2005_1_Oregonian

Check in with your body – and give it an opportunity to talk to you - by walking
one of the country’s first public reflexology footpaths, at Bastyr University in
Kenmore, Washington.

Walking the path is like a “tuneup for your whole body,” says doctoral student
Elizabeth Marazita, who designed the path. She is a third-generation reflexologist
and licensed acupuncturist who has studied and lived in Southeast Asia.
According to Marazita, reflexology paths are commonplace in Asia, where they are
seen as a way to keep a large number of people healthy.

Bastyr’s path is a beautiful and orderly mosaic of Northwest river stones next to the
university’s medicinal herb garden. It’s best to admire the beauty of the
reflexology path before you begin your walk, as Marazita suggests that people
keep their heads up and their eyes forward while they’re walking . To keep my
posture straight while I walked the path, I tried to channel my Audrey Hepburn;
you might want to call on your good posture muse.

According to Chinese medicine, there are more than 7,000 nerve endings in each
foot that correlate to other meridians in the body. If you notice tenderness in a
certain part of your foot, you only have to consult the available handout to locate
the source of your “imbalance.”

The natural medicine school recommends two strolls down the 64-foot path. The
first stroll can identify the weaker areas in the body, and the second helps to move
toxins out of the body. People with questionable balance are encouraged to try
out the benches while their friends try out the reflexology path. Be careful in the
rain because the stones do get slippery. Even Hepburn could lose her balance on
a rainy day.
Address: 14500 Juanita Drive N.E., Kenmore, Washington
More info: 425-823-1300, www.bastyr.edu