Exploring Reflexology with Emma

What if touching your feet could reveal what's happening in your digestive system, your hormones, or your stress levels? 

In this beautifully honest conversation, host Sarah Gorev sits down with Emma Kelly from EJK Wellness to explore reflexology.

What makes this episode special is Emma's vulnerability about her own journey. After being severely unwell following COVID, she spent three years on strong medication in what she calls "the zombie days" - gaining weight, sleeping constantly, still in pain, struggling with brain fog, and relationships suffering. Then came a pivotal moment lying alone on the sofa covered in hot water bottles when she thought: this is not how I want to live my life. That moment changed everything.

You'll discover:
* What reflexology actually is beyond foot massage 
* Why it's not about fixing but rebalancing 
* How Emma reads feet like puzzle pieces 
* The trust element 
* Why not all reflexologists are the same and what to look out for 
* The remarkable breadth of age and life situation that can be helped 
* How reflexology combines beautifully with massage 

Emma shares why reflexology works for stress-related conditions (digestive issues, sleep problems, physical tension), hormonal imbalances (conception difficulties, pregnancy, menopause), and chronic conditions. She explains the emotional releases some people experience - tears, feeling like weight's been lifted - and why energy work matters as much as physical technique.

Her message: wellness doesn't have to be "bougie." It just has to be non-negotiable.

This conversation explores intimate health conversations, reading body signals through feet, the combination of physical and energetic healing, finding practitioners you can trust, and making wellness your priority rather than afterthought. Emma's journey from zombie days to wellness advocate shows what's possible when you decide enough is enough and choose differently.

Perfect for: Reflexology-curious beginners, people with unexplained chronic conditions, anyone dealing with hormonal imbalances or stress-related issues, those navigating post-viral fatigue, ticklish-feet people wondering if reflexology's possible, anyone interested in mind-body connection, practitioners who practice what they preach, or people needing permission to make wellness non-negotiable.

Links mentioned in this episode:
https://ejk-wellness.co.uk/about-me.php

https://www.instagram.com/ejkwellness/

https://restandrise.uk/

Subscribe to Exploring Ways to Wellness for authentic conversations about holistic health and alternative healing. Real experiences, evidence-based practices, refreshingly honest chats.

Thanks for listening.

Transcript

Exploring Reflexology with Emma

​[00:00:00] 

Sarah: What if touching your feet could reveal what's happening in your digestive system, your hormones, or even your stress levels? Welcome back to Exploring Ways to Wellness.

This week I'm chatting with Emma Kelly to explore reflexology, something I've experienced myself with fascinating results. We explore what reflexology actually is, beyond a foot massage. How reflex points in your feet represent different parts of your body. Why some people fall asleep during treatments, while others have emotional releases.

We talk about the trust relationship between practitioner and client, why that matters, and how reflexology can work beautifully alongside other techniques for both physical and internal rebalancing. What I love [00:01:00] about Emma is her honesty about her own journey, and you'll hear us discuss being severely unwell, following COVID, spending years on strong medication in what she calls the zombie days and a moment that changed everything.

Emma also shares her wellness practices as non-negotiable priorities and what has pulled her out of dark places.

So whether you are reflexology-curious, dealing with hormonal imbalances, navigating stress or chronic fatigue, Interested in practitioners who practice what they preach, or simply wondering if someone can really tell what's wrong by touching your feet, this conversation offers something really valuable.

So let's dive in.

 Welcome back to Exploring Ways To Wellness. I am thrilled that this week we have Emma Kelly from EJK [00:02:00] Wellness with us to talk about reflexology. 

Welcome to the podcast, Emma. 

Emma: Oh, thank you so much for having me. I'm very excited. 

Sarah: I am thrilled you're able to join us.

I'm really interested in reflexology. I've had sort of bits and pieces of experiences myself in this, so I know that it's worked really well for me in the past. So I'm thrilled that you're able to come on and tell me a bit more about how this works and what your experiences have been with it. So do you mind starting us off?

This is clearly more than a foot massage. 

Emma: Yes. 

Sarah: What is reflexology? 

Emma: So, although having said that, what I always start with my clients is actually what you would feel with a reflexology treatment with me, because obviously we all work slightly differently, but with me it is very, I do so I'm a massage therapist as well, and I do make it very much a relaxing

treatment. [00:03:00] So you would feel like you are having a lovely foot and lower leg massage. And to be honest, lots of people fall asleep because it's very, very relaxing. Um, so that's, although it's, as you said, it's not a foot massage, it would, a treatment with me does feel super relaxing. The difference being that reflexology, like many holistic practices,

works on the basis that different points of the feet represent different parts of your body. So similar to something like acupressure or ac acupuncture. Different points, reflex points within the feet. And also you can have hand reflexology and face reflexology. Are working with the meridian lines, the lines of energy that flow through your body.

