Bodyflow LONDON

Press

2005

Tatler, February 2003
'Indulge Yourself' by Jo Cuppage and Rachel Lindenbaum

Reflexologist Gemma offers help with everything from migraines to pregnancy and general sense of well-being.

Vogue Beauty Book 2000

Reflexologist Gemma Ireland, private sessions available.

Zest, September 2000
'What Special Powers', by Suzy Greaves

THEY ALL HAVE HEALING HANDS

'My mother always used to have bad migraines and if I touched her head they would go away. But I never really thought about it further until about two-an-a-half years ago, when I was on holiday. A friend fell 15ft off a balcony and bruised and strained her ankle and hip.

I gave her a series of pressure-point massages, which I'd learned while I was travelling the world after leaving school. The massages seemed to help her recovery and made her feel a lot better. "You've got healing hands," she told me. After that fateful holiday, I came back and immediately signed up for a year's part-time reflexology course.

'As soon as I qualified, I resigned from my job in publishing to practise reflexology full-time. I haven't looked back. It's so uplifting to see my clients relax and rid themselves of a lifetime of stress. Reflexology aims to stimulate the healing process within your body, inducing a deep state of relaxation. Applying pressure to the ten different zones of your feet aids the process of detoxification and means your body returns to its natural state of balance and your circulation improves.'

'Reflexology can aid many different ailments, from arthritis to back pain and migraines. I've seen swelling in the joints of people with arthritis disappear and migraines become less frequent. It can also be very helpful if you have menstrual, fertility or menopausal problems or period pain. Studies have shown that, if practised on pregnant women, reflexology can reduce the first stage of labour, which can last from 16 to 24 hours, right down to just five hours.'

'I find it really encouraging to see results in my clients. Imagine doing a job where you can actually make a real and significant difference to people's health. I think it's a dream vocation.'