treatment session more effective.
   
  However, throughout my years in reflexology practice, I have noted the correlation between the integrity of the soft tissues of the neck and the 'tone' of the reflexes of the feet. It was as if there was a direct communication between these areas other than reflexes.
  It reminded me of an oriental, therapy maxim which states that the mobility or otherwise of the great toe/s would be reflected in the neck and vice versa.
   
  My experience has shown the difference in the ‘tone’ or ‘feel’ of the reflexes of the feet before giving attention to the tensions in the neck to that after giving attention can be dramatic. The level of ‘release’ correlates to the amount of tension in the neck.
  The same principle can be used during a reflexology session. If there is, for example a low back problem. It will be found that thoroughly working on the reflexes of the neck/shoulder, metatarsals and upper spine, first will have therapeutically positive benefits, in the alleviation of low back problems, before actually giving reflex attention to those areas.
  
  There is such an intimate communication between the two ends of the spine — each affecting the other, that tightness and reflex disturbances causes a reflex conflict between the two. This is why the proper and positive execution of mobilisation techniques in conjunction with reflexology is so beneficial in helping to balance out these types of problems. Tight metatarsals = tight upper back and neck.
  Those who are qualified in massage as well as reflexology can easily understand the manual techniques used on the neck.
  
  It is important for me to mention that the manual techniques are passive, specific and are not a form of manipulation. They can be incorporated into reflexology practice by those qualified in massage of other types of bodywork. They are demonstrated at my seminars.
  In those early days, I was puzzled about the nature of the link between the neck and the feet and all pats of the body. Since then, I have become aware that it is the fascia which gives this ubiquitous communication. In fact, it is the fascia and the conditions within the fascia which produce the reflexes of reflexology.
  
  This subject forms a large part of the foundation of A.R.T. teaching and philosophy, and is included in my long-overdue book, which now that I have cut down on my busy practice allows me time to complete while I am hopefully still around!
  
  
  My Best Wishes
  
  Tony Porter
  Founder/Director A.R.T® and Focused Reflexology® 

Reference notes for Reflexologists

5/2/2020

I have been in the process of compiling various notes and writings which I have accumulated over the years.
As I looked through the files, I decided to put a few of them in a blog as they could be of interest to fellow reflexologists.
Unfortunately not many are referenced as they were taken down in haste at conferences ,etc. However I am sure that if you search on the internet, you will come across the article plus the reference.
Best Wishes
Tony

The Pineal Gland - 30% of its molecules are metallic and therefore magnetically sensitive.
(Oschmon 1997)
(Think about this when holding your mobile next to your head!) T. Porter

Optimists have half the mortality rate of pessimists, and lowering your stress can add 10 years to you life.
(Giltay, Gelejnae, Zitman, Hoekastra & Schouten, 2004, Deiner & Chan 2011)

The skin is entirely replaced every month.
The lining of the stomach is renewing itself every week and the colon even faster.
The lining of the digestive tract is replaced every four days.

Heart tissue contains regions of stem cells that are available to replace damaged or dead cells — the entire heart regenerates itself at least three times in the course of a persons life.
(Laflamme & Murry, 2011)

​Our bodies produce one Trillion new red blood cells each day.
(wahlesteot, et. al, 2017)

Our bodies are made up of 37 Trillion cells. This is a much bigger number than the galaxies in the known universe. (Bianconi et al 2013)

The relationship between poor blood sugar control and Alzheimers disease in particular is so strong that researches are now calling Alzheimers disease - Type 3 Diabetes.
High blood sugar is one of the biggest risk factors for depression as it is for Alzheimers.

Leptin and Endocrine function
We need to be aware of other factors affecting endocrine function. This is one example:
Leptin is a protein produced by fat cells — a hormone which regulates appetite amongst other things.
Leptin not only controls thyroid function, but has a major influence on the entire endocrine system, particularly the adrenals and the sex hormones.
Importantly, these issues will not be resolved until leptin is brought under control.
This is a reminder that in reflexology, endocrine function is influenced by working on other areas of the feet, apart from those relative to hormones. (Tony Porter)

Gluten is another hormonal disruptor, reducing blood flow to the brain, while also interfering with Thyroid function and depletes Vitamin D. 

Not to do with Reflexology, but food for though at these times:
‘You are a slow learner, Winston’
‘How can I help it? How can I help but see what is in front of my eyes? Two and two are four.
‘Sometimes, Winston, sometimes they are five. Sometimes they are three. Sometimes they are all of them at once. You must try harder.
It is not easy to become sane.’

• George Orwell, 1984
• 
  More posts later
  
  My Best Wishes, Tony Porter
  Founder/Director A.R.T. Reflexology and Seminars.

Eunice Ingham

17/2/2020

These are two rare books by Eunice Ingham.
The one on the left was written in 1959 and consists of her seminar transcripts.
The one on the right was published in 1945 and outlined her work on the glands. Things were so simple and effective in those days.

They were presented to me by Dwight Byers, Eunice Ingham's nephew.New Paragraph

Getting back to the origin...

31/1/2020

I have witnessed the various transitions that Reflexology has gone through since I began my journey in 1972. I now find myself back where I began — at the source, and getting ready to learn to plough…..
​

MERLIN ON LEARNING

​‘The best thing for being sad,’ replied Merlin, beginning to puff and blow, ‘is to learn something.
That is the only thing that never fails.

You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder in your veins, you may miss your only love.
You may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds.

There is only one thing for it then-to learn!
Learn why the world wags and what wags it.
That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust and never dream of regretting.

Learning is the thing for you.
Look at what a lot of things there are to learn, pure science-the only purity there is.
You can learn astronomy in a lifetime, natural history in three, literature in six.

And then after you have exhausted a million lifetimes in Biology, Medicine, History and Economics, why you can start to make a cartwheel out of appropriate wood, or spend fifty years learning to beat your adversary at fencing.

After that you can start again on mathematics, until it is time to learn to plough.’
​
With gratitude to T.H. White - ‘The Once and Future King’ a great read.

Best Wishes
Tony Porter

Wheels within wheels

24/1/2020

Round like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel, never ending or beginning on an ever spinning reel.
With gratitude to Michel Legrand and M.&A, Bergman

A principle of A.R.T. philosophy is the ability to identify disturbed reflexes.
In my view, disturbed and sensitive reflexes are indicators of inflammatory responses within the body - a significant cause of dis-ease.
‘Disturbed’ reflexes have distinct textures as opposed to that of normal, surrounding tissue.

Developing the ability is to identify these areas is essential for truly effective reflexology. They are ‘markers’ of the primary cause of imbalance within the body.

The reflexes of the feet are part of a vast neural macrocosm bound together through the fascia and other structures. The application of focus to the disturbed reflexes, no matter where they occur will encourage therapeutic response where it is needed.
The example below goes a long way in making my point:

One of the main culprits of inflammation is a pro-inflammatory protein called Leptin which is produced by fatty tissue. Apart from the inflammatory response it causes, Leptin also exerts a significant influence on Thyroid function and even the entire endocrine system; it also influences the nervous system.

My Best Wishes 
Tony Porter

REFLEXOLOGY AND MEDITATION

17/1/2020

Dear ARTists and Reflexologists everywhere

It is always usual to make resolutions at the beginning of each new year, which although begun with excellent and positive intentions, gradually start to wear off. It is only a few who can maintain that initial drive and hold their intentions intact, and through this will realise the benefits of their initial aims. These can be, for example, to maintain a regular practice of meditation (which is of particular benefit to those in the natural healing professions such as reflexology). Or to make exercise a daily activity.
There are other pursuits, such as learning to play a musical instrument or taking the decision to read as many books as time permits.

It takes a regular and faithful practice of at least three months to begin to experience positive benefits. Three months seems to be the amount of time for the benefits of pursuits to manifest.

Many years ago I had the good fortune to meet a cardiologist at a conference I was attending on meditation. Actually, as a side note, he did not look anything like my perceived idea of how a medical consultant should look. He had something of a hippy image about him. How surprised I was when he introduced himself as a consultant cardiologist! 

During a break, he explained to me the value that regular meditation had for him. He told me he practiced morning and evening and always before performing surgery. Sometimes he would go into a storeroom in the hospital for a few minutes of chanting meditation before beginning surgery. Working in his type of profession is difficult to maintain regular meditation times, however he always made it a point to practice even for a few minutes. He related that meditation was the most valuable thing he had done in his life. 

He later explained that the internal vibrations caused by chanting have rejuvenating benefits on the entire body. One of the reasons is that it stimulates the Vagus nerve, while also having a beneficial effect on blood and lymphatic fluids.
This effect can be observed by the way a bowl of water reacts to the vibrations from a Tibetan singing bowl.
I used to work in the practice of a medical consultant in London, who was a leading authority on the effects of stress. He invited all of the staff to join him in a thirty-minute chanting meditation at the end of the day. This practice was received with a considerable amount of derision from the practitioners in the adjacent practices! However, it was of great benefit, particularly when performed in a group situation.
Meditation helps to make for a more sensitive and receptive Reflexologist - unless you are already doing so get meditating!
My Best Wishes

Tony Porter

Follow your Heart and Intuition

1/12/2019



I have been somewhat absent from sending out articles and blogs - something which I shall resume as soon as soon as I can.
In the meantime, particularly as we are approaching a New Year it is good to implant some inspirational and positive fertilisation to our thoughts to get things going in a positive way in 2020
​This is one of my favourites
My Best Wishes
Tony Porter

​Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someones else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other people’s opinions drown out your own inner voice.
And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become, everything else is secondary

Steve Jobs

IN FLIGHT REFLEXOLOGY

18/11/2019

I mentioned in my last blog that I was going through my reflexology archives. As that post proved to be of interest, I decided to add some more items as I come across them — this is another.
The plan is to preserve these and other material to go towards the Eunice Ingham and The International Institute of Reflexology legacy, museum
Dwight carried on the work of his aunt Eunice Ingham, following her death in 1974.
We took the Ingham message throughout the U.K. Europe and many parts of the world, particularly from the early 1970s through to the early 1990s. 

This photo is of Dwight giving me a treatment while flying back from Peru in 2009 - I had injured my knee on a long mountain hike, so we did an exchange at 37,000 ft
Dwight would often give treatments to passengers and cabin crew (Initially much to my chagrin!) In those days things were far more relaxed regarding security. 

I remember on a long and somewhat turbulent flight, a lady was having a panic attack which was not respond to the efforts of the cabin crew.
Dwight offered his military medical, training, combined with his hallmark reflexology. This soon not only had the lady becoming completely relaxed, but also the cabin crew.
We spent the last half of the flight in first class!

REFLEXOLOGY TRIUMPH

16/11/2019

From the 1975 - 1979 This was TR, my trusty friend who safely and reliably took me all over the U.K and Europe giving seminars. It was a lovingly restored 1958 Triumph TR3A. Not much room for supplies, but I travelled light in those days, I cannot believe that sometimes I actually slept in that confined space!
I can remember driving along the waterfronts in Nice, Cannes and St.Tropez with people asking to be photographed either in TR or standing by TR. It even opened doors to spending two nights at the Rolling Stones Villa while they were away on tour, without having to pay - sorry Mick!

Sadly, as my reflexology life grew, I needed a larger vehicle for transportation and had to say goodbye to TR. However it was bought by a Dutch enthusiast and went to a very good home in Holland, even winning a number of awards at various events, and as far as I know is still there.
To think that this experience came through focusing on reflexology, when I was a young lad!
As soon as you totally and continuously focus your thoughts on something it brings forth life-changing events, this is law, so take care of your thoughts and become in tune with the infinite.
Details of my seminars which will be announced soon. Yes, like TR I am still going!

Best Wishes
Tony

Reflexology memories

16/11/2019

Going through my archives recently, I came across this photo of me with Dwight and Nancy Byers having a coffee at bottom of Swains Lane, Highgate, London taken 1992. Dwight is the nephew of Eunice Ingham.

A.R.T. Reflexology in France

14/11/2019

A.R.T. REFLEXOLOGY SEMINAR ROUMENS (OCCITANIE) FRANCE

I presented a three—day seminar on September 28-30th in the lovely area of Occitanie France. It was very well attended with eager students coming from all over France, Holland and Morocco! Two of the students were eligible to sit their A.R.T. assessment exam for Registered membership. 

Congratulations to Hicham Doumane ART(Regd) who is our first registered member in Morocco and Vincent Bermon ART(Regd) from Saint Laurent-du-Var France
A.R.T. has always been popular in France and continues to be so; I am looking forward to presenting more seminars next year.
My thanks go to Beatrice Delaetre, Sophie Bosc and Sylvie Julien for all the arranging, administration and help

• 
  
• A.R.T. Seminar Columbia Hotel, London October 24/25 2019
  It was such a great pleasure to be with such an enthusiastic group of reflexologists.
  This seminar also had an International flavour with delegates from South America, France, Holland, Italy and Spain, and from areas over the U.K such as Scotland, Wales and Cornwall. Apologies if I have forgotten other locations.
  The Columbia Hotel, apart from having its history, also has a historical link to the development of Reflexology, not only in the U.K. but also Internationally.
  It was from its conference rooms that Dwight Byers and I began promulgating Ingham Reflexology way back in the early 1970s. 
  
  Since those days, I have given hundreds of seminars, both promoting the classical Ingham approach, (which in those early days were presented by my Sister Ann Gillanders and me) and since then my A.R.T. seminars.
  The walls in those rooms have been like silent custodians, watching over the thousands of people studying reflexology, where its message was taken across the world where it has become firmly established and thrives to this day.
  It was also from the Columbia where the first A.R.T. conference was held back in 1989
  with around 300 attending, we could have had at least 500 but had to turn people away.
  We had speakers from the fields of medicine, acupuncture, osteopathy and of course, reflexology. We were so fortunate to have Maureen Lipman CBE present an inspiring speech. Maureen and I have been friends for well over thirty years, and she has always been a great supporter of A.R.T. Reflexology.
  The walls in those rooms will always resonate with the energy of all the reflexology seminars which took in them over nearly fifty years. 
  
  I look forward to meeting you.
  
  Best Wishes
  
  Tony Porter
  A.R.T Founder and Director

A.R.T. IN WONDERFUL DENMARK

1/6/2019

I was very honoured to have been invited by Peter Lund Fransden and Dorthe Krogsgaard owners of the Touchpoint school in Copenhagen to give two A.R.T. seminars in May. One in Copenhagen and the other further north in Aarhus. Denmark is one of my favourite countries, not only for its visual identity but also for the easy-going friendliness and happiness of its people.

Both of the seminars were well received and in the free time we had Peter and Dorthe took me sightseeing around Copenhagen and Aarhus.
I was interested with the dominance of the spiral symbolism built into some of the buildings as the ones shown.

• The spiral has always been a fascination to me, and how its symbolism is evident throughout nature, the double helix symbol for D.N.A. is one example, and the spiral pattern of the head of a sunflower is another.
  Also the Romanesco cabbage or Broccoli as shown is a dramatic example.
• Peter and Dorthe and I have a shared interest in the significance of the spiral in natural medicine. In fact, Peter has a great interest in energy medicine and is developing presentations to explain how it can be utilised into therapy. Combined with his degree in medicine it will, I am sure offer some fascinating insights into reflexology - it is something I am very much looking forward to. 
  
  I admire the way their seminars are presented, and I am pleased to say that there will be an excellent opportunity to meet Peter and Dorthe when they come to London to present a seminar on fertility in November. 
  
  2nd + 3rd November 2019 Round about:; Fertility
• Click for information
• My Best Wishes to my A.R.T. family
  
  Tony Porter

Reflexology and renal blood flow

15/4/2019

The subject of my recent blogs highlighted the importance of taking into consideration the significance of the toes in reflexology. I mentioned a case of a patient who was born with renal insufficiency and how intriguingly this showed up by her fifth toes which are on the kidney meridian being underdeveloped.

A considerable amount of interest was generated from this and brought to mind so many instances from the past of how reflexology has an excellent record for helping with disturbances to urinary function.

The constant supply of oxygenated blood through the kidneys is one of the most essential functions of the body - Reflexology is very good at helping with this function. 

I came across this research paper which backs this up:

Researchers in Austria studied the effects of reflexology upon renal blood flow on 32 healthy, young adults (17 women and 15 men). A placebo-controlled double-blind trial was set up.

The treatment group received reflexology at zones (reflexes) corresponding to the right kidney. The placebo group received treatment on other foot zones (reflexes). The blood flow of 3 vessels of the right kidney was measured then monitored before, during and following reflexology. Systolic peak velocity and end diastolic peak velocity were measured and resistive index calculated.

