Like most folks, I enjoy pampering myself. I indulge in the occasional massage, pedicure, and facial. So imagine my delight when I found out about reflexology in Claremore. I didn’t have a clue what reflexology was, but I was anxious to try it.
I had my first session recently at Reflexology by Marisa, located in Hot Rodz Salon across from Hillcrest Claremore,129 West Blue Starr. It was amazing!
Reflexology is an ancient holistic approach to natural healing. It dates back to Egyptian times. Basically, a trained professional can rub the different points in your feet and help ease pain in different parts of the body. There are 7000 nerve endings in each foot, and each spot on your foot matches up with another place on your body. For example, the big toe connects with your head, the middle toe on your right foot matches up with your right eye, and the two small toes match up with your ear. Also, the right foot correlates with the right side, and the left foot correlates with the left side. Intriguing, right?
I met Marisa at Hot Rodz, which is a really funky and cool salon, by the way, and she led me to her space in the back. It’s a little oasis, full of calming scents and sounds, much like a spa. She invited me to sit in the zero-gravity chair and gave me a cozy blanket to cover with. She warned me that everyone responds differently; some people get warm while others get cold, and plenty others get sleepy. The first step was to wash my feet with Thieves essential oil and grapeseed oil. Marisa prefers that because it’s clean, without feeling greasy. (Marisa uses and sells Plant Therapy essential oils. She sells CBD oil, too, if you’re curious.)
Marisa always starts with the right foot. She rubs over each tiny spot, looking for “crystals” or “crunchies”, as she calls them, which signal some kind of stress or issue in the body. When she finds a “crunchy”, she works on that area more intently, to work the trouble spot out. For the most part, I couldn’t feel it (other than the delightful rubbing of my feet); Marisa said it feels like placing Rice Krispies in a baggie on the counter, then rolling your knuckles across it. After that, I did feel her working out one of my trouble spots.
Reflexology has been shown to help with a host of ailments, especially those accompanied by chronic pain, like lupus and fibromyalgia. Some issues helped are diabetes, migraines, plantar fasciitis, gout, insomnia, stress, and anxiety. It also promotes circulation and assists with digestion. It’s even good for prenatal care (in at least the second trimester).
Marisa has been a Certified Reflexology Practitioner for three years. Originally from Coffeyville, she has lived in Claremore with her family for the past four years. She trained in reflexology with a holistic doctor in Tulsa. While practicing on her four children, she realized that everything matched up. One summer, she gave each of her kids a session just before their back-to-school physicals. (Yes, sessions are available for kids, too!) Each “crunchy” that she found correlated with the health problems the doctor found, from poor eyesight to asthma. She knew that she wanted to pursue reflexology as a career, as she wanted to help people and she’s a firm believer that it works.
She told me about one particular client who suffered from plantar fasciitis. A farmer who was on her feet all day, the woman was in constant pain, and her physician recommended a series of injections. While contemplating that path, the woman came to Marisa for a standard one-hour session, and felt such relief in her feet that she continued. She’s currently free of pain and never did have those shots.
The way reflexology works, each session builds on the previous one. The results from the first session will last about a week, and the second session will last about two weeks. So if you visit Marisa for a pain issue, you’ll start with weekly sessions, and then taper down to about once every four weeks. Another bonus of reflexology is that it helps promote good sleep, which I was definitely excited about.
Reflexology is great because it’s appropriate for anyone! If you have one of the health ailments I mentioned above, it’s bound to help. Or if you’re like me, and just enjoy someone spoiling you and rubbing your feet, it’s awesome!
For more information, please follow Reflexology by Marisa at Hot Rodz on facebook, or give her a call at (918) 550-1320. You can find a full list of prices, specials, and services HERE. Sessions are scheduled by appointment; hours are Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday 11a – 2:30p and 5p – 8p.
Doctors, nurses, EMTs, fire, police, and teachers are eligible for a 5% discount, and military and military spouses receive a 10% discount.*
*ID required
-MCM Staffer Ashley,
who had a GREAT night’s sleep
after reflexology!
