An hour for the feet, which carry everything and get the least attention. A warm foot bath, a herbal peeling, and then a slow oil massage of the feet and lower legs, finishing with a small bronze bowl drawn over the soles. People fall asleep. That is the point.
What Foot Massage with Peeling is
We start with a warm foot bath with herbs and salt while you sit with tea. Then a peeling with a herbal powder to remove dry skin. Then you lie down and I massage the feet, ankles and calves with warm oil, working the marma points on the soles, and finish with the kansa bowl, a traditional bronze bowl rubbed over the feet. Many people describe a warmth that rises through the whole body.
Where it comes from
Pada abhyanga, foot massage, is part of the Ayurvedic daily routine and is especially recommended before sleep. The texts describe the feet as the place to calm vata, the quality of movement and restlessness. The kansa bowl is a traditional tool from India; the bronze is said to draw heat out of the body. Foot massage before sleep is part of the daily routine in Vagbhata’s Ashtanga Hridaya [1]. The kansa bowl is a traditional tool from India; I know of no research on it and use it because clients like it.
What it is for
What people come to me for:
- Trouble falling asleep
- Tired, heavy or swollen legs
- Cold feet
- Restlessness, anxiety, feeling ungrounded
- Dry, cracked heels
- Standing jobs and long days on your feet
Reviews of massage therapy report better sleep and less anxiety across many small trials, including studies of foot massage [2]. The US National Institutes of Health summarises the research on Ayurveda as a whole [3].
How often to come
This depends on why you come. These are the rhythms I suggest most often; we settle on yours at the intake.
| If you come for | I suggest |
|---|
| Sleep | Weekly for a month, booked in the evening if possible |
| Tired or swollen legs | Every two weeks |
| Maintenance | Once a month, or as a treat |
What to combine it with
Treatments that work well alongside it:
And at home, in the days around the treatment:
- Warm milk with nutmeg or a cup of chamomile in the evening
- Less raw and cold food if your feet are always cold
- Oil your own feet before bed, two minutes with warm sesame oil and socks on; I will show you
Practical
60 minutes, €85. Amsterdam city centre, by appointment. Also as a 30-minute add-on before another treatment (€35, foot bath and peeling only).
- Eat lightly, and nothing heavy in the ninety minutes before.
- Tell me beforehand about pain, injuries, pregnancy or conditions you are being treated for.
- Keep the rest of the day easy if you can. The body is warm and open, so a hat helps on cold days.
When not to book
Better to wait, or to choose another treatment, with:
- Open wounds
- Fungal infection
- Fever
- The first trimester of pregnancy
Let me know if you have diabetes or circulation problems in the legs; the massage is adjusted, not refused.
Afterwards
Keep socks on and the feet warm. Go to bed early if you can.
Booking
Before a first treatment I suggest an Ayurvedic consultation of forty minutes for €90, so I know which oil and which treatment fit you. If you already know what you want, write to me or book directly.
Before a first visit, read the preparation notes and contraindications and the cancellation and rescheduling policy.
References
Numbers in square brackets in the text point to the entries below. Journal references are given in the National Library of Medicine style; each was checked against the Crossref and PubMed registries.
- Srikantha Murthy KR, translator. Vagbhata’s Astanga Hrdayam. Vol. 1. Varanasi: Chowkhamba Krishnadas Academy; 2004. Sutrasthana, chapter 2 (Dinacharya): daily oil massage of the body, head, ears and feet.
- Field T. Massage therapy research review. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2016;24:19-31. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2016.04.005. [DOI] [PubMed] [PMC free article]
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Ayurvedic medicine: in depth. Bethesda (MD): National Institutes of Health. [NCCIH]
The frequencies and combinations above are my general advice from practice, not medical treatment. If you are being treated for a condition, tell your doctor and tell me.