Tips
General
Simple Self Massage Tips
Here are some self massage tips you can use.
Foot Massage
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- Grab your toes and move them front and back 10 times. Then left and right for 10 times.
- Using your thumb, press the tip of your toe. Move it upwards and then sideways. Each time press for 10 seconds, then release for 10 seconds and press again. If there is pain, continue pressing. Repeat the same process with the other toes.
- Massage the fleshy area beneath your toes. Massaging this part helps relieve neck and shoulder pain. If your thumb is not strong enough, use your knuckles to press these points. You can also use a circular motion.
- Using your thumb/knuckles, massage your sole beginning from heel to toes, 5 times.
- Using your thumbs/knuckles, press the fleshy areas between each bone at the top of your feet. Press for 10 seconds, release for another 10 seconds and press again for 10 seconds. Repeat this 5 times.
- Using both thumbs, press down between the big toe and 2nd toe. Do not press on bone. Press and hold for 10 seconds, release and press for 10 seconds again. Repeat this step 5 times.
Foot Massage
Download (file format: PDF | size: 565kb)
Babies
Pregnancy
Confinement Tips
Washing hair and bathing
User guide for TYT confinement Herbal Bath for mothers
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Bathing guide for new born babies
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What are the practices of Malay ladies during their confinement or “Dalam Pantang”?
Chinese mothers take a lot of sesame seed oil while Malay mothers take a lot of black pepper instead. Malay mothers will make sure their bodies are clean and fresh by taking baths once a day as soon as possible. They believe a clean and fresh body will be good for breast feeding. A sweaty body is not healthy for the baby as germs are everywhere.
Postnatal Depression
Research notes that there is a 25% – 35% likelihood of postnatal depression happening among new mothers. It occurs due to post-birth hormonal changes and mental adjustments. To prevent moodiness in the new mum, here are some tips:
Exercise
Food
- A new mother is often exposed to bacteria during her long and tiring delivery process so it is crucial to take certain measures to prevent bacteria infection for both the new mum and her baby.
- Mothers who deliver normally will observe 7-day no bath period while mothers who have undergone Caesarean section will observe a 10-day no-bath period.
- After the no-bath duration, they can take their bath at least 2-3 times a week.
- Bathe with water that is at 37 C and confine your bathing time between 5 to 10 minutes.
- Dry your hair and body immediately and thoroughly to prevent catching a cold or fever.
- During the other times of the week, they can keep themselves fresh and clean by sponging daily with warm water or warm water which has been boiled together with the TYT Confinement Herbal Bath.
User guide for TYT confinement Herbal Bath for mothers
Click to enlarge
Bathing guide for new born babies
Click to enlarge
What are the practices of Malay ladies during their confinement or “Dalam Pantang”?
Chinese mothers take a lot of sesame seed oil while Malay mothers take a lot of black pepper instead. Malay mothers will make sure their bodies are clean and fresh by taking baths once a day as soon as possible. They believe a clean and fresh body will be good for breast feeding. A sweaty body is not healthy for the baby as germs are everywhere.
Postnatal Depression
Research notes that there is a 25% – 35% likelihood of postnatal depression happening among new mothers. It occurs due to post-birth hormonal changes and mental adjustments. To prevent moodiness in the new mum, here are some tips:
- Play soothing music to help the new mum relax and sleep better
- Decorate the confinement room with potted plants
- Encourage her to talk with family members and close friends
- Encourage her to share the experience with her husband
Exercise
- Appropriate gentle physical activities are crucial for new mum to regain body strength. For ‘normal delivery’ (ND) mum, she can exercise gently after 2 days. For the ‘Caesarean delivery’ (CD) mum, 24 hours after delivery.
- The following exercises can be carried out on the second day (for ND) and fourth day (for CD):
- Abdomen/Stomach massages
- Pelvic/Lower body tilts
- Head, neck and shoulder raises
- Leg slides
- Caution: avoid standing long hours and lifting heavy items during exercise.
Food
- New mums are encouraged to consume 500 gm of vegetables per day, topped with fruits like grapes and peaches.
- Fresh fruit tea is recommended for new mums with ‘cold stomach’.
- For chicken soup, it is preferable that the soup is boiled with a rooster (male chicken). A high fibre and vitamin diet is vital to boost a new mum’s and baby’s health.
