I am standing on the threshold of Britain’s first – and only- barefoot park. It’s a sort of playground for feet, an unorthodox nature trail covered with a
variety of surfaces – and amazingly, it’s meant to boost our health and vitality.
The trail is pretty, partly wooded area, in the Italian Gardens of Stoke-on-Trent’s Trentham Estate (a vast park). About a quarter of a mile long, and
roughly circular it was lovingly deisgned and built by park worker Simon Johnson, with locally sourced materials. “On a sunny day, it’s hugely popular with
children and families,” he says.
It’s too bad then, that the rain is bucketing down and the trail is deserted, apart from two girls in cagoules sporting muddy limbs and wide grins. Inspired by
their cheeriness, I roll up my trousers, remove my shoes (there are lockers here, as well as foot showers), and gingerly wiggles toes that are
unaccustomed to – and a little anxious about – getting touch-feely with nature.
The textures on the trail – to my mind (or should that be feet?)- fall into two broad categories: those that feel good, and those that are high on the ‘yuck’
and ‘ouch’ factor. In to the former fall logs that massage my arches (bliss), a sloshy trough of water, timber slices laid out like Smarties, soft sand, hay and
peat, and a burbling stream that is warm and womb-like. But the pine cones are too damp (and look scarily like doggy doo), I hate the way mud oozes
through my toes, and the pebbles and gravel and sheer purgatory- like hopping on daggers, lots of them. The final flourish is a stretch of grass cutely
covered with giant paved tootsies.
It has taken me a half an hour to walk the trial, and for the duration I’ve been oblivious to the rain. You could say that my consciousness has migrated to
the soles of my feet. if that sounds a bit ‘zen’, then that’s the idea – or at least one of them.
Officially this trail is acalled a ‘Barfuss park.’ ‘Barfuss’ is German for ‘barefoot’, and these parks are hugely popular in Germany. In fact a German
naturopath, Sebastian Kneipp, who lived in the 19th century, is credited as the inspiration behind them. He is the founder of a natural health system called
Kneippen (pronounced kni-pen), a form of water of hydrotherapy. Kneipp believed that wading barefoot on wet grass or in shallow water stimulated
internal organs, strengthened the immune system and helped the body to heal itself.
Bare your soles
Jane Long, a London-based Reflexologist thinks the idea is terrific: “Walking barefoot through natural park trails gives you a sense of freedom, just by
thinking about it. Experiencing the sensation of different textures and wading through streams can only make you feel invigorated, especially as each foot
has over 7000 nerve endings and 26 bones, making it a very sensitive part of the body. And your feet won’t be restricted to ill-fitting or synthetic footwear
which will rub and cause blisters, corns or bunions, so you’ll feel more relaxed when walking which in turn may benefit your posture and possibly prevent
back pain.”
Hugh Rooney, a reflexology lecturer at Edinburgh’s Napier University also gives the idea a cautious thumbs-up: “They’re a good thing- provided they are
properly constructed and don’t risk injury to the foot. They can help relieve tiredness and provide a general boost to well-being, but are not so good
where people have illnesses and conditions where particular attention needs to be paid to the circulation of the lower limbs, for instance, degenerative
bone conditions, joint instability and diabetes,” he says. (Diabetics can suffer sensory loss which makes them more prone to foot injuries.)
Barefoot healing
Vitality boosting they may be, but could a walk on a barefoot park ever be a substitute for reflexology- the Chinese practice of stimulating internal organs
with pressure points on the soles of the feet? Unlikely, says Rooney: “Only the soles of the foot is in contact with the pathways. A skilled Reflexologist will
work the whole foot and pay pin-point attention to specific organ reflexes. They will also vary the pressure to the reflex areas depending on the client’s
tolerance and the desired clinical outcome.”
In the East, medically therapeutic reflexology paths paved with stones have been around for thousands of years. “They’re a prominent feature of life in
the Orient and are used in China and Taiwan,” says Rooney. In Japan, the cosmetics company Shiseido has built reflexology paths for its employees, and
Pangkor Laut, a luxury resort off Malaysia’s west coast has even installed one for its spa, for the use of guests and staff.
