Читать книгу Reflexology: The Definitive Practitioner's Manual: Recommended by the International Therapy Examination Council for Students and Practitoners - Beryl Crane - Страница 8

Healing by touch is as old as mankind. It requires insight, intuition and the use of specialized skills and techniques.

The word ‘massage’ comes from the ancient Arabic word ‘mass’, meaning ‘to touch or palpate’. Touch or massage has historically been used as a restorative to bring back health and strength. Many of the touch therapies are based on the theory that for good health the body’s energy must flow unimpeded, or that a holistic and integrated approach to maintain health should be followed. For instance, Hippocrates (460–375 BC) advocated a system of treatment that incorporated diet, fresh air and exercise (or gymnastics, as they were known then) and advised massage, or rubbing an area of the body, as a therapeutic relaxation.

This chapter examines the ancient and recent origins of reflexology, both in the West and in the Orient, and the recent development of the zone concept.