Taking a few minutes before bedtime to let your muscles know you love them might transform your life, as well as your sleep.
Foot and Leg Self-Massage
All those acupuncture points in the feet that are linked to every part of the body? Here’s an easy way to help them out. This foot and leg massage is simple and feels amazing. It’s from 3 Self-Massaging Techniques to Induce Quality Sleep. I’ve turned it into a step-by-step list to make it extra-simple.
- Sit in bed and extend your legs in front of you.
- Put both hands around one leg near the ankle and gently pull upward to the knee — pressing your fingers along the back of your calf on the way. Repeat a few times.
- Repeat step #2 for the other leg.
- With your legs still extended, point all your toes forward so you feel the stretch across the top of the foot.
- Point the toes back towards your body — grabbing them if you can — and pull gently to stretch the calf muscles.
- Bring your feet close to you.
- Put both your thumbs on the center of the sole of one foot. Wrap your hands around the foot.
- Use your thumbs to make rhythmic, kneading circles all over the sole. You may want to use your fingers to press into the heel, and the base of the toes.
- Repeat steps #7 and #8 for the other foot.
Ayurvedic Self-Massage
A warm oil self-massage is part of a daily Ayurveda practice. Since this is a full-body massage, you may not be up for it at bedtime, or then again maybe it’s the perfect time to fit this healing ritual into your day, or some of them. Or just do part of it. This lovely 6-minute video demonstrates.
Here’s a suggestion for a mostly organic ayurvedic massage oil that’s warming, designed to soothe muscles and joints. No idea what some of these ingredients are, but the list is evocative for sure.
If you want to get super-into the ayurvedic aspects of which oils are best for what, Banyan Botanicals has a comprehensive look at that, as well as links to their extensive selection of ayurvedic oils. On the same page, they also offer a free dosha quiz to learn your ayurvedic body type and state of balance, so you can choose the type of massage and oil that will benefit you most.
