Foot Care

In India, especially in the North, during Diwali, people clean the entire house. Middle class families cannot afford to outsource the cleaning service. All women are not as lucky as some, where male members of the family help them out. Diwali cleaning becomes an extra burden with the daily chores. Their feet begin to hurt.

During this time, boil water with rock salt, neem leaves and turmeric powder. Pour this in a tub or bucket and bring the temperature of the water to the one which can be tolerated by you. Add some mild shampoo in it. Place your tired feet inside the water for 5 minutes after massaging them with neem oil. Using a loofah or a soft tooth brush or a soft coconut fibre, clean your feet intermittently. Keep your feet in the water often.

If you are using a bucket for this pedicure, then lift your feet up a little slowly and place it back in the water again slowly. Do this exercise 30-35 times. If you have good energy and stamina, this can be done 54 times as well. Remove your feet from water and towel-dry it. Then, using multani mitti and curd paste, apply all over the feet, including the lower portion.

Place your feet at a higher level and lie down. Breathe deeply 20-25 times. Relax every cell from the crown of your head to the tip of your toe. Again, breathe deeply 20-25 times. Then, for 5 minutes close your eyes and relax. Check your feet if the pack has dried. Keep relaxing until it has dried. Wash off in lukewarm water.

Mix a little honey in mashed fully ripe banana, kasturi turmeric powder and 2-3 drops of neem oil. Massage well with this mixture for 10 minutes to half an hour. Wash feet and towel-dry. If done in the above-mentioned manner, you will be relaxed and ready for the slogging on the next day. This is my Mom’s holistic healing remedy for tired feet.