Going Barefoot: Holding Your Hands and Feet Through the Journey of Healing

By Katrina Hedges and Liezel Audrey Sellars

Life isn’t all about fairy floss, unconditional love, and perfection, although it's wonderful when we get moments of this. We also don’t have to ride the scary roller coaster filled with major highs and lows. There are many positive choices we can make for our own happiness and wellness. In Going Barefoot, author and professional reflexologist Katrina Hedges narrates how reflexology can help on many levels—emotional, physical and even spiritual.

Katrina shares her personal life experiences of self -discovery, and she includes a compilation of uplifting and sole-reviving authors, song writers, and health information highlighting the benefits of reflexology— a grounding therapy that encourages your body to heal itself and return to a state of balance and assists in reconnecting back to our unique selves. Exploring active relaxation techniques and the value of holistic therapies, her story presents a mind/body connection journey of self-love, courage, and healing.

In Going Barefoot, Hedges discusses how well-being is about feeling joyful, loving life, and living the most incredible journey, no matter what challenges arise.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press AU
• Release date: Apr 5, 2016
• ISBN: 9781504301848

Katrina Hedges

Katrina Hedges has been fascinated with the mind/body connection for more than twenty years and earned a diploma of Holistic Reflexology in Bristol, England, in 1999. Hedges is a professional reflexologist in Townsville, North Queensland, with her business Barefoot Reflexology and offers specialized reflexology workshops. Visit her online at: www.Facebook.com/BarefootReflexologyTownsville.

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Copyright © 2016 Katrina Hedges.

Beautiful black and white pictures illustrated by Liezel Audrey Sellars

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by

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recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system

without the written permission of the author except in the case

of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher,

and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use

of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical

problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The

intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help

you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use

any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional

right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are

models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-5043-0183-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5043-0184-8 (e)

Balboa Press rev. date: 07/20/2020

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This story is dedicated to my dad (who indirectly taught me so much) and dreamed of writing a book in his late stages of cancer. To my sister who flew from Cambodia to help me and my family when I was diagnosed with breast cancer and to the most loving, wonderful husband, Paul who has supported me completely throughout my breast cancer experience.

I’d like to give a huge thank you to all my amazing clients, friends, and family who have both inspired and supported me, through my journey of healing and writing this book.

Reflexology has saved me from many downward spirals in my life and I’m passionate about Reflexology as it’s helped me numerous times, on so many levels. I now want to share the amazing benefits with everyone around the world.

I feel grateful working as a professional reflexologist and have learnt from my clients healing as well as my own.

Thank you, thank you, thank you…

INTRODUCTION

Let’s Take a Walk, Hand in Hand...

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I remember playing on the beautiful white sands of Trigg beach as child growing up in Perth, Western Australia. I have a fond memory of one sunny day, my dad holding my hand and taking me into the cold ocean water, singing Let’s take a walk, hand in hand…"

If you’ve ever needed an extra hand to hold, let’s take this walk together…"

We are incredibly lucky nowadays, in modern society to be able to access global information at the touch of a button. If you’re at home, traveling, in transit, wherever you are, we can search for information on the internet with the convenience of modern hand-held technology.

I’ve always loved the tantalizing smorgasbord of books at the library. Opportunities to read literature from all genres, colourful topics, to suit a variety of interests are available at our fingertips. I love the feel of holding a good book and being transported into another world.

As wonderful and fortunate that we are to have so much instant access to information, there are some situations when this can be massively overwhelming and exhausting to cipher through. It can also be difficult to discover the safe, underlying constructive, positive advice and the ultimate desired result, to feel better.

When diagnosed with intimidating, life threatening illness, the amount of information on the internet can cause confusion and more stress. After being diagnosed with breast cancer I spent months reading and sifting through many inspirational blogs, books, articles, and health research. I’ve also been lucky enough to meet and know incredible complementary therapists and friends who work with wellness.

When you are unwell, it is important to be gentle on yourself, reduce stress and enjoy life - moment to moment. It is equally important to be even more kind to yourself if you are suffering physically or mentally.

As a professional reflexologist, I am uniquely fortunate to have support from other holistic therapists and their collective research. I also had the privilege of already understanding the benefits of reflexology and complementary therapies as well as having helpful contacts from working with clients going through similar experiences. Looking back, I’ve never been alone in this journey and I’m so grateful for all the support.

No matter who you are, or what you do, being diagnosed with a life threatening illness is terrifying and understandably brings up heightened negative emotions. The last thing someone needs when they are recovering is information on what not to do and to be reminded of all the dangers in life.

Believe me, there is already enough sympathetic cortisol running through the veins.

This is the time for reconnecting with yourself and understanding with gentle reminders on how to cope, what really matters to you and helps you or your friend or family member. A time to discover what your mind, body, and soul really wants and needs to feel good and to heal.

Reflexology is a wonderful grounding therapy that encourages your body to heal itself and return to a state of balance and assists in reconnecting back to our unique selves, instead of listening to what everyone else thinks we should be doing. After all, no one knows you, how you feel and what your body has been through, more than you.

No two people are completely alike, even identical twins are individuals with different feelings and emotions. No one diagnosed with the same disease will feel or act exactly the same way, so why do many people believe that there should be the same treatment choices to suit everyone diagnosed with something like breast cancer? Why do we often think we have to choose between orthodox medicine and natural treatment when we can have the best of both worlds?

I have found the most uplifting, soul reviving authors, information and stories to share with you, if you are interested in a positive approach to wellbeing and the holistic benefits of complementary therapies like reflexology, without the negative scaremongering (and there is so much out there). Wellbeing is about feeling joyful, loving life and living the most incredible journey, no matter what challenges arise. Sometimes we need a little help to step back onto our true path.

If I could, I would be there, holding your hand when you need it the most. As circumstance and distance sometimes makes this challenging, I’ll share with you a beautiful message my dear friend and client sent to me before my last operation.

"You are going to be okay, just relax and let it all happen. The Doctor will put you to sleep and when you wake up you will wonder why you worried so much. When you are going to hospital, I will be thinking of you so strongly you will think I’m holding your hand." Terry Heath

My story includes a compilation of personal self-discovery, love and guidance that has helped me through the intense fear and recovery of breast cancer. My dad had a strong fear of hospitals. When I was a child of seven, spending over a week in hospital, having my appendix removed, I too began to develop my own intense phobia of needles and surgery.

Life learning continues and past tragic pain now evolves into many new life blessings. In the following chapters, my story is aimed to be a gift for those who can also use a little hand and foot holding through their own personal journey of healing.

Put your feet up, relax and nourish your desires.

What makes you feel good?

Take a deep, slow, relaxing breath and jot down 10 things you love. Remember to really fill your body with slow, deep breaths right down into your diaphragm and smile.

10 Things I love…………….

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Reflexology – good health from the ground up -Jose’ Isnard

Katrina is a caring, considerate and experienced professional reflexologist. I have been seeing her for years and it is always a delightful, uplifting, relaxing experience. I always feel better after a treatment from Katrina and have referred family, friends and clients to her for treatment.

Lara Collins,

Happy and relaxed client

"After having a series of regular Reflexology treatments with Katrina, to my total surprise, my chronic limited range of movement in my shoulder has