Legs And Feet Massage

All too often we take our bodies for granted, putting continual demands on ourselves.Our legs and feet frequently get ignored and small twinges and discomforts often go unheeded.Massage provides the means to ease these tensions and revitalize this weight-bearing part ofthe body.People whose jobs entail a lot of standing will find a leg and foot massage especially useful.Like the arms, the legs are also worked on individually.

Legs:
Massage Steps:
1.Oil the entire leg, beginning at the ankle, working up and over the hip, back down the leg and over the feet.Drain up from the ankle using the thumbs, stroke gently over the back of the knee, and, using the heels of the hands, continue draining the thigh up to the hip joint.Glide hands back down to the ankles and off over the feet.
2.Knead the calves and thighs, gently stroking over the back of the knee as you move from one leg to the other.
3.Wring up the legs from ankle to buttock, again being careful not to put any pressure on the back of the knee area.
4.Complete the sequence by using light, feathering strokes all the way down the leg.

Front Of Legs:
Massage Steps:
1.Oil up the entire leg.Drain up from the calf to the knee using the thumbs.Holding the back of the knee with your left hand, stroke with your right hand in a clockwise direction up and around the knee cap and round to the back of the knee; then stroke with the left hand in an anticlockwise direction.Repeat this sequence several times.
2.Work into the area directly around the knee cap.Use your thumbs to make small, overlapping circles.
3.Drain up from the knee cap to the top of the thigh, using the heels of the hands.Glide hands back down to the ankle.Wring all the way up the leg, starting at the ankle, and then knead the thigh area.Use light feathering strokes down the length of the leg and over the feet to finish the front of the leg.Repeat on the other leg.

Massage Caution:

The calves can be tender, particularly if your partner does a lot of exercise, such as running or cycling.Therefore this area should be handled with care.

Massage Tip:

If the person you are massaging has hairy legs or chest, you will need to use more oil as hair tends to absorb the oil more quickly.

Feet:
Massage Steps:
1.Foot massage can be both soothing and invigorating, and even people with ticklish feet respond to firm strokes.Bend the leg at the knee and work the ankle jiont around, using a circling motion.
2.Hold the foot firmly in one hand and use the palm of the other to stroke along the foot from heel to toes.Make the hand into a fist and, with the finger joints pressed into the foot, stroke firmly along the sole of the foot.Squeeze the heel.
3.Holding the foot in both hands, work along the sole of the foot, making small overlapping circles with the thumbs.
4.Work between the tendons on the front of the foot, all the way down to the toes.Massage each of the toes, sqeezing and gently pulling each one in turn.
5.Massage the foot between the heels of both hands, using a circular motion.Stroke firmly along the sole of the foot and lower the leg.Repeat for the other leg.

Massage Tip:

If your partner turns out to have ticklish feet, try increasing the pressure of the strokes you use.