Foot Reflexology 101

Foot Reflexology Techniques

Thumb Walking

This is the most used technique for doing foot reflexology. It is easy, can be done for long periods of time without straining your hand and is extremely effective on the feet. Your thumb walks forward by itself simply by you bending and unbending the thumb.

Step 1.

Which part of the Thumb to use

1a. put your hands palm together in front of your face and look at the tops of your thumbs

1b. roll thumbs together at the top slightly so the nails are just touching

1c. feel the part of your thumbs where they are touching each other just on the inside at the top

This is the part of the thumb to use when thumb walking, the inside edge of the very top of your thumbs, (edge meaning that it is furthest away from the fingers of the same hand when the hand is put flat on a table)

Step 2.

Thumb Walking Technique

2a. hold a pen with one hand (if you don’t have a pen any similar surface is fine)

2b. with the other hand, put your thumb on the pen touching it with the part of the thumb described in the first step

2c. bend your thumb

2d. without moving anything else, simply straighten your thumb making sure that it stays in contact with the pen

You will notice two things

– your thumb crept slightly forward

– you are now able to apply a little bit of pressure with the part of your thumb that is touching the pen

2e. repeat; Bend, unbend, bend, unbend

Apply pressure at the unbend and creep forward in the bend. Practice this technique slowly, it gets easier and faster with practice. It is easy learning foot reflexology techniques, pratically anything is a great surface to practice on; tables, chairs, TV remote controls… anything can be thumb walked!

This technique is used for the entire foot

Thumb walking allows a reflexologist to apply stimulating pressure to every single part of the foot, giving a thorough and relaxing treatment

How to do Reflexology on the Feet

Begin every foot reflexology session on the right foot, do the whole foot, followed by the left.

Step 1.

Relaxation Exercises

1a. massage the foot all over slowly but firmly to loosen it up, beginning at the toes moving down towards the heel, for about thirty seconds

1b. using both hands, hold on to the spine area with the palm of the hands- fingers on top of the foot and thumbs on bottom of the foot.

1c. slowly and gently twist/ wring the hands away from each other in order to gently twist the spine area on the foot. This is a relaxation exercise. Loosely wring one way and the other for about thirty seconds total

Step 2.

Thumb Walking the Spine

2a. thumb walk up the spine from the bottom of the heel to the tip of the big toe

2b. thumb walk down the spine from top of the tip of the big toe to the bottom of the heel

2c. thumb walk down the spine, but across-ways- from right to left for the entire length of the inside of the foot, see diagram below

Step 3.

Rotate the Toes

Begin with big toe, continue toe by toe until the smallest end toe

3a. hold the toe firmly at the base of the toe, gently move in circular motions so that you are rotating and stretching the base joint that attaches the toe to the foot

3b. hold the toe just above the second joint and again move the joint in a large circular motion

3c. rotate the very top joint on the toe (the big toe only has two joints)

This foot reflexology step is great for relieving headaches as it relates to all of the bones in the skull, jaw… every bone in the head

When learning how to do reflexology remember the bones protecting our brain are fused together but are also separate bones, rotating the toes sends extra blood flow to their joints

Step 4.

Stimulate Meridian Points on Toes

There are meridian points at the end of all the toes except the middle toe

See the diagram below for the exact points, they are easy to remember because they are pretty much under each toe nail!

4a. support the toe and use one finger to apply pressure on the meridian point in a circular motion – clockwise, then anti-clockwise, do each toe for ten seconds beginning with the big toe and finish with the little toe

Step 5.

Thumb Walk the Toes

5a. thumb walk the toes in an upwards direction. Begin at the base and move upwards in a straight line to the tip.

Repeat on all sides of each toe, applying gentle but firm pressure. Begin with the big toe and finish with the little toe.

Some people like lots of pressure when thumb walking their feet, most people will not because it will stop the reflexology from being relaxing, and its supposed to be relaxing

Some peoples toes are extremely sensitive

The amount of pressure you use with any reflexology technique is relative to how much pressure the person is comfortable with, and so it is relaxing for them (although do be firm, too soft and you will tickle them!)

If there is pain in someones foot, take a break from doing reflexology on them for a while

To read the full article go to How to Do Reflexology 


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