One of the things that I do for good health is dry skin brushing.... think of it as having all of the benefits of massage except the good feeling part of it....

Now it's not exactly painful, but it is more of an aquired taste... essentially you have to get used to it...

Pretty much all you need to do this is a naked body and a firm, natural bristled brush...

My brush was about $5 online and is the Yerba Prima brand.  It has a long handle to reach those out of the way places.....

Now what I do is, just before I get in the shower each morning (or afternoon as the case may be),  I do a full body brushing... You do this BEFORE you get wet... the brush should also be DRY....

I start with my feet then brush up the leg and hip of one leg and then the other... I use a movement that is towards the abdomen/stomach.  I then brush extra over the femoral/side of the groin area.   I then do one hand-arm-shoulder and then the other.  I then move to the back and brush from the spine towards the abdomen (lower back) and sternum/breastbone (upper back)  around to the ribs.  I then brush the upper chest with extra brushing over the sternum.  Last I do the abdomen in a circular motion (clockwise to someone standing in front of you). 

The reason for the extra stimulation over the femoral area and sternum is due to the presence of lymph tissue here... the additional stimulation here helps to strengthen this system...

You should brush each area vigorously a few times before moving onto the next area.  Obviously you need to be gentle in sensitive areas...

So what's the point of doing this anyway?  

There are many benefits to skin brushing.... exfoliation is one, but it can also tighten the skin and decrease the appearance of cellulite.

It increases cardiovascular circulation in addition to lymphatic circulation...

But who really cares about the lymphatic system???  The lymphatic system is your body's transport system of lymph, the fluid/protein part of the blood.  The lymph system doesn't have a pump to move it and requires you to encourage movement either thru brushing or exercise/ muscle contractions.  The lymphatic system is basically your body's immunity... it controls your body's ability to fight off  foreign substances and carries metabolic wastes from the organs...

A good dry brush massage is one step in achieving better health...