Foot Reflexology

 

Foot Reflexology

  Reflexology, or compression foot massage, is a natural art of healing, a drugless way of stimulating the internal organs, thereby increasing the circulation and restoring bodily functions to normal.

 

   Reflexology is a unique method of using various thumb, finger and hand techniques to apply pressure to specific areas.  This stimulation improves nerve and blood supply and relaxes muscles helping to normalize various body functions.

 

   It has been proven that 75% of our health problems can be linked to nervous stress.  Reflexology alleviates tension by clearing crystalline deposits under the skin which impede the natural flow of the body’s energy.  When these crystals are broken up the body begins eliminating stored toxins that it was unable to process previously.

 

   When we are stressed or after illness the body is in a state of “imbalance”.  Sensitive areas on the feet indicate which parts of the body are congested.  The human body works as a unit.  When one part is affected, the entire body suffers because of it.

 

   The gentle massage action of Reflexology is an aid to the healing process and is also considered preventative care that contributes to good health by stimulating the body’s natural healing power and strengthening the body’s immune system.

Crystal suggestions - follow this link to the Crystals A to Z Post

https://aromatherapycrystalmassage.blogspot.com/2024/02/healing-crystals-for-massage-meditation.html

Essential Oil Blend suggestions - follow this link to the Essential Oil Blends Post

https://aromatherapycrystalmassage.blogspot.com/2024/02/essential-oil-blends.html 

You will find the blend for Reflexology or choose from many others

Reflexology Techniques

Thumb Walking or Finger Walking ~  inching the thumb and index finger held together along a reflex area.  Bending both fingers at the first knuckle presses the thumb into the flesh and propels it automatically on to the next spot. 

Press and Rotate ~  done on small reflexes..  Place small fingertip on reflex, press and rotate.

Nerve Stroke ~  last stroke of treatment.  It is a very light, feathery finger stroking technique.  It soothes and calms nervous system.  Use finger tips to lightly stroke over skin or hair, drawing energy off the body.

 

 Copy and paste to print instructions

Reflexology Treatment Notes

 

1.       Time for treatment is 45 min to 1 hour.

 

2.       Pressure is 2 to 12 pounds or to client’s tolerance level.  Pain does not heal.  Pain is a warning signal.  Pressure varies from client to client and from reflex to reflex.  On the young, old, sick or pregnant lighten your pressure.

 

3.       Do all of the right foot first, then do all of the left foot.

 

4.       Work in a relaxed, efficient yet caring manner.  This will help to relax the client.

 

5.       Client in lying position with bolster under knees is ideal.

 

6.       Remember to give the treatment with your hands, your head and your heart.

 

7.       Use your mind to mentally relax each reflex.  Visualize tensions releasing from the neck or think in your mind “The neck is relaxed”.

Foot Preparation

 

·         Cleanse Foot ~ with witch hazel and a cotton pad and inspect for calluses, cuts, bruises, blisters, skin disease, ingrown toenails, corns, plantar warts, athlete’s foot, bunions.  Never massage on a painful, swollen or inflamed area.

 

• Foot Bath ~ Soak feet for 5 – 10 minutes in warm water with Epsom salts and essential oils.

 

Foot Warm-Up

 

Apply a cream or oil blend to the foot.

 

• Squeeze and Release ~ both hands are used, one on each side of the foot.  Alternating one, then the other, squeeze and release.

 

• Foot Roll ~ hold foot between the palms of both hands and move hands back and forth, each hand moving in opposite direction.

 

• Foot Wave ~ with heels of hands under ankle bones, shimmy back and forth making foot wave.  Move hands up to sides of foot, rolling hands up to toes and down.

 

• Rotate Foot ~ Hold ankle and toes, rotate foot in both directions.

 

• Open Toes ~ Hold knuckle on each toe and rotate each toe.  Hold ball of foot with thumb on big toe pad, fingers on other and manipulate the toe joints alternately.

 

• Knuckle Roll ~ one hand bracing top of foot place knuckles of other hand on sole and roll up and down.

 

• Spinal Twist ~ grip inside of foot, hands together, fingers on instep, thumbs on arch.  Hold heel area still while twisting ball and toes back and forth.  Move hands up towards toes.

 

• Chest Stretch ~ Both hands are on the foot with fingers on top and thumbs on the bottom.  Squeeze and pull flat thumbs from center to sides.  Then on top, squeeze and pull four fingertips from center to sides. 

 

• Divide the Foot ~ Draw 4 fingers of each hand alternately from top of heel to base of
• toes down center of sole.

