Website design By BotEap.comFor those who don’t want or lack the desire to perform the fine art of foot massage by hand, there is the foot massager. These massagers range from those that need some manual (hand-held) involvement to completely hands-free foot massage machines. There should be a foot massager to fit every budget, depending on how involved you want in the massage. There are also wonderful FREE or very low cost options that do the job very well nonetheless. These are the focus of this article.

Website design By BotEap.comThere is a great option for free foot massages depending on where you live. Foot massage paths can be found in many East Asian countries, these are paths that have been paved with protruding stones of various sizes and textures. These paths are often accompanied by a poster illustrating the various acupuncture/reflexology points on the foot. If you’re lucky enough to have access to that path, you can get a great foot massage for free just by walking on the stones. It may also be possible to walk barefoot on various terrains, such as a riverbed or anywhere you have access to where you live. It can be quite tortuous at first to walk a more challenging (sharp and/or bumpy) path. I know from experience. My advice is to take it at your own pace, and be observant of the sensations you experience. The discomfort you experience at first will give way to something much more pleasurable as you relax and let gravity massage your feet with your own body weight. Nowadays, I really enjoy walking along the stone path and I can feel the stress leaving my body. It’s quite effective, actually. Not only do you get a massage, the stones under your feet also encourage correct posture because you have a much easier time walking down the path when your weight is well distributed. The way of massage works in a very interesting way.

Website design By BotEap.comThere is a home version of this massage that lacks the fresh air and outdoor environment of the massage path, but is a good option for those who prefer to have something they can use conveniently in their own home. These are foot massagers that sit on the floor and work by simply stepping on them. In Japan, homes often have half a cylinder of bamboo that one steps on to put pressure on different parts of the feet. This is a simple, convenient, and effective way to massage your feet. A wide variety of objects can be used in this way. You can use some kind of ball, a pineapple, firewood, a log sawn in half; almost anything can be used for this purpose. There are also store-bought items that work the same way; these are usually frames fitted with rollers that you run your feet over. I tried one with a kind of pointy rollers, it was heaven for my feet! I prefer these products to have sharper surfaces as this seems to help identify areas of the foot that need attention. These are very good investments to get a great foot massage. They have the added benefit of not needing an external power source and are less likely to break or need replacement, as long as they are not abused. I feel that this, along with the massage path, are the best ways to self-administer a foot massage, as you let gravity and your body weight do all the work.

Website design By BotEap.comAnother low-budget option is to use some kind of object as an extension of your hand to apply pressure. For example, you might want to use a mace-shaped stick to hit the points on your feet (I’m serious). A doctor who practices tuina (a form of Chinese massage that adheres to TCM principles) recommended hitting the kidney point many times (about 100 times on each foot) for health and longevity. I have my doubts on whether or not this works, but sometimes it feels good to hit the bottom of my feet. Obviously you don’t want to overdo it.