Foot Reflexology techniques and step by step instructions

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 one, know which bit of the thumb to use

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

2 roll thumbs together at the top slightly so the nails are just touching

3 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 two, the thumb walking reflexology technique

1 hold a pen with one hand (if you don't have a pen any similar surface is fine)

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

3 bend your thumb

4 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

5 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 step by step

Begin your foot reflexology session on the right foot, do the whole foot, then do the left foot

Step one, relaxation exercises

1 massage the foot all over slowly but firmly to loosen it up

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

3 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. Do this, twisting both ways, for about ten to fifteen seconds each way

Step two, thumb walking up and down the spine

1 thumb walk up the spine from the bottom of the heel to the tip of the big toe

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


3 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 three, rotate the toes

1 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

2 hold the toe just above the second joint and again move the joint in a large circular motion

3 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 four, stimulate the meridian points on the 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!

1 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 five, thumb walk the toes

1 thumb walk the toes, 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

Step six, thumb walk the chest area

The chest area is the ball of the foot

See exact area in foot reflexology diagram below

1 gently thumb walk over the entire chest area in the upwards direction, then downwards and then on an angle


Step seven, softly thumb walk the top/ back of the foot

This is a very sensitive area for most people.

1 thumb walk from one side of the foot to the other side ie; from the toes to the ankle, for the entire top of the foot

2 thumb walk from side to side- from right to left sides of the foot, for the entire top of the foot



Step eight, thumb walk the Liver/ Stomach area

The waistline is the thinnest part of the bottom of the foot and may be further up or down and is in a different spot for everyone

Use the diagram at step six to locate the waistline

1 thumb walk on an angle across the area between the chest area and above the waistline

2 thumb walk on the opposite angle back across the area

This area contains the very important liver and stomach, depending on which foot you are working

Step nine, thumb walk the Intestinal area

Use the diagram at step six to locate the waistline on the bottom of the foot

The large and small intestines are in this area

1 thumb walk on an angle across the area between the waistline and the pelvic area

2 thumb walk on the opposite angle back across the same area

For extra foot reflexology, check out the reflexology foot chart and see the direction that food moves through the intestines, and thumb walk in the same direction, the direction is different for the left and the right feet

Step ten, thumb walk the pelvic area

Use the diagram at step six to locate the pelvic area

This area relates to the Sciatic Nerve which runs up both legs

1 thumb walk from left to right over this area, go all the way up either side of the heel

2 thumb walk the back of the heel

3 finish reflexology with a gentle relaxing massage of the foot for one minute

Once all of these steps are done on the right foot, do them all on the left foot

Once finished the left foot, get the person receiving foot reflexology a big glass of water

Water is extremely important when doing reflexology because it allows the blood to get rid of waste, and if you are increasing circulation that is exactly what the blood will do, so drink heaps and heaps of water for the next 24 hours

Click here for more charts and maps on foot reflexology

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