• Alternate thumbs ~ Sole ~ Hold foot with both hands, fingers on top, thumbs on sole and work thumbs in half circles over sole including toes.

~Top~  hold foot with both hands, fingers on sole, thumbs on top.  Stroke from base of toes working in half circles over instep and ankle with alternating thumb strokes.

Foot Reflexology Technique

Big Toe

• Thumb walk or slide on underside from base to tip in 3 lines.  (back of head)
• Thumb walk or slide up outside edge, over tip and down inside edge. (side neck, head, brain)
• Thumb walk or slide around base.  (neck)
• Press and rotate at inner edge of base of toe.  (parathyroid)
• Thumb walk or slide from base of toe to base of nail on top of toe in 3 lines.  (face)
• Thumb fanning over lines to clear.

 

Toes

• Tips - center - press and rotate, thumb walk.  (brain reflex)
• Pads – center - hook, press and rotate.  (sinus reflex)
• Press and rotate area just below pads on four toes.  (eye and ear reflexes)
• Thumb walk or slide in 3 lines from base to tip.  (sinus)
• Thumb walk or slide in 3 lines from base to nail bed on top of toes. (teeth)
• Press and rotate between base of toes 3 and 4 on ridge under toes.  (inner ear)
• On ridge at base of toes - thumb walk or slide, press and rotate.  (neck)
• Extend toes backwards and thumb walk or slide across ridge.  (eyes, ears)
• Thumb fanning over lines to clear.

Zone 1 ~ Inside Edge of Foot  (spine)

• Spinal twist – use both hands to hold area and twist one hand against the other.

• Squeeze and release between thumb and index finger area from tip of big toe to base of heel.
• Thumb walk or slide up from waist line and down from waist line on underside of arch bone.  Press and rotate at each end.
• Thumb walk or slide across reflex.
• Use one hand to reach over top of foot and press fingers against underside of spine, moving up and down over reflex.
• Thumb fanning over lines to clear.

 

Zone 5 ~ Outside Edge of Foot  (shoulder, arm, leg, knee, hip, lower back)

• Squeeze and release between thumb and index finger area from tip of small toe to base of heel.
• Thumb walk or slide from tip of small toe to base of heel and back.
• Thumb walk or slide across reflex.
• Thumb fanning over lines to clear.

 

Ball of Foot

• Thumb walk or slide between big and small toe pads. (bronchial, trachea, thymus, heart, shoulder)
• Press and rotate where 2 pads meet.  (thymus reflex)
• Thumb walk or slide across ball of foot, horizontally. (lung, heart)
• Thumb walk or slide at line under ball of foot.  (diaphragm)
• Gently fold toes back and work vertically between bones from diaphragm line to ridge.  (chest, lung)
• Bend ball of foot back and press thumb into (solar plexus) spot, fold toes forward, rotate thumb.
• Bend each toe back in turn, place thumb on diaphragm area under that toe and pull toe forward while rotating thumb.
• Thumb fanning over lines to clear.

 

Top of foot ~ ball area

• Push toes gently apart and finger walk between bones to instep, stopping where toe bones join foot bones to press and rotate point.  (lymphatic system)
• Draw finger down between toe bones, pinch webbing between toes and press and rotate.  (lymph drainage)
• Press and rotate beside joint of big toe for lymph drain point.  (sternum)
• Hold foot with both hands fingertips on top, thumbs on bottom and wring foot.  (ribs, breast, mid-back)
• Snowplow—thumbs on bottom of foot, line up all 8 fingers on top just below chest area and walk fingers together towards and over ankle.
• Thumb fanning over lines to clear.

 

Area between diaphragm and waistline

• Thumb walk or slide horizontally and vertically over whole area alternating right and left thumbs.  (stomach, spleen, liver, pancreas)
• Extend toes backwards, locate tendon on sole at waistline, at center point of this tendon, press and rotate.  Fold toes towards you while pressing thumb in and up. (adrenals)
• Thumb walk or slide both sides of this tendon from top of heel to diaphragm line.
• Thumb fanning over lines to clear.

