Love Your Lymph - Basic Head & Neck Flow
The Why:
Our body is bathed in lymph. This fluid is more abundant than blood and is a vital filtration system that helps all other systems work more optimally. It assists in draining toxic substances and invaders that enter the body, as well as clear cellular waste from injury and repair.
Our lymphatic system is easily overburdened. Tightness in the surrounding tissues can also impact the effectiveness of how well our lymph drains.
One-third of our lymph clusters are in our head/neck region. The flow and function of your neck is critical for flow and functional lower in the body, so even if you just start by addressing this part of the lymphatic system consistently you will likely experience improvement in other areas.
How To:
Move the skin to move more lymph. A gentle stretch of the skin allows more fluid to be drawn in to the collecting tissue. I like to use a flat hand without any oil or lotion and move it in a slow semi-circular motion. Use a gentle pressure…imagine your hand melting into the skin enough to move it but not to create significant compression.
The order matters. It’s important to assist drainage around the clavicles before working any other part of the system. This is where the lymph will be entering its terminal drainage point and it’s common for there to be stagnation in this area.
Another important area to address the lymph that’s often neglected is within the gut - but we’ll talk about that later.
Of course, do both sides. I will generally do both sides at once and spend about 15-30 seconds in each location. I love doing it in before getting out of bed in the morning, but anytime is great. It can be quite relaxing - and we all need a little more chill in our day.
Hydration and breathing plays a vital role in moving the lymph, so don’t forget your foundations when incorporating this technique.
Have you incorporated manual lymphatic massage into your routine? Reach out on instagram if you have any questions.