The two groups showed significant differences; a highly significant decrease showed during and following reflexology. There were no differences between men and women nor smokers and non-smokers.
​
These results are consistent with the hypothesis that reflexology is effective in influencing renal blood flow and confirms the results of independent research that reflexology can significantly help kidney function.

Sudmeier I et al. Changes of renal blood flow during organ-associated foot reflexology measured by colour Doppler sonography. Forschende Komplementaermedizin 6(3) 129-34 1999

REFLEXOLOGY AND RENAL BLOOD FLOW

13/4/2019

The subject of my recent blogs highlighted the importance of taking into consideration the significance of the toes in reflexology. A mention was made concerning a patient who was born with renal insufficiency and how intriguingly this showed up by her fifth toes which are on the kidney meridian being underdeveloped.
This produced a great amount of interest and brought to mind so many instances from the past of how reflexology has a great affinity for helping with disturbances to urinary function.
The constant supply of oxygenated blood through the kidneys is one of the most important functions of the body - Reflexology is very good at helping with this function.
I came across this research paper in my files recently which backs this up:

Researchers in Austria studied the effects of reflexology upon renal blood flow on 32 healthy, young adults (17 women and 15 men). This was conducted in a placebo-controlled double-blind trial.
The treatment group received reflexology at zones (reflexes) corresponding to the right kidney. The placebo group received treatment on other foot zones (reflexes). The blood flow of 3 vessels of the right kidney was measured then monitored prior to, during and following reflexology. Systolic peak velocity and end diastolic peak velocity were measured. Systolic peak velocity and end diastolic peak velocity were measured and resistive index calculated.
The two groups showed significant differences; a highly significant decrease showed during and following reflexology. There were no differences between men and women nor smokers and non-smokers.
These results are consistent with the hypothesis that reflexology is effective in influencing renal blood flow and confirms the results of independent research that reflexology can significantly help kidney function.

Sudmeier I et al. Changes of renal blood flow during organ-associated foot reflexology measured by colour Doppler sonography. Forschende Komplementaermedizin 6(3) 129-34 1999

The Alchemy of the Toes

5/4/2019

My last blog focused on the dorsal areas of the feet. In this blog, I want to enlarge on this subject by including the dorsal areas of the toes.
This is an area which generally does not receive the attention it is worthy of, which is a pity as the toes are areas of great reflex, significance.
It is because the toes can be something of a challenge, is a reason they are usually given scant attention, particularly to those who are at the beginning of their career in reflexology. Working the toes completely as I suggest has a wide physiological influence, creating an alchemy benefiting the entire reflex, matrix, thereby making each treatment more effective.

In fact, and I have made the point before — the toes have such reflex, significance that an entire treatment can be dedicated to them.
However, while saying this I am taking about a focused and positive application to all the surfaces of the toes for at least 20 minutes. This has to be given within the tolerance of the receiver, particularly during the initial stages. The effect of this is a pleasantly, stimulating and mentally uplifting experience to the receiver.

The contacts are made with all the areas of the fingers and thumbs, which requires dexterity, but with practice and perseverance this will be achieved. I suggest that practice should be confined to sharing sessions with colleagues. This will not only enable the techniques to be practiced, but also to experience the various sensations during and after each session.
There are various types of contacts which I devised to enable effective contact to be made on all the different types of toes. These are taught at my A.R.T. seminars.
There are two phases which are very important to observe:

Phase 1 is performed using techniques without ​any lubrication
Phase 2 is performed using techniques with lubrication

There are types of feet (and toes) which only need the Phase 1 treatment - withoutlubrication.

It is important that if lubrication is used it must be applied very sparingly. Oil is not suitable as it is too slippery. It must be of the type which is absorbed or evaporates, leaving the skin dry.

What is the significance of the dorsal areas?
There is a marked difference in the effect of reflex stimulation between the plantar and dorsal areas of the toes (the medial/lateral are also important).

The dorsal reflexes of the toes exert a wide influence, including and not exclusively, digestive, urinary, lymphatic and hormonal. It is the lower parts of the toes where they join the metatarsals and beyond which also needs to be included as shown on the illustration. I also include the webs of the toes in this protocol.

The illustrations below show a few of the techniques for working the dorsal surfaces of the toes. In general the dorsal reflexes of the feet (including the toes) are of a Yang nature, in contrast to the Yin of the plantar.
Once the toes and the dorsal areas receive as much attention (or when indicated, more attention) as that of the plantar, treatments will have a greater, therapeutic benefit, leading to increased patient satisfaction. This after all is our purpose for being reflexologists.

My Best Wishes

Tony Porter

The Toes in Reflexology

18/3/2019

The Toes
​and their significance in Reflexology

My Blog on the significance of the dorsal surface of the feet, provoked a great amount of interest. What I want to make clear is that it is the way the application is made to the disturbed, reflex areas which is crucial. The application is not only to ‘work’ the disturbed reflex, but also, importantly to be able to detect it. The key in being able to do this is perseverance, and, as I mentioned, through his will come the cultivation of the finger, brain sensory, awareness attribute which will have a transformational benefit to treatments. It is important that no lubrication is used on this area of the feet as it will make the detection and interpretation of the disturbed reflexes impossible. This subject is fully explained and demonstrated at my A.R.T. seminars.

The significance of the toes in reflexology
Another area of reflex, significance, which often is not given enough manual attention and consideration are the toes.

In earlier times, the toes were considered as rather neglected reflex, outposts, only worthy of attention for sinus problems. Thankfully things have changed somewhat since those times, perhaps due to the popularity of ‘foot reading’, where their various shapes and contortions are said to reveal not only physical states of distress but also emotional.
​
I do not claim to be a practitioner in this field, but throughout my career I have seen ample evidence that the first place where disturbances in the body are often revealed are the toes. In fact, one of the most significant changes I have seen, is the way that the toes and sometimes their relevant joints become distorted as a disease state progresses, such as in cardio-vascular disease.

At one time Dwight Byers and I made it a mission to take foot prints with a manual and digital imprinter of as many peoples feet at conferences and seminars as possible — after three years we had literally thousands of prints, many of which dramatically correlated to known structural and physical problems.

To illustrate my point — below is a picture of a former patient of mine, a young lady, in her 20s who was born with congenital kidney malformation, in fact she was waiting for a suitable donor kidney to be found at that time. It can be noted that her fifth toe on each foot shows significant under development. When we consider that the fifth toes are on the kidney meridian, it illustrates in a dramatic way the influence the toes have on all areas of the body.

• Because of the infinite variations and discrepancies of the toes, it is impossible to give effective contact by using one technique. As an example, how could hammer toes be ‘worked’ by using the default setting of the classical ‘walking’ technique?
  The only way the toes can be worked effectively is by using the fingers and thumbs in a variety of ways which will enable positive contact to be made to all the areas. Including the Dorsal surfaces.
  ​
  Working the dorsal areas of the toes, has an entirely different effect than those of the plantar. However there are many different ways of applying the appropriate contact. In my next blog I will show a few applications.
  
  Once working the toes with various applications has been mastered, it will enable a very effective treatment to be given at the exclusion of any other part of the foot.
  To demonstrate this, an interesting and often dramatic phenomenon is demonstrated at my A.R.T. seminars. By working the toes in a specific way the receiver experiences the effect of reflexology from toes to head.
  
  My Best Wishes
  
  Tony Porter
  
  

OBITUARY ROBERT SOUTER 1955-2019

15/3/2019

I received the sad news today that A.R.T. Honorary member Robert (Bob) Souter passed away this morning at his home in Switzerland.
Robert, originally from the U.K. moved to Switzerland where he lived with his wife Elizabeth and family.

Bob, a qualified cardiological nurse worked in the cardiology department of a hospital outside of Lausanne. His work involved monitoring and assessing patients.
On the occasions when Bob was visiting the U.K. we would meet up in a typically British pub which he loved, and discuss all things reflexology while enjoying traditional British beers.
Bob was a highly gifted reflexologist in general, but also encompassed A.R.T. with a great passion, and became an inspiring ambassador for the techniques. 

His medical expertise in the field of cardiology led to him introducing reflexology to patients at the hospital. This was so successful that he was given a wonderful treatment room with panoramic views over mountains and the lake where he treated the fortunate patients. His reflexology proved to be so successful that it became an accepted part of cardiological care at the hospital. 

I am sure, that many of you may remember the most interesting presentations he gave at seminars at the Columbia Hotel in London and in Geneva where he showed clinical evidence of the efficacy of reflexology in cardiology. 

His contribution and dedication to reflexology has left an indelible chapter in the annals of reflexology.
A great loss, particularly at such a comparatively young age.
I have sent condolences from the A.R.T. family and colleagues to his wife Elizabeth and family.

Tony Porter

Interpreting subtle reflexes

11/3/2019

During my first reflexology seminars back in the later part of the 1960s, the emphases of reflex attention was almost exclusively to the plantar areas of the feet — the areas of the dorsal, lateral and the heel were relegated to something of a reflex no-mans-land.
It may be that the plantar areas offered an easier option of contact, owing to the proximity and the convenience of using the thumbs, or perhaps is was because the reflex charts showed a sparsity of reflexes on that area (as many still do today)
Neglecting these areas does a great disservice to the potential of reflexology treatments and therefore, most importantly a disservice to patients.

Even today this plantar exclusivity persists. It is for this reason that I decided to write this blog article on the dorsal areas.

To be able to ‘work’ the dorsal areas effectively demands an entirely different approach than that of the plantar. This can present problems for many reflexologists who have not the experience of using the fingers effectively on the dorsal areas of the feet.
These are the considerations which are needed to effectively work the dorsal areas.

No lubrication can be used

• The dorsal area has to be presented as a convex surface, rather than concave, which is achieved by the thumbs pushing the heads of the metatarsal joints forwards.
• The fingers have to have the necessary dexterity and sensitivity to make effective contact, and to be able to locate disturbed reflexes.
• The fingers have to be used to apply the appropriate contacts and in an effective manner to the disturbed reflexes.
• To be able to work in this way necessitates the therapist to sit above the feet and not low as is a common mistake.

For those not familiar with the term ‘disturbed reflexes’, I will explain briefly what this means.
Reflexology is commonly based on the misunderstanding that a painful reflex equals an imbalance in its corresponding part of the body. However this is not always a reliable indicator.
In my experience it is the existence of a ‘disturbed’ reflex area and not just the pain which indicates an imbalance. Put simply, a ‘disturbed’ reflex is where there is a difference to the feel of the area of the reflex in contrast to its surrounding tissue. A ‘disturbed’ reflex will display a variety of textures.

Having an understanding of the principle of 'disturbed' reflexes forms the very foundation of reflexology, without this, treatments will only be on a very superficial level.

The dorsal areas (when the appropriate techniques are used) can reveal an entirely different reflex-picture, provoking a greater response than those of the plantar. This is born out by the common occurrence of the receiver perceiving sensations from the contact on the foot to other areas of the body.
Some of the dorsal, 'disturbed' reflex areas are easy to detect, such as those of a lymphatic disturbance, or those involving breast tissue, while others are very subtle in their presentation. It is for this reason that the sensory connection between the finger tips and the brain of the therapist has to be cultivated, and this comes only through practice.
The general type of contact (once the 'disturbed' reflex has been detected) is static and applied with the finger tip. (I give up to 40 seconds, although generally it is around 20.)
Once familiarity with working in this way is attained, reflex assessment will have a far more accurate meaning and the treatment which includes the proper working of the dorsal surfaces will have a far greater therapeutic benefit.

Successful reflexology is about touch and the way that the touch is applied (which varies between each person). The finger’s thumbs and hands are conduits which receive reflex information to our perception.

Some of the disturbed reflexes are very subtle and will be missed unless the correct techniques of locating them are used.
With continued practice, the mind finger-tip relationship will develop to such a degree that another level of reflexology will be uncovered — one where the influence of the underlying electromagnetic circulation will be revealed.
It will be through this that the experience of being able to feel the ebb and flow of this circulation will lead to the understanding that no two treatments on patients can be the same — and each patient has to be treated according their unique energy pattern, which is also constantly changing — this is what it takes to work ‘in tune’ with patients.

Below are examples of contacting disturbed reflexes. Note how the dorsal surface of the foot is presented convexly, and the way the fingers are supported (the type of support is dependent on the type of disturbance present).

The subject of disturbed reflexes, their detection and interpretation is an area of focus at my A R T seminars.

My Best Wishes 

Tony Porter

Copyright Tony Porter© 2019 

Dwight Byers 90th Birthday celebrations

30/1/2019

Greetings A.R.T.ists and fellow reflexologists!

I have recently returned from visiting my long time friend and business associate Dwight Byers at his home city of St Petersburg in Florida.
Dwight and I have known each other for 40 years. The reason for the visit was to celebrate his 90th birthday.

Happy 90th Dwight 

On summit of Kilimanjaro 

It is difficult to believe that Dwight was in his 50s when we met and held our first seminar at Londons famous Columbia Hotel - famous for the fact that it was where reflexology was launched in a significant way, not only in the UK but to Europe and through this to many parts of the world. It was also famous for another reason-during the 1960-70s it became almost a home to many of the struggling pop groups of that era, even Matt Damon made a film a few years ago which featured the hotel.

It was through a mutual friend (in fact Arthur Lincoln Pauls, osteopath and founder of Ortho-Bionomy) that Dwight and I got into contact, and through this I arranged an introductory Ingham reflexology seminar in London. 

The year was 1976 and the day before the seminar I was waiting in the foyer of the hotel for Dwight to arrive from Florida. ‘Hello my man i’m Dwight, great to meet you, we are going to have a terrific seminar’ said Dwight while extending his hand in greeting, it was like a tornado had arrived from the West, reflexology would never be the same again!

At that time, reflexology was a rather genteel therapy which was taught in an almost pious manner by the few people teaching in the Uk, to have someone, and particularly an American to shake up the established status quo was seen by some as an act of blasphemy.
​
We got to know each other over a breakfast, and apart from the obvious subject of reflexology taking up most of the conversation, the subject of our shared interest in physical fitness became a point of interest.
In those days I would start the day with an early morning run over London’s Hampstead Heath, that morning had been no different and I had my running gear in my car.
On hearing this Dwight went to his room, and in a short time appeared in the foyer in his running apparel ready for a run.
As the hotel was adjacent to London’s Hyde Park this was really convenient-and off we jogged into the park on that beautiful early, spring day. In fact that jog never really stopped but was to continue in many guises internationally over the next 40 years.
Little did I know what a life-changing catalyst this day would be.

Over the passing of the years it is natural that the memories of the pioneers of reflexology gradually fade or become blurred. For this reason it is important for me to mention some facts about Dwight, who in case you may not know is the nephew of Eunice Ingham, the Mother of reflexology.

This year marks my 45th in reflexology, which to me seems a long time, which I suppose it is. However it pails in comparison to that of Dwight who is into his 75th year of reflexology.
From the time of our first meeting Dwight and I travelled extensively, giving seminars on a truly international scale and introducing reflexology to countries where it was hardly known. 

In between seminars we would explore the countries by going on treks. In Africa we climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, in South America we trekked and camped high up in the Andes, finishing at Machu Picchu. In Switzerland we trekked in the Mountains - in fact Dwight climbed the Matterhorn in his mid sixties a tough climb even for younger people. 


We gave hundreds of seminars all across America then Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Singapore, Canada, Switzerland, France, Holland, Israel and the U.K. I stopped over in Mongolia and China to search out indigenous reflexology.
We also gave reflexology ‘in the field’ so to speak during our many treks helping those who had succumbed either to the altitude or had various ailments from their exertions. 

It was because of the amount of travel and times that we spent in each others company that I got to know Dwight from a different viewpoint other than that of a reflexologist.
I feel that at this stage of his life, it is worthy to reveal some of the little known areas of Dwight’s life.
Dwight, because of family circumstances lived from an early age with his Aunt, Eunice Ingham. She had founded The National Institute of Reflexology in America. He began by assisting her at seminars, eventually becoming her driver. He was well and truly indoctrinated into the Ingham Method of reflexology and was to become a fervent supporter of his Aunts work throughout his life.

Money was scarce in his younger life, it was a difficult time in America in the 1920s. To make ends meet he would park cars in a parking lot after finishing school in the afternoon (the more cars he could squeeze into the space the more he was paid) after this he would wash dishes in a hotel until the early hours of the morning.
His association with cars eventually led him to becoming a champion race driver later in his life. Apart from driving fast cars he also loved acrobatic flying, something he enjoyed doing regularly.

One time while he was in the U.K. I arranged for him to fly a glider and a stunt plane. I can vouch for his skills as I watched him from the ground performing death-defying acrobatics.
The photos below show him about to take off in a glider and a stunt plane from Booker airfield in the UK around 1980.

