by SharonHartnett | Jun 10, 2014 | Craniosacral Therapy, Massage, Massage License in Ohio: 33.007505-H-K, mind body & spirit, Structural Integration
Have you taken the time lately to examine your feet?
Did you know that the feet are good indicators of what is going on with your overall health?
For your wellbeing, you might want to consider setting aside a little space in your schedule for some TLC to this part of your body.
As a Massage Therapist for 17 years, I have seen lots of feet. The care that people put there ranges anywhere from between a “0” up to a “10”.
Most common for the best feet- women who like to have pedicures and get their feet massaged monthly often sport around healthy feet. Believe it or not, this extra attention really shows. When your pedicurist or massage therapist work with your feet, the professional ones will let you know if they notice any unusual sores, stiffness, and personally-you will feel if there is pain by touch or certain movements. Also athletes who listen to their feet and find their center and balance also have better posture in how they stand and move through life.
I see more unhealthy feet with the elderly. Sometimes Seniors can’t reach down and touch their feet so they get neglected. In these cases, I have seen open sores, felt the lack of circulation, noticed yellowing and dryness, and ingrown nails. But there are also younger people who have issues. I have seen young women who wear high heel shoes every day and their feet lose their natural shape and then start to resemble shoes. They are no longer able to stand correctly fully on their feet which pulls the whole body out of alignment. Another issues that frequently comes up is the pain associated with Plantar fasciitis. When people don’t wear the proper shoes to support their feet, this very painful condition in which a thick band that connects the heel to the toes becomes inflamed.
So what can you do to take care of your feet?
Taking Care of Your Feet
As you can see from this reflexology chart, the feet, as is the whole body, is interconnected. People who have studied the feet in particular, or who have massaged them for years, can usually begin to correlate certain relationships. This chart can be helpful to you too in identifying any possible problems. Try practicing massage at home or receive massage by your favorite therapist and ask for particular attention to the feet. Allow yourself to become mindful and feel into the sensations… whether pleasure or pain. In the picture above, you can get an idea where you are tense and be curious about the part of the body that is associated there. Knowledge is power and understanding your body is key to your health.
If you have a challenge reaching down or visual problems seeing your feet, ask your caretaker or partner to give you some feedback. For example, if there are yellowing nails- it may be time to see your podiatrist for fungus problems. Keeping your physicians updated on any unusual conditions will help them to decide how to test you for health issues such as diabetes or neuropathy.
Make sure that you change your shoes often. From a Structural Integration perspective, walking in old worn out shoes that are already a reflection of your footstep will worsen your alignment. Different shoes support differently. That makes sense. Engage the whole foot as a whole as much as possible. Keeping your foot balanced is healthy.
Structural Integration and Massage can be great in taking care of your feet. It improves circulation, increases lymphatic flow, engages the nervous system, touches into the reflexology points, enhances flexibility and helps you to feel more grounded and at ease in your whole body. After all, your whole structure comes through your feet as you move through life. So it’s important to bring your attention to this connection of structure.
I know it can be easy to ignore the feet. Everyday they move us around, they do their job so that we forget to feel mindful. However, this is the exact reason why we should change our thinking. For longterm health- pay attention to what is working and make sure that the feet are well taken care of. Let your feet be an indicator of your overall health and wellness. You deserve happy and healthy feet!
For a link to more information on feet:
http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/cf/slideshows/what-your-feet-say-about-your-health?ap=825#slide=1
Warmly,
Sharon Hartnett LMT
Columbus, Ohio
(614) 372-6598
by SharonHartnett | Apr 11, 2014 | Massage, Massage License in Ohio: 33.007505-H-K
Do your Feet Hurt? How about a wonderful Foot Massage to sooth away the pain?
When your feet feel good, you feel good. Foot massage will not only help undo knots and tension in your feet, but also helps bring comfort to your whole body.
Benefits:
- Having your feet rubbed helps with circulation and is especially advantageous for people experiencing neuropathy in their legs.
- It’s wonderful in how well it alleviates cramped feet discomfort and chronically tight leg muscles.
- From a structural perspective, when the foot is balanced, we stand better in relationship to gravity. Our posture improves from foot to the top of the head.
- Reflexologists state that there are certain areas of nerve innervation that when worked will enhance the corresponding parts of the body.
- Stimulates the Lymphatic System to carry away waste.
Massage Columbus Ohio
Ask your massage therapist to spend a little extra time on your feet!
For additional information, check out this Dr. Weil link: http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02030/massage-tips.html
Sharon Hartnett LMT
(614) 372-6598
by SharonHartnett | May 13, 2013 | Massage, Structural Integration, thought for the day
How Can You Massage Your Feet?
One of the concerns expressed by some clients who get massage, structural integration and craniosacral therapy is that after a few days, their bodies start to go back into the old habit of movement.
My observation, especially after working with the fascia for so long, is that people continue to change after the session. Once the fasica has been touched or manipulated in any way, it changes the rest of the continuous web of connective tissue that envelopes the body. After a 10 series of SI, the body has been taken into new places from different angles and various degrees of depth to bring the body back into structural integrity. The body is then in a work of process for many months while the body learns to integrate in a new way.
However, during sessions, while the work in my personal opinion, can be life altering, not everything can be “fixed”. Often clients do come in wanting to feel great after a session or two with strong expectations. While Massage and Bodywork can do wonders, it does take time create the habits that result in your personal posture. So, it is helpful to think that it takes time and also personal responsibility to shift imbalances into correction. The body will shift and remold if you receive good work and re-educate the physical with new movement.
What I would like to recommend today is to take a look at your feet. If you are walking around on the earth with stiff feet, how are you going to create positive change in the rest of your body. We are so accustomed to wearing shoes for running, walking, playing that we have forgotten how to feel the natural movement of the naked foot on the ground. In order to find balance in your body, explore your foot and how it rests on the ground. Listen to the stiff areas and become mindful of how you relate as a whole to your feet.
Once you have a good idea of how your feet feel and move, look for ways to improve mobility, range of motion and flexibility. An easy thing to do is to stand on one foot and build strength in the line of your leg. Personally, I like to practice foot relationship on a body roller that is cut in half. They are relatively inexpensive, easy to play on, and only a few minutes each day can make a profound change in how you walk.
Free your feet!
Each morning, start your day by placing your foot on this roller and explore with different positions to release foot tension. Notice how the alignment in your whole body starts to shift as your heels come down or your arch begins to relax. You might feel so much better than you feel like your feet have been massaged for an hour:) There are also good sport classes such as gyrotonics and tai chi that will help you reconnect to the feet better as well!
When you visit your favorite Massage Therapist or bodyworker, she will have a much easier time getting into the foot and the more relaxed tissues of the leg.
Massage is a great way to awaken and open the body, but taking personal responsibility on a daily basis for physical change exponentially impacts the body in a healthy way. This foot exercise is an easy way to begin self-care for your posture.
If you have any further questions, call Sharon Hartnett LMT for a free 15 minute phone consult.
Warmly,
Sharon Hartnett LMT
740 966-5153
For a ball roller, look at:
