Foot Reading

On a daily basis I explore the hidden world of feet; decoding the messages held within our five-toed friends and relaying that information to their owners in an effort to heal the bond between the individual and their body. It is with great pleasure that I sit down to write this book because discovering this content was life changing for me, as I hope it will be for you. There is a magic that is present when you are able to see into an individual and understand their makeup, but it another thing entirely to demonstrate the physical validation that solidifies that intuitive understanding; foot reading has done that for me and can for you. The applications for this knowledge are limited only by the imagination. Before we begin that process of imagining, let’s outline the content you are about to pour yourself over. This book contains the compilation of my understandings about the body and how the body’s interconnected nature is entirety represented, in full, on the extremities – specifically the feet. However, I am not just referring to the physical. Another truth I have validated through my foot work is that the body is linked to the internal mental and emotional states of an individual. Not in a pie-in-the-sky, tree-hugging, kumbaya way, but a concretely map-able and observable way. Our state is made manifest through the various bone, muscle, and fluid pathways via the power of our nervous system, which uses both our physical and internal blueprint simultaneously. These two premises, that the whole of the body is mirrored on the individual part and that the mental/emotional state is intertwined with the physical form, are the basis of my work. Likewise, this content is alive. I cannot accurately explain how it is alive, but I feel as though I have been guided through every step of this journey by the feet themselves. The idea of reading the interconnectedness present within the tissues of our bodies through the feet has a massive gravitational pull over my being and because of that I believe that this work desires to grow through being shared. I will allow the experts of creativity, such as Elizabeth Gilbert in her book Big Magic, to further explain the fullest extent of being partnered with such a blazing ball of creative thought-form. That is to say, I am also learning more and more every day about the volumes of information contained within the visual and textural patterns of the feet themselves. I am sure I will reprint these concepts many times in the future as I expand my awareness of the subject, but at this time allow me to share with you what I have come to understand. This book is arranged to gradually build your knowledge of core foot reading concepts. First, we will begin by explaining the zones and their significance to mapping physical, mental and emotional sections onto the feet. Next, we will discuss symptomology in depth through the theory of four elements: Earth, Air, Fire and Water to describe the various distortions and their meaning that you will come across when assessing the tissues of the feet. Once a mapping framework and vocabulary are built, we will dive into the art of assessment and putting together the story that the feet are trying to tell. Finally, I will expand into the other three extremities and allow those more passionately drawn to reading the hands, face and ears to explore that additional content after the foot reading fundamentals have been understood. Take the following information in slowly, like a good tea. Sip it and enjoy it. Let the principals and definitions roll around your mental taste buds until the overarching themes are fully known and integrated. I have included many stories within this text about my personal experiences within my Reflexology practice to better explain the various concepts in depth. Likewise, you will find that cross-referencing this work with your previous foot experiences, and those of friends/family, will be very validating and enlightening about the true interconnectedness that has been present this entire time right under your nose – or, rather, under your feet. As with all true practices, the art comes after the science. Mastering the basics takes time and repetition, looking and feeling many feet is essential. This collection of information is meant to be a starting block for that process. Everything is wonderful in theory and on paper, but living this practice in the real world is what will produce excellence. For now, enjoy the ideas and concepts within these pages, but know that to get good at the art and science of foot reading requires constant reinforcement of the basic principles. No one can do the pushups for you, so get out and see some feet!