Written by Kalea Kulbe, Foot Zone Practitioner + Certified Mental Wellness Coach, and originally posted on Footnotes.

Foot Zone Therapy has been around in the US since the 80s, however, people are just starting to learn and hear more about it in the last five years. So, what is it? Where did it come from? How does it differ from reflexology? How do I know if I or someone I love should get a foot zone? Let's take a deep dive into all of these common questions.

Hi! I am Kalea Kulbe and I am a certified Foot Zone Practitioner and Instructor with We Do Feet Seminars. I have been "zoning" for about four years. I am passionate about this modality and helping people heal and feel real results in their healing journey. I understand how hard it can be to find a trusted practitioner that truly has your best interest at hand. I love providing a safe space for my clients where they feel heard and not like what they are describing to me sounds “crazy.” With that being said, I am not a doctor. I do not prescribe, prognosticate, or diagnose. I do, however, come from a place of love and light and connection of healing the body through my own personal experiences as well as the knowledge of the hundreds of people I have worked and continue to work on.

I am excited to share this beautiful modality with you and see if there is something that resonates whether on a personal level or for your family and friends.  

What is Foot Zoning and Where did it come from?

Foot Zoning in a nutshell is an advanced form of reflexology. I also like to say it is reflexology on steroids! It is a holistic alternative approach to fostering the body's healing processes for a range of ailments. It involves applying gentle to moderate pressure and precise movements on the feet, aiming to open up pathways known as meridians within the body. Meridians are energetic channels connecting specific zones on the feet to corresponding organs, systems, and glands.

Ok, great! But why are you just hearing about it and where did it come from?

There have been many people from many cultures for thousands of years that have used some form of healing through the feet.

The rediscovery of Foot Zoning / Reflexology in America began in the early 1900s with Dr. William H FitzGerald when he theorized that the human body was divided into ten zones connected together by the nerves that carry impulses or currents of energy. He devised the system of mapping the body to what we know as Meridian Lines. From there, Dr. FitzGerald had a student by the name of Dr. Riley. Riley was a Chiropractor who expanded on the Meridian Lines and started recording reflex points of the ear, face, hands, and feet. In 1918, Dr. Riley and his wife published a book in which they charted the first reflex zone points of the feet. In 1930, Dr. Eunice Ingham worked with Dr. Riley and she mapped the reflex points on the feet and found that the points were an exact mirror image of the organs of the body. She is the “mother of reflexology” and the first one to give us these maps.

Meanwhile, over in Norway in 1939, Charles Ersdal was running a shipping company. He became so stressed out that he suffered a stroke and was paralyzed on the left side of his body. A friend that was a chiropractor and reflexologist, over a two-year period, was able to cure Ersdal's paralysis. This drove Ersdal into all sorts of education with a basis of reflexology. Why did it work for him, but it wasn't working for others? One night Ersdal received the answers to this question in a dream. He was shown the map of the body on the feet and was told “to heal the body you must treat all four bodies as a whole.” He drew out the maps and began testing this theory. It was working 100% of the time on every person! If we look at the body as a whole (physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental) instead of as individual parts, the body can heal.

In 1980, Ersdal had a student in his class named Katri. She moved to the US in 1989 and brought the Foot Zone technique as well as Ersdal with her. Over the course of the next several years students learned the Foot Zone and began to teach others. The modality continues to grow and expand today! As a certified instructor of We Do Feet Seminars I am proud to be expanding and growing this modality in Colorado!

So, how does the Foot Zone differ from reflexology?

Reflexology by itself is typically working on the points on the bottom of the foot and ankles and is focused on the internal organs and physical body. Remember Ersdal's question about why reflexology alone wasn't helping every person? Because it is only addressing the physical body.

The Foot Zone works the points on the entire foot. Outside, top, inside, and bottom of the foot. It addresses all four bodies: physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental. By looking at the physical body as a whole that has all these interrelated parts, the Foot Zone works 100% of the time every time on every person!! How cool is that?

The Foot Zone utilizes the same reflexology points on the bottom of the feet that Ingram charted. Just as you read through the history of reflexology, every doctor or practitioner built upon the previous one. That is what is still happening today. We are constantly looking at the points on the feet and building and expanding on them. When needed, we are updating and refining them to be the most accurate and precise they can be.

Through the Foot Zone we work on the signals for all the systems in the body: skeletal, muscular, endocrine, lymphatic, cellular, organs, circulatory, reproductive, and more! We also address the Meridian Lines and clearing stuck energy that holds emotion or trauma in the tissues. We balance Chakras on the feet. We reset the Vagus nerve and put the body back into rest and digest. Most of all, we put the body back in balance so that it can do what it knows how to do best and that is HEAL!!

Feeling Empowered to try it out?

Are you ready to try the Foot Zone Therapy for yourself!? Do you have loved ones or family or friends that can benefit?

If you or the above-mentioned people suffer from depression, anxiety, physical or chronic pain in the body, fertility issues, needing support during pregnancy, post-partum support, neuropathy, headaches, sinus or allergy issues, digestive issues, lymphatic, post-surgery, teething, sleep issues, or any other pain or problems, then Foot Zoning is an amazing natural option to create balance in the body. Through this balance of the meridians, your body is provided with the optimal conditions to initiate the healing process. Your body demonstrates remarkable resilience and the ability to release emotions when in a state of peace, and the meridians are flowing freely. Foot zoning is safe for everyone from womb to tomb—or 0-100+ years old!

It's essential to clarify that the foot zone's ability to directly heal illnesses, injuries, or specific issues shouldn't be taken as medical advice and you should seek the advice of your doctor or naturopath.

To wrap it all up, I believe that every family should have a Foot Zoner practitioner in it. This is an incredible tool to have in the tool kit to help yourself or family in times of crisis. I can personally say it has helped my family during those late night wake up calls of kids being sick or restless.

If you are interested in becoming a certified Foot Zone Practitioner I have classes starting in September 2024 in Denver, CO and I would love to have you join this amazing community of healers!!

For more information, check out kaleakulbe.com.