Christine Donnelly, a reiki master and leader of the Complementary Therapies Programme at Napier University, visited a reflexology path on a business
trip to the Far East: “In Hong Kong, elderly Chinese people walk along reflexology paths regularly. They say it detoxifies their body, helps ease aches and
pains and promotes longevity. They may tread the path every day, for up to an hour a day, as a meditation walk. They might focus on one part of the
path they like, and just keep walking over it. It is baffling to watch the ease with which they tackle the sharper stones. One elderly woman told me that she’
d been diagnosed with serious kidney problems, but after walking the path three times a day, over a period of time, the problems went away.”
Donnelly herself experienced a dramatic healing crisis after walking the path in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park. “None of my colleagues wanted to walk it, but I
decided to give it a go, for a bit of fun. It was about 20 feet long- it started at one end with smooth stones, and as you progressed the stones got
increasingly sharp and jagged and harder to walk on. I’d started off thinking this was a walk in the park, and as I got onto slightly rougher stones, the pain
was so bad it took my breath away. I don’t know if the stones had been placed this way for energetic reasons, but so many reflexology points in my feet
were stimulated.
“Almost immediately after, I feel ill- I had a really serious flu with sinus and chest problems and a hacking cough. I was bedridden and it was touch and go
as to whether I’d be well enough to fly home. When I went to see the doctor in Hong Kong, a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine, he said that
what had happened to me was directly related to the walk and the stimulus on the soles of my feet. I experienced a massive cleansing, and a lot of trash in
my life went – I feel so much better for it.”
It’s a fascinating story, but the healing benefits of reflexology paths aren’t just anectodal. Elizabeth Marazita, a doctor of acupuncture and Oriental
Medicine (hshe holds posts at both Bastyr University in Washington State and University of Washington Nursing School in Seattle) cites research carried
out by the Oregon Research Institute and published in the Journal of American Geriatrics Society in 2005: “It showed that walking reflexology paths three
times a week for 30 minutes a session over 16 weeks can reduce blood pressure and improve balance.” she says.
Walk on the wild side
Marazita is something of an authority of reflexology paths, having designed several herself, including America’s first outdoor reflexology path on the
grounds of Bastyr University: “The winding path is made up of Pacific Northwest river stones embedded in concrete. The spacing and the height of the
stones were designed to dislodge toxins located in the various neurological reflex zones including the digestive zone and the respiratory zones.”
The path is free and open to the public, and says Marazita, individuals from aged two to 102 have walked it: “Some walk it for stress relief, others to
reduce blood pressure and improve their balance. Many walk it out of curiosity or because they have heard that if it hurts you have an imbalance. They
walk it until they no longer feel soreness and they report an improvement in stamina, sleep and vitality.”
If you’re unable to get to a barefoot park or reflexology path, don’t despair- you can order indoor Reflexology Walking mats through Elizabeth Marazita’s
company, Paths of Health (see Further Information).
And if the idea of going barefoot all day, every day appeals, you may be tempted to join like-minded souls at the Society for Barefoot Living. They quote a
passage from author Adele Coombs’ book ‘Barefoot Dreaming’ on their website: “Going barefoot is the gentlest way of walking and symbolize a way of
living – being authentic, vulnerable, sensitive to our surroundings. It’s the feeling of enjoying warm sand beneath our toes, or carefully making our way
over sharp rocks in the darkness. It’s a way of living that has the lightest impact, remving the barrier beteen us and nature.” Inspired? Time to kick off
those shoes…..
Further Information:
• For directions on how to reach the Trentham Estate’s Barefoot Park, bisit trenthamleisure.co.uk, or telephone 01782 646 646. Entry to the Italian
Gardens and parkland is GBP6.50.
• For details on Elizabeth Marazita’s reflexology paths, and to order an Indoor Reflexology Walking Mat, visit www.pathsofhealth.com
• For a reflexology session with Jean Long, visit Calm Therapy Reflexology (calmtherapy.co.uk)
• Visit the Society for Barefoot Living at Barefooters.org
• For Information on Napier University’s BSC in Complementary Therapies (which includes reflexology) visit www.napier.ac.uk
variety of surfaces – and amazingly, it’s meant to boost our health and vitality.