So by stimulating these different parts of your feet, I'm actually working through the different parts of your body, not just your physical, you know, your head, your arm or whatever, but also your internal organs. It's really great. So I largely work with people who have stress [00:04:00] related conditions because as I said, it's very relaxing.

But also hormonal imbalances because as I said, it's not just your, your head, your neck, your shoulders, it is rebalancing any areas within your body that are either working a little bit too hard or not quite hard enough. So we always say that we are not aiming to fix something, but we're aiming to kind of rebalance.

Sarah: That makes sense. So do people come to you then? To have something diagnosed or because they have a specific issue and they need help with it. 

Emma: Yeah, so obviously I am not going to claim to be medically trained. I'm not a doctor, so I would never. Diagnose somebody. But what we do do is we would have a really thorough consultation beforehand, and we'll talk about what's brought you to me.

So usually someone will seek me out and have done a little bit of research before deciding. So for example, if you don't like your feet being touched, um, reflexology is [00:05:00] probably not the best thing for you, but if you are open to that and you enjoy that as I said, it's. Deeply relaxing. So a lot of people, for example, that I may treat I treat a lot of women who are either trying to conceive, perhaps having conception problems.

I've treated people from conception all the way to birth and beyond throughout their pregnancies. Um, I also, on the other end of that scale, I treat a lot of people who are going through menopause. So again, lots of hormonal imbalances going on and. The other side of my business often is based around people with stress related conditions.

Because as we all know, when you're feeling very stressed, quite often you might have digestive problems, you might have issues with your sleep, your brain might have problems switching off as you are trying to, you know, relax in the evenings and what have you, and the physical manifestations that that has, again, tight, you know, tight shoulders, clenching your jaw, all of these things.

So, usually. If you're going [00:06:00] through something like that, that's when people will seek me out. 

Sarah: Yeah. So they, they're sort of aware that something's going on. Yeah. It's not feeling quite right. It's quite a difficult time for them, or a stressful time for them. So, so they might not necessarily come to you with that exact thing.

Yeah. Like you, you can possibly tell on the foot Yeah. What it is that's causing them to feel that way. 

Emma: So for me, and again, I, I'm not gonna speak for all reflexologists, but for me, when I'm working and doing reflexology on someone, for me it is almost quite a physical sensation in terms of if you are working with massage, you can feel there's a notch.

You look for difference in temperature, difference in skin texture, and how your shoulder, for example, moves. It's very similar when working through the different reflex points of your feet. So there can be areas that are slightly different colour where circulation is not quite the same. Areas of tightness where, you know, if you [00:07:00] are perhaps working through the ball of the foot, doesn't want to move

very much. Differences in temperature, skin texture. All of those things will give me a clue as to what's going on inside. And when we have the consultation, I will ask questions going often as far back as you can remember, just with any health concerns you've had, how the different body systems work within you.

How, you know, have you had any breakages injuries, anything like that that might come up, medications that you're on. And even though you might come to me saying, well, I'm, I, you know, I'm really struggling with, menopausal symptoms or, whatever. There might be other things where, you know, I might be like, oh, but your digestive system actually feels really firm and you would perhaps be like, oh, do you know what, actually, yes, that is something that I really struggle with.

So everything is very connected and it's fascinating. It's like putting pieces of a puzzle together. 

Sarah: It's incredible that manipulation of, of one, of one part of your body can give you such Yeah. A massive insight into the whole [00:08:00] body. Absolutely. It how everything's working.

So 

Emma: fascinating, I think. And, and some people, you know, they are like, oh my God, it's magic. Because, you know, you can tell so much just from, you know, just from working through someone and you know, as I said, once you've had a conversation with them, you start to piece things together. It's, it's really interesting.

Sarah: And it sounds so beautiful, that sort of combination between, you know, the talking beforehand. 

Emma: Yeah. 

Sarah: And then the, you seeing exactly what's happening in the foot and I guess there's an element of trust there isn't there? Between you and the people that come. 

Emma: Very much so. Obviously we're having deep conversations about, you know, past histories, illnesses, things that are going on with your body.

Not everyone is comfortable about talking about the, the workings of your digestive system or your, you know, your, cycles and things like that. So it is quite an intimate conversation and obviously I'm led by my client. The more information I have, the better, but I would never force anyone to talk about anything that they don't want [00:09:00] to.

And then the other thing to consider is we have this physical aspect, but as I said, we are working with. Energy that flows through your body as well. So, there is a huge amount of trust there as well. So, although I can be led physically by what I can see and feel within your foot, there is a lot to be said if you believe in this stuff, which I very much do, that, you know, you...

