Dry Brushing

How often do you wake up in the morning feeling sluggish and heavy? Most of us need to revive after a night of sleep and look to strong cup of tea or coffee, a hot shower, cool water splashed on the face. A quick, invigorating dry brushing will help you freshen up. After Dry Brushing, you'll jump up and sing, "Good Morning!"

Dry brushing is a massage technique where you apply a dry brush to your skin. This stimulating practice is useful for refreshing your body, circulation, lymphatic system and skin. Dry brushing invigorates your mind and warms up your body. As the heaviness of sleep falls away, you'll feel refreshed and alert.

Dry brushing reduces springtime heaviness & oiliness. The bristles stimulate circulation in your skin, muscles and fat tissue, dislodging any toxins. It's a great way to detoxify and cleanse your lymphatic system, whose fluids get thick, sticky, and congested whenever kapha is out of balance, and especially in springtime. As you start your dry brushing routine, you'll notice your skin becomes pink and flushed as stagnant blood is flushed by fresh blood.

Dead skin cells will come off on the brush, leaving your skin vital and clear. As the largest elimination organ of the body, your sweat glands are constantly releasing toxins. Dry brushing aids your skin's natural detox functions. Reducing stubborn cellulite is another desirable benefit of dry brushing. As you work with your diet and internal metabolism, dry brushing is a great way to begin to melt away cellulite from the outside.

A Few Cautions

Be aware that this is a morning practice, and the stimulating nature of dry brushing will be sure to keep you awake at night if you do it before bed. Due to its drying nature, dry brushing is great in humid climates, but may be overly drying in desert climates. Vata constitutions, as well people dealing with long term Vata imbalances should not use dry brushing but instead massage with oil in the morning. Dry brushing is too rough for the delicate skin on your face.

How to Dry Brush / Instructions

Choose a natural bristle brush or coarse, natural loofah. You can use boar bristle brushes or ones with fibers from plants. Synthetic bristles cause irritation. Then, brush your skin following the flow of the lymphatic system, from the outermost limbs toward the center of your body:

1. Begin with your feet and brush vigorously in circular motions.
2. Continue brushing up your legs.
3. Proceed to your hands and arms, starting with your hands and moving toward your armpits.
4. Brush up your entire back, and down through the shoulders and neck.
5. Use gentle, circular strokes on the abdomen.
6. Use light pressure on the breasts and any other sensitive areas.

It is best to dry brush in the shower with the water off, because this will encourage the dead skin cells to flake off.