Foot rub tutorial

I have had numerous requests over the months about making a foot rub tutorial.  So this is for my family members and friends. I am no expert and don't even claim to be. I just do this for enjoyment and pleasure. Have a great time doing this.

On Saturdays my husband and I give each other foot rubs. I like my feet rubbed but I wanted a little bit more work done on my feet  besides just rubbing them. I began to scour the internet and youtube for different techniques used on the feet.While in Maggie Valley, North Carolina two years ago, I went to a massage therapist and told her my woes. She listened to me and kept asking me questions for over an hour before she even touched my feet. She gave me the most wonderful treatment on my feet. She used only her  hands on different points of my feet. When I do my husbands feet, my hands tire easily, so i use these tools to help conserve energy with my hands and he ends up with a good foot rub. So,this my version of the foot rub. Because I have so many digestive issues I began to study reflexology. Below is a diagram of the bottom and the top of the feet.

1. Set up:

•       The chair:
• So the first thing you wanna do is find a comfy place for the person who is getting their feet rubbed. We use  a lazy boy chair all the way laid out and foot rest up which puts my husbands feet waist level if i am sitting on a stool or low padded chair.
• Put a towel under the feet to absorb oils from seeping into chair.
•     Room ambiance:
• If you like, you can set mood music on for the "foot rubbee" . When its your turn to get your feet rubbed  you can change the music  to your liking.
• A lit aroma candle may also be pleasant for the ladies.
•  My daughter Jessica likes a blanket that has been warmed up in the dryer for a couple of minutes. I like that idea.
• She also  likes a wringed out washcloth that has been warmed up in the microwave with her choice of fragrance oil on it. I place it over her face during the foot rub.
•     Equipment:
• Set out all your equipment you will be using in order including the oils.
• We tried using an oil warmer, but that didn't work for me. It feels nice and warm to the feet, but burns the hands when trying to use it.

• massage brush

  tennis ball

  golf ball

  spikey therapy ball

  smooth stones

  pencil with an eraser

  essential oils of your chose....rosemary is very good for achy muscles

  coconut oil as a base which you add the few drops of essential oil to

  towel to place under feet to protect surface from oils

  comfy  blanket to cover up with

  pillows to prop up feet

  nice smelling candle and music to set the mood

the Procedure:

• I start with one foot at a time. I will do all of the following procedures and then switch feet and start all over again.. For me it takes 45 minutes to an hour to complete both feet.

1.  Massage brush.

• Wrap your hand in the elastic to keep it on your hand if it has one.
•  Start just below the knee and and brush down to the top of the toes using  long strokes. Continue to this for a couple of minutes just to get the circulation going. then move to the bottom of the feet.
•  If the foot rubbee  has a ticklish foot, be prepared for sudden reactions. My husband just about goes through the roof the first time I put that brush on the bottom of his feet. So, I  have learned to move slowly and not use as much pressure. After he is acclimated and no longer wants to kick me in the teeth, he can tolerate it. I will brush from the top of the toes down to the heel. Then i will move in circular motions over the foot.

2.   Tennis ball.

•  Place the ball in the palm o fyourhand and press into the foot with pressure for about 5 seconds each. Start at the toes and work your way all the way down. You can also roll the ball over the foot but beware it likes to jump out of your hand and roll on the floor. Roll it up and down on the sides of the feet and on top of the foot.

3.    Golf ball and therapy ball

•     Repeat same techniques with golf ball and therapy ball. I like the therapy ball because it feels invigorating.

4.     Smooth stones

• Place them in between each toe. They feel amazingly cool and stretch your toes out gently. With the stones in the toes, take a pencil with an eraser and start with the big toe and press into the toe at the top for 5 seconds and then release. I then move down that toe trying to get every area. Move over to the next toe and repeat until all toes are done. Work your  way down the entire foot moving across the foot and then down. When done, remove the stones.

5.    Using your hands.

•     Now its time to rub the feet with your hands. Put a little coconut oil in your hand and then add a few drops of the essential oil of your chose.
•  Rub this into the foot you are working on.
• Use gentle but firm pressure depending on the foot rubbies liking. I have more power in my thumbs so I tend to use those more.
•  Use small circular  movements with your thumbs going in opposite directions .
• You can also use your fist, driving and twisting your knuckles into the arch of the foot.

6.    Toe twists:

•  Lighlty grip each toe and turn and gently rotate it three times in each direction.
•   Support the base of the foot the whole time.

7.  Toe flex

•     Using the palm of your hand grab all the toes and bend all of them at once for about 10 seconds.
•  Reverse, flex all the toes at once. Repeat 2 more times.

8. The arch of the foot

•     Right foot facing you: start at the inside of the foot just under the bridge, where the arch starts.
•  Use only your thumbs and walk I( like an inchworm)  and scoot your thumbs across from right to left.
• When you reach the side of the foot, drop down to next row and start again right to left. Move all the way down the arch or the soft part of the foot.
• This is especially good for the colons.

9.    Ankles:

• knead in small circular movements around the ankle bone. This  helps to reduce fluid retention.

10.    Top of the feet.

• You can use the pencil eraser or your fingers. I use my fingers on my  husband feet because they are so big and i have small hands. He has to use the eraser because his fingers will  not fit in the web of my feet.
• Stroke the grooves between the tendons or web on the top of the foot.
•  Press and release from the base of the toe to the end of the groove.

11.    Foot shake:

• When i do my husbands feet I put one finger between his big toe and next toe and shake his entire foot for about  30 seconds.
• When my  husband does mine, he rests my ankle bone on the edge of the palm of his hands.
• He moves the ankle back and forth while steadying it.
• The foot should shake easily. I can't do this to my husband. His leg and foot weigh too much.

12.    Ankle socket;

•     Place the heel of the foot in one hand. With the other hand grab the bridge of the foot on the underside and pull towards yourself on the heel  as if you are water skiing and leaning back.
•     This will stretch the foot  and the leg.

13.    Toe cracks

•     Wipe off excess oil on toes.
•  Place the towel over the toes and grab each toe individually and pull straight up.
• The goal is to try and get the toes to pop, much like knuckle cracking.

14.     And there you have it. You are done with that foot.  Repeat all steps on the other foot.

For those interested I have placed on youtube 2 tutorials on this procedure in case you don't quite understand my explanations. Here is the link in case the videos don't work.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX2rwNJnvyQE9TZBemSgKs3KmHGwXrTsC&feature=mh_lolz