Foot Reflexology techniques and step by step instructions

Foot Reflexology Technique - Thumb Walking

This is by far the most used technique for performing 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.

The first step is knowing which bit of the thumb to use

Put your hands palms together in front of your face and look at the tops of your thumbs

Roll your thumbs together at the top slightly so the nails are just touching

Feel the part of your thumbs where they are touching each other at the top

So you are using the inside edge of the very top of your thumbs, (edge meaning that it is furthest away from the fingers of the same hand)

The second step is learning the Reflexology Technique - Thumb Walking

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

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

Bend your thumb

Now, 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

Repeat; Bend, unbend, bend, unbend

Apply pressure at the unbend and creep forward in the bend.

Start practicing this technique slowly, it gets easier with practice and faster.

It is easy learning foot reflexology techniques pratically anything is a great surface to practice on - car steering wheels, TV remote controls... anything can be thumb walked!

This technique is 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

The first step is to do Relaxation Exercises

Massage the foot all over slowly but firmly to loosen it up

The second part of the relaxation exercises is to hold the foot with both hands, holding 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. Now slowly and gently twist/ wring the hands away from each other in order to twist massage the spine area on the foot. This is a relaxation exercise. Do this, twisting both ways, for about ten to fifteen seconds.

The second step is to do Thumb walking up and down the spine

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

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

The third step is to rotate the toes

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

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

Lastly rotate the very top joint on the toe (the big toe only has two joints)

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

The bones protecting our brain are fused together but are also separate bones, rotating the toes sends extra blood flow to their joints

The fourth step is to 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!

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 about ten seconds, begin with the big toe and finish with the little toe

Thumb walk the toes, apply 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- which is one of the three main benefits of reflexology

In particular, some peoples toes are extremely sensitive

The amount of pressure you use 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 is to thumb walk the chest area

The chest area is the ball of the foot

See exact area below

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

This is a very sensitive area for some people.

Thumb walk from one side of the foot to the other side ie; from the bottom of the toes to all the way around the ankle, for the entire top of the foot

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

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 foot reflexology step six to locate the waistline

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

Thumb walk on the opposite angle back across the area

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

The tenth step is to thumb walk the pelvic area

Use the diagram at step six to locate the pelvic areaThis area relates to the Sciatic Nerve which runs up both legs

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

Thumb walk the back of the heel as well

Finish reflexology with relaxation exercises

Step nine - thumb walk the Intestinal area

Again use the diagram at step six to locate the waistline on the bottom of the footThe large and small intestines are in this area

Thumb walk on an angle across the area between the waistline and the pelvic areaThumb 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

If you have just finished the right foot, do the left foot

If you have just 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 charts and maps for foot reflexology

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