Lymphatic Massages and Self-Care

**I am not a medical professional. This is from my personal experience and self training. Please seek medical advice prior to starting Lymphatic drainage.    

The Lymphatic System

• We have 6 lymphatic points.
• Assisting your lymphatic system when sick, may help you handle your illness.
  • Eating clean, exercise and drinking water will assist your lymphatic system.
  • Remember massage towards the closest lymphatic drainage spot. 

Think of it this way; there's traffic at 7am on a weekday and today you decided to use FasTrak and now your commute with take less time to arrive to your destination. 

Activating the lymphatic main drainage points.

• Start by firmly placing your hand (s) onto your abdomen. Breathing deeply with your hand firmly placed on your abdomen, feel your stomach expand. This will start the process of lymphatic drainage.
  • Gently press down on one side of abdomen to the center and to the other side of abdomen, about 5-10 times.
• Continue to your neck area above your clavicle (collarbone) and gently/ slowly massage in circular motions 5-10 times. (repeat to the next side)
• Separate your fingers (Spock style) onto each ear and in circular motions massage 5-10 times.
• Place both hands on your right and left groin and gentle circular motions massage 5-10 times. 
• Your underarms, gently massage 5-10 times in circular motions. 
• Lastly the area behind your knees, gently massage 5-10 times in circular motions.
  • Work from the outside, in towards lymphatic drainage spots.
  • Remember to massage towards the closest drainage spot.

Quick tips when massaging yourself:

There are three important sections in your body:

• Belly button up, massage towards armpits.
• Bellybutton to groin, massage towards stomach.
• Legs and up massage to groin.

Every day will not look the same for self-care.

Let me paint a picture. You've been running around all day with work, then errands. You sit in your car for about 5 mins. before heading home and take slow controlled breathes. Place a small cork ball (5.1 cm) on your back to relieve any pressure. This will help with relaxation on my drive home. Causing less irritation with drivers on the road.

Don't feel guilty or let others guilt you when you're taking care of yourself. Find what works for you. Finding the right self-care will take some time. The way you feel will be your pay off. Taking care of oneself and encourage everyone in my life. You must not forget to take care of more than just those two aspects of self-care. Helping your mental health, diet, sleep are all aspects of self-care. Working out can help with some mental health aspects. Eating less processed foods, can aide in mood as well.

I found my self-care fastest when I tried the things I enjoyed. I love massages!

My current self-care:

Washing my face daily is therapeutic to me. I feel washing my face relaxes and gets me into a calmer state. 

I incorporate a stone gua sha tool when layering my skincare.

Keeping routines minimal will help your self-care experience. You may always add on when you like.

Before resting for the night, I use a stainless steel body Gua Sha tool. This furthers my relaxation. I start at the bottom of my feet and massage upwards. Always massage towards the closest lymphatic drainage spots. Start at the bottom and work upwards. Work from the outside in towards lymphatic drainage spots. 

Gua Sha tools:

A stainless steel tool, this Gua Sha over clothing can further relaxation. The weight of metal Gua Sha tools glide easier over clothing, allowing benefits of gua sha. Metal tools offer some weight which will make it easier to massage. (Unless you use a glove this tool material is not recommended for use with oil or lotion)

Nightly I use a Bain Gua Sha (any stone preference you may have) for facial massage.

Tip: Choose a gua sha tool with narrow edges/ angles. These type of stones work best to offer less friction to the facial skin.

Wooden Gua Sha tools work best when applying body oil after showering. Wooden Gua Sha offer better grip and less likely to fall/ slip when massaging. **Currently trying another wooden Gua Sha with different grooves which may be my new favorite.