An Evening Foot Massage With Lavender Oil: How to Choose and Use a Foot Massage Oil
A slow foot massage is one of the simplest ways I know to close the day. You need a comfortable seat, a few quiet minutes and a good foot massage oil, and you can do the whole thing yourself on the edge of the bed. Below I walk you through the sequence I use step by step, then talk about what to look for in an oil and why I reach for our lavender oil in the evening.
Our feet carry us through everything, and they rarely get any loving attention in return. Giving them a few minutes at night is a small way of saying thank you to the body, and it brings your awareness down and out of the busy head space where so many of us live all day.
How to give yourself a foot massage before bed
Sit somewhere you can comfortably bring one foot up onto the opposite knee, like the side of the bed or a cushion on the floor. Keep a small towel nearby if you want to protect your sheets.
- Settle first. Sit up straight, close your eyes, and roll your shoulders back and down. Take a deep breath into the belly and let it out through the mouth. From my Thai bodywork practice, I always relax first and get into the heart space before I touch anything, because the hands are softer and more attentive when the breath has slowed down.
- Warm the oil. Put two or three drops in your palm and rub your hands together until you have a really thin layer of oil on both palms. Warm hands on cool feet feel so much nicer than cold oil straight from the bottle.
- Wrap the foot. Hold one foot between both hands and smooth the oil from the toes back toward the ankle, top and bottom, a few times. This spreads the oil and lets the foot get used to your touch.
- Thumb circles along the sole. Starting at the heel, use both thumbs to make small circles with a little bit of pressure, working slowly up the sole toward the ball of the foot. You might notice under your thumbs that you can feel where the tension is. Stay there a little longer and, with your loving touch, allow that area to relax.
- Press along the arch. Follow the inside curve of the foot from the heel to the big toe, pressing in with your thumb and releasing, one step at a time. Slow, steady pressure feels better here than quick rubbing.
- Squeeze each toe. Take each toe between your thumb and index finger, give a gentle squeeze from the base to the tip, and give it a little wiggle. Keep it gentle, with only enough pressure to wake each one up.
- Ankle circles. Hold the leg just above the ankle with one hand, take the foot with the other, and slowly circle it a few times in each direction.
- Switch feet. Repeat the whole sequence on the other side, then sit for a moment with both feet on the floor. Take one last deep breath with an audible exhale, like you are sighing out the stress of the day.
If your feet feel slippery afterward, slip on a pair of soft cotton socks so the oil stays on your skin and off the floor and the sheets.
What oil to use for a foot massage
The most important thing is that your fingers can glide without pulling on the skin. A plant oil does this well, and a little goes a long way, so you do not need to pour much. Here is what I look for when choosing a foot massage oil:
- A gentle base oil. All three of our infused oils are made with organic golden jojoba oil, which spreads easily and feels smooth under the hands.
- The whole herb, with no essential oils. Our oils are whole herbs infused in jojoba, with no essential oils and no synthetic fragrance. The scent you smell is the herb's own, and it is softer than an essential oil, which I find more pleasant for an evening practice when you want things quiet and gentle.
- A scent you love. Scent becomes part of the ritual. When you smell the same plant every night you sit down for this, your body starts to recognize it as the time to slow down.
For the feet in the evening, my choice is our lavender infused oil. The lavender is grown in Catawissa at a neighboring farm, and we infuse the whole plant in the jojoba so you receive the herb itself along with its fragrance. If you prefer something different, our chamomile and calendula oils work the same way in this sequence. As with anything new on your skin, try a small amount on one spot first.
Foot massage oil for sleep
Many people search for a foot massage oil for sleep, and I understand why. Lavender has traditionally been used in calming evening routines, and chamomile too. I can't promise that a foot massage will change how you sleep, and I would never want to. What I can tell you is what the practice offers. It gives you a few minutes of slow breathing, warm hands, repetitive touch and a familiar plant scent, and many people find that combination a lovely cue that the day is done.
If you would like to build a fuller wind-down around it, here is what I pair it with:
- Turn off screens and dim the lamps before you start, so the massage happens in a calm room.
- Do the foot massage last, after brushing your teeth and anything else on your list, so there is nothing left to get up for.
- When you finish, sit for a minute and think of three things you are grateful for, and let yourself feel that gratitude in your whole body. Gratitude is a high vibrational state, and it is a beautiful note to end the day on.
That last step comes from my Sunday evening practice, which you can read about in my herbal face ritual. The foot massage fits into the same spirit of slowing down and coming back to the body, and it connects you to the plants and the soil they grew in, right there in your own hands.
Wishing you soft feet and a peaceful evening from the farm.
From the farm