Dwight giving treatment during flight

In his younger years he served in the US army in Europe where he trained as a medic.
Another side of his life which few people know is that he was an assistant pathologist for many years, personally performing over 1500 autopsies.
He rarely mentioned this at seminars.

The dilution of reflexology
It is difficult for me to witness how the memory of Eunice Ingham (the Mother of Reflexology) is gradually receding into the background noise of ‘modern’ reflexology. I become increasingly aware of this by the amount of students who have to be reminded of who she was and the part she played in reflexology. Even her heir apparent Dwight Byer’s part in the tapestry of reflexology is gradually fading from memory.

During my recent stay with Dwight, he spoke in depth of his life with his ‘Aunt’ Eunice. We looked at her writings and comments regarding her association with Dr Riley and how from this she gradually developed what she called Reflexology.
We visited the house in St. Petersburg, Florida where during the 1930s she would escape the harsh winters of Rochester New York State. It was in this house where she treated thousands of people and started to gather material for her seminal books “Stories The Feet Can Tell’ and ‘Stories The Feet Have Told’.
Much of this material will be displayed in the Museum of Reflexology, some I am keeping in my archives.

The conversations with Dwight ranged across a wide spectrum of reflexology-related subjects. One in particular is the way that reflexology is becoming increasingly diluted into something resembling little more than a feeble type of foot massage. Whereby a treatment which is given with an authoritative, professional and focused approach-something which the receiver can actually feel, is branded as being brutal. This view is held by those who do not know or understand what authentic reflexology is.

Dwight has always related about the firm and often (therapeutically), painful pressure his aunt used when giving treatments. It was this approach which made her treatments so effective. (I shall be commenting on this and other related subjects in my next blog.)

Dwight has his critics, who judge him by his positive (American) manner, but those who know him the way I do realise that he is totally dedicated to preserving the way that his Aunt Eunice worked. My only criticism is that perhaps he was too protective, not allowing for the changes which naturally evolve with a therapy over time to take place. 

I was really surprised and in a way honoured that Dwight accepted my early technique adaptations, (later becoming known as A.R.T). in a serious way.
This is why, and believe me when I say in an unbiased way that the Ingham methodology performed in the proper manner serves as a platform upon which other techniques can be built.
My experience has taught me that effective reflexology relies on the correct use of the fingers, thumbs, hands and very importantly the entire body. Only when this has been achieved, can other modalities be incorporated.

My message to those negative critics is ‘where would you be without Dwight’s input? Indeed where would any of us be, and even more pertinently, would reflexology have come into being as we know it without Eunice Ingham and Dwight? After all it was Eunice Ingham who coined the term reflexology.

Dwight and I spent many hours together on long flights. I remember the first one was to South Africa-as soon as the seat belt sign had been switched off Dwight got into conversation with fellow passengers and cabin crew about reflexology and offering treatments during the flight. I have to admit that I hid my face in my hands in embarrassment. However, Dwight treated a lady who was hyperventilating due to fear after going through turbulence. His magic hands calmed her down within minutes.
People with headaches or nausea during the night came and asked for treatments, an empty four seats at the rear of the aircraft with arm rests up became the perfect treatment couch. 

Even a member of the cabin crew who was unwell, received much appreciated treatment during her rest period. This response showed me that reflexology is such a wonderfully versatile therapy which can be given anywhere, and although I would not have had the bravado of Dwight, It did demonstrate to me what a much appreciated gift to humanity reflexology can be.

In those days it was possible to visit the flight deck by appointment. Dwight being a pilot was interested in a visit, which was arranged and he was soon talking aviation matters to the flight crew. The first officer had a stiff neck and tight trapezius muscles, I took the controls as it were by giving him a massage which was much appreciated.
Dwight and I were in Business class, but were surreptitiously upgraded to first class for the rest of the flight!
Another positive was that one of the passengers who received a treatment during the flight actually attended our lecture in Johannesburg. 

I learnt a lot from Dwight other than reflexology, the main one was the importance of cultivating a positive outlook, something he constantly reminded us all about. He learned this from Eunice, who also claimed that a positive outlook of the reflexologist had a positive influence on the therapeutic benefits of treatments.

My Best Wishes
Tony
​

Le monde à nos pieds

13/12/2018

The World at our feet

10/12/2018

STORIES THE TOES ARE TELLING

7/12/2018

The focus of this article is the therapeutic significance of the toes in reflexology

I remember during my early reflexology years, in the late 1960s, we were told the toes reflex claim to fame was only their relationship to sinus, eye and ear problems.
There were no specific techniques for the toes, other than the classical (walking) which were transposed from the plantar areas to the toes, albeit with the appropriate supports.

This would pose a few problems, particularly when deformities such as a hammer toe condition existed.
It was easier to adapt the classical techniques to toes which were long and well formed, but even then the emphasis of the contact was still only applied to the plantar surfaces.
It was later in my career that it gradually became clear to me, that the toes, rather than being the poor relations of other areas of the feet, are in fact conduits to virtually every part of the body. For example they can show, observable indications of various physiological changes within the body-when we take into account the relationship of the toes to the meridians, it makes this easier to understand.

I am not going into the study of reading the feet, although it is interesting it is not something I know too much about, I will leave this to others more qualified on the subject.
What I can say is that I have seen changes in the shape and distortions of the toes relating to various conditions, for example: Thyroid conditions-bunions, thick skin over the heads of the metatarsal joints-conditions of the Thoracic cavity. Hammer toes often relate to tightness in the upper back and neck. Consideration of the influences of the meridians and mental/emotional patterns must also be taken into account.

The picture below illustrates this is in a remarkable way:

• 
  This was a young lady patient 20 years of age. She was born with seriously compromised kidney function, and later in her life was receiving Dialysis. She was also waiting for a donor kidney to be found at the time I was treating her.
  The interesting thing about this photo, as you must have noticed is the underdevelopment of her little toes, the kidney meridian begins on the medial side of the small toes! 
  
  The toes are involved with proprioception which is the relaying of information of the relative position of the body to maintain balance during locomotion. They are also continuously 'expressing' themselves in conjunction with the feet, in response to conscious or unconscious feelings such as stress, worry, and sensuality.
  William Shakespeare knew this well, as this passage from Troilus and Cressida reveals:
  There is a language in her eye, her cheek, her lip. Nay her foot speaks; her wanton spirits look out at every joint and motive of her body.
  
  A treatment given only to the toes can be remarkably beneficial.
  However I must make it clear that the techniques used are specialised, incorporating the classical techniques with those of A.R.T.
  I have met a number of reflexologists who have discovered the therapeutic benefits of working on the toes as a treatment in its own right.
  
  The photo below is of a blind reflexologist who gave treatments in this manner. He worked as a reflexologist at the Malaysian Hotel I stayed in many years ago. 
  
  I booked a treatment, expecting a general reflexology session, but before the session began, he told me that he only treated the toes, and with that proceeded with the session. It was an intense experience-using his fingers, thumbs and a small metal probe. He gave a highly concentrated and very effective treatment lasting around 45 minutes. I was very impressed with what I experienced during and after the treatment and booked several more. It was this experience which further confirmed my thoughts of the therapeutic potential of treating the toes in a focused and isolated manner.
• The techniques I use are incorporated with the classical techniques and present an entirely different approach from the more accepted model of reflexology. For me, reflexology is a dynamic therapy, where a range of techniques are utilised to suit the idiosyncrasies of each patient and their feet! This applies particularly to the toes. 
  
  This modality is not brutality, but a treatment given with authority and where the patient is always in charge and free to express what they are feeling.
  
  One of the reasons I conceived the A.R.T. protocol, was to be able to introduce other techniques to the classical model of reflexology and making the therapy into something more beneficial and at the same time, dynamic-moving from one foot to the other in a sequential rhythm.
  In the case of the toes this makes it possible to really work all the areas, even when deformities exist.
  For example, the dorsal surfaces of the toes are important areas to work and have a large range of reflex, influence, and yet this area is invariably ignored, or at the most receives scant attention.
  I am not suggesting the toes need to be treated in isolation on every patient or session- there are times when a session performed in this manner would be beneficial.
  ​
  However there are conditions where a focus on the toes is of great value, such as in conditions:
  Spinal trauma, particularly of the neck, and other neurological conditions such as those of CVA (Cerebrovascular Accident).
  When I worked for some time in a Spinal Unit of a neurological hospital in France to treat a friend, who following an accident in her home, became tetraplegic. I would give three short treatments daily, focusing mainly on her toes and lateral spinal reflex areas.
  
  The staff were impressed at the neurological response I achieved. I was invited to treat other, similarly, compromised patients at the hospital. In fact the head of the physiotherapy department was so impressed that she took my A.R.T. training, and now incorporates this with her physiotherapy work.
  
  How to demonstrate the effect of reflexology
  Eunice Ingham once said that to demonstrate the efficacy of reflexology, just work on one foot, and after which ask the receiver to walk around and experience the difference between the 'worked' side of the body and the other.
  ​With this in mind I formulated a method of proving the influence of the toes, but by only working on the toes of one foot.
  
  I have used the protocol described over the years at exhibitions and seminars to prove the effectiveness of the Focused Reflexology®️approach. It entails working on the toes of one foot in a focused and stimulating manner with the classical and A.R.T. techniques for at least twenty minutes. (it takes me less). This has to be within the boundaries of tolerance by the receiver. Any undue sensitivity experienced at the onset of the procedure will gradually transform into a pleasant and rejuvenating sensation. 
  
  Working with a range of techniques going from toe to toe on one foot only for twenty minutes (with experience the time can be ten minutes).
  At the end of this time the receiver gets off the couch and with bare feet, ​walks around (I often hold their arms as they can sometimes feel briefly disorientated). 
  
  If the toes have been stimulated enough, they will be very surprised, or amazed and sometimes emotional to experience how the side of the body corresponding to the foot feels-it will feel far more relaxed than the other side, warmer and often with a pleasant tingling feelings.
  Something else, quite remarkable can also happen-the same side of the face will have a distinctive flush. I have seen on numerous occasions how patients with low back pain, often become pain free after a session focusing on the toes.
  After this 'one foot' session both feet can be worked in the general way.
  If you want to try out these techniques, I suggest that you start by practising on a colleague or friend, and who have 'easy' toes free of distortions.
  My DVD shows many of the techniques of A.R.T. which you will find useful. Available from  www.artreflex.com
  I will be posting some videos of various A.R.T. procedures on my website in due course, which will include the procedures of this blog.
  
  While on the subject of toes, I feel the use of smileys, such as the ones below should not be used in conjunction with reflexology. What kind of impression of reflexology does this give? Also terms such as Footsies or Tootsies are also used. After a lifetime in reflexology I hate to see this 'dumbing down' and dilution of such a wonderful therapy.
  It demeans the professional image of the therapy.
  ​

I wish you all a Healthy, Peaceful and Successful 2019

Tony Porter

The techniques described in this blog are those used by me and those qualified in the techniques of A.R.T. and are for information purposes only.
Myself or those connected to A.R.T. will not be liable for an adverse affects which may occur from these techniques.

Copyright 2018 Tony Porter

THE SEVENTH NRRI NATIONAL REFLEXOLOGY SYMPOSIUM 2018 National Register of Reflexologists - Ireland

27/9/2018

September 22/23 2018 Mullingar, Co. Westmeath

It was with great pleasure that I accepted an invitation to give presentations on the development and protocols of A.R.T. reflexology at the symposium.
The symposium was very well attended by enthusiastic reflexologists from all over Ireland and some from the UK.
it was also nice for me to be back in Ireland for two reasons:
Firstly a number of my early seminars were given there in the early 1980s. The first one I gave was at the Royal Marine Hotel in Dun Laoghaire, I used that venue a number of times and really enjoyed teaching and staying there.
Seminars were also given at many other venues across southern Ireland.
And secondly, I also spent long spells in nearby Tullamore of which I have fond memories.

It was during these early days that I met Anthony Larkin, who, sadly I was to find out during the symposium had recently passed away. Apart from reflexology, Anthony and I shared another passion which was radio. I have been a keen amateur short wave radio enthusiast since my teenage years - we spent many a time over a Guinness or two and good food, talking things radio, plus of course Reflexology.
I know that everyone at the symposium was with him in their thoughts - see you down the trail Anthony.

The symposium was really well organised by Tomasz Stanczyk who is the NIIR Secretary/Manager. I know from experience how much work goes into organising events like these. Tomasz is has such wonderful qualities and is a very special human being. Thank you Tomasz!
I would like to thank delightful Mary Littlewood and Joan Moore who picked me up at the Airport and provided a massage couch to demonstrate from, and to Roisin Graham for taking me back to the airport after the symposium.

It was also really nice to meet the other speakers:
Marie Therese Shelly who spoke about ‘Self Care for Reflexologists’ (a most important subject)

Susan Quayle ‘Empowering Families with Reflexology’
Susan has also published some delightful children’s books linked to reflexology. This was her first speaking engagement - I know what a challenge this can be from personal experience. She came through it with flying colours!

Mauricio Kruchik  ‘Reflexology For The Treatment of Pain (For Crohn’s Disease Patients)
I am glad that at last our paths crossed. Mauricio gave a very informative lecture, interspersed with humour which was very well received. I was to find out that he speaks six languages fluently. I am still stuck on English!

For me it was very gratifying the way that my presentations were received.
Sadly I did not take any photos at the event to post with this article - I am not really into the media platform - I don’t do Facebook.

For those who asked me where they can access further information about A.R.T: - www.artreflex.com there are many blogs which I have posted there over the years which you may find of interest.
If you would like to get in touch - Email: tonyporter@btconnect.com

I pointed out during my presentation that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the publication of ‘Stories The Feet Can Tell’ by Eunice Ingham. (1938). I doubt very much, in fact I am certain that reflexology would not be where it is today if it was not for her struggles to overcome the legal obstacles preventing reflexology being recognised as a therapy at that time.
For a full account her life, I highly recommend ‘Eunice Ingham a Biography’ by Christine Issel. Christine has also written other books on reflexology.

I also mentioned Eunice’s nephew Dwight Byers, who as many of you know lived with his aunt for many years, and later as a teenager helped her with seminars, and after she died in 1974 made the National Institute into the International Institute.
Dwight made reflexology more acceptable to the public and gave it a lot of publicity, which is another reason for its popularity today.
It is Dwight’s 90th Birthday in February 2019 he still keeps up his beloved tennis and goes to the gym regularly.

Another topic I mentioned was the Museum of Reflexology which will be based mainly on his Aunts work and life. It will contain many of her artefacts, unpublished writings and books. It will be the world’s first such museum and will be based in Florida. I am honoured to be on the Executive Advisory Board of the museum.

My Best Wishes

Tony Porter

The Worlds First Reflexology Museum

13/9/2018

The Worlds First Museum of Reflexology Honouring the life and work of Eunice Ingham
I heard from my great friend Ignacio Sanchez that he, in conjunction with Dwight Byers will be opening a museum of reflexology in the U.S. It will be based mainly on the life and work of Eunice Ingham (The Mother of Reflexology) Her nephew Dwight Byers has supplied all of her reflexology artefacts, most of which have never been seen before. The museum will chronicle the history of the development of reflexology up to and beyond the contribution which Eunice Ingham made.
The process of curating and cataloging all the many thousands of pictures and items relating to the history of Eunice and reflexology is going on at this time. I am also doing the same with the many hundreds of photos I have of my international travelling days with Dwight in the early 1970s through to 2009. Many of these will be included in the museum.
It will also have a section on the development of A.R.T.
I am honoured to have been made a member of the Executive Advisory Board.
There is a website which is being developed at this time, and as soon as this is up and running will be announced on the ART website.​

The location of the Museum will initially be based in Hallandale, Florida, although
Ignacio tells me he has plans to Exhibit the contents of the museum in many countries throughout the world, including the U.K. So lets wait and see what transpires.

I have, over the years seen many of the exhibits, unpublished writings and books by Eunice Ingham and they do really make fascinating reading. They also reveal the legal battles she fought to continue to promote reflexology in those days.
As a sidenote - It is Dwight Byers 90th Birthday in February next year 2019! A big party is being arranged in St. Petersburg, Florida. Dwight still plays his beloved tennis and gives treatments. 

