The Art & Science of Detoxification – Part 3: Lymphatic system
Learning the art and science of detoxification is key to supporting to your EBV healing journey. In my case, I usually experience the viral flareup after heavily stressful life events (such a grieving loved ones and dealing without childcare during a pandemic in my most recent experience). While my body fights the higher viral load, my physical pathways get bogged up and the viral die-off seems to recirculate and make everything worse. Now that I’ve been through the pattern many times, I notice this is usually the starts of fatigue and brain fog and double-down on detoxing routines to get things moving and prevent a bigger crash.
While I’m not a medical professional, I’m here to share what I’ve learned about the pathways of detoxification and how you can apply rituals in your life. When fighting Epstein-Barr or any other pathogen, it’s important to give your body the support it needs to flush the garbage out. The six key detoxifying pathways are: Skin, Lungs, Kidneys, Digestion, Lymphatic and Liver. These systems work together to rid your body of toxins your skin, breath, stool and urine.
Please, I beg of you, don’t go googling any wild and crazy fad cleanses. Especially you have chronic illness, these kinds of cleanses can be extremely dangerous. It’s important to take small and steady steps forward, being kind and gentle to yourself. You don’t need drastic or expensive measures to make a big difference.
Where to Start:
I encourage you to start with Part 1 of this detox series - the Skin. In this third installment, we’re talking about the lymphatic system! Many of you might have heard of this but not really know much more about it. The lymph system is the magical powerhouse that helps our immune system function. Glands, or lymph-nodes, are found all along the spine and near the neck, armpits and groin. Lymph-nodes sit just below the surface of the skin and require manual movement in order to pump fluid throughout the body.
Because lymph is only moved with physical action, when you are dealing with brutal fatigue or simply a sedentary lifestyle, it’s important to take extra effort to keep your lymph moving.
Here are my favorite Lymphatic Detoxing tips:
Gentle Lymphatic Massage – While you can treat yourself to a professional lymphatic massage, I highly recommend learning how to do self-massage. (Here’s a helpful video.)
Move, Stretch or Bounce – Some folks like a rebounder (basically a tiny trampoline), but something as simple as walking, jogging, jumping rope, yoga or other movement will do the job. Remember that it’s more about pumping through muscle squeezes than “blood pumping.”
Inversions - Be safe! This could look like a supported bridge pose, down dog, supported leg raise or one of the easiest of all - legs up the wall.
Alternating Hot & Cold Therapy - This is probably my favorite, but takes some getting used to. Whether you have access to a soaking facility with hot and cold pools or simply turn your shower to cold for the final minute, you’ll notice immediate relief (and in my experience, nearly immediate endorphin rush!)
I’d love to hear about your experiences and questions. What’s your favorite way to get your lymph moving, especially when you don’t feel like exercising?
