Everyday Energy Booster: Brush Your Body

Here's an booster that can help you energize your body from the skin in.

Getting your circulation and lymphatic systems going is not just invigorating, it may even be healing. You can quickly do just that before, after, or during your shower with a bath brush. The technique is attributed to a Chinese healing art called qi gong. The intention is to help your lymphatic system, located just beneath your skin, drain the toxins it has filtered. And it feels great.

Use a dry long-handled bristle brush, sweep your limbs and torso in the direction of your belly button or your heart -- see which one feels best to you. Start from your feet or hands, using long, sweeping motions. The brushing can be continuous (e.g., toes to belly button then heels to belly) or in sections (the top and undersides of one arm, then that shoulder to belly).

From your feet, brush from toes to the top of the thigh, then over your hips and buttocks to your stomach or heart. From your hands, brush towards your shoulders and down the front of your chest and down the back. Don't forget to include a pass over each side of the neck (lots of lymph glands here). But you'll probably want to avoid the face -- the technique feels too rough. Even if you don't buy the medical perspective of cleansing your lymph system, it feels enlivening to wake your skin up in this way!

I'll be sharing energy boosters in the next weeks to celebrate my publisher re-issuing Everyday Energy Boosters. Let me know where you need to most energy (it's usually meetings, for me).

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