You get a feel for that person's energy of what's going on, of how it all flows with them. And it, some people afterwards do have quite an emotional release. There can be things, even if they've not spoke about it, because it's very deeply relaxing and you're encouraged to just sink into it. Some people have some tears afterwards.

You know, some people feel like a weight has been lifted. Um, particularly if you're coming to see me because of hormonal or stress related things. You know, that's very much tied in with. Emotions as well. So it's a really powerful treatment. 

Sarah: It sounds like it. 

Emma: Yeah. 

Sarah: Is that a surprise to you? When you trained?

Did you realise there would [00:10:00] be that level of connection? I'm just wondering 'cause I think possibly if I was to do something like that, I'd be thinking it was a very sort of physical thing. 

Emma: Yeah. 

I was made aware I had a, a wonderful teacher, so I trained at the Eileen Gilmore School of Reflexology, and she has actually since retired, so she's no longer in the business, but she was very renowned in her field and was a fabulous teacher, and she really covered

all bases, you know, not just the physical, but she was very in tune with energy and emotion and things like that as well. Not everybody, is trained in that way. But I think a lot of it as well is who you are as a practitioner. So I could go into it and just, um. I don't want to say mechanically go through it, but be very, you know, this point is the neck reflex, this point is the digestive system.

You know, I could just go through that. But the way that I am as a person as well, I would say I've always been quite in tune with people and I [00:11:00] always, I feel quite in touch with emotions and energy anyway, and so I think that. As a holistic practitioner, I think I bring that to my treatments as well.

To go back to your question, are you trained in it to varying degrees, but I don't think that's necessarily across the board. I think it depends on who you are trained with. And again, if you are open to that kind of thing yourself. 

Sarah: Yeah. Yeah, that's, that's really useful to know in terms of when you're looking for a practitioner for reflexology.

Emma: Yeah. 

Sarah: It sounds like it's not everybody is cookie cutter. 

Emma: No, exactly. I mean, obviously you have the, like all practices, you have the training that you go through and you know, this is the fact, this is the science, this is what's behind it. But I think probably any profession, in fact, not just those of us in the wellness industry.

You know, you bring something to the role that is of yourself, isn't it? And so I would encourage anybody to do a bit of research if you are considering having any kind of holistic treatment [00:12:00] as to the kind of person that you are looking for. I've had I still do go and have reflexology with another practitioner myself as well.

Um, I said to you just before we started recording, I'm actually going this afternoon and I'm so excited. 

Sarah: Lovely. 

Emma: Well love to be on the receiving end of it. But over the years I've been to lots of different practitioners and some have been very clinical and quite a a clinical environment. So almost like a, a dentist chair and quite bright lighting and that's, that's fine.

How, however, works for you? For me, I have dim lighting, I have candles, there's lots of blankets. It's all very warm and cozy because I'm trying to encourage a very relaxing atmosphere. But that's not, not for everybody, not everybody wants to come and snuggle down and, you know, really nod off and, for some people it's, I'm here and I, I need to get this done, and then I've gotta come back to work or, you know, whatever.

So, yes. Look into different practitioners and see, you know, who's the right fit for you. 

Sarah: Yeah. [00:13:00] And it sounds like it covers so many different things. I mean, I, I mentioned in the intro that I have had a couple of experiences myself. One more looking at the relaxation side, but I did have a really interesting experience.

Uh. Back when I was having my second child, I was going over the due date and I was, I really didn't want to be medically induced, and I actually had reflexology for that. And it, it worked it got things going. Yeah. So 

Emma: it's great. Yeah. 

Sarah: Yeah. So I can see, it's really interesting to me how it can have such a wide breadth of things that it can.

It can cover and it can help with, and 

Emma: it really does. I mean, there are, there are reflexologists who are specialists in fertility and to helping people on their fertility journey. And as I mentioned earlier, I've been yes, I'll say blessed, I've been blessed enough to help [00:14:00] people you know, who've been going through IVF and what have you.

To, you know, I'm not gonna say it was all me, but there are definitely, um. Uh, quite a few couples who've been to see me who have then ended up pregnant and going on and welcoming their babies. And as I said, I've worked with them throughout the, uh, while they're trying to conceive after sometimes years of IVF treatment and then they've been able to fall pregnant.

And then exactly as you've just said, I've also worked with quite a few people who've gone over their due date as well. So yeah, there are, and there are reflexologists who work specifically with, people within that situation. And then the other end of the scale as well as you said, it's so varied, is, reflexology is one of the holistic practitioners that is recognised within the NHS and it's widely recognised that reflexology is really great for cancer patients as well. We have specialists trained in caring for people with cancer it's really good for helping with the side [00:15:00] effects of chemo and things like that as well.

