The Underrated Body System: The Lymphatic System

With the changing of season it's a nice time to tune in to your body and feel in to what it needs.

Personally, I am feeling that this a time that body wants to move lymph.  

Your lymphatic system includes lymph nodes & vessels, your spleen & tonsils, your thymus & bone marrow. These parts of your body all play a role in immunity. 

There a many things you can easily do yourself to keep your lymphatic system happy. 

• Walking contracts your leg muscles, physically pumping the lymph valves to keep it moving. The lymphatic system doesn't have a pump like our blood circulatory system, instead we have to manually move lymph ourselves. 

• Dry brushing gently exfoliates the skin and stimulates your lymph. They key is use the brush slowly with long strokes towards your heart. For more on this follow thelymphaticmessage on instagram.

• Gua Sha facial massage. By regularly doing guasha the skin is able to naturally clear blockages that lead to acne, rosacea, puffiness, dark circles, fine lines and overall strengthen the immunity of the skin. 

• Ayurvedic medicine recommends sipping hot water to improve digestion and eliminating toxins from the lymph.

• Herbs that move lymph are calendula, dandelion and astragalus. These are great to use at the end of a cold/flu to kick the last of it and make sure it doesn’t linger.

However you choose to focus on caring for your lymphatic system, incorporate a breathing technique while doing so. For example box breathing; inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 2 seconds, exhale for 4-6 seconds, hold for 2 seconds, repeat.