Rocky walk may be path to health

While a leisurely walk may be the best way to clear your head, a new pathway at Bastyr University is intended to unclog the rest of your body.

The new reflexology path in Kenmore is thought to be the first such public trail in the United States. They are common in parks throughout China.

The concrete path is studded with local river rocks of varying sizes, from pointy pebbles to smooth skipping stones to softball-sized protrusions. Walking on it applies pressure to specific points of the foot, which is supposed to release toxins and unblock the body's energy flow, according to the path's mastermind, Elizabeth Marazita, a licensed acupuncturist who teaches reflexology at Bastyr.

Reflexology is based on the idea that the "foot, hand and ear are microcosms of the entire body," she said. In traditional Chinese medicine, areas of the foot correspond to organs and body parts, and disease is a matter of blocked vital energy.

"Walking on the path can highlight body imbalances," Marazita said. "It's a radar screen for brewing health problems."

At the head of the trail, next to the campus herb garden, Chinese letters spell "Walk of Health." The path is open to the community, but those who come expecting a walk in the park may be getting a little more than they bargained for.

First of all, you're supposed to kick off your shoes and socks and proceed barefoot. The winding path is only 64 feet long, but some segments — especially arrangements of craggy 1-inch rocks, just tall enough to bore deep — feel more like a mile.

Deborah Epstein, a naturopathy student at Bastyr, was gingerly stepping on the stones yesterday morning when she froze and yelped. She said she felt a pang of nausea when one part of her foot struck down.

"It's a combination of feeling really good and hurting, kind of like a deep massage," she said after hobbling to the end of the trail.

A handout with a diagram of the foot helps stone-steppers interpret what they're feeling. The middle of the second and third toes are connected to the eyes, so soreness there may suggest you've been staring at the computer screen too long. A pain in the arch represents the digestive system: Did you eat something for dinner last night that didn't agree with you?

"Most people can't finish it on their first time," Marazita said. "But that's OK. You're supposed to stop and rest on the bigger rocks or take a seat on a bench when it gets too painful."

Marazita's 2-year-old daughter, Sophia Spano, and other youngsters trot easily along the bumpy terrain that has their parents rubbing their feet afterward. Whether that's because their energy isn't out of whack yet or because their tiny feet are light on the rocks isn't clear.

Like most states, Washington doesn't license reflexologists, and many are trained as massage therapists or acupuncturists. The Washington State Reflexology Association has about 100 practicing members, the group's vice president Kandi Burke said.

"It's nice to know the path is available for free to the community, so you can do it at your own pace and have whatever level of experience you want to have," said Burke, who practices in Seattle.

At the end of the path, Paul Raish, a Bastyr student and one of the dozens of volunteers who helped construct the path, said he felt "tingly and invigorated."

"There's an increase of energy that goes up from my feet through my body," he said.

Even nonbelievers, those who perhaps aren't as in tune to their body's energy flow, may experience a sudden surge of euphoria when they reach the end of the gantlet of pointy rocks. It's called walking on grass.

Julia Sommerfeld: 206-464-2708 or jsommerfeld@seattletimes.com