Step By Step Baby Massage Routine For The Legs

A simple baby massage routine for your baby's legs. Always make sure your baby is happy and healthy before you begin. Use an organic sunflower seed oil and do a patch test before. Ask your baby's permision to massage and take the lead from your baby.

Transcript

Now it's time to begin Baby Massage together.

So before we begin this beautiful experience,

Let's take a moment to come into the heart space.

I'd like you to place one hand on your heart,

One hand on your baby's heart.

And I want you to just start to breathe together.

Begin to notice the rise and fall of your chest and your baby's chest.

Start to feel the connection that exists between you.

Right here in this moment.

And just allowing yourself to fully come into this space.

This bubble of love that you have created just for the two of you.

And inside this bubble of love,

You are safe,

You are protected and you are free.

To feel it all,

Experience it all and open to give and receive.

To allowing yourself to breathe deeply into your heart.

And to feel your heart up with that love that you can share with your baby through this practice.

And now bringing your hand back to your heart again.

Two hands resting on this space of love,

Of connection,

Of kindness,

Compassion and gratitude.

Feeling your own heart beating and allowing yourself to drop into the body with each breath.

More deeply connected,

More deeply here and now.

And beginning to scan the body from the head,

Down,

Down the neck,

The back,

The tummy,

Your legs.

Scanning for any areas of tension that you want to loosen,

To release and dissolve.

And with each breath,

Just allow this to happen with ease and grace and flow.

Feel that tension melting away as you come into your heart,

Into your body.

Into this moment here and now.

And if you want to gently relax your shoulders by rolling them backwards and forwards.

Maybe elevating the arms up above your head,

Having a gentle stretch to allow the movement of energy through your spine.

And then coming back into the centre.

Placing your hands on your baby,

Softening your gaze.

And saying thank you to your baby for gifting you this experience today.

For the joy,

The expansion and the lessons that your baby brings.

And for those moments of challenge where you need to trust yourself even more that you know the way.

Just allowing for this moment of connection.

And then with your hands starting at your baby's head,

Just gently stroking down from the head to the toes.

Offering this beautiful cloak of love.

A cloak of love and protection that showers over your baby.

Sharing your energy,

Your presence,

Your heart.

And just breathing this moment in.

Allowing yourself to receive and opening your heart to give.

Safe and protected in this bubble of love.

And so now we're going to offer baby some leg massage.

So you might like to remove your baby's clothes.

Or perhaps just remove anything that's covering your baby's leg area.

Whatever feels most comfortable for you and baby.

So taking a moment to do that now.

And explaining to baby what you're doing.

That you're going to enjoy this beautiful experience of having a massage together.

So when you're ready.

You're going to pick up your oil.

And place some oil in between your hands.

And as you do give thanks for that oil.

For the earth that's created it.

For the sun that's nurtured it and the rain.

And all of the people and the connections that have brought it to you here now.

And giving thanks for the medicine that it brings.

So placing that oil on your hands.

And gently rubbing it between your hands to warm the oil.

And to infuse it with your energy and your love.

And you might even want to open your hands.

And place a prayer in your hands through your words.

Your intention for this massage.

Whatever it is that you desire your baby to receive.

And maybe even offer your breath to this beautiful oil.

So then leaning forwards to your baby gently.

Offering your words of asking for baby's permission to receive this massage now.

So as you lean forward asking baby are you ready to receive a massage baby.

And doing this in your own way.

Whether it's a song.

A poem.

A gift of your voice.

And tuning in to see what your baby needs right now.

Observing their body language and meeting your baby exactly where your baby is here and now.

And you can adapt the routine to whatever your baby needs and whatever you need.

Because you are creating this moment,

This magic together.

This is for you.

So if your baby desires to receive a massage.

What we are going to do is pick up one of baby's legs very gently.

And begin to bounce the leg.

And as we bounce the leg we are helping the leg to relax.

So we offer baby the words relax baby,

Relax,

Relax.

And as your baby's leg relaxes.

Offer your baby the gift of your smile.

Because as your baby's leg relaxes and your baby receives your beautiful smile.

Your baby associates these two together.

As I relax I receive joy from another.

What a beautiful gift.

So we relax the leg with gentle bouncing and celebrate baby as they relax.

Perfect.

So now we move on to our first stroke which is called Indian Draining.

So we secure baby's leg around the ankle with the thumb and the first finger.

And with the other hand we place it around your baby's thigh.

And very gently you glide and slide that hand up to the ankle.

Secure around the ankle and then release the other hand.

To start the stroke again from the thigh all the way up to the ankle again.

So you have alternate hands gliding and sliding.

And flowing from the thigh to the ankle.

One after the other in a beautiful rhythm and flow.

So allowing your hands to guide you.

Checking in with your baby to see how they are receiving this gift.

And connecting deeply with your heart.

So continuing to glide up the leg as you go.

And now we're going to move on to another stroke.

Which is from the Indian massage lineage called Ringing.

Or I like to call it hug and slide.

We place both our hands around the top of baby's thigh.