My Best Wishes

Tony Porter

DUPUYTREN'S CONTRACTURE

5/9/2018

This is how my Dupuytren's looked before surgery.
Commonly affecting the fourth finger (although it can involve one or more fingers and sometimes the thumb) which gradually, over time as you can see, becomes bent and pulled towards the palm.
This is caused by a thickening of the connective tissue (Collagen) in the palm, causing hard nodules to form - a condition known as Fibromatosis.
Dupuytren’s can effect both sexes but is more common in men.
There are various speculations about its causation, there is a strong genetic link as the condition is more common in those form Northern European or Scandinavian descent, it is for this reason that it is referred to as the Viking disease.There is also speculation of a link to thyroid conditions such as Hashimoto’s disease.
In my case it has not been caused by my years in reflexology, but through my genetic ancestry, interestingly I also have Hashimoto’s.
My Dupuytren’s began to develop many years ago, but recently became worse affecting my work which necessitated surgery.

Just after surgery

After 3 weeks nearly healed

The condition can affect other areas of the body, such as the penis (Peyronie’s disease). However (and this is something which concerns reflexologists) it can also effect the feet, causing the same nodules to form on the plantar surface and sometimes on the medial heel, but without the curvature or bending of the toes as in the hand. In this case the condition is known as Ledderhose disease. ​It is not particularly common, but worthy of note. It can cause foot pain when walking. I would always refer to a podiatrist.
This brings me to the point of my blog
I often receive calls of consternation from reflexologists who have either found these lumps (which are sometimes small) on the feet of patients, or on their own feet. Their concern is that the lumps which may be located over certain reflex areas are harbinger's of doom!
A foot reader once told a student of mine that the lumps in her feet (Ledderhose disease) meant that she has had and was having a rocky journey through life. Being told this myth she found to be rather upsetting!
I had a great surgeon who made a wonderful job of releasing my finger joints without leaving scars or inflexibility. So back to work it is!
Best wishes
Tony
​

Illiocecal or Ovary?

26/6/2018

At a time in my reflexology career I had a practice at a medical clinic in London’s Harley St.
It specialised in the treatment of Endocrine disorders, particular of women.
It was through working there that I gathered valuable experience with the influence of reflexology on this subject. One experience which occurred regularly led me to become aware of an ovary reflex which was distinct from the one on the lateral heel.

This was born out and confirmed by clinical investigation.
The Iliocecal reflex has always been somewhat of a mystery to me, why should that reflex just refer to that small structure?

Many of the female patients who attended the clinic had very distinct and disturbed ‘Iliocecal’ reflexes, not only on the right foot, but on the same position on the left. My assessment was an iliocecal problem or appendicitis (reflexology is a very unreliable allopathic diagnostic tool!) Scans confirmed they had problems with their ovary/s.
After observing the same occurrence over a number of years I decided to publish a chart and paper suggesting that the ovary reflex is also on the illiocecal valve reflex, a more logical explanation as the reflex area of the fallopian tube runs approximately along the heel line.
This was back in 1980 - 82. Since then several other reflexologists and organisations have also confirmed this.

To be able to most effectively detect, contact and ‘work’ this reflex, a range of techniques relative to the individuality of the patient and the of foot may need to be employed.

I am pleased to share this with you, your views would be most welcome.

Tony Porter

THE BLADDER REFLEX REVIEWED

20/6/2018

An article I recently wrote on the bladder reflex elicited much interest and debate, and occasionally confusion, amongst reflexologists. Because of this, I thought I would enlarge on the subject, with specific information based on my experience.

Although the reflex is related to the bladder, this does not adequately describe its full therapeutic significance. It has to be remembered that a reflexology chart is only a guide. The bladder reflex influences several anatomical areas such as the pubis and sacrum and surrounding structures. This principle applies to all the other reflex areas on charts (including the ovaries). More on this later.

Another issue is the type of texture present at the reflex. The bladder reflex readily displays the full range of textures i.e swollen (oedematous), granular, crystalline, hard, and other variations in-between. It will often be found that there may be more than one texture type in the bladder reflex.

This reflex often reveals its textures visually, as in inflammatory conditions of the bladder and urinary system, and in pregnancy when it appears swollen and covers a wider area during gestation.

During my years in reflexology I have observed the many conditions which are alleviated when this reflex is contacted. I use the term ‘contacted’ with caution. Like any other reflex, the way it is contacted is the key to effective reflexology. Even a small change to the way the contact is made (with finger or thumb for example) makes an enormous difference to the outcome of the treatment. The effect of making contact with the lateral side of the thumb is entirely different from using the medial side.
The other factor is whether the contact is static, pulsed or classical (i.e. the walking movement).
​
If only one type of contact is used during every treatment, valuable reflex information will remain undiscovered and unworked. The only way to avoid this, and to confirm the true status of the reflexes, is to use different techniques, particularly during an initial treatment. Some of these contacts are very subtle yet provide maximum therapeutic potential.

Bi-manual contact
There are many areas on the feet which can and should be worked bi-manually i.e. working a reflex on both feet at the same time. The medial spinal reflexes lend themselves to this technique, and also those of the bladder. Working bi-manually greatly amplifies the therapeutic potential.

Static contact
Static contact is a very valuable technique. As the name implies it is where contact is made to a disturbed reflex and held for a certain amount of time before releasing and moving either to a slightly different position within the reflex, or assuming a different angle. A static contact should be used on a reflex which relates to an area of pain and inflammation, as it will have a sedating benefit.

​The types of contact we use are dependent on the type of reflex texture at the reflex site.
There are times when the contact needs to be firm and focused - in other words given with authority. This approach is generally more beneficial throughout reflexology in general.

In my experience I have found that effective contact applied to the bladder reflex delivers a wide range of reflex response. The areas influenced are:
Sacrum
Entire urinary system
Skeletal system including hips and knees ( it may benefit these areas because of its relationship to the psoas muscles).
Digestive system
Areas relating to gynaecological problems and pain
Prostate and erectile dysfunction
Loss of libido.
Helpful in inducing labor after late due date

It is important to realise that proficiency in a wide range of techniques is essential if one is to achieve the most therapeutic potential from this reflex.

I would be interested to hear of any comments you may have.

My best wishes

Tony Porter

#reflexology #tonyporterreflexology
#focusedreflexology #artreflexology #hypothyroidism
#arttechniques #fertility #infertility
#ingham #reflexologyseminars
#dwightbyers

THE BOOK WHICH CHANGED MY LIFE

22/5/2018

I was pleased to receive this letter from Pat Elliot, who replied to a Blog I posted regarding Eunice Ingham's book 'Stories The Feet Can Tell'.
Pat began her reflexology career many years ago, by attending a course run by my sister Ann Gillanders.
Following this she attended A.R.T. reflexology training with myself. I was impressed by her command of reflexology - it came naturally to her.
Pat's approach to treatment was and still is practical and positive. By this I mean she simply identifies and works out the disturbed reflexes in a positive and focused manner.
Her patients actually feel the treatment in a therapeutically 'good hurt,' way.
This was how Eunice Ingham worked. Sadly in these days this type of treatment is rare, particularly in the western world.
Pat is also an author and artist. Her letter is below.
​Tony Porter
 

In reply to THE BOOK WHICH CHANGED OUR LIVES, Pat Elliott said:​

Oh how this book was part of changing my life!
I used to work in publishing, in management accounting. My husband had an accident at work and his consultant said he'd be in a wheelchair within two years.
One of my publishers gave me free rein to the books in her health section, and one, a Joseph Corvo book, led me to reflexology.
I started being taught by your sister, Ann -and this was one of the books she recommended.
Find the sore spot, work it out, became my mantra!
I qualified, started my own practice, and after a few years learned ART reflexology. My practice took off and most importantly, some 25 years later, my husband's still walking unaided.
Reflexology gave me hope, a walking OH, a business, a lifestyle and great satisfaction in seeing so many people helped.
On my latest holiday, I even helped a fellow camper with back pain.
For this book, all my reflexology books, you and your sister's training, I am immensely grateful.
None of it possible without Eunice and her dedication.
Mother of Reflexology, for sure! 

TAKING REFLEXOLOGY TO THE TOP

19/5/2018

Dwight Byers (Eunice Ingham's nephew) and I on the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro in 1983
I suffered bad altitude sickness so hid behind flag while throwing up! I am going through hundreds of photos in my reflexology archives and will post more over time.
Dwight and I were able to take time off from our International reflexology tours to have many adventures.
Great days. Remember this year marks the 80th anniversary of Eunice Ingham's book
'Stories The Feet Can Tell' published 1938

THE BOOK WHICH CHANGED OUR LIVES

4/5/2018

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the publication of Eunice Ingham's
'Stories The Feet Can Tell' (1938).
I can clearly remember being given this book in 1967 during my early physical therapy training days. Eunice Ingham's mantra of 'finding a sore spot and working it out' had a simplistic and yet convincing truth about it - after all this is what reflexology is really about.
It was through her determination, often against seemingly impossible legal odds which existed in that days that reflexology is so popular today.

Reading this book certainly changed my life, the reverberations of which are still active today. The main change came through working with the Ingham organisation and her nephew Dwight Byers. Dwight and I spent many years travelling the world promoting reflexology, something which I am doing to this day with A.R.T. (Advanced Reflexology Techniques)
So thank you Eunice (and Dwight) not just from me but from all of us reflexologists everywhere.
Tony Porter
It would be interesting to hear about how this book, also changed your lives.

​#reflexology #artreflexology #tonyporter #artseminars #thyroid #hypothyroid
#euniceingham #storiesthefeetcantell #pituitaryreflex

REFLEXOLOGY AND FUNCTION

25/3/2018



The mantra 'Structure governs function' is well known to osteopaths and bodyworkers everywhere. It refers to all of the structures which make up the body.
The integrity of the structures governs the functions of the body, either in a positive or negative way depending on the type and location of the structural 'lesion'

My experience in reflexology has shown me that the reverse can also be true: Mal function can also govern structure, in this case of the feet.
It is well known in reflexology circles that a bunion commonly relates to thyroid, hormonal dysfunction causing the structural abnormality of the metatarsal joint.

​However I have seen many instances of a malfunction in the body causing a range of structural changes in the feet, particularly where cardiological problems are present.
The foot print example below is one of many I took of people with cardiological conditions.
​There are others shown on my Instagram pages.
Note the pressure points on the left metatarsal joints, plus the absence of the three toes indicating tension and imbalance, caused possibly through the influence of the vagus nerve in cardiological conditions.
I have hundreds of other examples of similar cases.
These examples demonstrate the hidden 'layers' of reflexology which are discussed and demonstrated at my ART seminars.
I hope you find this of interest which will, I hope add more value to your great work.

Best Wishes

Tony Porter

Reflexology Archive items from A.R.T.

24/3/2018

Amongst the many items in my archives going back over 44 years of reflexology are these two interesting examples. The first is showing the dorsal reflexes (a much neglected area).
The lower is one of thousands of foot prints I took throughout the world. It is of interest to note that the darker areas of pressure on the prints corresponded to ailments reported by the people having their prints taken.
Note the absence of toes in the print, indicative of shoulder and upper back postural problems.
Tony Porter A.R.T.

Another early A.R.T. chart

24/3/2018

These is another early A.R.T. chart which was partly developed through a clinical research programme 1987-89 Tony Porter Founder/Director A.R.T.

Early Research A.R.T. Foot Chart

23/3/2018

This is one of many charts which came about through a research project in 1987 - 1989 Dorsal view 
Tony Porter

REFLEXOLOGY ORIGINS

27/2/2018

When I began my reflexology career way back in 1972 it was generally accepted that reflexology began in China. Later, owing to a colour souvenir reproduction (above) of a pictograph from the Physicians tomb in Saqqara in Egypt, dated 2300 BC, a link was also made to Ancient Egypt.
The illustration is purportedly showing a reflexology treatment. This reproduction went ‘viral’, and has since been used to cement the belief of a reflexology link to 3rd Dynasty Egypt.
​

I have to admit that I believed this ‘evidence’ at that time, and had something to do with original research into this illustration. I leapt at the offer from a patient who was a curator in the Egyptology department of the British Museum in London. 

She offered to look into the background and the various hieroglyphic interpretations of the illustration. A few weeks later she came back with some information. She explained that the main theme was, ‘Do not hurt me’ and from the therapist ‘I will do my best for you, you will honour me’ and so forth.

This pictograph was one of many, all depicting different types of surgery and medical treatments. It was because of this that the consensus of the curator was that it showed a chiropody and manicure treatment, particularly as the pictograph in the tomb shows a type of implement being held by the practitioner.
Evidently the Egyptian upper hierarchy of that time, took great care of their hands and feet to set them apart from ‘ordinary mortals’.
This does not mean that massage and even manipulation of the hands and feet were not used at that time for therapeutic purposes, after all there was an advanced understanding of medicine and surgery in Egypt at that time.

What about the Chinese origin?
In the early 1980s I had the opportunity to travel in China to interview various influential members of the Acupuncture and medical profession. My aim was to gather as much information about the origins of reflexology in China and pick some ‘gems’ along the way, and come back to the UK with the ‘Holy Grail’ of the Chinese origins of reflexology.

Unfortunately I came back with my tail very much between my legs. I was told that reflexology as we know it did not have its origins in China! Apparently it is quite a modern therapy in that country.
It is romantic and mystical to associate reflexology to China and Egypt, and as I have stated, types of massage to the feet must have been given, except in China where massage of the feet was not the thing to do and was actually frowned upon for various reasons which space does not permit me to go into here.

Europe: Fast forward to 1991
A discovery of the body of an ancient hunter was found in western Europe in 1991. The body had been preserved in the ice and was dated as being 5,300 years old. This in itself was very interesting. However something else came to light which astounded the researchers. The body had meridians and acupuncture points tattooed on the front and back.
It was found that the hunter was suffering from digestive problems which would have caused pain.
​Someone with a knowledge of what we now know as acupuncture must have placed the tattoos, as they were also on the back - interestingly also showing the position of points along the stomach meridian! They were made for identification purposes for self treatment, which could be given perhaps with a sharp object or finger pressure.
From this evidence we have to accept that knowledge of what we now know as acupuncture was known in western Europe 2,000 years before any evidence of acupuncture came out of China! 

​We may speculate but we are none the wiser.

Tony Porter Focused Reflexolgy® A.R.T Founder

POTENTIAL OF REFLEXOLOGY

24/2/2018

The body’s electrical potential gives life to the 37 trillion or so cells of the human body. The wonder of reflexology is that changes to this electrical potential, through disease, poor nutrition and not forgetting the constant poison of contaminated thinking, are reflected in the reflexes of the feet. These factors make reflexology a therapy of practically infinite possibilities.​

Tony Porter©️

THANK YOU AUNT EUNICE

24/2/2018

Eunice Ingham
February 24 1889 - December 10 1974

This day 129 years ago Eunice Ingham (The Mother of reflexology) was born.
Whenever Dwight Byers and I were 'on the road' giving seminars he would always raise a glass to his Aunt Eunice.
​Thank you Eunice! 

THE THERAPEUTIC VALUE OF SILENCE

15/2/2018

Some years ago after giving seminars in South America, Dwight Byers and I trekked through the Andes.
I decided to pitch my tent high in the mountains with magnificent views over the Andes.
Enveloped in silence and with the splendour and grandeur of the universe above, I sat all night 'listening' to the silence. I watched the rays of light streak across those mountains heralding the new day.
During that night these following words from Jiddu Krishnamurti came to me.
Such a profound and moving experience which has stayed with me ever since.

In the silence of deep night and in the quiet, still morning when the sun is touching the hills, there is a great mystery.
It is there in all living things. If you sit quietly under a tree, you will feel the ancient earth with its incomprehensible mystery. On a still night when the stars are clear and close, you will be aware of expanding space and the mysterious order of all things, of the immeasurable and of nothing, of the movement of the dark hills and the hoot of an owl.

In that utter silence of the mind, this mystery expands without time and space…
Experience is the death of that incommunicable mystery; …. to be in communion with that, the mind, the whole of you, must be at the same level, at the same time, with the same intensity as that which is called mysterious.
This is love. With this the whole mystery of the universe is open.

Jiddu Krishnamurti

IT'S EVEN IN THE COFFEE

25/1/2018



Here I am in Starfish Cafe, on the corner of my street and enjoying the great coffee they serve, and just as I was about to take my first sip, I noticed this. Is it a sign I ask, perhaps coffee has memory as well?

THE TIME CAME ....

