Minor diversion during mise en place.

Too much time on my hands?

Possibly, but now I just have to fold in the corners and dump it in a pot.

Sara and Aileen!

Congratulations to you both and I will look forward to meeting up with each of you for your one hour Reflexology session very soon!

Thanks so much to everyone for playing and for taking the time to share your comments.
It was fun and I will enjoy doing something like that again some time in the not too far off future.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Donna

Although purely utilitarian in nature, the initial impact of this image was a bit startling. From the vantage point of my lens capturing the shackles around these beautiful bronze bubble toes, I felt a twinge of sadness until I followed the path of the metal upwards.

Delightful isn’t she? Completely appropriate word for her I think. Light, fun, goofy – just like the rest of her friends in the garden. Just look at them.

For more images of Phillip Glashoff’s sculptural whimsy and other wonderous works at the Judith Hale Gallery in Los Olivos – click here.

But back for a moment to the emotions stirred from the original image – such a perfect metaphor really, for how the human spirit is able to overcome adversity. When we are “held captive” or “stuck” by either external sources or our own fears, what is it that gives some individuals the strength to persevere, to keep trying to move forward, the personal power to overthrow their adversaries, the desire to continue to survive and prevail? Is it just undying faith? The unwavering belief that this is not their destiny and the best will surely come sometime soon? Do they maintain their fortitude on behalf of another? Do they just shut themselves off from the reality of the earthly situation and venture off to another more loving, peaceful place in their own minds? How is it that some people have endured a life time of repeated loss, tragedy and hardship and still their soul has the capacity to soar? I have met people like this as you may have too – circumstances that would break a good share of us seem to make these people shine even brighter. Is it a profound sense of gratitude that they maintain for what they DO have? Do they just continue to count their blessings? Do they see the gift in the experience no matter how potentially crushing and catastrophic it is?

This act of seeing the gift in every situation is not a new idea, but if we could master just this one practice, just think about how the course of our lives could be altered for the better. Sometimes it is very difficult to find the gift in a situation, but if you write down every bit of your past baggage, every occurrence that repeatedly flies back into your life to reek havoc, every devastating tragedy that you have withstood, and partner it with a gift you received from it – I bet you would be surprised how you can turn your focus around and these past happenings will be empowering rather than sabotaging. You will be able to move on. You don’t have to forget, but your focus will be different and it will open you to inspiration and the strong urge to create once again.

Give it a go and let me know how it works out for you. Those silver linings – we just have to keep searching them out.

As a Recipient I LOVE:

• The fact that I only need to remove my shoes and socks to experience complete release of tension, soreness or pain throughout my entire body.
• That I am able to achieve such a profoundly deep level of relaxation, unlike any other form of body therapy I have ever encountered.
• That I can consistently arrive at that glorious altered state this work is known for.
• That the level of peace and calm that is realized during a session stays with me long after I leave the practitioner’s chair. It is seemingly a cumulative effect that is experienced, where that balanced state is maintained for longer periods of time afterwards, the more consistently I schedule my appointments.
• The concentrated attention on my feet. It feels fabulous especially after dancing, walking, or just standing for hours at a time. I also feel very cared for when having my feet worked on. There is something very soothing and comforting about this work. It is very nurturing.
  
• The greater flexibility and range of motion that I have in my ankles, feet and toes.
  
• That I can immediately tell where I have imbalances simply by having points on my feet palpated (or working the points myself). My feet give me immediate and accurate feedback.
• That Reflexology has always been a perfect reminder for me to BREATHE, and when I receive it regularly, it allows me to feel more balanced in every aspect of my life.
  

As a Practitioner I LOVE:

• Seeing my clients faces and states of being completely alter from when they first arrived. By the end of their session they usually look significantly softened, lighter – sometimes completely luminous, a bit spacey, unquestionably relaxed, and they are usually sporting a lovely smile on their faces. (ahh – makes me so happy !)
• Being able to assist people in their process of restoring or maintaining vitality.
• When they come back and tell me that they just feel so much better on a whole since receiving this work. They feel more in balance.
• When they share with me upon getting up off of the table that they are pain free….and they are so excited!
• When they get off of the table and tell me their headache, migraine or stomach ache is gone.
• When they say that they feel they are better at coping with life’s challenges and they are not feeling depressed anymore (and they feel that Reflexology is partly responsible for this improvement).
• When they express that it is just nice to feel a human touch.
• When they tell me they were transported to another place in time…some place really beautiful…
  
• When they fall asleep and snore, after they informed me that they hadn’t been sleeping well for days.

I have heard the above reactions from many different people time and time again. People’s responses are varied of course, but at the very least, 99% of the time they report feeling more relaxed and refreshed then when they first walked through the door.

It has been a privilege and an honor for me to share this work with others over the past 22 years. I am as jazzed about it now as when I experienced my first session with my first Reflexology teacher back east. It was a complete “WOW” for me – truly a life changing hour, and I new as soon as the session came to an end that I wanted to learn how to work with this wonderful energy therapy. As I mentioned clients have told me of many different ways they have felt better after the session. I don’t believe it is me “healing” them as some practitioners purport, but rather ‘this work’ leads them to such a state of deep relaxation that the body is then in an optimal position to heal itself.

I also thoroughly enjoy teaching Reflexology, and am constantly learning something new about it with each group of students I have the pleasure of instructing. It is fun as well as enlightening to explore it through other people’s experiences as well as my own.

Have you ever had a Reflexology session before? How did it make you feel? What did YOU love about it?

I would love to hear, and if you would be so kind to tell me here by clicking on the Comment link below, I will happily enter your name in a drawing for either a:

One Hour Reflexology Session (if you live within the Los Angeles County Beach Cities of Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach or Torrance)

or if you don’t live close by, you will be entered into the drawing to win a gorgeous laminated set of 5 Sole Garden Reflexology Charts

Never had a session before but would love to try it?
I want to hear from you too, so please leave a comment as well and I will gladly add you to the drawing.

Drawing will be held on Friday, August 21, 2009.

Two winners will be drawn digitally and will be announced right here on the home page, and also will be notified by email.

Thanks for playing!

Best Wishes, Donna