The trail is pretty, partly wooded area, in the Italian Gardens of Stoke-on-Trent’s Trentham Estate (a vast park). About a quarter of a mile long, and
roughly circular it was lovingly deisgned and built by park worker Simon Johnson, with locally sourced materials. “On a sunny day, it’s hugely popular with
children and families,” he says.
It’s too bad then, that the rain is bucketing down and the trail is deserted, apart from two girls in cagoules sporting muddy limbs and wide grins. Inspired by
their cheeriness, I roll up my trousers, remove my shoes (there are lockers here, as well as foot showers), and gingerly wiggles toes that are
unaccustomed to – and a little anxious about – getting touch-feely with nature.
The textures on the trail – to my mind (or should that be feet?)- fall into two broad categories: those that feel good, and those that are high on the ‘yuck’
and ‘ouch’ factor. In to the former fall logs that massage my arches (bliss), a sloshy trough of water, timber slices laid out like Smarties, soft sand, hay and
peat, and a burbling stream that is warm and womb-like. But the pine cones are too damp (and look scarily like doggy doo), I hate the way mud oozes
through my toes, and the pebbles and gravel and sheer purgatory- like hopping on daggers, lots of them. The final flourish is a stretch of grass cutely
covered with giant paved tootsies.
It has taken me a half an hour to walk the trial, and for the duration I’ve been oblivious to the rain. You could say that my consciousness has migrated to
the soles of my feet. if that sounds a bit ‘zen’, then that’s the idea – or at least one of them.
Officially this trail is acalled a ‘Barfuss park.’ ‘Barfuss’ is German for ‘barefoot’, and these parks are hugely popular in Germany. In fact a German
naturopath, Sebastian Kneipp, who lived in the 19th century, is credited as the inspiration behind them. He is the founder of a natural health system called
Kneippen (pronounced kni-pen), a form of water of hydrotherapy. Kneipp believed that wading barefoot on wet grass or in shallow water stimulated
internal organs, strengthened the immune system and helped the body to heal itself.
Bare your soles
Jane Long, a London-based Reflexologist thinks the idea is terrific: “Walking barefoot through natural park trails gives you a sense of freedom, just by
thinking about it. Experiencing the sensation of different textures and wading through streams can only make you feel invigorated, especially as each foot
has over 7000 nerve endings and 26 bones, making it a very sensitive part of the body. And your feet won’t be restricted to ill-fitting or synthetic footwear
which will rub and cause blisters, corns or bunions, so you’ll feel more relaxed when walking which in turn may benefit your posture and possibly prevent
back pain.”
Hugh Rooney, a reflexology lecturer at Edinburgh’s Napier University also gives the idea a cautious thumbs-up: “They’re a good thing- provided they are
properly constructed and don’t risk injury to the foot. They can help relieve tiredness and provide a general boost to well-being, but are not so good
where people have illnesses and conditions where particular attention needs to be paid to the circulation of the lower limbs, for instance, degenerative
bone conditions, joint instability and diabetes,” he says. (Diabetics can suffer sensory loss which makes them more prone to foot injuries.)
Barefoot healing
Vitality boosting they may be, but could a walk on a barefoot park ever be a substitute for reflexology- the Chinese practice of stimulating internal organs
with pressure points on the soles of the feet? Unlikely, says Rooney: “Only the soles of the foot is in contact with the pathways. A skilled Reflexologist will
work the whole foot and pay pin-point attention to specific organ reflexes. They will also vary the pressure to the reflex areas depending on the client’s
tolerance and the desired clinical outcome.”
In the East, medically therapeutic reflexology paths paved with stones have been around for thousands of years. “They’re a prominent feature of life in
the Orient and are used in China and Taiwan,” says Rooney. In Japan, the cosmetics company Shiseido has built reflexology paths for its employees, and
Pangkor Laut, a luxury resort off Malaysia’s west coast has even installed one for its spa, for the use of guests and staff.