So there's a huge spectrum. The youngest person I've treated has been at primary school, young age at primary school, but I've treated people into their nineties. So you've got this huge, massive, broad spectrum of different conditions that it can treat. 

Sarah: So broad and I love the fact it's so accessible across the age ranges as well.

Emma: Absolutely. Absolutely. And actually one of the my, my longest serving clients actually is a fabulous lady who she won't mind me saying I've been treating for o well over a decade. She was one of my first people that, um, from when I first started and she's actually in a wheelchair. Um, and she's the only client that I go to her house.

'cause I've known her for such a long time and she can't get to me. And because it's physically accessible as well. I can go and treat her in her house and she can be sat either on her sofa or even in her wheelchair, as long as I can get to her feet and I prop them up a little [00:16:00] bit, you know, I can, I can work that way as well.

So, um, so yeah, it's, it's wonderful. 

Sarah: Oh, beautiful. And you, yourself, you, you mentioned you are heading off to a reflexologist. Yes, 

Emma: I'm, I'm very 

Sarah: excited, very excited of, um, it's part of your own wellness routine by the sound 

Emma: of it. It's, yeah. My, my love relationship began with reflexology from about the age of 17 or 18.

I've had migraine since I was a little girl since I was primary school age. Really horrible. Makes me sick. Like nasty, painful migraine. And particularly when I was in my teens and that's kind of hormonal phase, they were really, really bad. And my mum actually sent me to a reflexologist after exhausting the traditional GP route and what have you.

Um, so I had my first reflexology sessions when I was. 17 or 18 and it was brilliant. And then I felt great for years and so I kind of, you know, fell away from it and, you know, discovered boys and drinking and [00:17:00] all that stuff that you do when you're 18. Um, and kind of came back round to it again when I was a mother, myself and the headaches got bad again. And that I think probably from lack of sleep from having young children 'cause they're both terrible sleepers. Um, and once again, I sought out reflexology and then as time went on and I decided that I wanted to move down the route of working in the wellness community and helping people that way.

Reflexology was the first treatment that I trained in. And, um, the first one that I really thought, this is what I wanna do, this is how I help people. And then as time's gone on and I have my own practice, yeah, it is really important to me that I still, I still am a patient of reflexology, so unfortunately, although I can do it myself, that rubbing your own feet is not, you can't really relax into Same.

Sarah: Yeah. 

Emma: So I have, um, I've got a fabulous lady that I go and see and she comes to see me as well. Um, and I have reflexology at [00:18:00] least once a month, and that's helped me. I had. Some problems after having COVID in 2020 and was really poorly after that. I've also had a hysterectomy when I was in my thirties, and throughout all of that reflexology has been the consistent treatment that I've gone back to again and again.

Sarah: Wow. I'm so pleased that you're so much better after COVID. Yeah. And, um, you know, having treatment as well. Uh, it's fantastic that you've been able to go to that knowing that it works for you in the past. Yeah. And having that consistent thread throughout your life.

Yeah. I'm really interested that you say you go every month, so it, it doesn't necessarily be that you have to have a, a significant issue. You can it's, 

Emma: yeah. 

Sarah: So does it like top it up or how, how does that work? Get things moving. 

Emma: So for me I really like it. So I, I go back and it's a, it's a nice treat to myself, but also I, myself, I've had clients that come to me consistently for a month for things.

So, for example, like hormonal [00:19:00] imbalances particularly at women, at a certain point in life, this isn't something that's gonna go away anytime soon. So they tend to come fairly regularly, anywhere from fortnightly, monthly, every six weeks or so, just. Just as a, as you said, kind of like a top up, just to kind of keep them on an even keel.

I've got other people, so for example, if we talk, go back to people having babies they've just wanted to get through that period. Or someone who's having just a very stressful time at the moment. They just need something to get them through that period. But the great thing is, I, it's not something that I would ever.

Have a consultation with you and say, oh yeah, what you need is, is six sessions with me back to back. You know, it's, we very, I'm very much led by my clients. Yeah. So for me, I would say to you, right, we'll have one session and then I check in with you a few days later, see how you're feeling.

If you'd like to book in again, I would usually suggest about a month because. It's far enough ahead that, you know, you're kind of back into, we'll call it normal [00:20:00] life again. But it's close enough that you'll be able to be aware that, oh yes, I'm looking forward to that. That's making the difference. And it may be that you would say, yeah, a month is about the right time for me.

It may be that you said. In that first instance, do you know what actually I feel great still after a month. I'm just gonna dip in and out when I need to. So it, you know, it can ebb and flow depending on what's going on for you in, in your life at the time. For me, going monthly is great because as I said I was really poorly after COVID in 2020 and I still do have a lot of pain and fatigue now.

And so for me to go back monthly is great because. It really helps me, as you said, to top up to kind of reset things. 