- Caution: avoid heavy dosage of ginseng (which may cause insomnia, lethargy and uneasiness).
Foot Care
Foot Massage Tips
What should be done before any feet massage is done at home?
It is always a good practice to clean your feet by soaking them in warm water for at least 15 minutes before any foot massage. For better results, soak your feet with a herbal concoction such as water boiled with TYT Herbal Foot Bath. Besides cleaning, warm water will soften the tissues of your feet and allow better penetration of herbal oil during the massage.
How do I know which parts of my feet are connected to the parts of my body?
Our organs are connected to the nerve points at the bottom of our feet, the side and also the top part of the feet. Refer to this foot reflexology chart (file format:
)
Based on the simple chart above, massage your feet using your thumbs, or knuckles (provide more force to the nerve points) in a circular manner. You may use any cream or oil for the massage. For better effect, a mild 100% herbal oil will give better results as it allows the blood to flow even better once the herbal oil is massaged warm and its efficacy will take effect.
Can we use cream or oil that has a “burning” sensation if the massage is going to be more than 5 minutes?
NEVER use any oil or cream that has a “burning” sensation as the massage may hurt the skin of the person you are massaging as well as yourself.
How do we identify a healthy body?
In the golden old days of the Chinese Emperor era, the emperor’s medical practitioner will consider the Chinese phrase “Head cool Feet Warm” showing the person is normal and having a healthy body. Warm feet is a symptom of a good immune system.
How do I identify healthy feet?
There are 4 criteria to check if you have healthy feet. They are: colour, temperature, firmness of the feet and skin texture.
Click to enlarge
The lines on our feet change everyday, so it is better to look at them daily and if you find something abnormal, you may able to diagnose the symptoms earlier.
Deep and short lines indicate that certain parts of your body are having problems. If the lines are long and shallow, it means a certain part of your body has been having these problems for a long time. You can identify where the lines appear and determine which part of your body organs are not well.
Can I massage my feet on my own?
You may massage your feet while watching TV. A daily foot massage for a few minutes on both feet helps maintain a healthy body. If not daily, try to do it 2 to 3 times a week. If you sleep better after a foot massage, it shows your body is improving!
When you massage your feet and feel pain, it shows that a certain part of your body is not at its best. Continue massaging that point. If the pain persists for more than 1 week, please consult a doctor.
It is always a good practice to clean your feet by soaking them in warm water for at least 15 minutes before any foot massage. For better results, soak your feet with a herbal concoction such as water boiled with TYT Herbal Foot Bath. Besides cleaning, warm water will soften the tissues of your feet and allow better penetration of herbal oil during the massage.
How do I know which parts of my feet are connected to the parts of my body?
Our organs are connected to the nerve points at the bottom of our feet, the side and also the top part of the feet. Refer to this foot reflexology chart (file format:
)Based on the simple chart above, massage your feet using your thumbs, or knuckles (provide more force to the nerve points) in a circular manner. You may use any cream or oil for the massage. For better effect, a mild 100% herbal oil will give better results as it allows the blood to flow even better once the herbal oil is massaged warm and its efficacy will take effect.
Can we use cream or oil that has a “burning” sensation if the massage is going to be more than 5 minutes?
NEVER use any oil or cream that has a “burning” sensation as the massage may hurt the skin of the person you are massaging as well as yourself.
How do we identify a healthy body?
In the golden old days of the Chinese Emperor era, the emperor’s medical practitioner will consider the Chinese phrase “Head cool Feet Warm” showing the person is normal and having a healthy body. Warm feet is a symptom of a good immune system.
How do I identify healthy feet?
There are 4 criteria to check if you have healthy feet. They are: colour, temperature, firmness of the feet and skin texture.
Click to enlarge
- Check the colour of your feet, if it shows:
RED all the time
Shows that your energy is over, easy to get upset and angry. If some part is RED only, shows that certain internal organ is having problem.
PURPLE
The body easily feels cool, internal organ functions may be blocked or are not functioning properly.
PALE WHITE
Not enough energy, blood and (leam pa yuan) not flowing properly, maybe low blood pressure and lethargic most of the time.
YELLOW
The liver is tired and its function may turn weak too. If the center of the feet is YELLOW only, then it shows the body is too tired.
