Wake your senses up

First thing in the morning, before the shower, or any time during the day, a two-minute dry body brushing session can give you energy, wake you up, and activate your senses.

Dry body brushing stimulates the lymphatic system and improves blood circulation. It also stimulates the nervous system, removes dead skin cells, and just feels incredibly invigorating. All you need is a brush and 2-3 minutes of your time.

Dry body brushing is done on dry skin (if you are about to take a shower or a bath, brush beforehand) with movements towards the heart. Start at the feet and ankles, move up the legs in smooth motions, then up the body towards the chest. Brush your arms from wrists to shoulders, neck down to chest, and back towards the armpits. The belly, the armpits, and the thighs can benefit from clockwise circular strokes. Stay away from sensitive areas such as breasts, genitals, face, and any skin that is sore or can get irritated easily. The strokes should be gentle.

You can treat yourself to the whole galore of dry body brushing, followed by a contrast hot/cold shower or bath, and finishing by moisturizing your body with body butter or coconut oil. Or you could simply body brush when you have a few minutes free and need to give yourself a little pick-me-up. I feel a lot more awake and productive after just two minutes of brisk dry body brushing.