13/1/2018

'The time came when the risk it took to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom'
Anais Nin

TONY PORTER SEMINARS

9/1/2018

TONY PORTER FOCUSED REFLEXOLOGY®
UK SEMINARS 2018

​Since I founded the ART techniques and protocols in 1989 they have quite naturally undergone various refinements and further adaptations.
I am pleased to say that I will be giving seminars in the U.K. in London
on the following dates:
April 14/15 2018 and September 29/30 2018
These seminars will be particularly valuable for existing ART Registered members to catch upon the developments, or for those who are interested in learning the ART approach of reflexology. Either one of the seminars will count towards ART registration.
​
Booking details are now available on http://www.artreflex.com/seminars.html

NOTHING IS INVENTED

3/1/2018

NOTHING IS INVENTED, FOR IT IS WRITTEN IN NATURE FIRST. ORIGINALITY CONSISTS OF RETURNING TO THE ORIGIN.
Antoni Gaudi

A BETTER UNDERSTANDING

3/1/2018

‘The history of science shows that theories are perishable. With every new truth that is revealed we get a better understanding of nature and our conceptions and views are modified’
Nikola Tessla

REFLEXOLOGY VIEWS AND ISSUES:

10/7/2017

Reflexology views and issues:

The first part of the year was busy with seminars and lectures in the UK and the continent (as it used to be called).
My presentations at these events are aimed to help delegates become aware of the full range of possibilities of reflexology, and to separate truth from fiction .
Since giving these seminars, I have received many requests to make my views more widely available.
The following brief statement was part of a seminar which led on to a detailed discussion:
Sticking our fingers in the wheel of nature
There is widespread misunderstanding in reflexology of exactly how our ministrations effect the physiology of the receiver..

Reflexology is a fickle therapy,- it is not always a question of pressing button A to get result B. or to put succinctly:

‘ We as reflexologists cannot put our fingers in the wheel of natures healing response, it will do what it has to do in its own sweet way, as it has done since the first amoeba rejoiced at being alive’
Tony Porter blog 29/03/2017©

The physiology of the body has its own default setting, it has been ‘hard wired’ for survival since the time of that first amoeba through a process known as homeostasis. The application of various types of contact to the feet will not undo that setting.
Life is electrical in its various forms, it is what manifests in us as living beings; it is the platform upon which life depends.
The effect of Reflexology
With the proper applications of reflexology we can influence the circulation of this ‘force’ throughout every cell of the body. This should be the aim of our work. Through this energising process, the body will be better able to take care of itself.
This is the reason why the sick, worn, physically and mentally ‘challenged’ feel refreshed and energised by reflexology.

“Treat what you find, not what you are looking for”
This statement has been engrained into me since my early physical therapy, training days. It should also be engrained into every reflexologist.
By not taking heed of this statement, will mean that we work in a symptomatic, biased way, making sure that the reflexes fit the symptoms.

The notes of interest below will add further credence to the subject:

Tony Porter©

THE 'DANGERS' OF REFLEXOLOGY

29/3/2017

As this blog (which I originally posted in June 2015) attracted so much attention and interest I decided to send it again.

Looking back over my 43 years in reflexology practice and teaching, I am glad to know that many things have changed for the better, but I find it frustrating that some prejudices and misinformation persist.

In the early days, reflexology had something of a 'summer afternoon with tea and cakes' image about it, at least this is how it was recognised by the majority of people. The practice of reflexology was something one did when the children left home and one had time on one's hands - all very nice and genteel!

But there was another more worrying side of reflexology as a profession, particularly in the U.K. I remember being told by a tutor, that reflexology, if used incorrectly, could have dire consequences for the recipient if certain rules were not strictly adhered to.

Amongst these gems of misinformation was the danger of spending too much time on a reflex, and never to give more than two treatments weekly.
We were even told to use a stop-watch to time to the second the time we spent on each reflex. If a miscalculation was made with this, and the treatment was thirty seconds too long, the wrath of the heavens would fall on the poor patient!

I can recall, as a young reflexology acolyte, being haunted by the fear of the effect my reflex, timing miscalculation would have on that day's patient. A night filled with anxiety!
As for giving three treatments in the space of a week-that was heresy! How would the patient's body be able to handle the bucket loads of toxins which would be gushing into the blood stream?

Added to this were the pages of contra-indications we had to learn by heart, which meant that nearly every new patient had to be referred to their GP to confirm they were well enough to receive a treatment!

Thankfully, sanity now dictates that these beliefs are less predominant, but it is still surprising to me that there remain many reflexologists who are still fearful of the damage they could cause to a patient.

Even today it is believed by some that reflexology must never be given during pregnancy, or at least not until after the first trimester, for fear of causing miscarriage. Where did this come from? As if nature forgot that a pregnant lady may safely walk on a stony or pebbly surface.
Perhaps there should be warning notices on all pebbly beaches making people aware of the fact that walking on them may cause miscarriage or cardiac complications!

I have treated thousands of women throughout pregnancy; it is a time when both mother-to-be and the foetus can benefit from a treatment. I am not suggesting a 'gung-ho' approach, far from it, but an appropriate treatment for each particular patient.

Other pearls of advice included never to treat a person with implants, such as hip, knees etc. as this could cause rejection! I ask you, where does this stuff come from? Add to this heart conditions, cancer, diabetes and others. 

I was once told by an eminent tutor while I was demonstrating working on the heart reflexes, that it was dangerous and could damage or even stop the heart! What a way to commit the perfect murder! Another reprimanded me about the dangers of working too hard on the spinal reflexes as it could crush the spine! A therapist told me that she watched a piece of shrapnel (which was embedded in WW2) migrate through the skin of a patient while she was giving a treatment! Not to mention the supposed anti-poison reflex on the feet which was all the rage a few years ago!

Reflexology, applied in the proper manner, is a wonderfully energising, relaxing therapy, capable of being beneficial to the recipient. It is not destructive, but constructive - it does no harm. Certainly patients can experience a variety of responses after a treatment; sometimes a feeling of wellbeing, and sometimes, slightly unpleasant sensations. The body will do what it has to do following a treatment. We as reflexologists cannot put our fingers in the spokes of the wheel of nature's healing response. It will do what it has to do in its own sweet way, as it has done since the first amoeba rejoiced at being alive.

Do your great work with this knowledge and respect in mind, and without trepidation.

My Best Wishes
Tony Porter 

DO IT NOW

1/3/2017

Whatever you can do or dream you can do
Begin it…..
Boldness has genius
Magic and power in it
Begin it now……

“Taking the first steps towards our dreams or
even changing a situation we don’t like is often the
hardest move. However, making a commitment to action
is where the magic begins.
“All sorts of things help us that would never otherwise
have occurred. A whole stream of events issue from the decision,
raising in one’s favour all manner of unforeseen incidents
and meetings and material assistance which no one would
have dreamed would come their way”
Goethe

THE MAGIC OF REFLEX FOCUS

22/2/2017

Several ​years ago I was given a copy of this book by Dwight Byers, the nephew of Eunice Ingham, the ‘mother of reflexology’. Dwight and I travelled the world for many years promoting reflexology.
The book, of which few copies survive, was published in 1959 and is a transcript of a lecture that Eunice gave in Chicago in 1958.
The transcript gives a clear insight into her work. When she wrote her first book ‘Stories The Feet Can Tell’ in 1938, she had already been practising reflexology for many years and had given many thousands of treatments. Her treatment sessions were usually about 20 minutes in duration.

In this transcript, her way of ‘working out a reflex’ was by staying on the point with a deep, continuous, creeping movement for 30 seconds before releasing. She would repeat this process as necessary, ‘to work it out’. 

Her approach to reflexology was positive and, in the words of her nephew, Dwight, ‘not for the faint of heart’. It is her method of working which is of interest. She explained the purpose of reflexology with a very simple mantra: ‘find a sore spot and work it out’.
For a detailed insight into her work life, I would recommend ‘Eunice Ingham - A Biography, by Christine Issel and “The Original Works of Eunice Ingham’ by Ingham Publishing.

It is this approach to reflexology that I use and promoted over the years, and it was the reason I founded ART (Advanced Reflexology Techniques©) in 1989. The techniques have been taught internationally since then.
ART gradually evolved into Focused Reflexology© which combines the original techniques of ART with various additions and refinements which have been developed over time.

I created these techniques for two reasons:
I wanted reflexology to be recognised as a therapeuticaly effective therapy, rather than one of only relaxation.
Secondly, I knew that these techniques would help and encourage the ever-increasing numbers of reflexologists who were disappointed and frustrated by the lack of therapeutic response they were achieving in their practice. Some had indeed considered leaving the profession.
Once they attended seminars and began to give treatments in a more focused way, they discovered a new and exciting world of reflexology. This awareness reinvigorated their enthusiasm in their profession. Patients benefited and appointment books filled up. 

For those reflexologists who give what I call a ‘spa’ type of foot massage, with an emphasis on relaxation, the need to be concerned with the therapeutic potential of reflexology need not apply.
The length of treatments sessions
Most reflexologists and patients expect the duration of a treatment to be between 50-60 minutes. I describe these as maintenance sessions, and they provide a valuable service. However, when it comes to helping patients with health problems, one needs to adopt a different approach. Focused and frequent sessions of shorter duration are needed.
Many reflexologists give unnecessarily long treatments when they are not needed. In fact, when a patient has a health problem, a lengthy treatment can be less effective than a 30-minute focused session. 

Tony Porter will be presenting a seminar in London on April 22/23, 2017
Details and booking - www.tpreflex.com

Seminar London April 22/23 2017

Where are you going with reflexology?
​

There has never been a better time to be in the reflexology profession. There is unlimited potential to build a busy practice. However there is a proviso, this potential will only come to those who are skilled in using a range of effective, positive, cutting-edge techniques.
It is surprising that these are not known or even suspected to exist by the majority of reflexologists (and patients).

My 40+ years as an international reflexologist has taught me what it takes to be an effective therapist. I have trained thousands of reflexologists throughout the world to realise their potential and provide a truly effective service to their patients, while at the same time improving their lives immeasurably. 

I founded ART (Advanced Reflexology Techniques) in 1984 to demonstrate the other concepts and potentials of reflexology. These have been taught continuously since then, and are continuously developing.
Because of this, I formed ‘Focused Reflexology’© to bring these developments under one umbrella.
I am please to be able to present this London seminar on April 22/23
Seminar will include:

• The meaning of the ‘disturbed’ reflexes
• How do we identify them?
• Working with the ART Foundation techniques
• Using these on the endocrine and other systems
• Focus on gynaecological and fertility problems
• The applications of Focused Reflexology in conjunction with ART
• 
  The Trio link
  This is a new addition to my seminars.
  The correspondence between the structures of the neck and the reflexes of the feet is not generally realised.
  The reflex-rich areas on an area of the abdomen also has a major significance not on general, physical and mental well being, but also influence the reflexes of the feet.
  I will demonstrate passive, manual contact to the neck and abdomen. Usually just contacting the neck is sufficient.
  This is not any form of manipulation or treatment of neck or abdominal conditions
  Although this is more suitable to those with qualifications in various forms of physical therapy, such as massage, they can be easily adapted by those without as a form of self-help and to be shared with colleagues-after all, we therapists need to take care of ourselves as well.
  Details of seminars and booking information are shown below.
  
  ​These seminars are awarded two CPD points by the AoR for each hour attended
  Seminar information and booking details are shown on the seminar page
  
  Best Wishes
  Tony Porter

USING THE FULL POTENTIAL OF TOUCH

27/7/2016

 
The ‘walking’ technique has been the default setting for reflexology since Eunice Ingham first described it in her seminal book, Stories the Feet Can Tell, published in 1938. Since that time it has undergone various interpretations and dilutions. 
 
The prime objective of reflexology is to detect disturbed reflexes and apply the appropriate contact. In a recent blog I made the point that reflexology has something of an Alice in Wonderland quality when it comes to the detection of reflexes: not everything is as it seems. It is impossible to make a reliable reflex assessment and give the appropriate contact by using only one technique. Reflexology is not a ‘one size fits all’ therapy. 


And yet, this is how most reflexologists practise. Erroneous practice protocols are based on this notion. Case histories and even research evidence are drawn from this one-dimensional approach. 
 
A comparison can be made with the Indian parable of the five blind men and the elephant. It was suggested that each of them feel a different part of the elephant. To the one who felt the trunk it felt like the branch of a tree. To the one who touched the tail it felt like a snake or a rope. To the one who touched the ear it felt like a fan, and so forth. In the same way, each reflexology technique reveals only one perspective or layer of the reflexes.
 
To make a comprehensive assessment of disturbed reflexes it is essential that, in addition to walking, a range of techniques is used. This can only be achieved by using the fingers, thumbs and hands in a variety of ways. It was with this in mind that I conceived a protocol that became known as ART (Advanced Reflexology Techniques) in 1983. The techniques have been steadily developed ever since, and now include Focused Reflexology©

Another important factor is the depth of contact. Reflexology has mainly become identified as only something to lull the patient into a somnolent state. This may have a use in a spa setting, but this approach does not explore the full therapeutic potential of the therapy. This can be achieved by a more focused and positive approach.
 
ART Techniques
The fingers and thumbs can be used in ways other than walking: there are variations of contact such as static, pulsing and sliding. Sometimes lubrication can be used, but in a specific and frugal way. It should not be used in conjunction with the walking techniques.
 
This is why it is important to begin a treatment without lubrication. 
 
Without lubrication
Working without lubrication reveals certain types of reflexes, enabling a range of contacts to be made. For instance, thumb walking can be used with manual flexing of the foot, or the application of pulsed and static contacts. 
 
The dorsal/lateral surfaces of the feet are generally neglected in traditional reflexology, yet they contain a matrix of therapeutic reflex areas. Again, these are best contacted without the use of lubrication. Focused movements which move the skin over the skeletal structures of the dorsum, and a static application of the same contact, can only be performed without lubrication. The same goes for the dorsal surfaces of the toes, another neglected area which elicits a powerful response that can be felt throughout the body of the patient.
Effective contact of these areas can only be achieved through controlled and focused contact of the fingers.
 
Lubrication
Lubrication can be used for specific techniques and adds other dimensions to the treatment. The dorsal/lateral areas can be contacted effectively in a different way with lubrication, using specific focused techniques. This also applies to the dorsal areas of the toes. Lubrication is not necessary for every patient; it depends on the type of foot, texture and other factors. If used, it must be used very sparingly, or the treatment will become more of a foot massage.
 
The use of different types of contact and stimulus reveals a new perspective to the potential of reflexology as a therapy. Like discovering buried treasure, these contacts will reap rich therapeutic rewards. Having a range of techniques, literally at your fingertips, enables the individual reflex textures in all variations of feet to be detected and contacted effectively. Once experience of these alternative ways of working has been gained, a different world of reflexology will be revealed, not only to your benefit but, most importantly, to the patient.
 
My best wishes,
 
Tony Porter

Tony Porter seminars

www.artreflex.com

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• 1 Comment
•  DOES REFLEXOLOGY WORK ?
• 20/7/2016
• 1 Comment
•  
• This is a question that we as reflexologists are frequently asked.
  No matter how much anecdotal or clinical evidence based on our experience we provide, the fact is that it is not enough to convince the hardened doubters.
  What is needed is to provide an experience to these people which will give a positive indication of the power of reflexology.
  
  On an individual basis, just receiving a treatment may be enough, but this takes time and will not generally provide the dramatic evidence required to impress a group.
  What is needed is a way to demonstrate the powerful physiological effects of reflexology in a short time. Is there a way?
  The first step
  There is a basic way that can be used to great effect, which is to treat one foot only, after which the receiver walks around, and because only one foot has been worked they will be able to experience the effect on the body far more than if a full treatment has been given. (the other foot can then be worked on)
  This is a good strategy which can be used where groups of people are present to observe the reaction.
  The second step
  Although the one foot strategy is effective there is another refinement which produces even greater and often quite dramatic evidence for the powerful effects of reflexology which also demonstrates the therapeutically powerful reflex, potential of the toes.
  The toes
  are mainly a neglected area and are not given a ‘fair crack of the whip’ when it comes to reflex attention and yet they are so important in reflexology. It is possible give an entire and effective treatment by only working on the toes.
  
  The toes are the reflex pathways to the body and brain.
  It may be because they can be difficult to work on that they are demoted to something of the no man’s land of reflexology. Their role confined to that of the sinuses, eyes and ears.
  However that is demeaning their significance and potential.
  Giving stimulus to the toes generates and distributes vitality throughout the body.
  It is because of this that they provide the key in demonstrating the power of reflexology.This will be made apparent if only the toes of one foot are worked on.
  The important point is the way they need to be worked. The key words are positive stimulus, using a range of techniques with and without lubrication. All the areas of the toes must be worked, plantar, medial, lateral and particularly dorsal.
  It takes me approximately ten minutes. I suggest twenty minutes to start with. Exchange sessions on colleagues is an excellent and vital way to practice.
  
