Feeling Good in Your Skin

Maybe it’s because I’ve done massage for 16 years, but I care how things feel. Whether shopping for clothes,  temperature of water, how my skin feels, I want to feel good.  Several years, during the cold weather I started experiencing dry skin even though I was drinking plenty of water.  It wasn't anything out of control, but it was just uncomfortable.

My yoga therapist suggested I start daily body brushing & abhyanga aka self-massage. I knew of body brushing was good for exfoliating the skin, but only knew abhyanga as a luscious spa service, not as a technique for daily self-care.
I made time to do a quick body brushing (maybe 3 minutes) and a good oiling/self-massage (maybe 2-4 minutes depending if I add in affirmations while I’m massaging), probably 4-5xs/week.  It’s one of the many things I’ve been adding to my weeks to focus more on self-love and drop those old self-neglect patterns.   
I noticed right away my skin looked and felt better all day. Not just for a few hours in the morning. Especially when heaters are on or if it is windy outside my skin just drys up, but with regular exfoliation, supporting circulation and nourishing my skin, I feel good all day.
Body brushing is brushing the skin with a dry rush to encourage new cell renewal, lymphatic drainage, cellulite reduction & it removes dead skin cells. Double bonus: smoother, brighter skin plus less ingrown hairs.
Wanna know more? Check out this video featuring my favorite body brush from Mio Skincare ( Mamas-to-be: check out their awesome prenatal skincare line)
Abhyanga is a form of self-massage which nourishes the skin and body plus stimulates the organs and increases circulation. The easiest way to describe how to do it is, using a fair to generous amount of oil, you massage around the joints and up & down the bones.
To learn more about abhyanga, how to do it, plus where to buy your own massage oil, go to Banyan Botanicals. They are a great resource for information on Ayurveda plus quality, safe products.
For my face I use the science-based skincare system, Celavive. This system is paraben free, dermatologically tested,  has Olivol® Botanical Blend and USANA InCelligence Technology®,  It supports the natural beauty-preserving functions within my skin,  For more info or to purchase the skincare regime I use, which is ideal for dry, sensitive or combination skin types, check it out here. For predominantly oily skin, go here.
Before trying a daily body brushing or self-massaging routine, let me suggest a couple things:

1. Pick an old towel that will become your designated oiling towel.  Abhyanga can potentially get oily. Keep it on a towel you can wash, but know that oil tends to ruin fabrics over time so don't choose a nice one.  Also, use it for your body brushing as well, those skin cells go somewhere might as well get mostly on a towel you'll be washing regularly. 
   
2. Heat up your oil. Nothing crazy, and don't microwave. Place your oil bottle in a bowl and put some hot water around the bottle in the bowl, to heat up your oil. Warm oil feels so much better on your skin that oil that’s a little cold or just room temperature.  If you want to just warm the oil in your hands, you have greater risk of getting oil all over the place.
   

So now over to you, what are you favorite ways to take care of you skin? Any DIY recipes you love?
To learn about what daily routines: physical, mental, or emotional,  support you or deplete you, schedule a yoga therapy session,              Yoga Therapy Sessions: Thursday 10am and 11:30am at Yoga Yoga: Westgate Location
Email therapy@yogayoga.com to request my available appointments:
March 8th
April 19th