Lymphatic Drainage
A friend of mine is due to birth in a couple of weeks. She’s very holistic in her healthcare, but a recent check-up revealed high blood pressure and elevated liver markers. So her midwives suggested she go into hospital and induce labor.
I asked her to close her eyes and tell me how SHE was feeling – how was her body feeling to her? She had already told the midwife there would be no trip to the hospital the next day, as she knew to give herself time to connect with her own body – rather than just following medical orders (which are often driven by fear of litigation, rather than patient welfare).
I asked how much water/fluid she was retaining? And she confirmed that she was quite swollen. This may be considered ‘normal’ in western pregnancies, but to me it signals that something in the body is out of balance. High blood pressure, fluid retention and stagnant/overloaded liver can all feedback-loop with each other, but where is the root? Or where can we interrupt the continuous loop?
The liver works overtime during pregnancy, chronic disease, or in someone who ingests toxic substances regularly (processed food, GMO, pesticide-grown food, alcohol, etc.). And the liver works in tandem with the lymphatic system – both are key for toxin removal and elimination. If you’re pregnant or chronically ill, you have to go ‘low and slow’ with herbal liver detox therapies – since the liver is already working hard. But there is an amazing manual/bodywork therapy called lymphatic drainage that can be done at any time.
I told my friend about the time I was pregnant with my second child and had massive swelling and water retention. I did not even consult a doctor (knowing their extremely limited toolbox/therapies) and instead booked in for lymph drainage massage. I found someone who specialized in this type of bodywork.
Halfway through the session, I had to get up and go urinate for over 2 minutes! That’s how fast this technique can work when it’s done right. Then at the end of the session, I couldn’t even pay my bill before having to go pee again for almost 2 minutes. By the next day, no more swelling or fluid. I went again 3-4 weeks later, just for maintenance, but I didn’t really need to.
I also did not have any ultrasounds or blood draws throughout my first two pregnancies – I simply listened to my body. If any problem arose – like the water retention – I went to the root of the problem and gave my body the support it needed. I had one ultrasound with my third pregnancy, because I was huge and had to know whether I was carrying twins. The stress of not knowing would have been more negative for me, then whatever negative effects are caused by ultrasound. So again, I’m not telling anyone how to manage their own health/pregnancy. Each of us needs to do what makes us feel GOOD and is aligned with our authentic self. I’m simply sharing my stories and perspective.
I suggested my friend have her husband do lymph drainage on her first, and also book a Zoom session with Dr. Juliet for a second opinion. She also confirmed that they were running WiFi in their home, so I suggested she unplug it every night before bed, or whenever they weren’t using it. Even when not being used, a WiFi modem, or cellphone, sends out radiation every 6 seconds. You definitely want any radiation devices unplugged/off during sleep. Sleep is crucial for the cells to detox, repair etc and any electromagenetic radiation disrupts your body’s own electromagnetic balance. Note: Simply turning a WiFi modem OFF doesn’t work, it continues to radiate unless it is unplugged from the wall.
My friend lives in a remote, rural area so there are no lymphatic drainage specialists anywhere near her. Luckily YouTube has enough videos on lymph drainage, and also self-administered lymph drainage for them to be able to do a decent job at home.
HOWEVER there was also so much garbage information on YouTube and just plain incorrect lymph drainage advice, that I was really glad I offered to find the videos for her! And why I’m happy to be able to share this curated information here with you. If you’d like to try this technique for any kind of edema, water/fluid retention or swelling, high blood pressure (often caused by fluid retention) and liver issues (again, your toxin clearance and removal is not working well), then here are the videos it took me almost two hours to research and gather together – you’re welcome :)
At the end of the videos, we’re going to return to my friend’s story and I’ll let you know what happened when she did the lymphatic drainage and listened to the deeper messages her body was sending…
Understanding Lymphatic Drainage
The lymphatic system is a series of vessels and nodes spread throughout the body responsible for collecting and moving the waste from cells and tissues. It does this by circulating a special fluid called “lymph” through a series of one-way valves and lymph nodes. You can think of it like your body’s own built-in detox system.
As you can see in the picture above, lymph vessels differ from blood vessels in that they are not a clear, open channel. Lymph vessels have a series of gates, or valves, and if you press too hard, these valves will close! Then you will not be working with the lymph system anymore, you will just be massaging tissue. This is the body’s wisdom at work.
The pressure used to perform manual lymphatic drainage has been compared to the pressure used to roll an uncooked egg across a table, slowly, with not much pressure at all. Lymph drainage is all about moving fluid using gentle strokes, soft manipulations of the surface of the skin, and super slow movements, because the lymphatic system moves SLOWLY.
Contraindications for lymph drainage include:
- Acute infection in a swollen area
- Blood clots or deep-vein thrombosis
- Certain Heart problems
- Certain cancers in the area of massage
*check with your health professional if you’re unsure.
START HERE…
If you’re tempted to just skip to the leg drainage for swollen ankles (for example), remember that lymph is an entire whole-body system, and experts say its best to work this system in order, starting at the top.
If you’re a bodywork professional, then you may prefer this video series of in-depth, technical instruction in manual lymphatic drainage, rather than the ones below.
*Note: I have cued up each of these videos to start at the information
If you’re pregnant, you cannot do the main abdomen (below) so skip this one. But for everyone else, this is excellent:
If you’re pregnant, you may still be able to do the lower abdomen and pubic area here – again, I’ve cued it up ready to go:
Now you move on to the legs (ignore the fuzzy picture – the video does work). This is the video for self-massage:
*This RMT, Heather Wibbels, uses the amount of pressure my bodyworker used. Many videos I watched used way too much pressure – which means you are now working with blood vessels and tissue, not lymph.
