Science of Energy Flow Foot Reflexology with Herbal Stress Relief
Step-by-Step guide to Self-care starting with your under-standing - your feet!
Book Review by Steven Foster - Steven Foster Group, Inc.
Martha Libster, RN, PhD, is well-known in the nursing field and the herbal world for her holistic approach to herbal medicine and nursing care. Reflexology is one of those contorted left-of-center “alternative” healthcare modalities that Dr. Libster has teased away from its “out there” realm and placed in a context that can be understood both by the open-minded provider, as well as explored with a scientific mind in a conceptual repurposing of reflexology as the “Science of Energy Flow” (SEF). She makes the claim, which some may view as over-stated and hyperbolic that “SEF is one of, if not the, most accessible, affordable, effective, and holistic treatments on the planet today.” My “non-believer” curmudgeon defenses would challenge that such claims must be backed by believable scientific evidence coupled with the art of practical experience. That’s exactly what Dr. Libster delivers —scientific underpinnings with the tools to inspire providers to put that information into practice.
At the very heart of various medical modalities, from Galenic traditions, Ayurvedic medicine, and Traditional Chinese Medicine is an understanding of the movement of energy within the body along with the effects of external energetic forces. Understanding of energy and energetics is also at the core of various spiritual traditions, stripped of religious dogma, including Buddhism, Christianity, and Hinduism, among others. Dr. Libster spares the reader the process of attempting to pry the details of fact from fiction with a philosophical crowbar. Rather, she embraces what works, what is practical, what is common to the human experience in terms of kindness, grace, vision and spiritual belief. The practitioner becomes a “provider,” and the patient is transformed into a “partner” in the process of embracing healing as a simple natural occurrence.
The book is designed to be both accessible and practical. It begins with an introductory conceptualization of the value of the Science of Energy Flow using foot reflexology in combination with herbal stress relief. The book is referenced throughout, pointing to both scientific and spiritual literature supporting the concepts the book introduces. It combines the spiritual with the practical, supporting each concept introduced with reference material that adds depth to the presentation. There are techniques, recipes and formulas for use in foot baths, infused and essential oil massage rubs, and various types of wraps and packs for achieving the desired results. With practical, non-invasive, supportive and loving guidance that you either believe or you don’t, this book provides sound information that will find a ready-audience among a wide range of therapists, practitioners and providers to give ease to their clients and patients—their partners in healing.
