Susan Rogers credits a 12-mile charity walk in Los Angeles with turning her on to the power of reflexology. “At the end of the walk, there were a bunch of reflexologists who were giving free reflexology—about a 15-minute session.” Rogers recalls. “It made me feel so good. I felt like I’d just had a two-hour massage.”

Rogers, then a government worker, was hooked. She went on to earn her certification from the American Academy of Reflexology in California, and later launched her own in-home reflexology business after moving to Eugene in 2001.

Practiced by the ancient Egyptians and the Chinese, reflexology wasn’t introduced to the United States until the early part of the 20th century. It’s based on the theory that the feet, hands, and ears contain specific reflex areas, or zones, associated with other parts of the body. Energy, or qi, pathways link these zones to their corresponding body part. When the pathways become constricted or blocked, according to practitioners, it can lead to health problems. 

The goal of reflexology is to “break down this congestion with gentle pressure,” says Cindy Rice, a reflexologist and licensed massage therapist at the Tamarack Wellness Center in South Eugene. This is done by touching the correlating zone on the foot, hand, or ear, using a variety of thumb and finger techniques. Back pain, for instance, might be addressed by working the area that runs along the arch side of the foot from the big toe to the heel; for digestive problems, the reflexologist would focus on the sole of the foot from the arch to the heel.

While much of the evidence for its effectiveness is anecdotal, reflexology is used to treat a range of conditions, including allergies, headaches, sinusitis, neck and shoulder pain, sciatica, PMS, and even infertility. “It creates relaxation, it relieves stress, it improves circulation, and it helps the body come into balance,” says Rogers. “It is a wellness technique.”

Rice reports success treating a client who had been trying to get pregnant for five years. Within three months of showing the woman and her spouse “specific points” on which to apply pressure, the client was pregnant. “It put her hormones back in balance,” Rice says. “Her cycle was a little bit off, and it normalized that.” She also points to a study published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology that found a significant decrease in PMS symptoms among women who had weekly reflexology treatments.

Though reflexology is popular throughout Europe, the treatment remains lesser known in the United States. Until 2008, Oregon law required reflexologists to also be licensed massage therapists, which effectively curtailed the number of practitioners in the state, according to Janice Robertson, president of the Reflexology Association of Oregon. Now that reflexology, which is typically less expensive than a commensurate amount of massage, is no longer under the authority of the Oregon Board of Massage Therapists, Robertson anticipates a spike in its growth locally, such as what occurred in Washington State after reflexologists there gained a similar exemption in 2002.

Rice and Rogers are among those helping to raise its profile.

Rice is training massage therapists in reflexology techniques at the Footloose Massage Center in downtown Eugene. Each year, Rogers has a booth at the Asian Celebration. Rogers is also offering self-reflexology classes in her home.

“Self-reflexology is part of our mission—we give people homework,” explains Rice. “The more you work the body, the more it balances the body. We need to keep it running properly, and this is one way to properly do that.”

Reflexology Resources

Cindy Rice
Tamarack Wellness Center
3575 Donald Dr., Eugene; 541/686-3593

Footloose Massage Center
35 W 8th Ave., Eugene; 541/686-4461
footloosemassage.com

Pearl Day Spa
1375 Pearl St., Eugene; 541/683-3377
thepearldayspa.com

Reflexology By Susan Rogers
541/349-9678

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The Puck Stops Here
Hockey in Eugene
By Jon Stinnett

Actually, the puck rarely stops during a pick-up game.

Sure, occasional goals scored by adult league players at the Lane Ice Center on Thursday nights bring short stoppages in play. But there are no whistles, no penalties, and no arguments. Goalies simply scoop up the puck, shovel it to their defenders, and the onslaught changes direction. Loose co-ed collections of players in an endless variety of hockey sweaters—dark colors on one side, whites on the other—summon their talents to pass and shoot, to corral, cajole, and maybe even control a bouncing rubber disk. Skaters of varied skill levels create a symphony of icy swooshes, and even at this C-level division—the lowest of three rungs in the Ice Center Hockey League—the occasional dead-on pass, breakaway goal, or crisp wrist shot bears witness to the potential beauty of the game.

An hour and a half of non-stop hockey passes quickly, and players shuffle off the ice, sweat-soaked despite the arena’s delicious chill. Their exhausting, full-body workout complete, they converse warmly, many headed out for a round of beers to dull their aching muscles.

“If you ever want any kind of a cardio workout, you’ve got to try it,” said Kelly Umenhofer, 51, who runs the poker room at the Rock N Rodeo in Eugene when he’s not skating. “It’s like doing the 100-yard dash for two or three minutes, resting for a couple more minutes, and then doing it all over again,” he says. “It’s 30 degrees on the ice, but when I leave, I can wring my shirt out. I’ve never played another sport like it.” 

And it’s catching on, according to league director Jon Hoyt. About 150 players compete during an adult-league season, with three seasons per year sandwiched between one or two week breaks. Hoyt estimates that about 400 adult leaguers patronize the Lane Ice Center throughout the year, with players age 18 to 80 at random and ever-evolving skill levels.

“Players who start out in the C division have often never played before,” Hoyt says, “and they’ll be learning the game. Some of them move up to the B division after they’ve been playing for a couple of years. Players in the A divisions have usually been playing their whole lives. You can keep improving your entire life; the upside is unlimited.”

More than 1,000 hockey players call the Ice Center home, adding together the adult leagues with the Lane Amateur Hockey Association, whose Jr. Generals make up about 80 kids, age 5 to 18, competing in age-appropriate divisions; the Eugene Generals junior hockey team of professional hopefuls, age 16 to 20; the Eugene Xtreme women’s team; and the Oregon Ducks club team. Passion for the game unites them.

“Once you start playing,” says Hoyt, “it gets in your blood. When I moved here, my main concern was, ‘Is there a rink in town?’ We get calls from people, and they want to find out about the rink before they decide if they’re moving to Eugene.”

Once you’ve decided to give it a shot, the Ice Center is happy to accommodate you. Pick-up games on Thursdays give new recruits a feel for their skill levels, and a fee of between $335 and $370 gains entry for a league season. Goalies, whose equipment costs considerably more, get in for half price. After purchasing skates at a minimum of about $75 and basic equipment that runs about $150, players are ready to take to the ice, and the mood is always encouraging.

“Everyone here is very nice,” says C-division team captain Jon Brand. “They’re great ambassadors for the game. You’re going to be encouraged to get better; it’s very inclusive. The more experienced players are constantly coaching the newer ones.”
According to Hoyt, getting the word out about hockey in Eugene is an ongoing process.
“A lot of people would like to play hockey,” he says. “They just don’t know the rink exists.”

RESOURCE BOX
For more information about the Lane Ice Center’s adult leagues, call Jon Hoyt at 541/521-1650 or visit icecenterhockey.org.

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