Dry Brushing: worth it?

Ever heard of dry skin brushing, or dry brushing for short?

If not, you might think that the idea of rubbing completely dry skin with a natural bristle brush sounds super strange and a big ol' waste of time. I was totally with you....until this guy Joe who is helping me relieve some pain through Myofascial (torture) massage suggested I start (more on my experience with Joe later).

If you have heard of dry brushing, you may be aware of the vast amounts of claims that people make in support of the practice: reduces cellulite, rids the body of toxins, helps lymphatic flow, reduces stress, improves digestion, promotes circulation and exfoliates the skin. Now, if it truly did all of that, everyone with a hint of bumpy skin on their booty would be doing it. In fact, Dr. Andrew Weil has a fantastic article on dry brushing and is super up front about what it can't do (i.e. cure cellulite and detox the body). However, I have found since dry brushing my super dry winter skin that the exfoliation is the best way to cure my flaky, parched skin all over my body. Also, since you move in a specific way with the brush, it can help with circulation and promote lymph flow and drainage (basically the system that gets junk out of your body through various bodily functions). Plus, it feels good and I swear I have more energy after a session with my brush.

So is it worth it?

Totally. It takes about 2-5 minutes depending on how quickly you move. Here's a little "how to"

How to dry brush to get ride of dry skin, increase circulation and promote lymphatic flow:

1. Purchase a brush with natural bristles such as boar hair bristles (this is the one I got) 
2. Get naked and make sure you are completely dry
3. Begin with the feet and with the same motion that you would brush long hair (use your imagination if you need to), brush the skin in the direction of your heart. For example, you will brush your feet and legs upward and your chest and upper back downward...make sense? If this seems super confusing, google "how to dry brush" on youtube and go from there.
4. Shower
5. Moisturize with a natural moisturizer...coconut oil is my fav but I also use EveryOne Lotion.
6. Repeat a few times a week.

What's your experience with dry brushing??