Daily Ritual: Foot Massage
TREAT YOUR FEET LIKE YOU LOVE THEM
Today’s daily self-care ritual shows one of the most overlooked parts of the body some love—the feet!
If I only had time to add one new Ayurveda-inspired daily ritual to my routine, foot massage would be it. This is a great ritual to do in the evening after your bath/shower or before bed to help you relax and sleep better.
In the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda, the feet are the body’s foundation, structured to support the body’s weight and provide stability. The feel contain points that link to the organs and other parts of the body and therefore they’re an effective way to nurture yourself back to health.
HOW TO GIVE YOURSELF AN AYURVEDIC FOOT MASSAGE
I do an Ayurvedic foot massage after my evening bath or shower. If you prefer not to bathe or shower in the evening, give your feet a rinse in warm water and make sure to dry them well. With a generous amount of oil in your hands:
Massage the ankle and lower calf using your fingers and thumbs to apply firm but comfortable pressure in downward strokes.
Massage the area just below the ankle using circular strokes under the ankle bone.
Move down the foot to your toes and gently massage each toe beginning with the small toe and working your way toward the big toe. Apply a massaging motion to the area between the toes with your thumb and forefinger.
When you get to your big toe use your fingers to pull it away from the others and gently stretch and loosen the muscles. Then go back and it do for the other four toes.
Use your thumbs to apply firm pressure to the toe pads and ball of the foot. Use long strokes along the sole of the foot.
Continue using your thumbs and apply firm pressure and circular motion to the arch of the foot and the heel.
Work your fingers between your toes and gently rotate your foot in a clockwise and then counterclockwise direction to loosen up the ankle and leg muscles.
Finish by rubbing the sole of the foot once more.
Repeat the same steps on the opposite foot.
Put on socks and allow the oil to penetrate the feet and work its magic.