No matter whether you are one giving a foot massage or receiving one, the experience is still highly satisfying. At the end of a long day, there can be nothing more relaxing and soothing than massaging your own feet as well. A good foot massage can help relieve stress and tension.
If done properly it can boost circulation and encourage blood flow thereby energizing your feet and leg muscles. According to the principles of acupressure, massaging the pressure points on your feet and ankles can help treat many illnesses and health problems. And finally, using massage oil or lotion to perform the massage will also help soften the skin on the feet and reduce the chances of calluses and dry skin.
If you are going to give someone a foot massage at home, pull out all the stops and make it a real sensory experience. You can start by immersing the feet in a footbath. Take a bowl of warm water and add some slices of fresh lime to the water. As you gently wash the feet with the water, you can also use the lime as a scrub to remove any stubborn dirt and extract any toxins. The warm water will soften the skin and also helps tremendously with stress reduction. Pat the feet dry after a few minutes and now it’s time to start the massage!
Let the person you are massaging relax, reclining against a big pillow or sofa. The more at ease and relaxed the person is, the more beneficial the massage. Also, make sure that the legs are not held tight and straight. Keep the knees slightly bent and the muscles loose. Perform the massage on one foot at a time completing the entire sequence on one foot before moving on to the other. Hold the foot under the heel and slowly rotate at the ankle. Do this first clockwise and then repeat it anti-clockwise. This will loosen the joints and reduce any stress in the feet. If anyone suffers from arthritis, this step can be very soothing.
Apply lotion, cream or massage oil to your hands and rub to warm it up slightly. Now, gently stroke the entire foot from top to bottom in slow, steady strokes. The pressure should be firm enough but not painful. Stroking can increase circulation and warms up the foot muscles, making them more pliable for the rest of the massage. With your thumbs, extend the strokes from the tops of the toes upwards past the ankles. Then repeat the same movement in the opposite direction. Do this three to four times to completely relax the foot.
Once the foot is sufficiently warmed up, hold it under the arch and start working on the toes. With the opposite hand, start with the big toe and pull firmly. You can also slide your fingers from the base of the toe to the tips with a soft squeezing motion along the way. Repeat this on all toes. Pull lightly on the toes at the end but ask first as a lot of people don’t like this done to their toes. You can also insert your fingers in between the toes and move them back and forth for an easy toe massage.
End the massage with an arch press to release any stored up tension. Press firmly along the outer and inner arches with smooth, long strokes. You can walk your thumbs over the soles of the feet to work the pressure points. Push deeply but not too hard and switch over to semicircular movements along the balls of the feet. Walk your fingers up to the ankle and apply pressure along the muscles and bones of this important joint.
You can end the massage just the way you started it. Stroke the entire foot three to five times to mark the end your administration.
To make your own foot massage oil at home, blend 3 drops of lavender oil, 1 drop of geranium oil, and a drop of chamomile oil along with 10ml of a neutral oil such as castor or extra-virgin olive oil. This will produce enough oil for one foot massage. After the massage, place feet in socks to retain the moisture and soften feet further.
When giving a foot massage, do not press down too hard as this can cause pain and trigger off the wrong pressure points. Pressure that is too light can almost feel like tickling so avoid that as well. Use only a few drops of massage oil or cream or else the entire experience will be too messy. If the person you are massaging is pregnant or has diabetes or high blood pressure, it would be better to avoid any pressure on the feet. This has been known to induce early labor and even aggravate existing illnesses or health problems.
If done properly it can boost circulation and encourage blood flow thereby energizing your feet and leg muscles. According to the principles of acupressure, massaging the pressure points on your feet and ankles can help treat many illnesses and health problems. And finally, using massage oil or lotion to perform the massage will also help soften the skin on the feet and reduce the chances of calluses and dry skin.
If you are going to give someone a foot massage at home, pull out all the stops and make it a real sensory experience. You can start by immersing the feet in a footbath. Take a bowl of warm water and add some slices of fresh lime to the water. As you gently wash the feet with the water, you can also use the lime as a scrub to remove any stubborn dirt and extract any toxins. The warm water will soften the skin and also helps tremendously with stress reduction. Pat the feet dry after a few minutes and now it’s time to start the massage!
Let the person you are massaging relax, reclining against a big pillow or sofa. The more at ease and relaxed the person is, the more beneficial the massage. Also, make sure that the legs are not held tight and straight. Keep the knees slightly bent and the muscles loose. Perform the massage on one foot at a time completing the entire sequence on one foot before moving on to the other. Hold the foot under the heel and slowly rotate at the ankle. Do this first clockwise and then repeat it anti-clockwise. This will loosen the joints and reduce any stress in the feet. If anyone suffers from arthritis, this step can be very soothing.
Apply lotion, cream or massage oil to your hands and rub to warm it up slightly. Now, gently stroke the entire foot from top to bottom in slow, steady strokes. The pressure should be firm enough but not painful. Stroking can increase circulation and warms up the foot muscles, making them more pliable for the rest of the massage. With your thumbs, extend the strokes from the tops of the toes upwards past the ankles. Then repeat the same movement in the opposite direction. Do this three to four times to completely relax the foot.
Once the foot is sufficiently warmed up, hold it under the arch and start working on the toes. With the opposite hand, start with the big toe and pull firmly. You can also slide your fingers from the base of the toe to the tips with a soft squeezing motion along the way. Repeat this on all toes. Pull lightly on the toes at the end but ask first as a lot of people don’t like this done to their toes. You can also insert your fingers in between the toes and move them back and forth for an easy toe massage.
End the massage with an arch press to release any stored up tension. Press firmly along the outer and inner arches with smooth, long strokes. You can walk your thumbs over the soles of the feet to work the pressure points. Push deeply but not too hard and switch over to semicircular movements along the balls of the feet. Walk your fingers up to the ankle and apply pressure along the muscles and bones of this important joint.
You can end the massage just the way you started it. Stroke the entire foot three to five times to mark the end your administration.
To make your own foot massage oil at home, blend 3 drops of lavender oil, 1 drop of geranium oil, and a drop of chamomile oil along with 10ml of a neutral oil such as castor or extra-virgin olive oil. This will produce enough oil for one foot massage. After the massage, place feet in socks to retain the moisture and soften feet further.
When giving a foot massage, do not press down too hard as this can cause pain and trigger off the wrong pressure points. Pressure that is too light can almost feel like tickling so avoid that as well. Use only a few drops of massage oil or cream or else the entire experience will be too messy. If the person you are massaging is pregnant or has diabetes or high blood pressure, it would be better to avoid any pressure on the feet. This has been known to induce early labor and even aggravate existing illnesses or health problems.
