Ready, Set, Yoga: This DIY Foot Massage Can Heal Your Body From Head to Toe

What if I told you relieving body aches and pains could be as easy as giving yourself a foot rub?

According to an ancient Chinese medicine practice called reflexology, the feet are like tiny maps to the entire body [1]. The idea is that every inch of your foot is covered with different reflex points, each of which corresponds to different muscles and organs—and targeting the right ones with massage could be all you need to heal everything from indigestion to back pain [2] [3]. The general breakdown looks like this:

• Toes: head (sinuses, vision, brain)
• Ball: upper chest area (heart, lungs)
• Arch: stomach and intestinal tract
• Inner foot: spine, back, and lower colon
• Heel: rectum, base of spine

Paying attention to how your feet feel can give insight to where your body might be out of balance. For example, achy arches might indicate digestion issues  And that’s where this reflexology foot massage comes in.

Grab some almond oil (olive or coconut oil also work), some lavender essential oil, and a foot reflexology map. In this video, I’ll show you the ultimate technique to giving yourself a blissful foot rub that’s as good as a full-body massage.