Each toe tapers into its neck, which connects to a joint at the base of the toe. This second joint of the toe is called the metatarsophalangeal joint — whew! Refer to this area as the MTP joint. The MTP joint bends the toes at their base. There are many reflexes in this region.

Hold the right foot with your right hand; you will be using your left thumb for this area. Thumb walk across this joint from the baby toe to the end of the second toe. Bring the thumb back and walk along this joint again. You are walking right in the folded area, where the necks of the toes bend. Switch hands. With the left hand holding, use your right thumb to walk in the joint from the great toe out to the little toe. Repeat this thumb-walking process a few times.

Again with the left thumb, walk into each web starting with the web between the fifth and fourth toes. As the thumb moves into the web, you will feel a hard ridge. Stop here, rotate, and hold gently; do not push. Rotate and hold into each web, ending in the final web next to the big toe.

From the baby toe, thumb walk through again in the ridge with tiny, slow bites, using your left thumb. Then let your thumb begin to move along under the ridge into the fatty part of the foot. This area is directly under the joint, and you will walk here from the little toe to the big toe. Bring your thumb back under the little toe and stay along this region as you walk back to the great toe again. Switch hands and walk back and forth a few times.

Using your right hand as the holding hand, rest your left hand along the outer edge of the foot, with the fingers along the top part of the foot. With your left thumb, walk the space along the outside edge of the foot between the shoulder line and diaphragm line. Then, with your first two fingers, walk on the top surface of the foot from under the little toe to under the third toe. Bring the fingers back to the edge and repeat.