Next time you get a pedicure or visit a spa, you may want to add on a foot reflexology massage. It's worth it! Often mistaken for a simple foot massage, which I'll take any day, reflexology actually works on the nervous system by helping to release stress and allows the body to heal and regenerate. Trust me on this one. I spoke with Susan Ciminelli of the Susan Ciminelli Beauty Clinic in NYC to find out how to preform the reflexology at home so you can give it to your significant other and ya know, hoping Joe reads this!
"Each point touched and massaged on the foot is connected to an organ or a system or body part," Ciminelli explains. "The application of pressure to feet sends a message to the central nervous system and promotes relaxation, leaves you energized, and positively affects the circulatory, muscular, immune and respiratory system in the whole body."
When performing foot reflexology, you should take into account all aspects the person's being: body, emotion, mind, and body. "If your man is stressed, work the entire arch from the big toe to the heal to relax the spine. This is deeply relaxing and calming. He may even feel sleepy but this is part of the "healing" process."
Here's how Ciminelli performs a foot reflexology massage at her beauty clinic:
Start by bathing the feet in warm towels. Use lavender essential oil mixed with a carrier oil, such as coconut oil or even vitamin E. I start at the toes and work my way down the foot. Apply gentle pressure to specific reflex points located in the feet and stimulate these points to balance the body - a typical treatment is 45 to 60 minutes.
You can use a detailed Reflexology Chart to learn more about the different points, zones, and the location of organs on the feet and ankles. You may recognize where is located the liver, the head, the kidneys, and apply appropriate pressure on them depending how the person getting the reflexology responds to it.
