Dry skin brushing is amazing, i have just started up again after a long lay off, keep forgetting about it until i see it sitting in the bathroom lol.

When i was at my worst with health even a 2-3 minute brush would give me significant increase in energy and well being. Cheap to purchase a brush also which is good.

How does everyone brush ive read different guides, some brush in a circular motion others do it straight ?

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I have been doing skin brushing for years, I always brush toward the heart, starting from the bottom of your feet upwards, and from the hands towards the shoulders

RawPracticalist Wrote:
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> I have been doing skin brushing for years, I
> always brush toward the heart, starting from the
> bottom of your feet upwards, and from the hands
> towards the shoulders

Yeah always best to brush towards the heart.

Do you use circular motions RP or straight ?.

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I do straight but circular on the stomach counter clock strokes

I just brush toward the heart too. It's quite nice.

You also have to wash the brush periodically, it collects dead skin

Dead skin is just flakes though I do recommend washing a body brush occasionally to remove the build up of oil from your skin.

We brush in straight strokes towards the heart. I have a nice natural bristle brush for myself and a tiny one for the small girl, she Loves brushing and being brushed. So cute.

I read somewhere that you have to stop skin brushing periodically otherwise the skin will build some reistence and you will not get the desired benefits after continuous brushing.

madinah Wrote:
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> I read somewhere that you have to stop skin
> brushing periodically otherwise the skin will
> build some reistence and you will not get the
> desired benefits after continuous brushing.

Can't really see that being the case although the exact workings of how the brushing stimulates the lymphatic system aren't well known.

Good tip on cleaning the brush.

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The issue of resistance is explained by Robert Craig in his book colon handbook

Quote

Homeostasis

Homeostasis is the tendency of the body to maintain an equilibrium condition wherein all bodily functions are stabilized at normal levels. . . .

An initial period of three months is usually sufficient to thoroughly cleanse the colon. Do not, however, extend the initial period beyond five months, after which six months of abstinence should follow. Thereafter, the maximum usage of the program should not exceed two months of gastrointestinal cleansing followed by four months of abstinence. . . .

Skin brushing is also subject to homeostatic resistance. .

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I can't find one single credible support of that statement. Add to that the fact that the document linked to is from the 80's making it outdated as well as unsubstantiated.
I find it hard to credit that daily dry skin brushing daily will in any way be detrimental to the health. It has many benefits the least of which is stimulating blood flow to the skin and subcutaneous tissues as well as exfoliating dead skin. If taking a break is desired, it's a simple thing to do, however, daily brushing IMO is just fine.

I think it's smart to give the brush a wash here and there. Mine definitely collects something.

Here's an opinion on the matter. Scroll down to the section titled: "How often should I do dry skin brushing?"

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coco Wrote:
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> I can't find one single credible support of that
> statement. Add to that the fact that the document
> linked to is from the 80's making it outdated as
> well as unsubstantiated.
> I find it hard to credit that daily dry skin
> brushing daily will in any way be detrimental to
> the health. It has many benefits the least of
> which is stimulating blood flow to the skin and
> subcutaneous tissues as well as exfoliating dead
> skin. If taking a break is desired, it's a simple
> thing to do, however, daily brushing IMO is just
> fine.
I read Craigs book in 1987, I had digestive health problem at that time. I have been skin brushing since that date but I find that what he says about resistance is correct so I do not skin brush continuously I take a month break in between. It works for me. Something being correct or not has nothing to do with date. Skin brushing may even be older practice



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/04/2012 07:23PM by madinah.

I'm from the 80s. I wonder if that makes me "outdated and unsubstantiated."

Yes, HH, just like The Bangles and Maggie Thatcher

HeavenHands Wrote:
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> I'm from the 80s. I wonder if that makes me
> "outdated and unsubstantiated."


Only if you haven't learned anything new since then .

I take periodic break from skin brushing because the resistance explanation makes sense and I have noticed the effect of the brushing to be more potent in the first days after a break. The skin is very sentitive to the brushing and it makes sense that it build resistance from repeated use.

We should all do the thing that works best for us.

I can dry brush every day but often don't have time so I'm not all that worried about devising a schedule for myself. I brush and floss my teeth every night without fail but confess to occasionally omiting the face wash routine. Not a big deal.

I tend to cycle certain things in and out. Herbs always get put away for a couple weeks every few months. Same thing with dry-brushing. I just started using it and noticed that it wasn't the same after a month. Set it aside for a couple weeks and it's back to what it was. It's like yoga. If I take a week off, I'll be even more stretched out than I was at the end of a long period of practicing every day. Some of my protocol will resonate when I stop using it. It's a time when the practice gets a chance to go deeper. Once that stops, I bring it back into the daily routine.

That's just me though. Listening to your body is the thing. If a daily dry-brush puts a smile on your face...nothing wrong with that.

This reminds me that I've got a face brush somewhere in a draw. I might try skin brushing again.


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I've got a face washing brush, I think it's Tonya Zavatista who recommends not being too gentle with your face to toughen it up, lol. It's still a gentle sort of brush though, fine for daily use and a great exfoliater.

What would be the difference between hard brushing and exfoliating? Wouldn't they produce similar results?

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It's hard to get nice sweeping strokes with a cloth like that. A glove or mitt works well but I've personally found a cloth a bit too floppy.

I am a practitioner of swedish massage and from what I am reading here it would seem that dry brushing is assisting lymph drainage. Brushing towards the heart is also brushing towards the lymph nodes which is what you want.

Lymph drainage massage uses incredibly light pressure and tiny movements to assist the lymph to move. An important thing is not to stop before a joint - ie if you are brushing up your calf muscle make sure that you sweep on past the knee uptowards the groin. It's important not to stop part way towards the lymph nodes where lymph could collect and pool/puddle.

I don't know how dry brushing affects the skin - I suppose it depends on how hard the bristles are and how hard you apply them!! Personally I prefer massage.

Yes flipperjan good point about the continous movement up your limbs.

Also on the light pressure, many go too aggressive with skin brushing which is not how it should be done. Light strokes is what i do and have found the best benefits from.

[www.vegankingdom.co.uk]

Thanks for the tip, flipperjan!

On the note of the lympathic system, rebounding FTW .

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Good to know about passing the joints.
I love massage too but it's not something I do every day. Quite a bit different from dry brushing I'd say. There's certainly no reason the two can't both compliment each other.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/06/2012 02:31PM by coco.

Since Skin Brushing is Beneficial for Blood Circulation, it is recommended that we should Brush towards the Heart. However, Skin Brushing is also Beneficial for Lymph Circulation, which is why it is recommended that we should Brush towards the Armpits, which then drains into the Colon.

Peace and Love………John