- Ask if you can give the foot rub. It may take a while for a new friend to get used to the idea; don't be surprised if there's initial resistance.
- Tell your friend to let you know if anything is painful or if they want you to stop.
- Err on the side of being too gentle, especially with children, elders and those who are ill.
- Read your friend's body language throughout.
- Listen for pleasure sounds and keep doing the things that get those responses.
Some Techniques
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Start with the right foot (really).
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The first stroke in a good foot massage is called a circulation stroke. The name implies that it increase blood flow in the tissues of the foot.
- Grasp the foot with one hand and stroke the top with the other. You can use light pressure along the top of the foot. Moderate pressure might be required on the bottom of the foot to prevent tickling your friend.
- Continue rubbing and stroking your friend's entire foot. Twenty times on the top and ten times on the bottom is nice.
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Foot Rotation—This move is not a stretch, it is just a movement to relax the foot and ankle.
- Support the foot with one hand as shown. With the other hand, gently move the foot through it's natural range of motion. Do not push firmly. Simply and slowly glide the foot in a oval-type motion. As you slowly rotate the foot, you may find the range of motion increases slightly.
- Rotate the foot 3-5 times in each direction.
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Foot/Ankle Stroke—This stroke seems to relax the whole body.
- Start with your fingertips right where the toes meet he foot. Use both hands to press down between the bones of the foot.
- Slide your fingers up the foot toward the ankle, when your fingers reach ankle level, wrap your fingers around the ankle and massage the front of the ankle joint with your thumbs.
- We generally look for muscle tissue to rub when giving a massage. This area is firm with bone, tendons and ligaments, so be sensitive.