  Remember one foot only; do not touch the other foot.
  After the allotted time, the receiver is then asked to stand up and with bare feet, walk around and give attention as to how their body feels.
  The response is generally one of surprise and amazement as to how the same side of the body of the foot that was worked feels so different from the other. Not just relating to the foot but from the foot up to the head.
  Remarks such as the ‘worked’ side feel so more relaxed compared to the other (this can be observed), or that it feels warmer. The shoulder and arm will often feel warmer and more relaxed than the unworked side. Also the side of the face may have a more flushed look than the other.
  A tingling from the finger tips to the side of the head is another experience.
  This protocol, as long as it is performed correctly, demonstrates the potential and magic of reflexology.
  
  To be able to work the toes effectively is the corner-stone in the treatment of a range of neurological conditions.
  
  
  Tony Porter Focused Reflexology©
  

Reflexology – where are you going?

2/2/2016

Let’s be honest and admit that, at some time in our careers as reflexologists, we have asked ourselves the question, where do we go from here?

Alice asked the same question to the cat, ‘It depends on where you want to go’, the cat said. ‘I don’t much care’, said Alice. ‘Then it doesn’t matter which way you go’, came the reply.
(Apologies to Lewis Carroll)

This problem also applies to our lives. We find ourselves constantly playing catch up, tangled in the web of our day today affairs, running as fast as we can just to stay in the same place. Although it is quite possible to extricate ourselves from this web, it means taking steps into unknown territories without have the security of safe landing places. It is this fear which prevents many from taking that first step.

In contrast, it is a far easier task to make changes to the way we perceive reflexology, requiring only that we step out of the box of habit and mediocrity (without even having the advantage of the wisdom of a cat).

Reflexology has many layers and wheels within wheels which are there waiting to be revealed. It is only possible to explore these layers if we have the keys to unlock the hidden world of reflexology. My mission has been to provide these keys. 

An insight into the conundrums and complexities of reflexology will flow naturally from an understanding of the subjects that are taught at my seminars.
The subjects of the seminar include:
The meaning of a painful reflex.
The rule of the reflex
What is a disturbed reflex?

Without a knowledge of these essential factors, any reflexology assessment will be very limited. 

Additional new protocol
An exciting additional protocol will be presented at this seminar which has not been demonstrated in the UK before.
This includes specific non-traumatic applications to the neck and abdominal areas, to be applied before working the reflexes of the feet.

This will be of particular interest to those who are massage therapists, and a very valuable method of self-help for those who are not.
A clinical discovery has confirmed that specific manual abdominal application causes the release of stem cells throughout the body. I feel that the additional contact on the neck may enhance this process further. The application will be demonstrated in more depth during the optional, additional study day.

My Best wishes
Tony Porter

DR MAHLON LOCKE: MAN OR MAGICIAN?

27/1/2016

In my last blog I briefly mentioned the enormous popularity of Dr. Mahlon Locke, the famous foot doctor of Williamsburg, Ontario.
Dr Locke was born into a farming family on February 14th 1880.

The journey into medicine
It is not known why this farm boy decided to study medicine, although the fact that his stepfather was a doctor must have been an influence.
In 1901 he enrolled at Queens College of Medicine, graduating in 1905. In 1907 he decided to undertake postgraduate training in Scotland, spending time at both the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.

Manipulative Treatments
It is not known what or who influenced him in becoming interested in manipulating feet. What is known is that, on his return to Williamsburg in 1910, he treated Mr Peter Beckstead, the village blacksmith who was crippled with arthritis and was almost unable to work. After many sessions of Dr Locke’s foot manipulations, he regained much of his mobility and was able to return to his work.
This seems to be the first recorded treatment and the one which would set the scene for Locke’s future reputation.

By 1932 Dr Locke was giving over 2000 treatments daily.
His popularity was enhanced by his treatment of Mr Frank Coughlin of New York who was so severely crippled with arthritis that he had already made arrangements for surgery. Mr Coughlin had been told of a priest whom Locke had treated for the same disease, with remarkable success, and decided to go to him for treatment. This resulted in a complete cure. Mr Coughlin wrote a newspaper article about his experience and the Williamsburg Stampede was begun.

The hands of Dr Locke
The films we have of him working show that the manipulative procedure was rapid, lasting between 5 -7 seconds. Sometimes he would also manipulate the hands. On and on he would go, round and round in his swivel chair from foot to foot and hand to hand, having a break every few hours for a rest (or drink).

The town and the roads became unable to cope with the amount of traffic and the numbers of people. The government actually constructed a road from the port to his practice to cope with the influx of visitors. The other consequence of this was the increased prosperity of the town. Hotels were built, restaurants opened, and people took in boarders for the duration of their treatment.

Dr Locke’s fee was one dollar which included two sessions daily; everybody paid the same, whether millionaire or pauper. Residents and people who were unable to pay were treated free.

At this time the effects of the 1929 Wall Street crash were at their peak. It may well be that it was this had something to do with the popularity of Dr Locke’s treatments. People felt a need to keep healthy while at the same time being part of and sharing the difficulties of that time with other people.

Dr Locke died February 6th 1942. His brother-in law J. Alex Mc Gruer a Chiropractor, carried on the practice, but it did not work out and it came to an end. The magic of Dr Locke was gone.

Tony Porter Reflexology

M.W. LOCKE The Famous Foot Doctor of Ontario

20/1/2016

A few years ago, Filmmaker Charles Stewart his wife and I were commissioned by a T.V. company to go to Canada to research the life and times of Dr Mahlon William Locke.

Dr Locke became known internationally through his success with alleviating various diseases through a quick manipulation of the feet, and sometimes also the hands.
Each treatment took about five seconds. At his peak he would give 2000 treatments daily . This was during the 1930s
At that time I had a heavy schedule of seminars and patients, so could not spare being away for the two months the filming would have taken. Charles and Pat decided to go anyway and reconnoitre the area, interview and film people connected to Dr Locke.
They came back with a lot of film of the house where Locke worked from, plus interviews with surviving patients and with Dr Locke's Grandson.
Whether the film will eventually be made is still up in the air, but in the meantime I have been made the guardian of all the memorabilia and film that was taken by Charles Stewart. Some of which is shown here.
My Best Wishes
Tony Porter
Tony Porter seminar London February 22/23/24 2016

REFLEXOLOGY THE BEAUTIFUL CONUNDRUM

1/1/2016

The subject of my last blog highlighted how the structural integrity of the neck, when disturbed, imposed a marked influence on the reflexes of the feet. I also stated how the same applied to disturbed reflexes in the abdominal areas.

This phenomenon is demonstrable by examining the reflexes of the feet before and after giving specific, manual therapy to the neck and abdomen.

The reflexes of the feet are fascinating; they have something of a ‘will-o-the-wisp’ mystic about them.
By this I mean the way the reflexes reveal or don’t reveal themselves-a kind of-now you see me, now you don’t phenomena.
I call this ‘the law of the reflex’. Without having an understanding of this, we work from a strictly stereotype, view of reflexology.

This can be compared to the Indian parable of the six blind men each feeling a part of an elephant, to one it felt like a wall (its side) to another it felt like a snake (the trunk) and so forth.
Although each was partly right, all of them were wrong.
This compares to the stereotype understanding of reflexology.

It is this conundrum, which makes reflexology such a challenging therapy, particularly to those who strive to unravel its many layers.
To begin to comprehend its language, needs sensitivity of touch, combined with the mental ability to translate its idiosyncrasies.
In my next blog I shall explain the causes of this limited view of reflexology and how to transcend them.

I wish you a healthy and successful 2016
Best Wishes
Tony Porter

 UNDERSTANDING CONNECTIONS

19/12/2015

Part 2
In part 1 of this blog (20/8/15) I made the point of being aware of the connections between the neck, abdominal areas, and their influence on the reflexes in the feet.
In this part 2, I want to focus on other aspects of this subject.
As I shall be focusing on this subject during my Breakthrough seminar in February I thought it would be of interest to give an overview.

During my formative time in physical therapy, a lot of attention was placed on abdominal massage.
Apart from the structured instruction students went through we also had to gain experience ‘in the field’ so to speak.
This entailed giving abdominal massage to clients in a Health Farm, as Spas were called in those days.
We would give these massages throughout the day, on all types of abdomens, from concave to sometimes grossly convex.
Many types of techniques were employed, depending on the needs and types of client.

With experience it became easy, at least on most people, to detect areas of tension within the abdominal cavity. When these were gently released; a transformation would often take place in the way the client felt at the conclusion of the session.

Apart from various rumbles and other expressions from the digestive tract, many would experience a type of calmness and wellbeing they had never experienced before.
Others would remark after a few sessions that their digestive problems which had been troubling them for years had either disappeared or greatly diminished. Conditions such as back pain responded in the same way. Others experienced an emotional release, a catharsis.

The therapeutic efficacy of this type of treatment impressed me greatly; which is why I include it in many of my reflexology treatments.

In part 1 of this blog, I mentioned how tensions and injuries to the neck structure have an influence on the reflexes in the feet.
For the benefit of those who are not osteopaths or physiotherapists, the type of tensions in the neck I am mentioning are those affecting the soft tissues. Even these can cause problems not just in the area of the neck, but to areas of the spine and functions far distal from the original trauma – including the reflexes in the feet.
Severe trauma of the cervical spine produces extreme foot reflex distortion, which will be discussed at the seminar.

It was my dear, late friend Osteopath Arthur Lincoln Pauls who postulated the importance of releasing tensions in the neck before treating other areas. He was a gifted maverick with a touch of genius.
The main focus of the seminar will of course be on reflexology and the techniques, which once mastered will have a transformational benefit on the the therapist, and most importantly on the client.

During the first two days I shall discuss and demonstrate techniques for the triad of neck, abdomen and feet.
Those who are qualified in a physical therapy discipline will be able to utilise the techniques in their existing practice.

Those who are not qualified will be able to share techniques with colleagues, family and friends.
The other benefit, particularly with the abdominal techniques is that therapists are able to treat themselves.

The two days will cover all the subjects and will be sufficient to learn and practice the techniques.

The option of the third day will be to revue the reflexology techniques and a more focused study on the neck and abdominal techniques, which include therapist self-help.

My next Blog will include more information on the inherent potential of including the reflexology, neck and abdominal techniques of the seminar.

My Best Wishes

Tony Porter©

Monkey bliss

28/10/2015



Several years ago, while on a hike through a national park in Thailand, we were bothered by a rather excitable and intimidating little monkey. After jumping onto my shoulders and making himself at home while he played with my hair, I decided to gently massage his foot, which amazingly had a great calming influence. So my two therapist friends who were with me decided to work the monkey's feet and hands with the result shown. After that, we had a job asking him to go away!

There will be no such monkeying around at my new Reflexology Breakthrough seminars - to be announced in due course! My best wishes to you all.

Tony

UNDERSTANDING CONNECTIONS

21/8/2015

It is easy to become complacent in our work as reflexologists, and to forget that the feet are portals to virtually every function of the body. 
The physiological functions of the body are dependent on blood, lymph, muscles, nerves etc. This is miraculous in itself, but this is only a limited view. 
What has always interested me is the governing force which gives life to the 37–50 trillion cells (possibly far more) which make up the human body.
Every part of the body, and  every cell, is communicating through a subtle electro-magnetic force, not only via the nerves, but through the body fluids. The blood is an electrically charged fluid. 
The human body is 75% fluid. Our life is dependent on the ability of these inner ‘oceans’ to receive and conduct electro-magnetic energy, which is also known as chi, orgone energy, light, vital energy etc.
Without the circulation of this energy, life would not be possible. By way of an analogy, the computer I am working on would be a useless box of components until electricity is passed through it, bringing it to life. This is the same with all life forms.
It is easy to understand the importance to health of encouraging the circulation of this force, in the same way as the circulation of blood.This, after all is the principle behind natural therapeutics.
Practices such as reflexology, acupuncture, massage, yoga, tai chi, qigong, are some examples of ‘energy therapies'. 

A natural consequence of my many years in reflexology and physical therapy has been the discovery of strategies which relate to the way this energy influences our work. 

• The first one was taught to me by my dear, late friend Arthur Pauls, founder of Ortho-Bionomy. He taught his students to begin a treatment session by releasing the neck, by manual application.
  It wasn't until many years later that I fully grasped the importance of this approach.
  
  I discovered that, if there are soft tissue tensions in the cervical spine, they will have a direct influence on the reflexes in the feet. 
  
  This means that the true reflex picture will be distorted or even absent as long as these tensions remain.
  
  Even after all these years, I am still amazed to note that patients report a tingling in the feet when I am performing a very subtle and gentle releasing technique on the neck before giving reflexology.
  
  There is no comparison between the tonus of the reflexes in the feet before and after releasing the soft tissues in the cervical spine. 
  
  I stress this is not a manipulation in the osteopathic sense (and this must never be attempted unless you are qualified in this therapy), but something very precise, subtle, and most importantly, safe.
  
  Working in this manner, completely changed my understanding about the body and, I have to add, reflexology. It made me even more aware of the powerful relationship between every part of the body. 
  
  Through Arthur Paul’s legacy I have learnt that, if lesions in the neck are not released, problems in the lower spine for, instance, will not respond fully to treatment.
  
  I decided to add another step, something which would complete the circuit so to speak. In fact it was a technique that I had been using for over forty years, but in isolation. This was abdominal massage. 
  
  In my very early therapy training years we students had to perform hundreds of abdominal massages on patients. By this means I learnt all of the  abdominal reflex areas and their influences, working on all types of abdomens, from convex to concave.
  
  The abdomen has some of the most powerful reflexes in the body. I found by combining these three areas, neck, abdomen and feet in a treatment, it completed an energetic pathway. 
  
  I have given a number of demonstrations in various European countries on this way of working but, as yet, not in the U.K. I will try and set something up in the U.K as soon as I can.
  
  These demonstrations/seminars are under the Tony Porter Understanding® title and will be announced in due course.
  
   My Best Wishes
  Tony Porter 

Ageing and invisibility

2/8/2015

I was once told by an older friend, that you know that you are getting old when you become invisible. I didn’t at that time grasp this idea–after all I was in the prime of my life and becoming old seemed way down the line.

However now that I am nearer my exit than entry, various examples of the idea are regularly coming home to roost which confirm there is some truth in this statement. I am regularly reminded of my position in the ageing trajectory.

In a restaurant, for example, in the past I would have commanded a prompt and efficient service, Now I sit there, completely ignored while younger people around me are served instantly. 

I was so fed up about this, that only the other day, I felt like resorting to standing on a chair with a megaphone to my mouth and shouting ‘Hello, I am here,’ across the restaurant. Not that my plea could have been heard above the noise (which they call music).That is another ageism issue to talk about later.

Eventually someone came to my table and apologised for not seeing me! Now, I am not exactly small at 6ft 3inches and 210 pounds. My order was taken in a rather off-hand manner, but, thirty minutes later I was still waiting to receive my order and the time to give my next treatment was ticking ever closer. ‘Excuse me,’ I said to one of the staff, ‘any news about my order?’ She rushed off to the kitchen, only to come back to say that they forgotten to process my order. This is restaurant speak, ‘I forgot to place your order’. I left hungry, to treat my next patient.

Another observation on the same theme concerns of being too visible. These days, when I get on a bus, the driver often lowers it for easier access. This is all well and good for those who are infirm. But there I was the other day, standing at the bus stop, and feeling pumped up after a ninety minute heavy–duty session at the gym, only to hear the hiss of the hydraulics as the bus was lowered for me.
It doesn’t end there. There were no vacant seats left so I stood. No problem at all. At this point two people stood to offer me their seats, and, to make matters worse, they were in their later years like me! I politely declined.

The same happens on the underground and trains these days. As soon as I enter, a rush of people of all ages offer me their seats. This is all very nice and reinforces my faith in humanity, but it does nothing for my self-esteem.

I have learned from various lectures I have attended that people can detect an excess or lack of certain pheromones as we age, particularly of the opposite sex. Apparently this induces feelings of nurture. 

I hope these experiences are common amongst my age group and that I am not isolated in my despair.

I hear that eating copious amounts of celery can balance the pheromone issue out, so you will have no trouble guessing the focus of my new dietary regime.

My Best Wishes
Tony Porter

HEALTH OR HOW TO LIVE

1/3/2015

I was going through some of my archive material and I came upon this. As the original was old and difficult to read, I copied it word for word.
It was anonymous.
Best Wishes
Tony Porter 

Health or How To Live - 1865

THE FEET – The feet hold very important physiological and pathological relations. A wiser maxim for the preservation of health was never given than that which enjoins upon persons the necessity of keeping the head cool and feet warm. The latter is quite as important as the former. Indeed the circulation of the brain cannot be healthful, and perfectly carried on, unless the feet are kept warm.
It may be truly said that if the feet are kept entirely healthy, no organ in the body can be unhealthy. For so intimate is the sympathy between all parts of the body that no organ can be deranged without disturbing the circulation in the feet.
If there is indigestion after a hearty dinner the feet suffer; if there is pressure upon the lungs, or if the bowels are inactive, or if the kidneys do not perform their office properly, the feet are sure to feel the reactionary influence unhealthfully. So if one will be sure to keep his feet in an entire state of health, he may be certain that he cannot be sick in any department of his system.

