Foot Massage - Treat Yourself and Relax

Since my foot op, I find myself rubbing and fussing over my feet a lot more.  It occurred to me that I did rather take them for granted and not give them the attention and care they deserved, considering the work they do.
As I don't have anyone to give me a foot rub, I do it myself.  I admit, I don't manage a thorough massage every day, but I try to do this at least once a week, as part of a pedicure. There are advantages to doing it yourself too - you can do it as hard, soft or long as you like, and feel that you are caring for yourself, which seems to work subliminally to boost your self-esteem.
I find I need to work methodically, otherwise I end up gazing into space, rubbing my feet any old how:

• Whole foot
• Toe base joints
• Toes
• Between the toes
• Sole
• Whole foot (a few strokes to finish off)

This is best with warm feet and I like to soak my feet with a little lavender oil in the hot water first, gently lifting my heels to bend my toes.  I also have a towel and some socks wrapped around a hot water bottle, so that one foot can be snug while I massage the other.
Sit with your knee bent so that you can hold your foot.
Smooth on a little lotion or oil to give you a smooth surface, but not too much - you still need to be able to grip a little.

Whole foot: Use broad strokes and gently stretch the foot and circle the foot and ankle as your smooth in the oil or lotion.
Using one hand on the inside of the foot and one on the outside, squeeze the foot, working from the toes to the heel and ankle, then back again.
Still with the foot held with both hands, gently twist the foot, alternately lifting one side and pressing the other, working your way from toes to ankle and back down again.
If you can, turn your hands so that your fingers are on top of the foot. Place your fingertips in the spaces between the bones as you stroke firmly from toes to ankle.
Use your thumbs to press on the underneath arch of the foot to work back from ankle to toes.

Toe base joints: (metatarsalphalangeal joints - where the toe meets the main part of the foot, equivalent to the knuckles on your hands).
Starting at the big toe, make little circular movements in both directions on the joints at the base of each toe.

Toes: working back from the little toe, massage each toe from base to tip, working the toe up, down and around, then finally stroking firmly from base to tip and pulling a little.
Between the toes - gently work the fingers between the toes, either all four at once or one at a time, depending on how this feels for you. Then use thumb and index finger gently to squeeze and massage the spaces between the toe base joints.

Sole: I use a combination of my fingers and knuckles to make circular and stroking movements along the underside of my foot, from toes to heel and back again.

Whole foot finish: I finish off with more firm strokes from toes to heel, then light strokes from heel to toes as if I'm pulling cobwebs off my feet.

Pop your socks on to keep them warm, then relax with your feet up and a cup of tea! You deserve it!