Sarah: Yeah. And I, it sounds like it's one of those things where you sort of, build to your balanced state and you Absolutely. You may even say, oh, actually I don't need any more sessions.

Emma: Yeah. 

Sarah: And you don't realise actually what, what [00:21:00] benefit you've been getting from going regularly. Yeah. Until you don't do it, is. Does that 

make sense? 

Emma: Absolutely. Absolutely. So lockdown is actually a great example of that because I kind of just kept it ticking over. Obviously I haven't had COVID at that point just because I really liked it and it felt good, and I obviously know the benefits of it.

And then during lockdown, obviously we couldn't have physical treatments for a really long period, and I really noticed the difference in that. And so. It may not be glaringly obvious when you are having it all of the time, but then suddenly when you don't have it, it's like, oh, actually I can, yeah, I miss it.

I really feel, really feel, 

Sarah: yeah, because you don't, you don't always connect the two, do you? You think, oh, well, was it that made the difference or would that have happened anyway, or? 

Emma: Exactly, and so for something like massage, which as I said, I'm also a sports massage therapist. You can go for a massage, you can work through those tight knots and you instantly walk away and you're like, [00:22:00] oh, yeah that's freer.

I can feel that. Reflexology obviously is much more subtle than that. So even though you leave feeling really relaxed, you don't suddenly think. Oh yes, this, this particular part, this is definitely working better. It's, you know, it's a much more subtle shift. So yeah, I think suddenly being without, it was like, oh no, don't like that.

Sarah: And it sounds like because you are also working on internal as well as sort of Yeah. Surface level, 

Emma: yeah. 

Sarah: I guess it's a bit more difficult to tell. Okay. It's freed something up in my. I dunno, digestion or around the 

Emma: Yeah. Although that can happen quite suddenly sometimes. 

Sarah: Oh, 

Emma: not always. Not always. But for someone who has come with, uh, some digestive issues, sometimes that can, that can work quite quickly.

But generally, yes, you might be, as you said, a hormonal imbalance or, um, you know, something like that. It, it can, you know, it's a bit more of a subtle shift. Yeah. [00:23:00] 

Sarah: Yeah, I, I guess it's more, it's easier when it's a, a pain or something that you can kind of connect to. Oh, yes. I definitely feel this, rather than, oh, something's not working internally.

Emma: Yeah, absolutely. 

Sarah: So brilliantly. And you mentioned there about massage. So does reflexology work well with other. Yeah, 

Emma: different 

Sarah: techniques. 

Emma: So, I initially trained in reflexology, I think, I think 12 years ago now. Um, and I love it. I absolutely, as I said, it was my first love in the kind of the holistic world.

And through the work that I was doing, I realised that actually, massage would go really well with it. So the way that I look at it is, or the way that I talk about it, is say you were feeling really stressed and you know, it was perhaps giving you an upset tummy or you weren't sleeping very well or whatever.

We can work through those internal issues with the reflexology so we can help to rebalance the hormones, the cortisol, the adrenaline that you get when you're really stressed, but when you are also, when you're stressed from a physical [00:24:00] point of view. Your shoulders come up and you possibly clench your jaw or you might clench your hands and you hold yourself very, very tight.

And so the combination of the two go hand in hand really well together because through the sports massage, I can loosen the physical side of things. I can work through those tight muscles, I can bring the shoulders down. Um, but then the reflexology. Helps to rebalance the hormones that released when we're stressed and hopefully help to rebalance that internal working as well.

Sarah: Wow, that sounds amazing. I'm booking in, 

Emma: I, I think it's pretty cool, but, you know. 

Sarah: Yeah, no, that sounds perfect. Between the two. 

Emma: Yeah, 

Sarah: you sort of, that's that whole body rebalance experience. Yeah, that whole body reset 

Emma: and quite often I will have clients. Arrive for one treatment and end up going across the two of them.

So say, you know, if you were to come and say, oh yeah, I've got, I get headaches and, and you know, my [00:25:00] neck is really tight, so I, I can release that through massage, but then once we get talking it's like, oh, it's because you're super stressed at work and you are all day on a laptop. That's why. So you know, then you might say, actually yes, I would like some reflexology because the two together and quite that's a lot of my clients do end up kind of diversifying between the two.

From the opposite side of things, you might come for reflexology because, you know, you might say, well, I'm really struggling to sleep, so we can work through that.

But then when we are talking again, it's like, oh, because you are, you know, on a laptop or whatever, your shoulders are really tight. So actually if you were to have a massage, we can work through that as well. So, I mean, I've got, you know, obviously clients have. A favourite quite often and might just be like, no, I just want the feet.

I'm just here for the feet and the, the nap. That's fine. Yeah. Um, but yeah, quite often they'll, uh, they'll go between the two. 

