How to do Reflexology Massage at Home?

Reflexology massage is a technique where pressure is applied to the specific areas of hands, feet and ear.

The underlying principle behind reflexology is that, when pressure is applied to certain reflex points, the corresponding body parts are benefited which results in a healthier and happier life.

How can reflexology help?

Reflexology massage is a safe and natural way to lead a healthy life. It makes use of simple massage therapy to stimulate nerves and allay the stress and body pains without using any oils or lotions.

It is effective to

• Relax the body
• Alleviate body pains
• Loosen up the tired/ sore muscles
• Reduce stress and anxiety
• Improve blood flow in the body

Can you practice reflexology at home?

If you can’t find a reflexologist near you, can you do it yourself?

Yes, of course.

That is what this article is about.

You can easily practice reflexology at home without purchasing any costly tools. You can simply use the tools easily available at your home. These tools include desk corners, metal handles of a chair/ table, pen/pencil, old door knob, chapatti roller etc. So you can practice reflexology at your home or even work place.

In addition to all these props, you can use your very effective and reliable hands too.

Get started with reflexology massage:

Without further ado, let us get started with this natural massage therapy.

Remove your socks and shoes and sit with crossed legs on your bed or on a yoga mat. Relax yourself to get started with reflexology- the magic massage technique.

As mentioned above, reflexology is practiced on the body parts like feet, hands and ear as it is connected to the other body parts through nerves.

Read on to know about use of reflexology at home for aiding different body discomforts.

• Insomnia

To treat sleeping disorders, you have to target the pituitary gland. Endocrine glands are connected through nerves in the middle of your finger print. Apply direct pressure there with your nails.

On the feet, apply pressure on the middle of your big toe on the bottom side to treat sleep disorders/ insomnia.

• Headache

For headache, you need to focus mainly on your foot, on the two big toes, to be precise.

Apply pressure (be firm) to the back of the toes. Then apply pressure on the upper halves of the both toes to pinpoint the nerves connected to head.

• Chest relaxation or troubled breathing

If you experience chest tightening or have breathing troubles, then apply firm but light pressure to the area between the arch and the toes of your foot (also called the balls of your feet). This will send the reflexes to the nerves of heart, thymus gland, lungs chest and shoulders.

Wondering how a simple feet massage can help you fight so many issues? That’s the power of a foot reflexology massage.

• Stomach heaviness or digestion problems

If you wake up with heaviness in your stomach, apply pressure on your instep (the part that doesn’t bear weight) to relax your abdominal muscles.

• Sore muscles

To relieve limbs muscles, press the outer edges of your feet. This part has the reflex points that will help relieve sore and tired muscles. This foot massage therapy will ease away all your pain if you do it regularly.

Some tips to make your reflexology massage session effective:

Now that you know benefits of reflexology, you may practice it at home. Initially you may not see the magic relief but practicing it on regular basis will do the wonders.

Here are some tips and precautions to make the reflexology massage effective.

• Dim the lights and play soft music to create a calming environment at home to practice reflexology effectively.

• To make it more effective,  practice a short reflexology session just before going to sleep as you shall benefit more from  sleep if you have relaxed your body and muscles before going to bed.

• Note that reflexology is a complementary healing art, so do not substitute medication for prolonged diseases.

• Although many reflexology practices are beneficial in lot of ways for pregnant women, it may not be considered safe without proper guidance as some reflexes may trigger early labor if done at particular stages of pregnancy.

Hope this helps you to relax you from your daylong tiredness at work or home. Do let us know if you have tried reflexology massage before. If you are a beginner tell us if you benefited from it.

Share your views and queries with us.

Image credit