 

Area between waistline and heel

• Thumb walk or slide at waistline from zone 1 to 4 (transverse colon) and press and rotate.  (hepatic flexure on right, splenic flexure on left)
• Thumb walk or slide down to heel  (ascending colon on right, descending colon on left), press and rotate.  (ileo-cecal valve)
• Thumb walk or slide across top of heel pad (sigmoid colon) and press and rotate (rectum, anus)
• Thumb slide vertically where heel meets arch, alternating right and left thumbs across foot.  (small intestine)
• Press and rotate on puffy area at crease of heel in zone 1.  (bladder)
• Thumb walk or slide in diagonal direction to waistline.  (ureter)
• Press and rotate in middle of waistline between zones 2 and 3.  (kidney)
• Thumb fanning over lines to clear.

 

Heel and ankle area

• Thumb walk or slide back and forth on heel. (pelvic, sciatic)
• Thumb walk or slide around outside edge of heel.  (sciatic)
• Thumb slide from edge of heel to ankle bone.  (uterus/prostate)
• Thumb slide from front of ankle bone to back, curving under ankle bone.  (ovary/testicle)
• Draw 4 fingers in a line from back of knee to heel.  (sciatic)
• Use both hands and finger walk with 2 fingers under and over ankle bone at sides of heel, front to back.  (pelvic muscles)
• Thumb fanning over lines to clear.

 

Top of foot ~ Ankle area ~ (lymphatics, groin, fallopian tubes)

• Snowplow—thumbs on bottom of foot, line up all 8 fingers on top just below chest area and walk fingers together towards and over ankle.
• Thumb walk or slide back and forth over top of ankle press and rotate at each end of this reflex.  (fallopian tubes, vas deferens) (ovary, testes on outside of foot, uterus, prostate on inside of foot)
• Locate sacro-iliac reflex in dip just in front of ankle bone in line with the forth toe, press in and pump foot back and forth.
• Thumb fanning over lines to clear.

 

Whole Foot

• Thumb slide from heel to ball, then repeat alternating thumbs.
• Thumb slide sideways across foot, then repeat alternating thumbs.

 

Finishing Techniques

 

·         Uncover one foot and apply cream or oil blend or sesame milk.

Sesame Milk

½ cup sesame seeds and 1 cup water

Bring to boil, then simmer very low 1 hour, strain and store in fridge in squeeze bottle.  This will go bad quickly, so make in small amounts and use right away.

·         Use your bare hands where necessary, otherwise hold palm stone or stones and perform technique.

 

·         Press and Release ~ Squeeze with palms of both hands upward from toes to ankle.

 

·         Alternate Press and Release ~ Use hands alternately to squeeze and release

(milking) foot and ankle.

 

·         Palm Rub ~ With heels of hands at sides of ankle, shimmy hands back and forth

to shake foot from side to side, work hands gradually to toes rolling foot as you move.

 

·         Knuckle Roll ~ With one hand bracing top of foot place knuckles of other hand

on sole and roll up and down. 

 

·         Relax the Heel ~ Hold foot with 4 fingers on each hand in hollows around ankle

bones. Rotate fingers into hollows moving clockwise.

 

·         Chest Stretch ~ Pull with thenas from center of back of foot to outer edges.

 

·         Divide the Foot ~ Draw 4 fingers of each hand alternately from top of heel to

base of toes down center of sole.

 

·         Heel Ridge ~ Press thumb firmly against upper and inner ridge of heel and

stroke firmly back and forth.

 

·         Pinch Webbing ~ Using thumb and index finger, gently draw down between

bones of foot and pinch webbing between each toe and rotate.

 

·         Toe Twist and Pull ~ Grasp each toe between your thumb and index fingers

and gently twist and pull from base to ends.

~ Grasp each toe at base and rotate in both directions.

~ Squeeze toes with finger tips at base and inch out to tips.

 

·         Toe Stretch ~ Use thumbs to push each toe, alternating thumbs.

 

·         Alternate Toe Pull ~ Draw each hand alternately down each side of foot from

heel pulling toes.

 

·         Alternating Thumbs ~

Sole ~  Hold foot with both hands, fingers on top, thumbs on sole and work

thumbs in half circles over sole including toes.

Top ~  Hold foot with both hands, fingers on sole, thumbs on top.  Stroke from

base of toes working in half circles over instep and ankle with alternating thumb

strokes.

 

• Nerve Stroke ~ It is a very light, feathery finger stroking technique.  It soothes and calms nervous system.  Use finger tips to lightly stroke over skin, drawing energy
• off the body.

Towel Rub ~ rub both sides of foot with a towel.

Finishing Treatment

Sesame Milk

½ cup sesame seeds and 1 cup water

Bring to boil, then simmer very low 1 hour, strain and store in fridge in squeeze bottle.  This will go bad quickly, so make in small amounts and use right away.