But the feet of almost every grown person in this country suffer from abuses put directly upon them. Health reformers generally, give no such care to the feet as they deserve. They should be kept clean. They perspire more readily and freely than most other portions of the body, and the excreted matter ought to be removed by frequent washing.

Roman motivational quotes on Kingston Bridge

21/2/2015

I saw these quotations which were engraved on Kingston – on –Thames Bridge, which is a few miles upstream from London.

They are said to be Roman, and are a reminder of the Roman occupation of England 43 – 410 AD

‘Be patient and tough, someday this pain will be useful to you’

‘Yield not to misfortunes, but advance all the more boldly against them’.

This shows that there were motivational coaches even then.

IN TUNE WITH THE INFINITE

9/11/2014

When I was a young lad of twelve and struggling to come to terms with piano lessons while going through a rather difficult time, my teacher suggested that I stop and have a cup of tea and a chat. During our conversation he produced a small and rather worn old book. ‘I want you to have this book and thoroughly absorb its message’, he said.

As soon as I got home I decided at least to flip through its pages.  A passage caught my attention and then another and another. I ended up reading the book from cover to cover.
This book, changed the way I thought about life. 

In fact I was later to find out that it was a favourite of Queen Victoria, who insisted that each of her staff had a copy, and Henry Ford said that he owed his success to this book.

To this day, I treasure this little book. However there is something else which makes it even more special. The copy I have was from a specially produced print run for the soldiers who fought in the 1914-18 war. I have it on good authority that this book was carried by one such soldier. It bears all the evidence of exposure to the elements and frequent use and is protected by an aged waterproof cover. Visible pencil underlinings of various passages remain – passages selected, I imagine, for their insight and support during those terrible times.

I recently had cause to look at the book again and have selected a few of the passages which had been underlined; here are three of them: 

‘There is a divine sequence running throughout the universe – to come into harmony with it is the secret of all success. This is to come into the possession of unknown riches, into the realisation of undreamed of powers’. 

‘Thoughts are forces; like builds like, and like attracts like. For one to govern his thinking, then, is to determine his life’.

‘Fear and worry and all kindred mental states are too expensive for any person, man, woman, or child, to entertain or indulge in. Fear paralyses, worry corrodes’.

This book was first published in 1897 and was the forerunner of many motivational books. The author understood the mind-body relationship, which is most applicable to our work.

As we have now reached the centenary of the start of the conflict, I found the book even more poignant. 

What happened to the owner?  Did the contents help him to endure the horrors he witnessed?  What invisible vibrations are still locked into its pages?
Its message is timeless.

In Tune With the Infinite
Ralph Waldo Trine

My Best Wishes
Tony Porter

A.R.T. IN WONDERFUL DENMARK

1/6/2019

I was very honoured to have been invited by Peter Lund Fransden and Dorthe Krogsgaard owners of the Touchpoint school in Copenhagen to give two A.R.T. seminars in May. One in Copenhagen and the other further north in Aarhus. Denmark is one of my favourite countries, not only for its visual identity but also for the easy-going friendliness and happiness of its people.

Both of the seminars were well received and in the free time we had Peter and Dorthe took me sightseeing around Copenhagen and Aarhus.
I was interested with the dominance of the spiral symbolism built into some of the buildings as the ones shown.

The spiral has always been a fascination to me, and how its symbolism is evident throughout nature, the double helix symbol for D.N.A. is one example, and the spiral pattern of the head of a sunflower is another.
Also the Romanesco cabbage or Broccoli as shown is a dramatic example.

Peter and Dorthe and I have a shared interest in the significance of the spiral in natural medicine. In fact, Peter has a great interest in energy medicine and is developing presentations to explain how it can be utilised into therapy. Combined with his degree in medicine it will, I am sure offer some fascinating insights into reflexology - it is something I am very much looking forward to. 

I admire the way their seminars are presented, and I am pleased to say that there will be an excellent opportunity to meet Peter and Dorthe when they come to London to present a seminar on fertility in November. 

2nd + 3rd November 2019 Round about:; Fertility

Click for information

My Best Wishes to my A.R.T. family

Tony Porter

SHOULD REFLEXOLOGY BE PAINFUL?

29/9/2014

I recently had the good fortune to have a reflexology treatment from long time I.I.R. and ART member Pat Elliot@feetpaintwords
The experience brought home to me the effectiveness of the focused and authoritative type of treatment she gives.
It is painful at times, but it is a therapeutic type of pain, something which you feel throughout the body. Instead of just lying there in a somnolent state I was aware of the effects the treatment was having. It was certainly stimulating, and as I have mentioned, therapeutically painful, but at the same time liberating.
I have always given robust treatments of this type, because it gives results. To me, the only criterion is to give the type of treatment which benefits my client.
This type of treatment is not brutality, but given with positive and understanding authority, always taking the type of client into account.

It is surprising that when clients experience this type of treatment, they never want to go back to the unauthoritative treatments they had received before.

Unfortunately I only know a few reflexologists, who work this way in the U.K. obviously there must be many others throughout the world.
It seems that there is a general fear of using proper, effective pressure when giving a treatment.
This is such a pity, and does a disservice to the therapist, reflexology and client.
Best Wishes
Tony Porter
Reflexology sets you free!

TONY PORTERS ORGANIC FOOT/HAND CREAM

29/9/2014

Thank you to those of you who have brought this product. Since its inception, sales have been steadily increasing internationally. Apart from the U.K. France is also a big customer.

There has been some confusion as to why I stopped producing my original ART Reflex balm. There are two reasons; the first is that I was constantly being asked to bring out an organic and natural version, and secondly, due to the new cosmetic directives, the ART Reflex balm would have not been compliant to new regulations.

I took the decision to seek a different company who could produce an organic/natural product which would fully comply with the new directives. 

Fortunately I was accepted by the top cosmetic company in the U.K. specialising in organic cosmetics. They assisted in the new formulation and carried out the required (and very expensive) testing procedures. As an example just one of the tests took three months to complete.

I also wanted the product to be in an Eco nontoxic and 100% recyclable container, and also one where the product was contained and protected in a vacuum environment.
It is really a wonderful product for reflexology and foot/hand care in general.
The cream is now fully certificated by the U.K. and E.U.

Naturally this product is more expensive than the former, but the best does cost more.
Because of its purity and quality it is being purchased by the NHS for use in their complimentary departments.
Town & Country magazine are running a feature on the product at end of this year.

My Best Wishes

Tony Porter

TREAT WHAT YOU FIND!

29/9/2014

A doctor, who prescribes an identical treatment for an identical illness in two individuals and expects an identical development, may be poorly classified as a social menace.
Lin Yutang 

HOW CAN I TELL WHEN I HAVE SPENT ENOUGH TIME ON A REFLEX?

24/9/2014

This question is one of the keys to successful reflexology; in fact it is the purpose of reflexology.
Is there a ‘rule of thumb’ (sorry) which we can use to tell us when the optimal amount of time has been spent working on a disturbed or perverted reflex?
There is a simple way, which depends on having the necessary and vital sense of touch to be able to detect the disturbed reflex and to feel when it has been worked enough (or cooked as I call it)
When you have detected, for example an oedemas type of reflex, maintain a steady contact movement until the oedemas/congested texture has been dispersed. This may take between fifteen seconds to two minutes, (or require other approaches)
Other reflex texture types may take longer and require a break of a few minutes before returning again, and so forth until a dispersal change is detected.
The key to knowing when the reflex has been optimally worked is sensing the dispersal of the congestion.
This is a very simplistic description of the process.

Tony Porter 

REFLEXOLOGY AND CHEMOTHERAPY

22/9/2014

Going by the number of calls I have received lately, there still seems to be confusion regarding giving reflexology to someone who is undergoing chemotherapy.

I thought it would be prudent to give my views based on over forty years of reflexology practice on this subject. Many of these years were in a clinical environment. I am not just looking at its use during a chemotherapy programme, but in general cancer care. 

Two of the concerns that have been expressed, seem to be that reflexology will help to spread the cancer, and reflexology will prevent the chemotherapy from doing its job.

Both of these in my opinion are unfounded. Why should reflexology spread cancer any more than the act of breathing or doing exercise? How can we know that some of our patients we treat may have cancer without them knowing it, many people do?

Reflexology will not in any way block the effects of chemotherapy that is for sure.
I have treated many hundreds of cancer patients, including two oncologists one of which while he was undergoing heavy chemotherapy.

With all this experience, my views are that reflexology in these cases, properly applied and ‘in tune’ with the patients’ needs, has almost miraculous results in easing the difficulties which people suffer at these times. It should be recognised as standard practice in cancer care.
Tony Porter

THE EDUCATION OF A REFLEXOLOGIST

27/6/2014

Everything that happens in our lives, from falling in (and out) of love, having children, divorce, loss, illness, death, and everything else, including growing the biggest pumpkin in the world, are all packaged up as life education or experience.

Reflexology has it own world of education; it is an enigma and, if you are serious about it, the learning process will cause all the 'endless head banging' frustrations I have mentioned. Sometimes it will seduce you into believing that you have cracked the Enigma Code of therapeutic success, while at other times it will lead you down the path of despair, urging you to 'throw in the towel', move to the country and learn how to plough.

You will only experience these things (and I can assure you that you will) if you are serious about becoming a true seeker of the truth which lies behind the façade of reflexology.

The only way to 'enlightenment' is to work feet - as many as possible, day in and day out! If you don't have enough patients to practice on (this is what a practitioner is after all), find friends or family to 'donate' their feet. Give free treatments, anything to attain dexterity and your familiarisation with feet. Through this you will develop the sensitivity of touch needed to attune you to what the feet are telling you.

There is no other way. You can walk barefoot in the grass at sunrise, surround yourself with crystals and burning incense, and spend weeks in silent meditation, and even perhaps confront your inner child in the process. All this may be liberating, but it will not make you a better reflexologist. Practice and more practice is the only way. How does a musician master their instrument? Only through constant practice.

You will know when you have arrived; when you no longer work the feet, but when they 'work' you - Realisation!

This path to reflexology 'enlightenment' is not easy, although reflexology on one level is straightforward, particularly to those who choose to stay on the periphery; to the true seeker the frustrations are part of the journey.

The interesting thing is that you do not need to set aims; merely doing the work will automatically lead you to the realisation.
For me, following this path made every treatment a form of meditation.

My Best Wishes
Tony Porter 

Excerpt from The Education of a Reflexologist (subtitle) by Tony Porter to be published 2015 copyright material May 2014

REFLEXES - WINDOWS TO THE INNER UNIVERSE

thFebruary 13th, 2014

My last blog, 'Working at a different level' created a great amount of interest and comment. I was not surprised, as this subject offers a fascinating, if somewhat tantalising insight into a different viewpoint of reflexology.
Because of this, I decided to offer some other suggestions to what the feet can tell us.
Eunice Ingham chose a most appropriate title for her books - 'Stories The Feet Can Tell' and 'Stories The Feet Have Told'. As we know, feet do tell stories.
To become proficient with the manual 'working' of the feet is the first priority to being an effective and successful reflexologist.

As there is an infinite range of types of feet (and patients), it can take many years to fully achieve and begin to understand many of these variations and to be able to detect and 'normalise' a disturbed reflex efficiently.

'Find a sore spot and work it our' was the mantra which Eunice Ingham used to describe the modus operandi of the therapy, and even today despite many of the 'scientific' applications of reflexology it is really what it is all about. I suspect that Eunice was aware of other meanings of a reflex, which was beyond the physical.

I look at the disturbed reflexes as windows to the subtle ebbs and flows of the 'energy' distribution of the body, and once we begin to look at a reflex in this way, our understanding of the therapy opens up to different interpretations and possibilities as yet largely undiscovered.

Through the application of specific types of touch to the 'disturbed' reflex, a change can be felt taking place in the tissues of the feet during the treatment session. This change is best described as a 'melting' of the tissue tension at that particular point, this 'release' is very often experienced by the patient as it is happening.
Some of these areas are better detected and worked without any lubrication being applied to the feet, while others need only a very small amount of lubrication such as my Organic Foot & Hand Cream to aid in the detection and contact of the disturbed reflex.

Recognising and including this other dimension into my basic techniques opened up a whole new world of possibilities and insights into the hidden meanings of reflexology.
This subject forms the main focus of my seminars - helping students to develop this ability in a far shorter time that it took me.
I shall write more on this subject later.

My Best Wishes

Tony Porter

WORKING AT A DIFFERENT LEVEL

24/1/2014

In my last blog, I mentioned the value of being able to detect 'disturbed' reflex areas and knowing the appropriate contacts to make. The development of this sensitivity does take practice, but once achieved it will take your skills as a reflexologist to another level.

Giving a treatment should be both dynamic and expressive - that is to say, giving the appropriate type of treatment for the clients needs at that time.

How do you know what type of treatment to give?
The answer is that we cannot 'know' we can only 'feel'. It is this 'feeling' (without trying) which shows us the way to work at that particular time.

I compare giving a treatment to that of a concert pianist getting prepared and then giving a performance. Are they 'trying' in the true sense of the word, to play?
I very much suspect that if they 'tried' it would either ruin the interpretation of the piece, or they would make mistakes.
As an example, try and concentrate running up a flight of stairs, you will invariably trip up!

It is this type of working with awareness but without trying, which creates the beauty of working at a higher level of reflexology. In other words, instead of us working the feet, the feet are working us!
To me this is the only way to work, instead of the rather mundane, and laborious way so many people work.
This is a subject I focus on at my seminars.
I look forward to meeting you.

Tony Porter

WHAT IS 'SCANNING' THE FEET ?

16/1/2014

One of the most common questions I am asked is, 'What am I supposed to feel in the feet'?

I know that many of you are both perplexed and frustrated at not being able to feel the 'textures' of the feet.
They are there, I can assure you, it just needs a lot of focused experience to develop the extra facet of touch required.
A scan is a quick way of an obtaining an initial and valuable overview, not just of the structure and texture of the feet, but also of the types of reflex textures present. It is also pleasant to the client.

By texture I refer to the changes which occur in the tissues of the feet, and have a different feel to the surrounding tissue. I call these areas 'disturbed'. To my mind having the ability to detect and interpret these, combined with the way we 'treat' them, forms the mainstay of reflexology.

I have developed this extra facet of touch to the extent that sometimes I can feel the disturbed tissue feel all the way up my arm! 

What causes these changes?
The body is an electro-magnetic generator (and absorber) This 'energy' is what gives life to everything, be it animal, plant, stone and so on. In reflexology, and other therapies such as acupuncture we work with this energy, to a lesser or greater extent. This energy is known as chi, odic energy, life force as so forth. Let us just say that it is that which gives life and meaning to our bodies. Without this 'force' a computer for instance, no matter how complex would just be a container of a dead structure.

When, for whatever reason this energy becomes stagnant or blocked, the effects are detectable throughout the body, causing a change to the electrical resistance to areas of the skin, causing a subtle 'change' to occur. It is these areas which we should be able to detect and treat accordingly.
When this energy ends at death the cohesion of the body deteriorates and turns to dust.

TOUCH

23/9/2013

In my previous blog I mention about coming out of the box and looking at other techniques and approaches to reflexology.
Reflexology has come a long way since I first began my journey 40+ years ago. The main difference is that it is far more recognised as a therapy in its own right, and it is rare to find somebody who has not at least heard about it. 

There are various applications of reflexology which are very scientific and this approach to the therapy, helps I suppose to give it credence. However interesting the scientific approach may be, I can't help thinking that there may be a danger of reflexology losing its roots, and turning a beautifully simplistic therapy into something complicated and systemised.

You can learn all the science there is about reflexology and yet not be a successful reflexologist, the same applies to other therapies.
The Mother of reflexology Eunice Ingham used the simple mantra to describe the therapy. 'Find a sore spot and work it out' This is the main point and aim of reflexology-having the ability to detect a disturbance (sore spot) and work it out. 

Experience has taught me that there are better ways to 'work it out,' and more effective contacts to do this, and understanding the effects that different contacts have. But all this is not scientific, but relies on something that science cannot yet duplicate - the sensitivity of touch combined with the power of the brain.
This is what I always taught at my ART seminars - ways how to detect, interpret and contact the disturbed reflexes.

