Foot Bath Overview
Footbath is an alternative therapy to detox toxins from your body system. Footbath is originated from a Japanese legend occurred more than 1,600 years ago. It was narrated by a group of sickly people and monks who made pilgrimage.
One evening during that time, in a deep mountain, the group looked around to find a place to rest their exhausted bodies. They saw a hot spring streaming out of the rock where they decided to make their shanty for the night. Before sleeping, they placed their feet to the hot stream to relieve their fatigue. When they woke up the next morning, they noticed that they felt healthier than ever before. The group completed their pilgrimage, and they were informed by their physicians that their illnesses were gone.
This occurrence of miraculous healing power spread around from villages to villages. Thousands of people followed the same route of pilgrimage, and some doctors and renowned physicians found that footbath has something to do with healing. From then on, the term “footbath” or “Ashiyu” in Japanese was born.
In Chinese Medicine’s theory, Chinese Physicians believed that foot is the second heart of human body, which six meridians (liver, gall bladder, kidney, spleen and stomach) reach the feet. Exterior coldness tends to penetrate from the soles to our internal body, therefore washing our feet before sleep will help to warm the yin meridians and expel the coldness. Soaking our feet in hot-warm water will improve better blood circulation, metabolism and energy to our internal organs as well as removes toxins from our body.
- Soaking feet in spring helps to promote energy to flow upwards.
- Soaking feet in summer helps to remove dampness & heat.
- Soaking feet in autumn helps to nourish the lungs & cleanses the intestinal system.
- Soaking feet in winter helps to improve resistance against cold weather.
The Liver Meridian and Spleen Meridian run through the big toe; the Stomach Meridian runsthrough the second toe; the Gall Bladder Meridian runs through the fourth toe; the Bladder Meridian runs through the small toe and the Kidney Meridian runs through the center of the sole. Therefore, massaging each toe will improve their health conditions.
Sweating indicates the energy channels are not stagnating while too much sweating is not good as it consumes too much energy. Normally, we will start to sweat in around 20 minutes and it may take longer for those with energy-flow problems.
Researches showed that added with herbs will help to speed up the recovery of illnesses, delay or prevent illnesses’ symptoms & energize the body system to good health.
Note
(1) To apply 1 foot bath’s recipe per day at 1 to 2 times daily & after 1 week, apply once every 3 other day.
(2) Avoid soaking on an empty stomach or immediately after dinner.
(3) Do not bath till 8 hours later.
(4) Consult your health expert’s advice if you are on medications, pregnant or breastfeeding.
(5) A warm foot bath must covers the feet & ankles, preferably up to knee cap at temperatures ranging from 100° to 115° F (43°C- 46°C).
(6) Not advisable for those who have diabetes, high blood pressure & peripheral arterial diseases.
You can view & try out some of our foot bath remedies at Recipes & Remedies Page under category: Remedies: Application.
