If I told you, you could do a gentle, daily detox that would make your skin smoother, lift your energy and just make you feel better, all in just 5 minutes a day? Would you do it?
This is a practice I have been doing for the past year and a half and I love it. Particularly for those early morning Pilates classes, this helps me wake up and get going. What am I talking about? Dry brushing!
What is dry brushing? It is brushing your skin in the direction of the heart, typically done in the morning before jumping in the shower.
What does it do?
– Exfoliates the skin, giving you baby soft skin, year round. This is quite handy in the dead of winter! Scaly elbows be gone!
– Supports circulation, particularly of the lymphatic system. After a night of rest, the lymph in the body is relatively stagnant. Taking a few minutes to dry brush before jumping in the shower helps circulate the lymph and ultimately supports the body’s natural method for removing metabolic waste. The more we can support our body in moving waste out, the better.
– Energize you for the day! By stimulating the lymph system, and nerve endings throughout the skin, you will be energized and ready for your day before that first cup of coffee!
What do you need?
You will need to purchase a natural bristled brush. Here is one similar to what I use.
How do you dry brush?
There is a specific order to dry brushing as you are working to stimulate the movement of the lymph. You will start with your most distal points of the body, the feet and the hands, and work inwards, always working towards the heart. If you choose to do your face, either use a brush specific for the skin on your face or go much gentler. Just a few strokes in each area will suffice.
And that’s it! Give it a try this week and let me know what you think!