- Feel the temperature of your feet
Normally if there is anything wrong with our body, sickness will show on the bottom of our feet, e.g, someone that has (chean lei cuan) cancer, the bottom of the feet will be extremely cold, someone who has been sick for a long time or with serious sickness, the feet will be pale white and the feet would have lost much firmness. A person who spends long hours in air-conditioned environments such as the office, car and also sleeps in an air-conditioned room will have feet that are cold and hard. It’s advisable to sleep without turning on the air-conditioning or reducing the hours to only 1 or 2 hours. The feet should be warm, not HOT ! If i is hot, it means the hormones are imbalanced.
- Feel the feet – are they soft, firm or hard?
Press your feet, feel the bottom of your feet. Is it hard or soft? A healthy person feet will be soft and firm. If it is hard and cold, it means the circulation is bad, though this can be improved through regular foot massage.
- How rough are your feet?
Look at the feet. Check if the lower part of the feet skin is dried, cracked or if the lines are deep. Normally the above signs show certain part of your organs is sick. For example, if the bottom of the feet cracks, it indicates a stomach problem. If the cracks are near your big toe, it indicates a problem with your neck area. But if you have been carrying heavy items or walk a lot, or have been to the beach lately, the cracks may not be a proper indication of your health.
The lines on our feet change everyday, so it is better to look at them daily and if you find something abnormal, you may able to diagnose the symptoms earlier.
Deep and short lines indicate that certain parts of your body are having problems. If the lines are long and shallow, it means a certain part of your body has been having these problems for a long time. You can identify where the lines appear and determine which part of your body organs are not well.
Can I massage my feet on my own?
You may massage your feet while watching TV. A daily foot massage for a few minutes on both feet helps maintain a healthy body. If not daily, try to do it 2 to 3 times a week. If you sleep better after a foot massage, it shows your body is improving!
When you massage your feet and feel pain, it shows that a certain part of your body is not at its best. Continue massaging that point. If the pain persists for more than 1 week, please consult a doctor.
Tip on Cautions to Watch Out for Foot Bath
- No foot bath 1 hour before and after meal to avoid indigestion.
- No foot bath if there is open wounds to avoid infections.
- Aged person (60 years old & above), high blood pressure, asthma and heart problems patients confine the soaking time to 15 minutes.
These people are soaking, dry the feet and massage lightly the feet with TYT Herbal Medicated Oil until warm. Rest both feet higher so that the blood circulation can flow better throughout the whole body. Take a nap is even better for aged people after foot bath. - Some people may encounter better blood circulation effects such as itchiness or rashes at certain part of body such thighs, arms where cellulite are more etc, apply TYT Herbal Medicated Oil to reduce the itch and rash.
Tips on Before & After Foot Bath
- Tub is deep enough to cover ankle and lower limb.
- Rest soles flat to avoid cramp.
- Soak for 15 t0 30 minutes, add warm water if the water gets cold.
- Move feet to stimulate therapeutic effects.
- Drink a cup of warm water before and after foot bath to regain body fluid and detoxification.
Foot Reflexology Tips
Foot reflexology is about 5000 years old and was recorded as one of the healing methods practised during China’s Huang Dynasty. Records clearly state that the physician to the Emperor at that time had used foot reflexology to heal the sick. Learn how you can massage your feet at home with these instructions.
Foot Reflexology Chart
Download here (file format: PDF | size: 585kb)
Simple Home Massage for Healthier Living
Download here (file format: PDF | size: 183kb)
Foot Reflexology Chart
Download here (file format: PDF | size: 585kb)
Simple Home Massage for Healthier Living
Download here (file format: PDF | size: 183kb)
Foot Bath Tips
- The tub used for foot bath should be deep enough to cover your ankles or if possible, until your calves.
- Rest both soles flat on the bottom of the tub to avoid muscle cramps.
- Adjust the temperature of the water by adding more warm water to the TYT Herbal Foot Bath solution if needed.
- Soak your feet for 20 to 30 minutes, topping up with warm water once or twice in between the session if the water starts to cool.
- Move your feet and rub them against each other for better therapeutic effects.
- Drink a cup of warm water before and after your foot bath, to regain body fluids and to facilitate detoxication.
- Don’t soak your feet 1 hour before or after meals to avoid indigestion.
- Don’t soak your feet if you have open wounds to avoid infection.
- If you have high blood pressure, asthma and heart problems, reduce the soaking time to 15 minutes.
