A Mother's Day to Remember

@Redmountainspa

By Myrna Beardshear,
Director of Spa & Wellness

Mother's Day is a day to celebrate your mother and show her how much she means to you.

I have found that the most meaningful mementos I have are little notes and cards that have been given to me over the years by my sons.

• Write your mother a letter or a special Mother’s Day poem to tell her how much she means to you and how much you love and appreciate her. No matter what your age, she is still your mother and the intimate contact of a letter will mean the world to her.


• Create a collage with pictures of your, your siblings, pets, family and friends. At Red Mountain, we are fortunate enough to have an artist Gina Jrel teaching a collage workshop and if you would like to do something extra special with your collage and turn it into art, go to her website – www.gina-jrel-art.com - and check out her work.


• Whether it’s cooking, cleaning, laundry or trimming the roses that she would usually do on this day, take over the duties and care for her as she has cared for you for so long.

Just these simple things will give your mother a wonderful day but make it an especially relaxing day with a little spa at home.

Lay out big fluffy towels and her favorite robe and run a bath for her with her favorite bath salts or oil. If she doesn’t have any, use this recipe: 8 drops Jasmine essential oil and 8 drops of Fennel oil.

Give mom a pedicure – believe me this service performed by you will be better than any spa pedicure she has ever had – its special ingredient is love!

Refreshing Home Pedicure

1. Get prepared. You’ll need nail clippers, orange stick (with cotton around the tips), nail file, two hot towels, and skin lotion. Have her sit in a comfortable chair, place a bath mat at her feet and prepare the foot bath.


2. Start by soaking her feet in warm water for five minutes (in a foot bath or tub). Add bath salts (you can use Epsom Salts or coarse sea salt and a couple of drops of peppermint essential oil.


3. Leaving one foot soaking, gentle push cuticles back with an orange stick with cotton around the tip, clip, and file the nails of the other. Repeat same for other foot.


4. Dry off feet and slather with lotion and wrap each foot in a plastic baggie and then wrap in a warm towel. Leave her quietly for 15 minutes with some soft music and eye pads.


5. Unwrap one foot at a time, bring it up to your lap and perform a foot reflexology treatment (see below).


6. Finish with a light application of skin lotion to each foot and apply some polish if it suits her mood.

Foot Reflexology

1. Start by giving each toe a good squeeze and a gentle pull. Using your thumbs, “walk” over the surface of the big toe – this will help stimulate the head, neck, face and brain reflexes.


2. Using your knuckles, press against the pads of the feet beneath the toes.


3. Compress the ball of each foot - using your thumb on the bottom of the foot and the palm of your other hand on top of the foot. Place your thumb in the groove between the bones that run lengthwise along the foot. Compress with your palm as you walk with your thumb through the grooves. This stimulates the chest and lung area.


4. Pinch the bottom of your heels – pulling and twisting skin. Also knead the heel using your knuckles.


5. Inch the tip of your thumb up along the arch of the foot (from heel to big toe), stimulating the spine’s reflex.


6. Make little circles around the inner and outer anklebones and on the sides of the heels.


7. Finish with gentle kneading over the entire foot.

Ref. Carol Tessier, Mini-Reflexology, Healing Lifestyles