Reflexology Foot Path at Bastyr University, Kenmore

September always catches me off guard with its hint of cool and sideways light. The ninth month arrives and I am jolted. It's the same every year. "Wait!" I exclaim. "Where has summer gone? Time is moving too fast. Slow down! Slow down!" The problem is, if you are a naturally high, mile-a-minute, see it all, do it all, busybody, go-getter like myself, slowing down is a task as difficult as stopping a rolling 3,000-pound boulder from crashing down the side of a mountain.

Fortunately I have discovered just the thing to reduce my speed and help me soak up the final days of summer. It's the Reflexology Foot Path located in the community gardens at Bastyr University. Built during the summer of 2004 by a group of volunteers, this winding path of Pacific Northwest river stones is meant to guide visitors on a "step-by-step journey toward wellness" using the ancient technique reflexology. The process is simple: shed your shoes and walk barefoot across the stony trail. As you walk, you will notice certain spots to be more tender than others. This tenderness may mean an imbalance in a particular part of your body. Grab a small printed guide at the beginning of the trail and you can learn where your sensitive reflex zones correspond (for me it is number 18 or my liver). Then massage the sore areas of your feet and walk the path again to release toxins.

I first tread upon the reflexology path on the first of this month and have gone back every day since. I have decided to make this my daily ritual for entire month. While the river stones are not as big as boulders, they are just as powerful at stopping me in my tracks, forcing me to savor the sweet moments of subtle, transitional September.

Reflexology Foot Path
Bastyr University
14500 Juanita Drive NE
(425) 823-1300