What is Lymphatic Drainage and why do we want it?
How much do you know about lymphatic drainage? Probably not much. Most people don't really know that much about it. But the lymphatic drainage system is actually a part of the garbage disposal system in the body. Lymph is the remains of the white blood cells (and killed stuff and you know, cleaned out the body) as well as waste products too large for the venous capillaries. There are actual vessels that the lymph uses to drain. You may have noticed that there are many vessels around the sinus area, in the neck, and the shoulders (they get clogged or congested when we’re fighting off colds). In addition to vessels we have a kind of collection zone around the heart and another zone in the pelvis area. But unlike the blood vessels, we don't actually have a heart to pump the lymph in and out. So the most effective way to get lymph to move throughout the body is actually to move the body itself, which is why movement is so important. When we move the muscles, the action acts like a constriction flow pump and it pushes the lymph downstream. The vessels can then empty into the digestive system and be excreted out with the rest of the digestive system. So that is a very simplistic explanation of how the lymph system works.
Did you notice that you have to move your muscles in order for that to happen? You can not get drainage to be effective when you're not moving your muscles. So the next time you think, “Oh, I don't want to get up and move around.” Think about the fact that when you don't move, your whole digestive system becomes sluggish because it needs help to move. Your heart has to work harder because the heart is expecting the muscles to help pump the blood in and out as a reciprocal system with the heart. You also have a body filled with trash that needs to be disposed of. Daily exercise will help immensely to get the drainage happily moving through the body and that's what we want. We don't want gunk to rest in our bodies. We want it out.
Some other ways to clear the lymph is to drink more fluids which helps to thin things back. Other client friends of mine have had great relief with dry brushing because many of the lymph vessels are very close to the skin layer. So when they use a dry brush on their skin before they shower or bathe, it helps to move the lymph in towards the center of the body where it can join into the digestive system and flow out. I also know that some of my clients have great success with massage around the ears, and down the front of the neck when they feel swollen from congestion.
These are all different techniques that can work but remember the most effective technique is just big circular movements such as when you're swimming and waving their arms or walking and propelling the body forward. One of my personal favorites is using yoga twists. Yoga-inspired twists can help immensely. Just remember when you're twisting, follow the “twist the ribcage, not the belly button rule” to keep your sciatic joints happy and healthy around the pelvis. So give that a try. See if it works for you. You will be surprised at how much better you feel overall.
By the way, if you don’t know the “twist the ribcage, not the belly button rule,” check out the pose tutorials in the Santéfit Club.