2004_9_23_seattlepi

Everyone knows there’s nothing like a good foot massage. But at Bastyr University, a new pathway studded with jutting, smooth river stones
is intended to offer more than relaxation.

It’s preventive medicine, says Elizabeth Marazita, a licensed acupuncturist and a doctoral student in oriental medicine at Bastyr. Marazita
designed the new path to mimic those found throughout China and Asia.

The path, one of the few in North America, is constructed based on the principles of reflexology, an ancient Asian therapy that links health
and well-being to specific points on the feet, hands and ears.

Reflexologists use the foot as a guide to overall health, applying pressure to areas that correspond to vital organs, muscles, glands and
nerves.

“Just as we know what a football field is, everybody in China knows what a reflexology path is,” Marazita said.

Slowly transversing the winding trail of stones- about 2 inches high- kneads sore muscles, breaks down toxins and helps build immunities,
says Marazita.

Like a deep tissue massage, walkingon the rocks is not always comfortable, but it can help identify tender areas of the foot that need
attention.

:If I feel it in the foot, it’s something that might show up later,” Marazita said. “It’s an area of imbalance.” During her walk last week, Marazita
said she could feel the effects of indulging in junk food at the Puyallup Fair in her heel, an area linked to digestion. The better shape you’re
in the less pain and wincing you’ll experience along the way, Marazita said. “My 2-year old can run this thing,” she said.

Marazita, a former international banker, who worked and lived in China for four years, first noticed reflexology paths in Taipei, Taiwan,
during a break from a business meeting. An elderly man was walking a path the length of a football field constructed almost entirely of 3-
inch-high stones- a difficulty level comparable to black diamond ski runs, said Marazita. (Bastyr’s path is considered moderately difficult).
“He was so serene.”

Located at the edge of Bastyr’s herb garden, the path is 3 feet wide and 64 feet long. The concrete at the entrance is carved to read “Walk
of Health” in Chinese, with the symbols for the five Chinese elements- earth, metal, fire, water and wood.

Benches are set up for those who need a break along the path. “It’s like walking in a riverbed,” said Virgil Miller, and herbal science student
at Bastyr ealier this week. Marazita suggests drinking plenty of water throughout the day after finishing the walk. Only North Dakota and
Tennessee license reflexologists. Three years ago, Washington State added an exemption to the law for reflexologists, allowing them to
practice without a massage therapy license, according to Lisa Dowling, president of the Washington Reflexology Association. “The path is
great because people can go and o reflexology on their own feet just by walking on it,” Dowling said. “It’s like a type of self-care.”