Brusha Brusha Brusha!
Body brushing has become my new past-time. No really, I have forced it into my routine. I set up a bunch of goals at the beginning of the year and I committed to looking at them every morning and every night, mainly because that keeps in my head what they are and what I need to work on for the week, day etc. Hence this is where the habit of body bushing came in.
I purchased this set of body brushes from Amazon. I did a lot of research on body brushing and a lot research on reviews of different body brushes because I am a sensitive flower. For real. I am.
So our skin is our largest organ on the body right? One major reason to take care of it.
What does body brushing do for our bodies:
1. Stimulates Your Lymphatic System
Your lymphatic system is responsible for eliminating cellular waste products. Hundreds of miles of lymphatic tubules allow waste to be collected from your tissues and transported to your blood for elimination, a process referred to as lymphatic drainage.
When your lymphatic system is not working properly, waste and toxins can build up and make you sick. Lymphatic congestion is a major factor leading to inflammation and disease. By stimulating your lymphatic system and helping it release toxins, dry skin brushing is a powerful detoxification aid.
2. Exfoliation
Dry skin brushing removes dead dry skin, which aids in improving appearance, clearing your clogged pores, and allowing your skin to "breathe."
3. Increases Circulation
Dry brushing increases circulation to your skin, which encourages the elimination of metabolic waste.
4. Reduces Cellulite (yeah right! Or so I thought)
Dry skin brushing may help to soften hard fat deposits below the skin while distributing fat deposits more evenly. This may help to diminish the appearance of cellulite. Never guaranteed, but for sure the process promotes this benefit.
The Huffington Post reported:
"When we'd heard dry skin brushing was an effective method for reducing cellulite, we knew we had to include it in our anti-cellulite road test. Sure enough, it was indeed one of the more successful ways to smooth away less-than-perfect spots on your legs."
5. Stress Relief
The act of dry brushing has been described as meditative and may reduce muscle tension, calm your mind, and relieve stress. Many compare it to a light whole-body massage. It is very methodic.
6. Improves Digestion and Kidney Function
Dry skin brushing may go even deeper, helping to support your digestion and organ function. For sure this has been true for me. I have noticed an improvement in my digestion since focusing on dry brushing.
According to one skin care and spa expert:
"…many naturopathic doctors use dry brushing to help with bloating because massaging the lymph nodes helps the body shed excess water and toxins. One of the immediate effects of dry brushing is smoother skin, but it can also help improve digestion, kidney function, and more."
7. It's Invigorating
Many people become "addicted" to dry skin brushing (in a good way) because it simply feels so good. It took me a few times to get to this point. At first it was awkward and the verdict was still out whether it felt good or hurt – remember I’m a delicate flower. Truth is, having autoimmune issues makes me extra sensitive to things. I now look forward to my dry brushing sessions.
How do you dry brush?
Well, I’m not going to go into all the details. When you purchase the set I recommended, it will come with all the instructions. The little brush is for the face. The big brush has a removable handle which makes it easy to get at the feet, legs, hands, abdomen and chest area and the handle is great for the back. Typically you work in a systematic way from the bottom of the body up.
This is one small thing you can do to support your body. While at first it seems like you will never remember or it’s just another thing you have to do. Keep in mind you don’t HAVE to do anything, but rather you WANT to support your body and flow into your best life!
