So, you’re catching a flight soon? Excited? Anxious?
Reflexology is an effective way of supporting you throughout your journey. Ideally, in the weeks leading up to your departure you want to be eating well, getting regular sleep, exercising and hydrating. And booking a few reflexology treatments to balance your whole body, mind, and spirit so that you can fully embrace the epic adventure you are about to embark on.
The points below can support you with stress and anxiety, circulation, blocked ears and motion sickness. I have used hand reflexology here as it is more discreet and, unless you can bend like a pretzel or are flying business class, it is difficult to access your feet to work on them.
Reflexology points for stress and anxiety
There are several ways the body responds to stress; fight, flight or freeze.
Let’s face it, you are already in flight, and starting a brawl may end your holiday before it even begins.
If flying makes you nervous, the solar plexus reflexology point will help calm you.
It is located in the centre of your palm below your middle finger. You will feel a natural depression at this point.
Focus on taking deep, steady breaths as you press your thumb into this point and gently circle around it.
Work both hands in this way as often as you need to.
Tip: You may also want to consider having ear seeds placed on your ears by your reflexologist if you are particularly anxious. There are 3 points that will relieve stress and calm the mind (and help with jet lag): Shen Men, Point Zero and Tranquiliser.
Reflexology points for circulation 
As lymph does not have its own “pump” system it relies on physical movement to circulate efficiently.
When we are sitting for extended periods of time lymph can accumulate, causing swelling to our legs and feet.
Be sure to go for a walk up the aisle, or lift your legs and rotate your feet and pump them up and down every few hours.
Tip: Carry a golf ball or tennis ball in your carry-on;
place it under your foot and roll the full length of your foot and side to side, then swap to your other foot.
It’s a bit of exercise and a mini reflexology treatment in one!
Work the lymphatic’s by gently squeezing and pumping in the small circle of webbing at the base of all your fingers and thumb.
You can also work the spleen point located on the left hand palm only; imagine a vertical line running down from your ring finger,
and a horizontal line running from half way between your index finger and thumb (just below the knuckles on the back of your hand) .
Where they connect is your spleen reflex.
Reflexology and acupressure points for motion sickness and blocked ears
Motion sickness is caused by a disturbance of the inner ear and can leave you feeling nauseous or worse,
throwing up into one of those paper bags. P6 is an acupressure point for times like these!
Locate this point on your forearm by measuring three finger widths from the crease of your wrist.
Press the point in the centre between the tendons with your thumb.
Hold for 60 seconds. Swap hands. You can repeat this hourly if you need to.
The reflexology point for the ears is located on the third and little fingers, on the palm.
Work these fingers for blocked ears and earache caused by cabin pressure as you take off.
Squeeze from the tips of these fingers down to the base, taking note to work across the “u” shape that is formed
between both fingers. Press and rotate on any tender spots. Do this as you are taking off, and again on landing.
I’ll meet you at Arrivals for more tips and reflexology points to work during your stay to support immunity, constipation (not my loo = can’t poo) and the back/neck pain you inherited from those not so comfy airplane seats.
Jen is trained in Reflexology, but what is “reflexology?”
It is a non-intrusive, safe, gentle and effective therapy that can be used on almost anyone. By detecting and working imbalances in the feet the body’s own natural healing process is stimulated. As a result, the pattern of stress is interrupted and the body is induced into a state of relaxation; within that space the body works to regain and maintain harmony and balance.You can find Jen here for any advice or questions you have: https://www.facebook.com/oneleafreflexology/
