There is a lot of talk about our immune system lately and how we need to take care of it and do all sorts of things from sleep to supplements to eating better and so on. One thing thats been left out and sometimes ignored is the role that our lymphatic system plays in our immunity and overall health.
Our lymphatic system is a network (glia lymphs) that runs through our whole body from head to toes just like our circulatory system. This system has the glia lymphs and lymph nodes in different areas of the body. The immune and lymphatic system are tightly joined because the lymph nodes are the place where the immune system identifies what the pathogens or toxins are and produces the proper white blood cells (fighter cells) to deal with it. Once that happens its the lymphs job to dump those fighter cells into our cardiovascular system which will them go through our pathways of elimination via gut, kidneys, lungs or sweat. The only problem is that the lymphatic system has no pump, me have to activate it with movement and/or massages and that becomes a problem for some, specially when there is stagnation (clogging) of the lymph, a common issue.
Image taken from: https://breastbalm.com/lymphatic-drainage/
Health conditions can interrupt the normal flow of lymph, causing lymph fluid to build up in a particular area of the body, often in the arms or legs, where it can causing swelling. One of the most common areas to see the swelling is in the Auxiliary Lymph Node, we should have an indentation (arm pit) and not an arm puff (swelling in the area).
A few of the things that cause lymph to stagnate or clogged are: dairy, toxins and chemicals,
sedentary lifestyle, radiation in general (phones, wifi, computers, etc), acids (created because of stress and poor diet), wired bras and really tight clothes among others.
There are a few things you can do at home to help drain the lymphatic system which will go a long way into supporting your immune system:
1. GET MOVING!!
Create the pump with exercise such as trampoline jumping, running, yoga, whatever gets you
moving, changing positions or bouncing!
You can also try specific Kundalini Yoga kryas that target the lymphatic system.
2. LOOSE CLOTHES
Avoid wearing tight clothing, it prevents the lymph from flowing and creates clogging.
3. DRY SKIN BRUSHING
It will take anywhere from 5-10 minutes, there is a specific flow, we need to start with the
clavicle area to open up and move towards the heart. Check out how to do it properly here
4. REDUCE TOXIC LOAD
Take a look at what products you use for cleaning and self-care (moisturizers, hair products,
deodorant, make-up, etc) as well as the quality of the foods you are eating.