I am planning to eventually give some special one-day seminars, but these will be sometime away. As soon as something is arranged, details will be posted on this website.
Hagar Basis, my principal tutor is now holding ART seminar training, her contact number is: 01923 275 043

Looking back at Reflexology

22/9/2013

I suppose it has to do with the time of the year, when one seasonal cycle is coming to an end, and another beginning. In fact there is no end to anything, just cycles. It got me thinking about all the reflexology cycles I have seen come and go.
It will be twenty five years next March since ART was conceived, my instinct told me that perhaps this anniversary should be marked by another ART conference. Many of my founder ART members will no doubt remember the 10th ART anniversary conference in London. What a great event that was (at least I thought so!) It was hugely oversubscribed. There was room for 250 in the conference room, we could have had at least another 295 delegates!

I am still pondering about next year, although March, when conference plans have to be made is too soon. If something does take place it will be later in the year.

My pondering also got me thinking about all the different 'schools' of reflexology there now are in this country. I can remember when there were only about four. In those early days I can remember some of the reflexologists who had really busy practices. One of these people, who I had a few treatments with, had a huge practice with people queuing in the front garden! His treatments lasted a maximum of twenty minutes, sometimes less.  Three people an hour he would treat every day of the week. His clients included many celebrities from the world of stage and film.

His way of working was very painful, even quite brutal, using a hard rubber implement with which he would rub very deeply into various parts of the feet. He was mainly self taught. He never took patient details, just getting on with the treatment until an alarm clock sounded where he would then go into another bedroom and treat somebody else. No fancy stuff, just a plain old single bed in a plain room with clutter around. This went on all day every day. Was he successful? Yes, very. He had more good publicity than any other reflexologist has ever had, even from members of the medical profession who came to him for treatment.
 
I well remember 'enduring my twenty minutes with sweat pouring down my brow! and after, experiencing a huge release through every part of my body possible!
The only other time I can compare this was many years later while in Singapore, when Dwight Byers and I were invited to be treated by two of the leading reflexologists in the city. They also gave short and very intense treatments, using special wooden and stone implements to delve into the tissues of the feet. I felt really shaky and nauseas after, while Dwight had a really powerful release of mucus from his lungs (which, due to childhood asthma have always been his weak point). He was very impressed!

This side of reflexology is not known these days, the therapy has inherited a mantle of just relaxation, where one can drift off to the sound of running water or dolphins calling to each other or the sound of the ocean lapping the shore. All very nice, and I admit serves a purpose in these busy and stressful times. Also I doubt if people would want to endure a painful treatment.
I am not suggesting that our treatments need to be brutal, far from it, but the busiest reflexologists I know and have taught, use very positive and focused treatments which are painful but in a controlled and therapeutic manner.
I know very well the hidden meaning and potential behind reflexology, revealing itself only through incorporating different techniques, in conjunction with a different mental approach by the therapist. Are you prepared to come out of the box? 

My Very Best Wishes

Tony Porter

The meaning of the reflex response

3/6/2013

The meaning of the sensitivity of the reflexes Part 1

Eunice Ingham, ‘The Mother of reflexology’ used a
very simple and clear way to describe the basic tenet of reflexology- ‘Find a
sore spot and work it out’.
Her description has great simplicity and validity, and in many ways is the purpose of our work. However experience has shown there are several other factors concerning the ‘hidden meanings’ of a painful reflex. 

Most reflexologists were ‘weaned’ on the belief that a painful reflex indicates, a problem in the area corresponding to the reflex. The other belief is that the absence of painful reflexes indicates perfect health.
Both of these beliefs are erroneous and cause a great deal of
confusion to the reflexologist and their patients.
What I am explaining here is covered in great depth at my seminars. I will just cover some of the main points that need to be considered in this Blog.

A painful reflex = a corresponding problem in the body?
This belief, although in some instances true, prevents a proper evaluation and interpretation of what this is telling us.
The first fact is that in good health a patient should display
active and ‘live’ reflexes. This will no doubt go against the ‘grain’ to most
reflexologists belief systems. 

When I am treating a new patient, the first thing I do is to detect what type of vitality the reflexes are showing. In good health they display a normal robust ‘feel’. The temperature and texture of the feet are other valuable ‘markers’ to note. Why should the reflexes display a
painful response in this case? Because the life force, vitality or Chi is circulating freely.


Lack of reflex sensitivity = good health?
Conversely, a patient with subdued and dull reflexes does not necessarily indicate they are in good health! In poor health or serious disease the vitality of the person is comprised, causing the absence of detectable reflexes. 

I am sure that you have experienced this phenomenon with a new patient, who displays dull or even absent reflexes, during their first treatment. Even though they have a medically diagnosed illness!
It may come as a surprise to you (and to the patient) when after
perhaps two or three treatments you (and they) find that the reflexes have come
alive! When this is experienced, it is often seen as a bad sign, and that they
are getting worse! If not reassure the patient who will obviously become alarmed.
In fact it is a positive sign that their
vitality is coming back.

I have treated possibly many thousands
of very sick people. Most of these (there are exceptions) display absence of
reflexes and have generally dull feet. However, a sick patient who perhaps has
been medically diagnosed with a serious illness but still displays some
‘active’ reflex texture has in my experience a better reflexology prognosis
and even a better medical prognosis. This is why, as an example, a seriously ill person may display active
and detectable reflexes early on, while as the disease progresses will these
reflexes will become less active. There are cases where various medications are
medically prescribed which will subdue the reflexes, such as strong analgesics
and or steroids. Vitality or life force is the key to healing. 

To be able to read the ‘textures’ of the
reflexes is one of the most important assets of successful treatment.
How this is done will be covered in depth at my
seminars.

 
PART 2
The meaning of reflex textures
In part one; I mentioned that it is the ‘disturbed’ reflex textures which give meaning to our work.
Being able to detect and interpret their meanings gives reflexology extra dimensions rather than illusions. Acknowledging this allows us to experience the individuality between
each patient, revealing their neuro-energetic status at the time of treatment,
and further, to observe how this fluctuates over successive treatments.
It will also help to understand the myth which states that a painful reflex always
indicates an ailment!

As an example I will focus on the endocrine system, for it is here where a great amount of confusion exists regarding the meaning of a painful reflex.

 As an example, let us focus on the meaning of a very painful and disturbed pituitary reflex. Because it is hyper sensitive, does this confirm there is a problem with it? Possibly
but if it is found on a hypothyroid patient for instance, it could be a clue
to another interpretation - that the pituitary is being over stimulated by the hypothalamus to try and ‘kick start’ a sluggish thyroid. The pituitary is working overtime, just doing its job. Nevertheless enough to create a disturbed reflex!

The same example can be found with the adrenal gland reflexes. These can also show up as being extremely sensitive, perhaps due to a hyperactive state, and trying to support another hormonal function for example. In this case there is nothing wrong with the adrenals, but
it still shows as a disturbed reflex.
 
I am more concerned when reflexes do not show as painful, for example, in the case of a known ailment.
An absence of painful reflexes is not an indication of good health!

In my many years of involvement of experiencing how various hormonal issues
show up on the feet, it has shown me the sensitivity and complexity of the neuroendocrine system.
These disturbed reflexes are found on all the other body systems in varying forms.

 For those who have been ‘weaned’ on the painful reflex = disease belief, find it daunting to accept another way of looking at reflexology. But once understood, it adds another
dimension to their work, and because of this awareness they are able to be far
more proficient and professional in their work.
This blog is just a very brief overview of a subject which is covered in full at seminars.

Once I came to the realisation of the information the feet can give us, it made me aware (and I repeat) of the incredible unity,  and sensitivity of the neuroendocrine system and its influence on every cell of our body.
When this system is working harmoniously the body is said to be in homeostasis, in other words in perfect balance.
However, good health depends more on the food we eat and the exercise we do, although these are of great importance, there is another factor to take into consideration. Which is the dominant thoughts which take refuge in our minds. 
Every thought has the capacity either to give power and strength, or weaken and even destroy the body as powerfully as the most toxic poisons!

Nothing so powerfully disrupts homeostasis as thoughts of fear, worry and frustration! These thoughts leave imprints on the organs of the body, and are detectable to us as disturbed reflexes. This is why so many patients feel such a sense of release and emotion after treatment. 

Reflexology is being made far more complicated than it needs to be. The most important
factor in being able to give effective and therapeutic treatments is by the power and influence of touch, in combination with the ability at being able to detect and ‘interpret’ the reflex textures and then applying the appropriate type of  contacts.

Tony Porter copyright July 2013

ART NEWSLETTER - Spring 2013

28/5/2013

Dear ARTist,

Calling this the Spring newsletter seems little more than ironic after yet another weekend of snow in what has become an endless winter. But as April approaches, I have found myself in a reflective mood, as I mark my 41st year in reflexology.

Looking back to 1972 when I first began my career, it seems extraordinary that reflexology became the defining factor ina life punctuated with international travel, seminars and hundreds of thousands of treatments.

When I look at the many photos I have of those times, I can only wonder: ‘Was that really me?’

A series of adventures and challenges (which includes being ‘on the road’ with Dwight Byers!) has, in many ways, passed in a haze. The many thousands of exceptional and interesting people I have encountered in a lifetime of work in the field has provided me with a richness and complexity of thought and experience that has helped me to continue to grow and develop both as a reflexologist and as a person.

ART was conceived as a way of bringing all of these threads together; the wealth of experience, of pleasure and of frustration, of long haul flights and crazy car journeys, of exhausting seminars and inspirational people, of trauma and treatment and the joy of interacting with people in a healing way.

If ‘Life imitates art rather than art imitates life’, in the words of Oscar Wilde, then the years I have spent running ART most certainly live up to their reputation.

I would have been hard pushed to imagine, aged 18 and a trainee hairdresser, what my real life was to become; how far I would travel and how much I would see and do.If I have any regrets about these years, it has occasionally been their incompatibility with a normal family life. But what I have gained so far outweighs what I have forsaken, that ultimately, as my time at the helm comes to an end, I find I am left with no regrets at all about this crazy, exciting, fulfilling voyage of discovery that led to ART’s creation and continuation.

As I said in the last Newsletter, I have made the decision to hand over much of the ART teaching to my long serving tutor, Hagar Basis. Hagar has been with ART almost from its inception and has helped me at seminars at home and internationally ever since. It will be good for both ART and the students to have a fresh and different energy. Hagar, apart from being a lovely person, is a truly great exponent of the techniques.

I shall continue to give seminars; but these will be under my name – Tony Porter. They will be aimed at registered ART students who want to keep up with the latest developments in the techniques. I will also be providing essential seminars on the philosophy and protocol of ART, where I look forward to meeting you all!

I am also very pleased to have the services of Annabel Lewis and Anne Brunton to give ART seminars in Edinburgh and Bristol. Annabel and Anne are both highly experienced exponents of ART.

All contact details will be shown at the end of this newsletter.

I’m so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room was dark. Muhammad Ali


I always enjoy hearing from members of the ART International family.
I recently met up with a long - established registered member, who told me that many years ago she was ready to give up reflexology, finding it impossible to build a regular practice. She was told about ART and decided to attend a seminar. She found the techniques exactly what she was looking for and eventually became registered. Since that time she has never looked back, building a successful and enjoyable practice.She expressed her gratitude and good fortune to have come in contact with ART. There is no doubt that because the ART techniques have a more positive and therapeutic feel about them, patients soon realise the benefits, resulting in a much busier and more successful practice.

I look upon my registered members as a family of specialist reflexologists, who have the dedication to attend the extra post-graduate training to become ART Registered. Many of you have travelled a great distance, even from overseas to attend the seminars, but I also know that this dedication has so often proved invaluable to you and to the people you treat. I regularly receive glowing reports from people who have been successfully treated by an ART registered reflexologist. 

You are an elite group of reflexologists, and because of this need to promote yourselves in a way which puts this across to prospective patients.

The importance of effectively promoting yourself, particularly in the present economic climate, is paramount. The majority of people have little understanding about reflexology, imagining it to be little more than a pleasant foot rub given in a spa or beauty salon. The idea that it has such great potential and applications for wellbeing is not realised. For this reason we have to be able to show that the ART techniques are entirely different from normal applications. Of course the best and most effective way to demonstrate this is to give sample treatments. In my experience this never fails to convince people of the difference.

To convince the die-hards I will give a treatment only on one foot, sometimes only working the toes. Fifteen minutes maximum is enough. Those of you who may not have experienced the effect of working only on one foot should contact an ART colleague and have a swap, working on one foot, after which, upon standing, a profound difference on the treated side of the body will be noticed, often extending from the foot to the head. At this point, most people will demand that you complete the treatment by working on the other foot! This is a great way to promote your work and skills.

I have said this many times, and will continue to do so; there is enormous, untapped potential forreflexology and in particular for people like you.
In these economic difficult times, patients need to know that they are getting value for their money before committing to regular treatments, but when they experience the benefits, they very often realise that the investment is more than worthwhile.


Recently I had the good fortune to meet up with NicoPauly of Neuro Reflexology fame while he was in London giving one of his fascinating and ground-breaking seminars. I met up with him and a party of a few of his students in my favourite Greek restaurant – The Halepi in Leinster Terrace, Bayswater in London. This has been the restaurant for reflexologists ever since Dwight Byers and I began teaching at the nearby Columbia Hotel. Evidently it is a favourite of David Cameron amongst other prominent people. However nobody could complete with the celebrities who were there that night who includedNicoPauly, Lynne Booth of VRT fame, Noelle Weyenth and Charles (who run the Bayly School in Lausanne Switzerland and also host my ART seminars there) as well as Carole Samuels who holds a PhD in complimentary medicine. It was a really wonderful evening of joy, laughter and reflexology banter. 

I first met Nico in Brussels many years ago when I presented an ART seminar. We met up in the evening and I was invited to give some seminars to his students at his excellent school.

 I really admire the great work he has done in ‘filling in’ some of the gaps in the understanding of reflexology. His seminars are well worth attending and really get the brain cells stimulated.

Believe you can and you’re halfway there.
Theodore Roosevelt


ART News


New ART web site

The new ART website is now live. The new site is intended to provide clearer and more efficient information to help promote our registered members and is easier to navigate.

The ART Foot Balm

Due to serious issues concerning aspects of production, I have decided to stop manufacturing this very popular product rather than risk any problems with quality control. While I realise this has caused a certain amount of inconvenience, for which I apologise, rest assured that a totally natural, organic replacement product is in the pipeline.The new cream has passed all the necessary testing and will be manufactured by one of the leading European cosmetic manufacturers. I am hoping that giving my bank manager a few treatments may help with the financing!

My toughest fight was with my first wife. Muhammad Ali


The new ART Manual

A number of you have been asking when the new manual will be completed. This is a project that has suffered a couple of serious setbacks. Part of the original material was lost through a computer failure, and the new edition about which I was feeling extremely positive was then lost in its entirety when my house was burgled and my computers and back up discs stolen.

I have restarted the project and hope that all this happened for a reason – and that the finished (heavily backed up) book will be better than ever! The new manual will fill in some of the gaps in the original, drawing on my experiences in reflexology since writing the first manual and including much of the latest thinking and techniques. 

Drag your thoughts away from your troubles – by the ears, by the heels, or any other way you can manage it.
Mark Twain

Health updates

Vitamin B against Alzheimer’s disease
Scientists at the University of Oxford conducted a trial of 168 people and found that vitamin B supplements taken every day reduced brain shrinkage associated with dementia, by up to 53 per cent. Professor David Smith, who co-authored the study said the results ‘were immensely promising’
Daily Telegraph 09/09/10

Poor Kidney function related to strokes and heart disease
Researchers from Taiwan and the US found that a low fluid rate through the kidneys was linked to a higher risk of stroke in later life.

The second study, by British and Icelandic researchers, found that even people with the earliest stages of kidney disease were at an increased rate of developing coronary heart disease. The study tracked almost 17,000 people living in Iceland over a 24 year period.
British Medical Journal 03/10/10

Vitamin C The Real Story by Steve Hickey PhD
This new book about the importance of Vitamin C corresponds perfectly with what I have always believed as a lifelong advocate of Vitamin C supplementation. I have always found that the more I take the better I feel. The book is available as a Kindle or other download as well as in hard copy form. The book provides an interesting and thought provoking view on the medical resistance to its use within mainstream medicine. 

‘Disease becomes a vested interest, and consciously or unconsciously, the doctors foster it as such. It is quite a common observation that doctors produce disease. Moreover, the whole system and philosophy of our dealing with disease is mistaken.
Dr. W.H. White, M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P.

I wish you all good health and success in your work.

My Best Wishes

Tony Porter
Founder/Director ART