Tourette's Syndrome and Reflexology
I hiked Mt Batur in Bali a few days ago, and I heard an eye-opening anecdote. When my hiking guide, Kadek Bagawata, showed up, I was surprised. He was topless, barefoot, and wore only a sarung.
I thought he was going to change into a proper hiking outfit. He did not.
He was very wholesome, by the way. Before we embarked on the hike, he expressed gratitude that we were all able to come together and celebrate this hike together. He encouraged us to sing along with him on the journey. Yeah... he carried a guitar and a drum for the hike. That is wild. I've only seen that in video games, not in real life!
Because of his bare outfit, I thought, “Oh, the terrain must be easy.” Well, it wasn't. There were screes. So many loose rocks and pebbles. He walked on them like it's nothing!
At the summit, we were greeted by a blanket of dense mist instead of a rewarding sunrise. At the top, I asked Kadek why he decided to hike barefoot. He had a good reason. He developed Tourette's Syndrome when he was 11. By chance, he discovered that his condition was hugely alleviated when he hiked up the mountain barefoot.
That's when it hit me. Well, that could make sense. Tourette's is a condition related to the nervous system. To the best of my understanding, reflexology works by stimulating the nerves.
As always, that made me reflect on how much we take for granted today is beneficial to us. I wore shoes from when I was a little kid, and it became something normal. But is it really normal for humans to wear heavily padded footwear? What's the history of shoes? I know there's a barefoot running movement. I haven't quite wrapped my head around that topic, but I shall explore that.
Brb, I'm going to walk on some stones downstairs.