Move up and down their foot two to three times. Keep their foot close to your chest area, with your body leaning towards them. This will help you apply the right amount of pressure to their foot. Use the strength of your body weight, rather than the muscles in your thumbs, to massage their feet. Using only the muscles in your thumbs can cause them to cramp up and get tired easily.
Place your thumbs on opposite ends of their foot and move them toward one another. Do this at least three to five times, moving up and down the bottom of their feet. Grip their feet with firm pressure as you massage them. Light, soft touches can be ticklish to most people and distract from the massage. If the person has any sore spots on their feet, do not put too much pressure on them as this can irritate the area.
You may need to lift their foot up with one hand so you can access their heel. The skin on this area tends to be dry or hard, so you can apply massage oil or lotion to your hands to help reduce any friction.
Do not yank on the person’s toes, as this can injure them. Instead, simply rotate, pull, and squeeze each toe slightly, applying even pressure.
Make sure you use your body weight to apply even pressure as you slide up and down their toes.
If their ankles are particularly stiff or sore, you can try cupping their heel with one hand and grasping the ball of their foot with the other hand. Then, slowly rotating their foot around clockwise three times, followed by three times around counterclockwise.
Do not punch or hit the soles of the feet with your fist, as this will not be relaxing for them. Instead, use your fist to apply more even pressure to the area.
Their heels and toes if they have a headache or urinary issues. The center of the soles of their feet if they have headaches, insomnia or headaches. The pinky toe side of their right foot or left foot to address back issues. Use the back of your hand to lightly tap these areas to stimulate them. You can also rub them with your thumbs. Do not apply too much pressure to these areas, as they can be sensitive. Start light and slow. Then, if the person still appears comfortable and relaxed, press a little deeper into these areas.
Try rubbing the slices gently against their feet as they soak in the water. Put 1 tablespoon (15 ml) sea salt in the water for a more soothing effect. Add five to ten drops of essential oils like lavender, tea tree, or peppermint to the water for a pleasant smell.
Take both of their feet out of the water or remove them one at a time. You can then focus on one foot at a time, allowing their other foot to continue soaking in the bath.
Get massage oil or lotion that is made of natural ingredients that will be soothing to the skin. Ingredients like cocoa butter, coconut oil, tea tree oil, and eucalyptus are all good for a massage.
You can also make sure the person is situated in a comfortable position on a chair or bed with pillows and blankets so they are relaxed.
Only massage deeper into an area after you get consent from the person. Make sure they are fine with you going deeper so they do not experience discomfort or pain during the massage.
You can also try deeper massage moves on them once you get comfortable with the basics. This will allow you to deepen their foot massages and really take them to the next level.