Sarah: Yeah. And I guess some will be thinking I mean, I was like them, I have, oh, nobody can go near my feet. A very, very ticklish [00:26:00] feet. 

Emma: Yes. 

Sarah: Um, but if you've got someone who knows what they're doing, as I discovered they then actually that.

Has never been an issue. The only people who can touch my feet are my husband and your reflexology, someone doing reflexology on me. It's really bizarre. Absolutely. And it shows, it's weirdly because it's such a thing for me that having the ticklish feet. Yeah. It surprises me every single time. 

Emma: Yeah.

Yeah. You've gotta go in fairly firm. That's it. With the ticklish people it's not, it's not tickly. You've gotta go in fairly firm, otherwise you end up with a kick in the face. 

Sarah: Right. And actually on the firmness element, another thing that that sort of surprised me when I've had it in the past is parts can sometimes be quite painful.

Emma: Yeah. Yeah. 

Sarah: So I, I guess that's where I was thinking when I said it's not just. Like if you do go just thinking, oh, this is, someone's just gonna massage my feet and suddenly everything will be fine. Yeah, sometimes it can [00:27:00] be a little bit sore and 

Emma: Yeah. 

Sarah: You know, have sensations. So 

Emma: there's a couple of different reasons for that.

Firstly, obviously the practitioner. So with massage or, or reflexology, my aim is never to cause pain. I will always try to go in and make it nice and relaxing. We still want to, to work the area that is causing trouble, particularly in massage, but I want you not to tense up because if you tense up.

Everything's gonna tighten up and you're gonna feel like you have to go a little bit, firmer anyway, so try not to do that. So first of all, that's one thing to consider. Um, 

Sarah: and just to pick up on that, I guess. Is that where also this trust comes in? 

Emma: Absolutely. 

Sarah: Of feeling confident to say, actually, yeah, that bit hurt.

Emma: Yeah. Or, 

Sarah: or, 

Emma: so I will always say, regardless of whether it's massage or reflexology, I will always say, please do tell me if anything is uncomfortable, because that, you know, what we don't want is for you to just lie there the whole time feeling uncomfortable because no one's gonna enjoy that. Yeah. [00:28:00] So that's 

Sarah: particularly 

somebody's first

time they can 

Emma: sometimes, oh, 

Sarah: is this what it's supposed to feel 

like? 

Emma: Yeah. And also it's, it's very intimate, as you said. The only other person other than your reflexologist that touches your feet is your husband. So it's a, it's a really, it's an intimate thing. And with massage as well, you know, you are, in your underwear in a room with

someone that you don't know. And yes, you're covered with towels or blankets or whatever, but there's a lot of trust there. So I try really hard to make sure that everybody feels comfortable and safe for one thing. Secondly, with reflexology and the areas that can sometimes be a bit sensitive, we have the reflex points of the foot, which as we said, represent different parts of the body, and as I explained to you, as with massage, there can be areas that are working a bit hard or not hard enough, so those can present themselves as being quite tight or sore areas within your feet.

It is not very often I have someone that says they have painful areas during [00:29:00] reflexology. I do quite often get people who feel sensation, so they might say, oh, I can feel, I can feel that in my scalp or in my arms, or whatever. And those tend to be the people that are very in tune with their physical body as well.

Right. The other thing to consider is that although we are doing reflexology, your feet are also covered in muscle and fascia and they carry us through our entire lives and we squeeze them into shoes and we walk on hard surfaces and you know, all of this stuff. So not only have we got. The reflexology and all that that entails in terms of the different reflex points.

But physically, you have, the soles of your feet are, they're, they are getting a good workout. They are, you know, they're put under pressure, as I said, they, they literally carry us throughout our whole lives and, you know, we squeeze them into ridiculous high heels 

Whatever. So sometimes it's actually not the reflexology. Sometimes it can be [00:30:00] that you, your feet are sore. You know, particularly, I think you said you had reflexology when you were heavily pregnant. So, you know, the pressure that's being put through your feet during that time is even more immense. So there's a few different reasons why you could experience some discomfort.

Sarah: So just to have the confidence to, to make that, that a two-way conversation with your reflexologist. Absolutely. They'll say if they find something, you say, if something doesn't feel right. Yeah, 

Emma: yeah, absolutely. 

Sarah: Yeah. Fantastic. And is there anything else that you enjoy as part of your wellness routines?

You've got your monthly reflexology sessions. Oh, 

Emma: I've got a list. I've got a list. I went, I've, listen, I've gone down a wellness black hole. 

Sarah: Oh, I love it. 

Emma: I'm never coming out again. So I think one of the things that my life has taught me, and I know we touched on it, but as I said, I, I was really poorly after COVID and it was without being dramatic, it was a very dark time because [00:31:00] I, at that point, nobody really understood it.

