Massage Guide - Foot Massage

1. The best foot massages always start with a relaxing five-minute soak in warm water with a drop or two of lavender oil.
2. Get the feet used to your touch. Sandwich a foot between your hands and stroke firmly from the toes to the ankle. When you reach the ankle, return to the toe with a lighter stroke.
3. Hold the foot with the heels of your hands on the top and your fingers touching in the middle of the sole. Press up with your fingers while moving the heels of your hands to the sides.
4. Massage toes individually by squeezing rolling and rotating each one, then pull it gently toward you. To improve flexibility, gently bend the toes backward and forward one at a time or together.
5. Use your thumbs to stroke the furrows between the tendons on the top of the foot, running one thumb after the other up the foot toward the ankle.
6. Massage the sole of the foot using the thumbs of both hands. Make small circles with the pads of your thumbs. Be sure to cover the entire sole.
7. Support the foot with your fingers on top, thumbs on bottom. Place one thumb over the other and press firmly for three seconds. Move a half inch and repeat. Do this all over the sole of the foot from the top down.
8. Make a fist. Hold the foot steady with your other hand, and massage the sole of the foot with your fist. Make small circles with your knuckles, making sure to cover the entire sole.
9. Massage the top of the foot using your thumbs, in the same manner as you did the sole of the foot. When you reach the ankle you may want to use your fingertips.
10. Find the tendons running from the base of the ankle to the toe. Run your fingers between the tendons.
11. Lightly hack the foot by holding it with one hand and quickly hitting the sole side with the other hand. Your hacking hand should be loose, not karate-chop rigid.
12. Massage the sides and back of the ankle in a circular motion. Stroke firmly as you circle up toward the leg; keep the pressure light as you circle down toward the heel.
13. When you reach the lower end of the heel, lift the foot with your left hand while massaging the lower end of the heel with your thumb and fingers of your other hand.
14. Finish the massage by stroking the entire foot with a light touch, molding your hands to the shape of the foot, then slowly sliding them off the tips of the toes.