Our heels strike the ground with each step, and absorb much of the impact of walking, standing, and running. Your heel bone, the calcaneus, is made of spongy bone, that is that is filled with fluid. This spongy calcaneous, along with your heel fat pad underneath it, helps your heel to function as a shock absorber.
Our heels also contain the reflex points for our hips and upper legs, down to the knee. As you massage your heels, you are stimulating the reflex points for your hips and thighs. Meaning, you may feel change in other areas of your body as you massage your heel.
Your achilles tendon attaches to the back of your calcaneus to transfer the strength of your lower leg to your foot. Your plantar fascia attaches to the front of your heel, keeping the form of your foot. With each step, your resilient heel is experiencing forces from above and below.
Heel massage can feel comforting and wonderful. Today’s massage is surprisingly soothing.
Just as the pores of the mountain filter rainwater into spring water, this massage exchanges the fluid in your heel. You are essentially replenishing the spring of your heel, restoring its resilience to experience its full buoyancy. May you tread lightly on the earth.
Time needed: 5 minutes.
How to massage your hardworking heels:
- Bring one foot up and rest it on your opposite thigh.
- Wrap your thumb around the achilles tendon, your forefingers around your heel at the base of your arch.
- Circle your cupped hand around your heel. Keep your pressure light. Allow the drag of your fingers to warm and stretch the fascia under your hand.
- Switch to the opposite foot.
For the complete program on how to give yourself a wonderfully relaxing, full body self massage, check out our Whole Body Transformation.