Dry brushing through the lens of Ayurveda….
Avoid garshana if you have:
Very sensitive skin
A Skin condition, such as psoriasis or eczema
An open wound (skip area)
Inflamed skin due to sunburn or an allergy an allergy
Ayurvedic dry-brushing, called garshana (pronounced gar-shun-uh), promotes lymphatic cleansing and is a powerful way to support the removal of ama (cellular waste products) from the body. Garshana is traditionally done using raw silk or linen gloves, though many prefer to use a natural bristle body brush. This technique is recommended for people who have signs of ama, which may include fatigue, sluggishness, feeling physical or mental dullness, constipation, and a taxed immune system.
Dry brushing is also an excellent practice for the kapha time of year, the season of spring. During the spring months, snow is melting, water has saturated the earth, and flower pollen is carried on the breeze. This is the time of year when kapha can begin to accumulate in the lymph or the sinuses and create stagnation or respiratory congestion. Dry brushing helps to stimulate kapha in the body and encourage movement and drainage of excess mucus.
It is important to do abhyanga (Ayurvedic self-oil massage) after dry brushing. Organic cold pressed sesame oil is a good place to start. Ayurveda Wellness Healing, LLC carriers a wide variety of self-oil massage oils, including, sesame, Vata, Pitta, Kapha, and detox oil for your convenience.
Guidelines for Garshana—The Traditional Ayurvedic Dry Massage
Skin brushing is best done in the morning before bathing, with dry skin that is free from lotion or oil
Make sure the room where the massage will be done is a comfortable temperature
Stand in the bathtub/shower or on a towel to avoid getting flaky skin on the floor
Using gloves or a brush, massage vigorously to stimulate the skin and lymph
Keep the direction of the stroke always toward the heart
Use circular strokes on the stomach and joints (shoulders, elbows, knees, wrists, hips, and ankles), and long sweeping strokes on the arms and legs (toward the heart)
Massage from the feet upward, continuing to the torso and on to the neck
Massage from the hands to the shoulders
Massage the stomach and buttocks in circular clockwise motions
Apply light pressure where the skin is thin or sensitive and firm pressure on thicker areas like the bottoms of the feet
“Blockage is disease/Flow is health” 😊
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