Daily Rituals for Self-Care III: Two simple practices to stimulate your circulation

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This article is the third installment of our 6-part series “Daily Rituals for Self-Care.” We already wrote about the importance of anti-inflammatory foods and of hydrations in the previous chapters. You can catch up on that here and here.

A perhaps less well-known yet effective practice to increase your well-being on a daily basis is stimulating your circulation. Incorporate any of these two habits to your routine and you will quickly feel the benefits. 

  1. Dry Skin Brushing

    Dry brushing is ancient Ayurvedic practice, known as “Garshana”. Its purpose is to refresh the skin removing dead skin cells and stimulates lymphatic system, enhancing blood circulation and the release of accumulated toxins. 

    This massage is easy to perform at home. All you will need is a dry bristle brush or sponge and use it to massage whole body, excluding the face, heart and chest.

    How to:

    •  The direction of the stroke should always start from your feet towards the heart as this helps to drain lymph back to the heart.

    • Start with your feet using long strokes moving upward, continuing up to your torso and on to your neck. 

    •  Then, also massage from the hands moving towards the shoulders.

    • Use long strokes on your legs and arms and circular strokes on the joints and stomach.

    • Apply gentle pressure on the areas where the skin is thicker. 

    • Continue each part for at least five minutes.

    You can complete your Garshana with a shower. If possible, a contrast shower. 

  2. Contrast Shower

Contrast showers are simply showers where one switches water temperatures.  Cold water brings many benefits to the body, including chronic pain relief, improved blood circulation and metabolism (1)(2)(3)(4). Remember to always introduce contrast showers gently allowing your body to get used to them. 

How to: Start with hot water for few minutes then switch to cold water, to a temperature you can tolerate. 

This article is the third installment of our 6-part series “Daily Rituals for Self-Care.” Stay tuned for the next chapters.

Sources

(1) Chopra [online] Garshana: Detoxify at Home with Ayurvedic Skin Brushing. Available at; https://chopra.com/articles/garshana-detoxify- At-home-with-ayurvedic-skin-brushing

(2) WimhofMethod [online] The science behind Wim Hof Method. Available at; https://www.wimhofmethod.com/science

(3) Hinkka H. et al. Effects of cold mist shower on patients with inflammatory arthritis: a crossover controlled clinical trial. Scand J Rheumatol. 2017 May;46(3):206-209

(4) Stramek P. et al. Human physiological responses to immersion into water of different temperatures. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2000 Mar;81(5):436-42.

Windfall Naturalself-care, circulation, pain, pain relief, joints, ayurveda, traditional knowledgeComment