And very gently we glide the hands in opposite directions as we move up the leg.

As if we were gently wringing out a cloth.

And as you get to the ankle we slide the hands down and then we move up again.

Very gently gliding up the leg to the ankle and then sliding back down.

So repeating this move as many times as feels good.

Following the lead of your baby.

Following your heart.

Listening to your body.

Connecting with this moment.

And now we move on to the foot.

Very gently you cradle baby's foot in your hands.

And with the thumbs we begin to massage from the heel to the toe.

With gentle even strokes and even pressure.

And as you do so you will see baby's toes curling round.

Their little reflex action.

So we work gently on the foot.

Helping to stimulate all of the areas on the foot that are relating to reflexology.

So gently massaging this area.

Tuning in with baby if there's any discomfort.

And if there is we can just hold the foot in our hands.

Just hold the foot.

Send love.

Then we move to each one of the toes.

From the big toe to the little toe.

And we start to roll the toes all the way down.

From the biggest toe to the smallest toe.

And in this moment we can offer baby some words.

A rhyme.

A story or a poem.

Something deep in your remembrance that you received in your life as a child.

Or as an adult that you wish to share here with your baby now.

Your baby loves the sound of your voice.

It's a way to deeply connect together.

So offering something.

Or simply being in the silence.

So now moving on to the reflex zones of the foot.

Taking our first finger and placing it underneath baby's toes.

Baby's toes are curling round.

And we're working here on the areas that relate to the sinuses.

To the eyes,

The nose and the ears.

And we're holding this pressure here between three to six seconds.

Now we bring the same finger down to the arch of the foot.

The central part of the foot.

And we place the pressure here now for three to six seconds.

This is relating to the diaphragm and the stomach.

To help with good digestion.

And to centre and ground baby.

So being in this space for between three to six seconds.

Or however long your baby desires.

And then we come back up to underneath the toes again.

Offering the pressure for between three to six seconds.

And then coming down into the arch of the foot again.

Stomach,

The diaphragm.

And then one last time underneath the toes.

And then into the arch of the foot.

And now walking around with the thumbs on the sole of the foot.

In all the different areas.

Helping to activate and release anything that is tense within the body.

By working on all of the areas of the foot.

So walking those thumbs around.

And again offering any song,

Any words.

Checking in with baby,

Making sure they're okay.

Checking in with how you're feeling.

Relaxing into the moment.

And allowing the touch to take you on this journey together.

Now turning over the foot and cradling the foot in your hands.

And now we're going to massage on the top of the foot.

From the toes to the ankle.

With those long beautiful flowing strokes.

Easing and returning the blood and the lymph back towards the heart.

In the tradition of Swedish massage now.

So slowly,

Slowly massaging back up towards the heart.

Breathing in deeply with every stroke that you take.

Connecting in with baby.

Now bringing the thumbs around the ankles to create circles.

To nourish and nurture that joint.

To keep it very healthy and flexible and free.

So little circles,

Working around this area.

Checking in with baby.

Checking in with you,

How you are feeling.

And enjoying all of that beautiful oxytocin that is flowing through this process of nurturing touch.

Connecting us and bonding us together.

And then securing the ankle with the thumb and the first finger.

Placing a hand now underneath the ankle.

And gliding the hand back towards the thigh.

And then swapping the hand down.

So alternate hands flowing from the ankle to the thigh.

The opposite that we did at the beginning with our Indian draining.

We now turn to Swedish draining.

So returning the blood back to the heart with each stroke.

We flow,

We glide and we slide.

And we support your baby's circulation back towards the heart.

And just feeling all of the tension leaving baby's leg.

And then finally on this leg we come to the rolling stroke.

So we place our hands either side of baby's thigh.

And very gently roll the leg between the hands as if you were rolling out dough.

And as you roll you're releasing the tension from baby's leg.

You're stimulating all of the nerve endings.

And this is a joyful,

Playful stroke.

So again you can offer to baby a song,

A smile,

A story,

A rhyme.

And just allow that movement,

That playfulness to be activated between you.

And now gently stroking down the whole of the leg from the thigh to the ankle.

Integrating all of that together now on this side.

So now we move on to the other leg.

So this may be a time for you to use some more oil.

So again,

Taking the oil,

Placing it in your hands.

Rubbing it between your hands so that it's warm to your baby's skin.

And setting an intention or a prayer for the practice.

Leaning forward so baby can see you and asking your baby if they're ready to receive massage on this leg now.

And just waiting and observing baby's cues,

Knowing that any moment you can stop the massage,

You can offer your baby what they need.

Whether it's a cuddle,

Nap,

Or a doze,

Or food,

Or they want to play,

Or they want to be in a different position.

We honour baby's needs,

We take the lead from our babies.

So tuning in with how your baby feels.

And if they're ready for the massage,

We pick up the leg and gently elevate it as we did on the other side.

And bounce baby's leg,

Allowing baby's leg to fully relax.

And as it relaxes,

We offer a celebration.

Well done baby.

And we meet baby with a smile,

With a softness,

With an understanding.

