Ayurvedic Foot Massage
According to ayurveda, the feet contain reflex points to all the organs and other parts of the body. And even though they’re a hot spot for pain and discomfort, they’re also an effective site for treatment. Ayurvedic physicians know how to treat various ailments by applying pressure and oil to points on the feet that correspond to the troubled body part. Imagine that your feet are a mirror for the rest of your body: if you’re having shoulder pain, you can press on the part of your foot that corresponds to your shoulder and alleviate the discomfort.
Long ago, ayurvedic physicians mapped out these reflex points on the feet and preserved them in ayurvedic texts. According to Lad, these drawings reveal the following: The big toe is connected to the brain. The tip of the big toe corresponds to the pineal gland; the pad of the big toe corresponds to the pituitary gland; and the neck of the big toe corresponds to the thyroid. The base of the second and third toe is related to the eyes, and the base of the third and fourth toe is related to the ears. The cushion at the root of the toes is connected to the lungs. The middle portion of the sole is related to the pancreas. And the heel is related to the sciatic nerve.
“All the bodily organs,” he says, “are there within the feet.”
By activating these corresponding reflex points, ayurvedic foot massage can indirectly heal problems we have in the rest of our body and prevent others from developing.
I enjoy treating myself to an Abhyanga (Ayurvedic oil massage) before I jump in the shower of an evening. For someone with a vita Dosha this is incredibly pacifying. I start by applying warm Avocado or Sesame oil to my scalp, and work all the way down my body, lastly massaging my feet. (I do this over a towel so as to not slip and hit my hip 90's g-ma style on my bathroom floor !!) When I step into the shower I imagine all of the toxicity the oils are soaking out being washed down the drain. Visualisation may be woo-woo for some but I truly love this part of this ritual. Even with all of the health benefits - The best part is stepping out of the shower already silky and moisturised.
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