dry body brushing - a giveaway

Lethargy has been a heavy weight around my neck lately. Not the everyday sluggishness that comes from raising little people but that veil of tired that you can't lift when you wake in the morning; it seeps into your bones.  A major health check thankfully revealed nothing sinister so the cause of this hazy state is most likely one too many sugary cups of tea, frequent late nights and not enough water.

Elixirs have been made, greens consumed en masse and my sad water consumption has been given a hefty increase.  A naturpath visit has been booked and reflections have been made as to how I can shower myself with self love. A much loved ritual from the days before my babies has also found its place in my morning routine again and I am reaping it's benefits.

Dry body brushing is a simple and ancient practice of sweeping a dry brush over the skin before bathing. Each morning before my shower I dry brush my skin with a pure plant bristle brush from the tips of my toes to my face. Jodie Smith owner of  Bodecare provides an exceptional range of natural brushes for this nurturing and healing art. She explains that, "dry body brushing  is a natural health practice that assists with improving your circulation, lymphatic flow and expels wastes and toxins from the body. It also has the added benefits of exfoliating dry, rough skin and stimulating the sweat and oil glands contributing to the restoration of moist, supple skin.".

Starting on the left hand side of my body I begin at my toes sweeping  the natural bristled brush gently yet firmly in long sweeps working towards the lymph nodes in the groin, armpits and the base of the neck. I then switch to a more gentle jute brush for my decolletage, neck and face (Jodie outlines the practice in depth on her website). My skin is left tingling and glowing and I follow this gentle practice with a shower. Lemon essential oil dropped onto the floor of the shower further invigorate my senses as does the cold blast of water I dance about under at the end. This Ayurvedic tradition increases circulation and leaves me warm as toast.

Some mornings I wake with the sun and slowly and gently ease myself into the day giving myself wholey to this pampering and healing time. Other days, I have two little people either joining me with my body brushing or gawking at my every move. It has become a practice however, that I simply do not skip regardless of the chaos around me and even with poppets at my feet I always feel energised and uplifted afterwards.

The lovely Jodie of Bodecare is offering a magnificent pack of dry body brushing goodies to begin you on your dry body brushing journey including:
The Cactus FSC Deluxe Body Brush,
A Jute Dry Face Brush,
An instructional DVD on dry body brushing, and
A tea tree oil spray to take care of your brushes.

To enter you simply need to be a follower of this blog (over there on the right) and pop over to Jodie's Bodecare facebook page and become a "liker". For a second entry like this brown wren on facebook. For a third entry, share this giveaway on instagram, facebook or on your blog. Please leave a separate comment for each entry. Open to international readers. The winner will be chosen by random generator one week from today.

Comments are now closed. The random generator chose #2 - belle. Some gorgeous body brushing goodies are coming your way. Congratulations!

Before introducing dry body brushing into your health and wellness regime please take note of the following precautions:
Never skin brush over active inflammation e.g. open wounds, inflamed sores, varicose veins, sunburnt skin
Never skin brush during an active cancer state or enlarged lymph nodes.
Avoid breasts and genitalia area.
If pregnant seek doctors advice before skin brushing.
A slight reddening of the skin (erythema) is normal, it the blood circulation responding to the brushing.
Using a natural bristle brush is best as the uneven texture will not scratch the skin.
It is essential to clean your body brush after each use with a tea tree oil spray and wash it thoroughly once a week.

Steph x