Dr. Berkowsky's
Vital Chi Skin-Brushing System™

Vital Chi Skin-Brushing can sustain or reestablish the skin's functional integrity and youthful glow. The skin is as major an organ as the heart, lungs and kidneys. Its primary functions include: respiration, excretion, blood and lymph circulation, immunity and the conduction of vital chi. However, unlike other vital organs, the skin can be non-invasively accessed and mediate systemic rejuvenation by a variety of therapeutic techniques, including proper skin-brushing. Vital Chi Skin-Brushing is a particularly powerful therapy which can positively impact the entire body.

Variations of skin-brushing have been practiced for thousands of years. For many centuries, the Japanese employed vigorous skin-brushing with loofa sponges as a prelude to their traditional hot bath. Prior to bathing (following a hard training session or physical competition) ancient Greek athletes used strigiles: specialized spoon-like skin scrapers to remove the grime of exertion and encourage circulation. Among the Cherokee Indians, skin-brushing with dried corn cobs to enhance skin beauty and durability was once a traditional practice. The Comanche Indians scrubbed their skin using sand from the Texas river bottoms; the Texas Rangers followed their example.

Adolph Just in his Nature-Cure classic: Back To Nature tells that he learned the importance of skin-rubbing by observing wild animals: "Higher land animals, especially wild boars and deer, in free nature, are in the habit of lying down in small muddy swamps and pools and rubbing to and fro in the mud. After awhile they rub themselves against the earth, trees and other objects. The birds go to brooks or springs, and, by immersing their necks, throw water over their bodies...then they rub or scrub the body using their head, bill and wing elbows."

Among long-lived individuals whose lifestyles reflect an understanding of The Laws of Nature, skin-brushing is almost invariably a primary aspect of their formula for longevity. F.O. Havens in his 1896 publication, The Possibility of Living 200 Years, describes 3 centenarians' regimens as follows: "The first, for the last 40 years of his life used skin brushes vigorously applied. The second, Old Gabriel (who died March 16, 1890 at an authenticated age exceeding 120 years), induced perspiration by heated smoke and vapor while scraping his body with sticks. The third, now in his 100th year, has for the past 60 years followed this unvarying habit: Before retiring he has used a towel dipped in water at the temperature of the room, then drying by vigorous rubbing." Havens, after much longevity-research, suggested: "The following directions are adapted to nearly all conditions of life, and if persisted in, will be found sufficient to keep the skin in perfect condition: Before retiring, rub the body vigorously with skin brush, hair glove or rough towel until the blood is brought to the surface. Follow this immediately by a sponge bath with the water at the temperature of the room.


  • The System
  • Skin Function
  • Benefits
  • Aromatherapy

Vital Chi Skin-Bruching System: Guidelines & Technique
(Excerpted from Dr. Berkowsky's Vital Chi Skin-Brushing System book)

My Vital Chi Skin-Brushing System which required hundreds of hours of research and experimentation to develop, evolved from my training and experience in anatomy and physiology and various bodywork disciplines as well as the Oriental healing arts. I designed this system to support blood- and lymph circulation, the immune system, the movement of Vital Chi along the acupuncture channels, all the major physiological functions of the skin as well as to enhance skin beauty and encourage the breakdown of cellulite. Yet, my system is quick, concise and user-friendly. The following excerpts from my book will provide some insight regarding associated guidelines and technique.

Selected Guidelines:

  1. Always treat the major lymph gland drainage site of a given body region before brushing said region, thus allowing for more effective regional lymphatic clearance. For instance: Brush armpit (site of axillary nodes which drain chest) before brushing chest.
  2. The body should be brushed in a strategic sequential pattern to allow for maximum drainage. For Instance: As the neck and head drains into the venous system in the upper chest, and to a small extent, into the axillary nodes, the chest and armpit regions should be brushed before neck and head regions.
  3. Brush-stroke direction always conforms to the route of lymphatic drainage. Example: The chest region drains into the armpit. Hence, the chest on each side is brushed from breastbone to armpit.

Selected Technique:

My Vital Chi Skin-Brushing System addresses the entire skin surface (with the exception of the breasts and genitals). The following excerpt from my book focuses on the chest region.

Brush Chest Region (up to, but not including, armpit) as follows:

  1. Above Breast (See Picture): Brush 7 times each side of chest from breastbone to armpit.
    Note: The two major lymphatic ducts empty into the venous system in the left and right chest just below the collar bone. Puffiness above or below the collarbone is indicative of congestion in these ducts. Reducing lymphatic tension in the chest enhances tissue drainage of the entire body.
  2. Below Breast (See Picture): Using upward curving stroke (under breast), brush 7 times on each side from sternum to armpit.
  3. Sides of Upper Torso (See Picture): Brush upward 7 times along each side (in line with the armpit), from waist up to armpit.

Follow-Up Hydrotherapy

Having studied and practiced classical naturopathy, or Nature-Cure, for 25-years, I have come to appreciate the great value of many of the traditional hydrotherapies and their particular synergy with my Vital Chi Skin-Brushing System. Hence, I instruct that a skin-brushing session should always be followed by an appropriate hydrotherapy. In addition to the Salt-Glow, described below, some of the other hydrotherapies which may prove of good service in this regard include: alternating hot and cold shower; full cold bath; blitz guss; epsom salt bath; cold ablution.

The Salt-Glow is a wonderful circulation-enhancing treatment. In Lectures to Naturopathic Hydrotherapy, Wade Boyle, N.D. and Andre Saine, N.D. list the following indications for salt-glow therapy: "...chronic conditions with inactive skin, including chronic indigestion, kidney disease, diabetes [if there are no skin lesions], sluggish circulation [especially in those who do not react well to hot or cold weather], low vital force, poor resistance, frequent colds, general weakness, neurasthenia, epilepsy, cancer [but not over a palpable tumor], joint problems [especially if followed by oil rub]."

The Salt-Glow:

  1. Wet a goodly amount of epsom salt (in unbreakable bowl) with sufficient water to create the consistency of wet snow. (Vigorous individuals may wish to opt for moistening the salt with ice water for extra stimulation.)
  2. Add a few inches of warm water - 98o F. to 100o F. - to bathtub, then sit in tub and hand-rub or washcloth-rub body thoroughly using this warm water.
  3. Stand up in tub (on non-slip mat) and apply moistened salt as follows: a) Begin with each arm, starting with fingers: rub vigorously until skin turns pink, or to-tolerance, whichever occurs first. b) Then, rub each leg similarly, beginning with toes, working up to hips. c) Rub salt into the rest of the body in the following order: chest, abdomen, back, hips and buttocks.
  4. Follow with a cool shower spray of 1- to 2-minutes duration, being sure to hand-rub the skin throughout.
  5. Finish with vigorous towel-rub by an open window in private area.
  6. Rest for at least 1/2-hour to 1-hour before initiating activity.