And if someone else can work on your legs, then this is an excellent demo to follow:
Here’s another short video on working with the legs – customized for pregnancy. Her touch looks a bit heavy to me, but it’s hard to tell:
The Miracle of Lymphatic Drainage
The interesting thing about lymph drainage – if you do it right – is it literally can be miraculous! I sent my friend all these videos and she started immediately – beginning with the head drainage. She texted me an hour later:
“Did lymph drainage for head and arms and got my ring off (has been stuck with the swelling)! And blood pressure has already come down a little bit too. I’m having ongoing drainage from my sinuses – with a mild burning sensation since I started the drainage.”
Within another half an hour, her sinuses had cleared completely. But since her sinuses have been a mild, periodic, ongoing issue for her, I suggested she also do Lazer Tapping (acupressure tapping technique) to further support the healing process:
- all this burning in my sinuses…
- I wonder what it means…
- what message have I been ignoring all these years…
- nonetheless, I choose to love and accept myself anyway!
- I’m listening now…
- I’m helping now…
- I love my sinuses…
- I’m so grateful for my sinuses… and so on.
If you haven’t tried a FREE Lazer Tapping session with me yet, then come on over! It’s another miraculous healing therapy that I highly recommend. Because for every physical symptom/issue, there is a corresponding emotional/spiritual/energetic issue that is waiting to be healed/released.
After tapping on her sinus symptoms, and the messages from her sinuses, my friend texted me:
“Ok it went back to my early childhood, in a stagnant house caught in the energy of my miserable parents. It flares up when I have big release/cries, and at times when it’s worried I’m going to get stuck in a situation. I ‘what-iffed’ a state of independence from my parents’ state and the possibility to unhook from that early dependency/stuckness in their home and care, and tapped in the possibility that we are free to keep moving no matter what. It’s a dank heavy mouldy stagnant feeling. They were stuck in an arrangement they were never meant to be in, either of them. But their conditioning and circumstances just took them there, they didn’t know how to say no or imagine something better.
I think they’ve both cleared a lot of that over time, it’s just the fear of it stuck in me on a micro level. And my little self trying to hold and fix it all. Little elf baby trying to account for the shittiness of the world from day 1.
It’s also connected to convention – this feeling relates to my utter rejection of an ‘office job’ as my little self called it, to leaving university, now to the medical system. So many layers hey?? You think you’ve done it and whoops there’s some more.”
You see how this works?? THIS is why we need to lean in and listen to our symptoms, instead of just drugging or cutting them out! YES I’m frickin’ passionate about this – because I see it all the time. And I see the incredible growth and liberation that’s possible if people just TRUST their body and lean into its messages. Rather than just trying to fix or get rid of the physical symptom as quickly as possible.
Our body IS our subconscious. Our body is the densest part of our soul – not separate from the soul, not something to be transcended and escaped. Our body is always advocating on our behalf. Please listen.
The Miracle Continues
Here’s a brief outline of what my friend did, using both the physical tools (lymph drainage, diet, supplementation) and the mind/body/soul tool of Lazer Tapping; listening to her subconscious, releasing fears and blocks and surrendering to her body/soul’s higher wisdom…
Day 1:
– As described above, she did lymph drainage on her head and upper body a few times during the day. Her husband did the lymph drainage on her legs in the evening.
– Sinuses began draining liquid, with burning sensation
– Lazer Tapping session on her sinuses and their deeper message (see above)
– Peed 6 times during the night
Day 2:
– Sinuses still draining off and on. She’s crying a lot, BUT not getting congested – this has never happened before
– She continues to do lymph drainage on her whole body, she does the lymph on her legs during the day, hubby does it in the evening
– Hands are almost normal (no swelling)
– Blood pressure is still elevated, so she goes into the emotional messages of her high blood pressure and does a Lazer Tapping session on that.
– Starts Dr. Brewer’s diet for high blood pressure and supplements with extra minerals, especially magnesium and potassium. Drinks 1 cup of raw milk (she has her own cow) every hour or so ( as per Dr. Brewer’s advice)
Day 3:
– Sinuses are now expelling mucous – she wonders how long this mucous has been trapped there?!
– Blood pressure is now at the upper limit of ‘normal’
– Continues with lymphatic drainage for her whole body multiple times per day (it doesn’t take long)
Day 5:
– Blood pressure is now normal
– Does Lazer Tapping session on her fears of induction and ceasarean
– Continues with lymph drainage massage
Day 6:
– Blood work results and check-up with midwife show complete healing has taken place
“Got blood work back and I’ve reversed the damage to my liver! Midwife says she’s never seen anyone do that. ‘Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it’ she says… Oh honey you have no idea. We did a check on baby and everything is of course normal and healthy and fine.”
SHAZAM! Does it get any better than this??!
*Do you notice how many different issues came up for deep release via Lazer Tapping during this ‘healing crisis’? THIS is why I designed Lazer Tapping as a course; that teaches you how to tap for yourself. Imagine if she’d had to book an emergency session with a therapist for each piece of this journey (the cost alone would have been prohibitive)? This is why I’m so passionate about each of my readers having this quantum healing tool in their own personal medicine bag (along with comfrey and wild oregano!).
If you’ve ever had sinus issues, or it runs in your family, then definitely get going on lymph drainage for your head/sinuses. Likewise if you have kids who are prone to ear infections – do lymph drainage for them and teach them how to do it too.
If you currently have a swollen hand, arm, leg, etc. Take a picture now. Then take a picture after doing lymph drainage for a few days. See the living proof of your body’s relief!