Christine Donnelly, a reiki master and leader of the Complementary Therapies Programme at Napier University, visited a reflexology path on a business
trip to the Far East: “In Hong Kong, elderly Chinese people walk along reflexology paths regularly. They say it detoxifies their body, helps ease aches and
pains and promotes longevity. They may tread the path every day, for up to an hour a day, as a meditation walk. They might focus on one part of the
path they like, and just keep walking over it. It is baffling to watch the ease with which they tackle the sharper stones. One elderly woman told me that she’
d been diagnosed with serious kidney problems, but after walking the path three times a day, over a period of time, the problems went away.”
Donnelly herself experienced a dramatic healing crisis after walking the path in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park. “None of my colleagues wanted to walk it, but I
decided to give it a go, for a bit of fun. It was about 20 feet long- it started at one end with smooth stones, and as you progressed the stones got
increasingly sharp and jagged and harder to walk on. I’d started off thinking this was a walk in the park, and as I got onto slightly rougher stones, the pain
was so bad it took my breath away. I don’t know if the stones had been placed this way for energetic reasons, but so many reflexology points in my feet
were stimulated.
“Almost immediately after, I feel ill- I had a really serious flu with sinus and chest problems and a hacking cough. I was bedridden and it was touch and go
as to whether I’d be well enough to fly home. When I went to see the doctor in Hong Kong, a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine, he said that
what had happened to me was directly related to the walk and the stimulus on the soles of my feet. I experienced a massive cleansing, and a lot of trash in
my life went – I feel so much better for it.”
It’s a fascinating story, but the healing benefits of reflexology paths aren’t just anectodal. Elizabeth Marazita, a doctor of acupuncture and Oriental
Medicine (hshe holds posts at both Bastyr University in Washington State and University of Washington Nursing School in Seattle) cites research carried
out by the Oregon Research Institute and published in the Journal of American Geriatrics Society in 2005: “It showed that walking reflexology paths three
times a week for 30 minutes a session over 16 weeks can reduce blood pressure and improve balance.” she says.
Walk on the wild side
Marazita is something of an authority of reflexology paths, having designed several herself, including America’s first outdoor reflexology path on the
grounds of Bastyr University: “The winding path is made up of Pacific Northwest river stones embedded in concrete. The spacing and the height of the
stones were designed to dislodge toxins located in the various neurological reflex zones including the digestive zone and the respiratory zones.”
The path is free and open to the public, and says Marazita, individuals from aged two to 102 have walked it: “Some walk it for stress relief, others to
reduce blood pressure and improve their balance. Many walk it out of curiosity or because they have heard that if it hurts you have an imbalance. They
walk it until they no longer feel soreness and they report an improvement in stamina, sleep and vitality.”
If you’re unable to get to a barefoot park or reflexology path, don’t despair- you can order indoor Reflexology Walking mats through Elizabeth Marazita’s
company, Paths of Health (see Further Information).
And if the idea of going barefoot all day, every day appeals, you may be tempted to join like-minded souls at the Society for Barefoot Living. They quote a
passage from author Adele Coombs’ book ‘Barefoot Dreaming’ on their website: “Going barefoot is the gentlest way of walking and symbolize a way of
living – being authentic, vulnerable, sensitive to our surroundings. It’s the feeling of enjoying warm sand beneath our toes, or carefully making our way
over sharp rocks in the darkness. It’s a way of living that has the lightest impact, remving the barrier beteen us and nature.” Inspired? Time to kick off
those shoes…..
Further Information:
• For directions on how to reach the Trentham Estate’s Barefoot Park, bisit trenthamleisure.co.uk, or telephone 01782 646 646. Entry to the Italian
Gardens and parkland is GBP6.50.
• For details on Elizabeth Marazita’s reflexology paths, and to order an Indoor Reflexology Walking Mat, visit www.pathsofhealth.com
• For a reflexology session with Jean Long, visit Calm Therapy Reflexology (calmtherapy.co.uk)
• Visit the Society for Barefoot Living at Barefooters.org
• For Information on Napier University’s BSC in Complementary Therapies (which includes reflexology) visit www.napier.ac.uk
| Natural Health: Complementary Therapies for Your Body, Mind & Soul October 2007 |
