Love Your Lymph
In March, we looked at supporting our lymphatic systems with a delicious spring greens pesto. This month, I’d like to highlight ways to love and move our lymph from the outside in.
First, a shout out to two of my teachers: DeAnna Batdorff and Jen Bredesen. I’ve studied with them for over a decade and returned to my notes from their classes while reading up on the lymph. Big love to two generous, wise, and wonderful humans.
What exactly is the lymphatic system?
Our lymph does a variety of important jobs to help keep us healthy:
filters out waste and toxins
nourishes cells and tissues by absorbing and transporting the fats we eat
assists in hydration by carrying electrolytes and the water we drink to those nourished cells and tissues
is synonymous with our immunity, containing white blood cells that seek out and destroy harmful microorganisms
Thank you, lymph!
In Ayurveda, the lymph is called “rasa,” or the river of life. The element of water and the lymphatic system are both deeply connected with our emotions. Embodying flow helps us to fully embrace joy and excitement while also processing grief and sorrow instead of allowing these feelings to get trapped throughout our physical and energetic bodies.
We know how important it is that our rivers are fed by clean waters, but what do we do when there’s a dam in the way, creating sluggish movement or causing flooding where water is not meant to be? How do we break down obstructions that create stagnation? Free of these obstacles, how does the lymph circulate throughout the body to do its work?
Quite simply, we are in charge!
We get to move our bodies in so many different ways to keep our rivers flowing.
Each breath we take is an opportunity to encourage internal movement. Deep, diaphragmatic (or belly) breathing not only feels good and is instantly relaxing, it also encourages lymph to move back into the bloodstream, breaking down stagnation. Simply breathe deeply and with intention.
Exercise is to the lymph what the heart is to the blood. Moving our bodies activates our muscles which in turn moves lymph. Any movement is good movement: walking, swimming, cycling. Dance to a few songs on your favorite playlist, and you’ve given yourself a lymphatic workout.
It gets even better: massage helps move the lymph. When our muscles hold tension, our lymph vessels are under that same pressure, hindering the flow. Massage can help relieve that muscular tension, in essence breaking up the dams that constrict our rasa. Massage also relieves stress, and that relief allows for relaxation in our breath and our bodies. Specifically, lymphatic drainage massage helps relieve swelling and blockages in our vessels and nodes that can occur with illness or injury. Seek a massage therapist specializing in this type of bodywork if it sounds right for you. Deanna Dennard is a wonderful Sonoma county practitioner.
With my very dry skin, I love to use salt scrubs and dry brush/oil massage to exfoliate, moisturize, and encourage lymphatic circulation. Salt scrubs are a bit more intense, so I do them weekly, whereas using a dry brush, exfoliating mitt or washcloth before massaging oil into the skin is a more gentle experience and can be done daily. We work from hands and feet toward the heart which gets our lymph circulating in its natural pattern. If you'd like to incorporate these ideas into your self-care routine with the help of Spring Street Botanicals, check out the citrus and lavender salt scrubs and the lavender calendula infused oil.
Using a gua sha is fabulous for moving lymph, relieving tension, and is popular on social media as a facial massage treatment. Since pictures (and videos) speak a thousand words, check out DeAnna’s video to learn more about using the gua sha.
I was introduced to hot/cold hydrotherapy years ago when I went on a family vacation with my college sweetheart to a cabin in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota. It felt very grown-up to take that vacation with him, but what I most recall is the sauna. Being of Swedish descent, they all, without hesitation, happily heated up in the sauna, which was built on a deck over the lake, and then plunged into the chilly waters. Over and over again. Splashing and swimming under the beautiful starry sky. Hydrotherapy at its best. Without an icy lake and cedarwood sauna in your backyard, you can easily do this in the shower by turning the water to cold for ten to twenty seconds, then warm for one minute. Repeat three times and end on cold for a refreshing routine that will wake you up faster than your favorite morning beverage!
I’d love to hear about other habits that you use to get your lymph flowing. Message me and share your favorite tips.
Saturday, April 22 is Earth Day.
For fifty-three years we’ve set aside time to honor the earth that hosts us as we spin through the solar system. Every day is a good day to get your hands dirty with some gardening. Pick up your new plants at the Graton Community Club’s Spring Plant Sale. If you’re local to Healdsburg, walk or ride your bike to the plaza for the Earth Day Climate Fest. Just as our breath supports our lymphatic flow, small actions can show support and gratitude for our Mother Earth.
