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Sunday, April 22, 2012

The Body Scrub

"Becky," some of you say.  "Not all of us can have delicately balanced intestinal florae like you."
"This is true,"  I say.  "I've been working on my intestinal florae for months."
"What's the quickest thing I can do to feel better?"

Gentle readers, ask me no more.  I tell you, it's the Body Scrub.

What is the body scrub, and why can't I do it in the shower?

Everybody washes their body differently.  Some people like shower gel, other people like soap.  Some people use loofahs, others use washcloths...  I personally reach for the conditioner, shut my eyes and pretend it's soap.

When we're in a hot shower, our aggressive, contracting, tight "yang" energy disperses.  This is why a hot shower feels great when we're stressed.  We're literally melting.  In the shower, your super-congested sinuses begin to loosen and release when you're sick.  As our body moves towards a more expanded, relaxed, "yin" state, the tight, tense, overly "yang" becomes balanced.

Problem is, I like to poach myself like an egg.  Our showers are hot, long, and by the end, we're usually wrinkly, spotty, and red.  This is the result of going too far in the right direction, becoming overly expanded.  We become slightly depleted.  This sounds a little hippie and fringe, but think about it from the Western perspective:  What happens if you stay in a hot tub for an hour?  You'd probably pass out.  Too much of a good thing is too much.

When we do a body scrub, we're activating the skin and moving our body's natural energy around.  When you shower, energy is going down the drain and away, which we've established is good to an extent, bad if it's too much.  When you gently move your body's energy, you want to treat your body gingerly.

Now scrub!

Scrub in the same direction.  In the morning, start at your feet and scrub towards your head, brushing in an upward direction.  At night, start on your face and move down.  Don't miss your ears and earlobes!

Don't scrub too hard, now.  Gentle strokes will do.  You don't need to take off the top layer of dermis just to prove your point.

Wet the washcloth in warm water.  When it cools, reheat it and carry on.

Be sure to get your feet (tops and bottoms) and your hands (palm and fingers).

.: attractive washcloth options :.

$8 washcloth
the frieda kahlo of washcloths


$38 hand towel
the 8-bit washcloth


$7 washcloth
the yoga mat


$7.99 washcloth
the stiff embroidered washcloth


$75 two-set
how the other side body scrubs

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