How to do a Luxury Foot Massage at Home
There is no doubt that life nowadays leaves you worse for wear. Escaping to the spa or even better a retreat may equally be a bridge too far, as time is at a premium. A foot massage is something that it great relaxation, especially for couples.
Due to the kind of sedentary lifestyles we are leading nowadays, most of our feet muscles are not being used properly. In addition, improper footwear such as tight footwear hampers normal circulation in our feet. Your feet suffer from the consequences of high-heel or narrow shoes worn for the sake of fashion or beauty. They also get tired and sore from standing, running and walking long distances all day. Life is tough on the feet..
The feet are precious components of your body; carrying you for endless miles daily and helping you in maintaining the right body posture. Your skin, including the one on the feet, is saturated with nerve endings with up to 200,000 exteroceptors in the sole of each foot. Giving your feet the proper attention they deserve is vital as the feet convey biofeedback information to the brain for maintaining the functionality of the body. This can be achieved by pampering them with a luxury massage that revives and relaxes them.
Many of us have become acclimatised to wearing shoes, and overlook that the feet are full of sensory receptors. Indeed, this intricate network of nerves inform the brain on how to manage movements involving positioning and monitoring functionality. It is quite amazing to view the number of acupressure points in the feet, which reflexologists utilise to control pain and ailments in various parts of the body. Perhaps this knowledge alone should inform us of the importance of looking after our feet regularly.
Few things can compare to the feeling brought about by a good massage, and even few forms of this ancient practice can beat a foot massage! You don’t even have to go for the more artistic therapy performed by the professionals, as you can have your own luxury massage at home.
After a tiring and long day, it does not take much effort to inspire a relaxing and soothing foot massage at home. This therapy is particularly pleasant in the evening when your feet are not only tired but perhaps swollen due to fatigue.
Follow these simple 5-steps for a touch of artistic therapy at home:
Many people prefer massage oil as they can smoothly stroke the skin without getting a feeling of being pulled. If this is your preference, try using a pure vegetable oil such as Jojoba or sweet almond. Even olive oil can serve the purpose in a pinch. To make it particularly luxurious, add a couple of essential oil drops such as geranium or lavender.
It has also been found that massaging your feet using coconut or olive oil has been shown to offer much relief from inflammation and pain triggered by foot tendonitis. This is also seen as a great treatment for your heel spurs and even beneficial in relieving the discomfort of burning feet sensation.
Lotion is another fine substitute to massage oil as they make perfect lubricants. However, it’s important to carefully read the label because though the majority of them may have a very pleasant smell, not all can be recommended for a massage because of their chemical composition. Rather, it’s safer to use a pure and natural lotion that is free of any chemicals to look after your health.
Some people are not too happy to have the “slimed up” feel that comes with oil on their feet. If, however, you still like something to get the smooth feeling over your skin, you could try cornmeal or even corn starch. Both of these products are good alternatives to using oil. Using corn starch comes with slick and soft feel while corn meal has a bit more of zing arising from the relative coarseness. An added bonus of using corn meal is that it is also good at exfoliating. For added luxury and feel good-effect, first heat the cornmeal in your oven and drop several drops of an essential oil as you massage.
Sometimes it pays to try more creative therapy approaches using special toys to pamper your tired feet. Perhaps the simplest one is using a tennis ball. Simply stand on the ball and roll it around. Another viable route is using a foot roller where you roll it back and forth on your soles for a quick massage.
Applying appropriate pressure to specific foot points is a therapeutic method that has been in use for centuries, especially in the Orient. According to acupressure principles, your body has in excess of 200 pressure points, although the majority of practitioners hold that the areas that should receive most focus are the feet and hands. Stimulating these reflex points on your feet is not only pleasurable, but definitely helps in promoting good health. Different points are found on the outer and inner foot plus at the top and bottom of each foot.
Your feet alone have over 15,000 nerves that end at your pressure points. A single massage can stimulate over 7,000 different body nerve endings during a single session, thus boosting their reactivity and function. Most pressure points maps break it down to identify specific foot parts that are responsible for stimulating particular body regions and even further to identify specific parts of the body.
Among the basic techniques for activating a foot pressure point is through simply pressing on the specific point 3-times in a row for about 10 seconds. Besides the relaxing benefits, stimulating pressure points on your feet also stimulates other body parts to help in relieving discomfort typically linked with medical conditions like asthma, diabetes, headaches and even anxiety.
A foot luxury massage just before you go to bed not only relaxes you but helps you sleep better. A relaxing and soothing foot massage helps the body to unwind, relaxes the body nerves and improves blood circulation. Cleaning out and opening neural pathways helps improve body flexibility and functionality of many body areas. There is mounting evidence proving that massaging the pressure points of your feet is good for your general health. And besides what science has to say, a foot massage at home certainly feels good!
One final tip for maintenance of beautifully silky soft feet, and it is this: Wearing cotton socks laced with a luxurious moisturising cream will soften the feet overnight. You can continue this treatment over a few nights to really give your feet some extra tender, loving care.
It really does not get much better than a foot massage, except of course if you double up with a full body luxury massage, which of course we have full details if you click on the title.
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