מאמרים מאת אורלי שריג
January 2009
The reflection of experiencing reality in the human body
Orly Sarig
Nowadays, there is a wide consent also in conventional medicine regarding the tight effect and connection between the body and the soul or in other words, between what a person has experienced in his life and his physical feeling.
Many of us find it hard to see the connection between the "external occurrences", which is the reality we live in, and the "internal occurrences" which are the sensations of our body.
These few will ask themselves questions attempting to examine this connection, questions such as: why do I chronically suffer from colds? Or why have I become so sleepy that I want to sleep whenever I have the opportunity to do so, etc.
Tali, 35 years old, came to my clinic for treatment due to severe pains in her pelvis and her legs, which also affected the quality of her sleep. In addition, she felt fatigue which had not been characteristic of her in the past.
During the diagnosis Tali said she was in a new stage in her life, she was in a new duality and was creating a new family, when she and her spouse had just bought a new home for their extended family.
Examining Tali's story and analyzing it according to the 4-element theory indicates that Tali's reality is related in this period in her life to the element of Earth.
The element of Earth is the element reflecting the skeleton system, and particularly the topic of posture and stability of our body. In analogy to our life, this element represents stability, rootedness, strength, motherhood and homeliness, security, preserving the shape and the framework and so on. The same goes for the skeleton's role in our body –it gives our body its shape and stability, and provides it with the basis of power and intensity while preserving the body frame.
Tali's reality is currently related to Earth topics. These topics include the establishing of a new family framework, acquiring a new home and stabilizing the new family status. Tali's body reacted and reflected the changes in her life in the Earth element. These changes are expressed by skeleton pains in general and the bones of the earth area (pelvis and legs) in particular. During the treatment Tali understood the relation between the mental source and the phenomena of the physical pain she felt in her body.
The reflexological work focused on the aching areas and in the areas affecting them. Following the treatments, the sensation of relaxation was obtained in the pelvis area relieving all pressure, a big improvement was felt in the leg pains, in the ability to move from one position to another and mainly a feeling of calmness and good mood was obtained.
As a practitioner I often encounter the detachment existing in the patient's consciousness between the "external" and the "internal" in his life. Many patients seek treatment following a physical symptom (headache, back pains, tendon infection etc.) severely affecting their life quality. The first stage of the therapeutic treatment is a foot sole diagnosis, which assists in understanding this strong connection. Reading the feet soles is a language, and as such, when commencing to relate between the various signs, the person's life story is woven and the patient is given the opportunity to understand (occasionally for the first time) the connection between what he undergoes "outside" and "inside", and what lies between the reality in which he lives and the symptoms he senses in his body.
The holistic reflexological treatment relates as a consistent thread running through to the diagnosis and to those same components in this connection and treats them on various levels.
First, on the cognitive level, after the person starts identifying the connection, he can observe, identify and describe it more clearly. Merely talking about it raises the awareness to this connection and thereafter to the various ways in which it is possible to tackle the different situations.
In parallel, we have the reflexological treatment which has its own quite intensity. On the one hand the therapeutic touch soothes and on the other hand empowers and strengthens. The therapeutic touch treats the physical aspect (by working on the physical symptoms) and at the same time also the emotional aspect (creates tranquility and calmness). The touch itself enables the person the opportunity to withdraw into himself for a while, free himself from the "background noises" and listen to and examine better what is happening in his body.
After a series of treatments the person might feel more relaxed and calm but nevertheless, more focused in his senses and alert to examine external situations harmfully affecting him. Reaching this state enables him to relate to these factors in more "ecological" and beneficent ways for himself.
Experience indicates that a smart and holistic observation together with a reflexological treatment help a person enhance his physical senses, his general feeling, and ultimately his life quality. The greatness of reflexology as a therapeutic technique is in the fact that it diagnoses and clarifies the connection between issues and provides a comprehensive answer both to the physical and the mental aspects.