Marymoor Park Reflexology Path: Taking Steps for Healthy Walking
Take a walk on the tiny reflexology path in Marymoor Park and you're taking steps towards healthy walking. Located in a nook near the tennis courts, the twenty-foot wide octagonal path in Marymoor Park may be hard to spot. Look for the Subway store nearby, which serves as a handy landmark.
The path holds stones of varying types, pointed and smooth, laid into the cement. To use the path, the visitor must take off their shoes and walk on the stones in bare or sock-clad feet. The action of walking on the stones stimulates pressure points on the bottom of the walker's feet. Small brass plaques near each section detail the benefits of the individual stone shapes.
Reflexology practitioners believe that areas of the foot, as well as the hands, correspond to other parts of the body. Pressure on these points, such as the type that occurs when walking on the reflexology path, can alleviate stress and lessen pain. A kiosk near the path provides additional information about reflexology and a diagram of the foot's pressure points.
Benches and a railing surround the area, allowing walkers to rest or use them for balance when performing the rocking motion needed for some exercises.
The reflexology path, built in 2007, was originally one of two such publicly owned paths, with its counterpart located at White Center, but has subsequently been joined by a similar path in Kirkland. Efforts have been funded by the King Country Parks and Recreation Department in partnership with Aegis Living, a company which offers senior housing. Another reflexology path, the first in the area, can be found on the grounds of Seattle's Bastyr University and is also open to the public.
HelloSeattle Tip: For the best results, walk the path slowly rather than rushing through it.
Posted on Mar 14, 2011 by Cat Rambo
