"How to Practice Foot Bathing for Wellness: A Guide to Foot Soaking for Health Preservation"

Benefits of Soaking Feet in Salt Water

1. Regularly soaking feet in salt water can kill bacteria and disinfect, prevent and treat athlete's foot, keeping the skin of the feet smooth and clean.

2. The feet are far from the heart, receiving less blood supply. Soaking feet in salt water allows the saltiness to enter the kidneys through many acupoints on the feet. Additionally, massaging Yongquan acupoint at the soles can promote blood circulation, aid sleep, and resist aging.

3. Cold feet can cause colds and discomfort. Regularly soaking feet in salt water can also prevent and control colds.

Benefits of Soaking Feet in Vinegar

1. Soaking feet in vinegar can accelerate blood circulation, enhance hemoglobin's oxygen-carrying capacity, improve fatigue-induced hypoxia, boost metabolism in various systems, facilitate the excretion of carbon dioxide and waste gases, relax the body, and eliminate fatigue.

2. Soaking feet in vinegar for half an hour daily can harmonize the excitement of sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves, regulate, dredge, and relax tense nerves, balance qi and blood flow in meridians, and balance yin and yang. Long-term practice can significantly improve sleep quality, curing sleep disorders like insomnia, excessive dreaming, and early awakening.

3. The feet are the foundation of the human body. There are 75 reflex zones in the feet with significant therapeutic value. Vinegar can penetrate the skin's surface, enhance blood circulation, activate and strengthen organ functions, eliminate blood waste and pathological deposits, and cure many chronic diseases.

Benefits of Soaking Feet in Safflower

Soaking feet in safflower has the effects of promoting blood circulation, removing blood stasis, and alleviating pain. It is used for menstrual closure, menstrual cramps, poor lochia discharge, symptom aggravation, and traumatic injuries.

Benefits of Soaking Feet in Mugwort

Soaking feet in mugwort can effectively eliminate deficiency fire and cold fire, treating diseases related to these conditions such as mouth ulcers, sore throats, periodontitis, gingivitis, and otitis media. For these conditions, boil a small handful of mugwort and soak feet in the water, or use a quarter of a pure mugwort moxa stick, torn into a soaking bucket, and steeped in boiling water for a while. Avoid sweating, drink plenty of warm water, soak a few times, typically over 2-3 days, while also drinking warm water, avoiding cold foods, and resting. This will significantly improve or eliminate discomfort in the head, face, and throat caused by deficiency and cold fires.

Precautions for Soaking Feet

1. Avoid soaking feet on an empty stomach as the body consumes a lot of calories during the process, and hypoglycemia shock can easily occur due to low blood sugar levels when glycogen stores are low.

2. Avoid soaking feet immediately after meals. Doing so can cause blood vessels in the skin to expand, reducing blood flow to digestive organs due to the temperature increase, thereby hindering food digestion and absorption.

3. Children should not soak their feet. They are in a growth and development stage with imperfect and unstable functions. Long-term soaking in hot water can affect nerve and blood vessel function, adversely impacting healthy foot development. Frequent hot water soaking can lead to flat feet, so children should avoid it and instead wash their feet briefly with regular warm water.

4. Avoid exposing oneself to drafts while soaking feet. The temperature can cause sweating, and avoiding drafts is crucial to prevent colds and soreness in the waist and legs, which could develop into chronic, year-round conditions.

5. Avoid excessively hot water. Generally, 38-40°C water is best. Higher temperatures prevent heat dissipation, leading to exhaustion or even burns. Therefore, start with 38°C and gradually increase to 40°C. Temperature selection should consider individual differences and soaking duration.