A2Z Holistic Self-care: B is for Brush
B is for Brush
Body: Brush your hair, your teeth and your skin
I’d imagine for most of us, brushing (or combing) our hair and our teeth is a daily routine. But is it really an issue of self-care?
I’m not one to care much about how my hair looks. I’ve been a wash-n-wear type my entire life – except for a few blips when I tried a few specialty haircuts and colored my hair for about 3 years, when I was in a top admin position in education. But really, I am the seldom get a hair-cut type.
When I’m feeling scruffy or out-of-sorts in the course of my day, a good brush of my hair and teeth helps me feel fresh and clean. A fresh start.
But brushing skin – is that a thing?
Years ago, when I was about 28 and living in Hong Kong, my body began to fall apart. After several visits to the European doctor, I made a visit to a natural medicine doctor. Among many detoxifying tools the doctor recommended, one very simple one was - skin brushing.
According to this doctor, the skin is one of the major systemsthe body uses to rid itself of toxins.
His remedy:
- before showering
- using a natural bristle brush
- begin from the feet
- brush in small circular motion
- up each leg to the hips and buttocks, front andback of torso, from the fingertips to the shoulders, the neck and the face.
(I always reserve a separate brush for my face and neck.)
Your skin will turn a bit pink in the process, but thisstimulates circulation and opens the follicles to release toxins as you shower.
Will you try it?
Mind: Brush up on a talent/skill that has faded
In 1993, when I returned to the U.S. from seven years living in Asia – I was thinking and dreaming in Cantonese. I sometimes forgot how to say certain words and phrases in English. Over the phone, I was proficient enough that when I spoke Mandarin many people thought I’d been raised speaking Cantonese and vice versa. At one point, I stood in a train station translating for a native of China and a native of Hong Kong because they couldn’t communicate with one another. I loved speaking Chinese!
I tell this story because yesterday as I completed anonline professional profile, one of the questions asked if I had “fluency inany of the following languages” – and one of them was Mandarin or Cantonese.
And I couldn’t click the box! I was disappointed. I’ve lost what – at one point in my life – was very important to me!
I’ve been itching to ‘refresh’ my language skills – now I'm thinking it could be part of my self-care. I’ll see how it goes this April.
Do you have a skill that used to be important to you thatyou’ve let go of? Will it do you good to ‘refresh’ it?
Spirit: Brush away negative thoughts
As you brush your hair and skin and brush up on yourforgotten skill or talent – remember that negative thoughts can wreak havoc on yourwell-being.
But we cannot completely control the thoughts that pop intoour head. We can, however, brush them away.
We can become aware of the thought – thank it for anypurpose it serves in keeping us from not being grounded in reality – and brushit along if it does not serve us. We don’t need to fight them or beat ourselvesup about them.
Acknowledge them and brush them away with a positivethought, a prayer, a routine that helps you to move beyond the negative thoughttowards your deepest desire.