Um, I did have the breathlessness with COVID, but afterwards that left, but I was left with terrible pain in my joints and my soft tissue, and incredible fatigue, and that has never completely gone. And initially I tried to manage that through going to my gp, and I'm not knocking the doctors or medication because it absolutely has its place.

But I was on a heady cocktail of really strong drugs for three years, and during that time I. Gained two stone and weight. I slept most of the time. I still had pain and fatigue. It messed with all my digestive system. I had incredible brain fog. My marriage suffered, my relationship with my children suffered.

My business obviously had to completely be reimagined because I couldn't, I was working full [00:32:00] time doing really physical, massage and reflexology. Of course, I couldn't do that anymore. So. I knew that I had to have a complete life overhaul 

Sarah: as 

Emma: Aha. So I, i'm now completely off of medication, which is great.

Sarah: Fantastic. 

Emma: And I have practices that I am actually really firm with myself that I put in place every day. So I have a lovely massage once a month and reflexology, and I know that might sound a little bit bougie in some ways and I'm very lucky to be able to do that, but also. I have made that my priority, so I, I don't get my lashes done, I don't get my nails done, any of those things, those are my treats to myself.

Those are the things that I put at the top of the list because I know that without those I go downhill quite quickly. And then for my own practice, when I had to rework my business, I now only do two physical days in my clinic a week because I [00:33:00] work on a Monday, but then on a Tuesday I need to rest my body because I know that otherwise I'll have a massive flare up.

So then I work again on a Wednesday, and then I have a rest on a Thursday. But also I was halving my work hours by doing that. And so, I have since retrained in a lot of mindset work. I've done, um, a lot of coaching qualifications and a lot of a deep dive into sort of neurolinguistic programming.

Um, I know we've had conversations about EFT and the benefits of that, and so I kind of balance the physical side of my work with the mindset stuff, and I have to say that that side of things as well. To do that training, I had to go through the process myself. And that completely, um, really got me out of that black hole because I was in a really dark place.

I felt like everything had just been lost to me and I didn't recognise who I was. And so to work on my own mindset for me to then help other people, you know, as I said, I had [00:34:00] to go through that process myself and that really helped me. So, those things are. Really important to me. So I've got quite a lot of wellness practices that I put in place and, you know, I do, I love yoga.

I practice that. And meditation and those things, I find that they really help. So, but like that's really, we'll, we'll need another hour to talk about all of, 

Sarah: but it's so inspiring that you come from a place of. Sort of quite a dark place. And then having that consciousness of, well, hang on, I need to find a way to work through this.

Emma: Yeah. 

Sarah: And then identifying, well, I need to have, I need to commit to myself. 

Emma: Yeah. 

Sarah: And we can so easily, you know, spend an absolute fortune on a gym membership that never gets used so much better to say, well actually what, what? Helped me physically. Yeah. Emotionally, mentally. That means I can get through the days, get through the weeks, yeah.

Get through the months and also be a role model to my children and 

Emma: Yeah. 

Sarah: And other [00:35:00] people around me. So, so that's, and 

Emma: what you've said there is, so on the money in those early days, it was literally to get me through the days, to get me through the weeks and the months because, at that point when I really was on all of that strong medication, life was really rubbish.

Like it was really, I, I. I call it the zombie days because honestly, I can't believe, I feel like I lost three years of my life to just, I don't remember most of it because it was just a blur. And so, those practices and the wellness things that I do now, the reflexology, the massage, the yoga, all of those things, they really are literally a lifesaver for me.

Sarah: Did you have a moment where it was just suddenly like, okay, I'm either making a choice to continue the way I am or make a change. 

Emma: Yeah. 

What's, yeah. There was a moment oh, you've just taken me back there. Now it's bitty. So I remember it very clearly. I was [00:36:00] asleep on the sofa as I was a lot of the time, covered in hot water bottles.

And I remember, my girls were younger at that point. They're both late teens now, but they were obviously a bit younger at that point. And they had both gone out to see friends. And I remember my husband was with me and he said, look, I know that you are really struggling, but I need to do some, I need to go out, I need to do something.

And I just remember going, yeah, you go, you go. You can't do anything. I'm just asleep. And everyone had gone out and I was in the house by myself just lying on the sofa covered in these hot water bottles. And I just thought,

this is rubbish. I just, this is not how I want to live my life. And it was really, I mean, there'd been lots of those moments at that time, but that particular point with my empty house, just lying there covered in all of these heated things, in my lounge wear. 'cause that was literally all I could get myself into in those points just because it was comfortable.

It wasn't touching me too much. Just sleeping. And I just thought, this is not how I [00:37:00] want to be. This is not who I want to be. 

