Give a Great Foot Massage

1. Trailer: Hi, guys. My name is Stacey, and I'm a massage therapist with my own practice in Colorado for the last nine years. One of the things I get asked the most by my client is how they can give a basic massage at home. So in this class, I'm gonna show you how to do a basic foot massage. This class is for anyone who's not a massage therapist but wants to learn how to give a good massage. I'm gonna be walking you through some basic massage techniques with easy to follow instructions. By the end of this class, you're gonna learn everything you need to know to give a great massage to your friends and family. 2. Disclaimer: before we get started. I just want to make clear that you should use this course as a casual guide for massages for friends and family, and it should not replace any formal schooling or massage therapy education of any kind. It's very important that you know each person that you massage because every person is different and requires different amounts of pressure. And it is always important to keep the lines of communication open and adjust your pressure to their comfort level. And one thing to keep in mind when massaging a pregnant woman, You want to avoid the ankles as that can put them into labor. If you ever have any question, always check with your doctor. 3. Class Project: for the class project. Give your friend a foot massage. Once you're done, answer these three simple questions and post your answers to the project page. How did your friend feel before and after the massage? How did you feel after giving the massage and what was your favorite technique? I look forward to reading your stories and seeing how things went. 4. Effleurage: the first of our massage techniques is called F Lage F. Garage is a French word, meaning to skim or to touch lightly. For this stroke, you're going to use open palms, light pressure and broad strokes, and we use this stroke toe warm up and loosen the muscles. This technique is also used in between the other basic massage techniques. It links everything together, creating a sense of completion. 5. Petrissage: Petra. Sasha is our second basic massage technique, and in French it means to need. It's usually applied with a deeper pressure than F Loor AJ, and consists of muscle needing, ringing and skin rolling. If you've ever given a massage before, Petra, Sarge is probably the technique you've already used. You'll be needing lifting or squeezing the muscle and somewhat of a pinching or grabbing motion. This technique is usually applied with more pressure, so it is very important to know the comfort level of the person you're massaging. This technique will be the one that you will be using the majority of the time. 6. Setting The Mood: some ways you could create a relaxing environment would be dimming the lights, playing some relaxing music, lighting some candles and using pillows or blankets to make the person more comfortable. Make sure your nails aren't too long. So you're not poking your friend in the back while giving a massage. And make sure to wash your hands before and after, because hygiene is very important. So now that you know how to set the mood, we can move on to the basics. Let's get started. 7. Massage Instructions: my feet are one of my favorite places. To have massaged were on him all day, and getting a nice, relaxing foot massage at the end of the day can be just what you need to relax. One of the easiest position for this massage is to have the person you're massaging lay on their stomach on either bed or another flat surface into place a pillow directly under their ankles to support their low back. In this massage, we're gonna use lotion, and we're gonna apply it using some basic F LaRock strokes, which will also warm up the muscles of the feet. After applying lotion, we'll start with one foot doing some more detailed work with the thumbs. We're gonna apply some pressure all around to open up the foot and drag our index finger and thumb in between the joints in the toes, pulling in, wiggling as we go. There's a lot of toxins and build up that goes to our feet, since it's the lowest point in our body, and this is a really good time to break all that up. You may even be able to feel some popping, and that's completely normal. And usually feels really good to the person you're massaging. Go ahead and use the thumbs to really open up the foot. You can squeeze in between each toe and wiggle it around. You can even focus right on the Achilles tendon there and using your thumb and index finger, you can actually pull the foot towards yourself, which could be felt all the way up into the hip. Continue to apply lotion as needed, so your hands air gliding over the foot but not slipping. One technique that can be done with the tips of the thumbs is what I like to call in for me . It's when your thumbs are just crawling out the foot one right after the next. You can work this technique up and down the entire surface of the foot. Now, with a closed fist, we're gonna do some needing of the foot by using the knuckles and applying pressure directly down in away from the The feet can handle a lot of pressure, but make sure to always check in with the person you're massaging to make sure they're comfortable. Lifting up the foot slightly can also give you better access to the top of the foot. That's a place that definitely needs to be massaged as well. You can use your index finger to run between the bones in the foot, using a pinching and pulling method as you apply pressure towards the toes. Yeah, you can also take the thumbs into a rocking motion of the foot, moving it back and forth to apply pressure. Make sure you massage both the equal amount of time and have fun and be creative. You can go back and forth from one foot to the next. You can even massage both feet at the same time if you like. And typically with a foot, massage your using your thumbs to apply pressure in the center of the foot and moving outwards. Massaging the feet does release a lot of toxins. Make sure the person that received this massage streets plenty of water to flush those toxins out. But at the end, you can bring the entire massage together by placing your hands on both feet and doing some simple F LaRock strokes to bring it all together and give the person you're massaging a sense of completion 8. Wrap Up: massages release toxins stored in the muscles, so encouraged the person that you just massaged to get up slowly and to drink plenty of water. Drinking water will help flush any toxins that were released during the massage. Make sure you check in with yourself as well. Working on someone else's muscles is also a workout for yours, so it's important to take care of your own self is well. Stretching is always a good idea, and don't forget to wash your hands. 9. Thanks For Taking My Class!: That's it, guys. I hope you enjoyed my class. Thanks for taking it. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me on the ask me anything. Page. Thanks again. And I'll see you next time.