That as baby relaxes,

Joy,

Peace and calm is reflected back to them.

And so it is.

So we gently bounce baby's leg until it's more relaxed.

And then we begin with the Indian Draining Stroke again.

So placing the thumb and the first finger around the ankle.

We secure the ankle and we place our hand around baby's thigh and gently glide up from the thigh to the ankle.

Secure there at the ankle with our thumb and our first finger.

The other hand is released and glides up from the thigh to the ankle.

So we'll turn at hands in this beautiful motion that's allowing release,

Calmness,

Pleasure through the body.

Creating that flow of oxytocin that opens the heart,

Calms the body.

So we're just receiving and giving that in the same moment with your baby.

And then revisiting the Ringing Stroke or the Hug and Slide.

So placing your hands at the base of baby's thigh.

Very gently moving the hands up the leg.

Up towards the ankle and then at the ankle sliding down back to the thigh and then moving up again.

Moving across the muscles,

Working deeply into that space to release any tension in your baby's body.

And continuing to do that,

Checking in with baby,

Checking in with yourself.

Dropping into the body,

Relaxing into the moment.

Just allowing it all to flow and to come together in this moment that is now.

Then moving on to the foot,

Cradling the foot in our hands.

And with the thumbs stroking now from the heel to the toes.

Toes curling round.

Beautiful,

Even pressure as you work across the foot,

Relaxing the foot.

Then working up towards the toes now.

Rolling through all the toes from the big toe to the tiny little smallest toe.

And again offering up your voice,

Rhyme or perhaps just the silence that exists within you and between you right now.

Moving on to our reflexology,

Placing the first finger underneath the toes.

Toes wrapping round,

Working on the sinuses here.

Sliding the finger down into the arch of the foot,

The stomach and the diaphragm.

Finger down into the arch of the foot,

The stomach and the diaphragm are centering.

Coming back up under the toes again.

And to the arch of the foot.

Underneath the toes.

And the arch of the foot.

And beginning to walk the thumbs around the whole of the foot.

Working on all the different areas that correspond to the rest of the body.

Teaching baby that they have these beautiful feet.

Thinking about where these feet would take your baby in their life,

What great adventures they might go on.

And the blessings of these feet to dance,

To walk and to run.

Then turning the foot over,

Cradling the foot in your hands and stroking down from the toes to the ankle.

Very gently returning the blood,

The lymphatic fluid back up towards the heart in the tradition of the Swedish massage.

And checking in with baby.

Seeing how they feel,

Checking in with yourself,

How do you feel?

Receiving it all.

Now making the small circles around the ankles again.

Nourishing the joints.

And then securing the ankle with the first finger and the thumb.

Placing the hand at the ankle and sliding,

Gliding back towards the body,

Down the leg,

Towards the thigh.

And then swapping hands.

Securing the ankle and flowing down the leg towards the body.

And so it continues,

Each hand following the other in a rhythmical flow.

And as you give each stroke,

Just relaxing more deeply into your own body as your baby also relaxes into the moment.

And finally placing the hands either side of your baby's thigh.

Very gently rolling out the leg from the thigh to the ankle as if you're rolling out that dough.

Releasing the tension in the leg.

Stimulating all of the nerve endings in the muscles.

Waking up the body and bringing that spirit of playfulness into the massage with a smile.

Maybe a song.

And just enjoying this moment now.

And now that you have done each side of your baby's body,

It's time to integrate both parts.

So then stroking down from baby's hips all the way down the legs to the ankles.

Just holding the ankles slightly,

Giving them a little bit of a bounce.

Everything's very relaxed now.

Relaxed and grounded and centered.

These are my legs.

Breathing in that moment with your baby.

And again,

Stroking down from the thighs all the way down the legs to the ankles.

Grounding that energy into this moment.

And once more,

Stroking down all the way down to those ankles.

And then maybe taking this moment to go back up to that cloak of love and doing a full stroke from the top of the head all the way down the body.

Down,

Down,

Down,

Down,

Down to baby's feet.

So they have a full sense of this is who I am.

They have a full sense of this is who I am in my body,

In this place,

In this time.

And doing a few of those strokes.

Infusing them with love,

With positive energy,

With gratitude for this moment.

And breathing this moment in.

And placing your hand on your heart and your other hand on your baby's heart.

Or if your baby wants to be closer,

Scooping your baby up and holding them close to you so they can hear your heartbeat.

Whatever feels right for you right now.

But a physical connection with your baby,

With a heart wide open to say thank you,

Baby.

Thank you for the gift of this massage.

Thank you for the gift of this moment.

Thank you for the gift of being in my life.

And thank you for all of the joy and the love that you bring me.

And for the learning,

The expansion,

And the lessons that I receive from this beautiful relationship with you.

And telling your baby how you feel right now.

Taking a moment.

Just honouring yourself and your baby for this co-created experience that you can return to at any time.

To feel this love,

To feel this trust,

This connection and safety in the love bubble that you've created.

I'm sending you so much love and blessings.