Sarah: Yeah. Yeah. And that thought of like, the rest of your life. 

Emma: Yeah. 

Sarah: You know? 

Emma: Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. 

Sarah: Incredible. Oh, well, I'm, I'm thrilled for you that you were able to find a different path, and I really appreciate you.

Thank 

Emma: you. 

Sarah: Sharing your experiences with us. I'm sure it would've inspired some of the listeners. 

Emma: Thank you. 

Sarah: I have, yeah. I mean, for myself, it's definitely made me re-look at reflexology. In a different way, and I guess I, I was aware that there were a lot of el elements to it, but not quite on such a, a deep level.

And this understanding that a session is not just somebody manipulating your feet. 

Emma: Yeah. 

Sarah: It's a beautiful session that unfolds between your conversation, the trust that builds, the sensations you feel. And the healing that results from all of that.

Emma: Well, you've just worded that really well. I might use that on my, that was [00:38:00] lovely.

Yes, exactly that. You've captured it perfectly. That's what I'm trying to do. 

Sarah: Yeah. Yeah, that's, that's what I took from what you said. So, um, beautiful. Thank you. Thank you so much. And, um, before I book in myself mm-hmm. You have services as EJK Wellness.

Yes. Um, what things do you offer to the public at the moment? 

Emma: For EJK Wellness, I am obviously restricted to physical treatments. So I'm in Stratford Upon Avon. So although I'm obviously happy if anyone wants to travel, but I appreciate that will be more locally based, not 

Sarah: something you can do virtually.

Emma: No, I'm assuming unfortunately not. Virtual massage. Virtual reflexology. Um, so if you are within the local area, you can visit EJK Wellness, uh, my website and you. See there's an online booking system and an explanation into how the treatments work and what I offer and what to expect. Everything from what to wear, what the consultation looks like.

It's all, it's very [00:39:00] in depth. And then if you would like to work with me remotely, myself and my fabulous friend Zoe have also got another business called Rest and Rise, which you can find again, you can Google restandrise.uk. We have, um, a website where we do in-person workshops and events, again within the local kind of Warwickshire area, but we have also got an online platform of, ever expanding resources 'cause we're adding to it all of the time, which have got a lot of the tools that I talked about in terms of the mindfulness. So, um, we've got some yoga and breath work, but also some beautiful meditations, NLP exercises, there's recipes 'cause Zoe is the most wonderful chef. There's all sorts on there.

So, um, if you like the idea of the things that I've talked about and want to know a bit more about that side of things, then that will be the place to go. 

Sarah: Fantastic. Well, I will definitely be heading off to have a look at all of that and I'll make sure that all the relevant links are in the show notes for people to click through on, [00:40:00] um, and your socials as well.

So if anybody wants to connect with Emma, um, I'm sure she be very happy to do that on social media or through her website. 

Emma: Absolutely, yes. Thank you so much. I've really enjoyed it. 

Sarah: Fantastic. Thank you Emma, for going through everything in such a beautiful way and uh, I hope to see you again soon. 

Emma: Thank you so much for having me.

 What a beautifully honest conversation. Emma's journey from teenage migraines to reflexologist. Then three years of zombie days after COVID before transforming her wellness approaches. Key moments for me were that reflexology isn't just foot massage.

Sarah: Those reflex points represent your internal organs, systems, energy meridians, Emma's reading feet like puzzle pieces, [00:41:00] circulation differences, tightness, temperature changes, skin texture. Combining that with intimate conversations, she's detecting patterns and rebalancing what's working too hard or what's not working enough.

The breadth struck me as well. Primary school to nineties fertility to birth. Yes, it even helped me induce my labour. Menopause to cancer support. The trust element really resonated. Intimate health conversations plus physical intimacy of feet. Only my husband and reflexologist can touch my ticklish feet.

Not all practitioners are the same. Some clinical bright lights. Emma, creating cozy nests with candles and blankets. Know what you want. It's completely up to you. C ombining with massage made real sense. Reflexology, rebalancing internal.

Massage, releasing physical tension. [00:42:00] Together, they address both sides of the stress. But Emma's story hit hardest. That moment alone on the sofa, covered in hot water bottles. Knowing this is not how I want to live. Now off all medication.

Monthly treatments as non-negotiable. Not luxuries, but lifesavers and retraining in NLP and mindset work, she really has the experience of healing herself first. You can find Emma at EJK Wellness in Stratford upon Avon or Rest and Rise online with Zoe.

Details are all in the show notes. If you're thinking reflexology is just foot rubs, navigating chronic illness or need permission to make wellness non-negotiable, Emma's shown what's possible. Until next time, take care of yourselves. And remember, even the most ticklish feet can tell what your body needs.

You just [00:43:00] need to find the right person to listen.

 Thanks for listening