Manual Lymphatic Drainage Therapy at Absolute Sanctuary

As a Naturopath consulting with guests from every corner of the globe, I can say that few people understand the lymphatic system’s role in the human body and its relationship to health and disease and a small percentage have never even heard of the lymphatic system!

Picture yourself having a shower at home and think of the lymphatic system as your shower’s drainage system. When the drains become blocked or congested with waste, drainage of water is poor. It stagnates, backs up, pools and over time it becomes a rather toxic, smelly sludge. As the shower drain can no longer clear itself, assistance is required to get the water and waste draining away freely again.

A similar scenario occurs in our body when our lymphatic drainage system becomes congested with waste products such as poorly digested fats, fat-soluble toxins, dead blood cells and pathogens. This greatly overwhelms the immune system and over time we become more susceptible to colds and ‘flu’s, cellulite, allergies, skin conditions such as cystic acne, fluid retention and more life-threatening conditions such as cancer.

As the lymphatic system has no pumps of its own to move lymphatic waste through the body for excretion via the colon and urinary system, it relies on us doing daily vigorous physical activity, where our muscular contractions act as pumps to assist movement of this fluid. Other exercises like diaphragmatic breathing, yoga, nasal breathing exercises, regular deep belly-laughing, rebounding on a trampoline and dry skin brushing also activate the movement of lymph fluid. Eating with the seasons and maintaining a well-hydrated body are important adjuncts alongside these to encourage an optimally functioning lymphatic system.

At Absolute Sanctuary our therapists are well trained in the art of Manual Lymphatic Drainage therapy, which is a specially-designed technique employed to retrain the smooth muscular units lining the lymphatic vessels to stimulate their own wave-like peristaltic action, which moves the lymph fluid.

These treatments involve a feather-light touch on the skin, performed in a specific sequence to stimulate wave-like movements along the lines of lymphatic flow and are a deeply relaxing and enjoyable experience. Its rhythm and gentle movements make it so hard not to fall asleep! These treatments are perfect for people who are mostly sedentary, time-poor, unmotivated or are experiencing feelings of lethargy, heaviness, bloating, emotional “stuckness” or generally poor health.

After an MLD treatment, you can expect to feel an overall sense of lightness, flow and ease, both physically and emotionally. With further treatments, your skin begins to glow and spots clear up, digestion improves, allergy symptoms ease and the appearance of “puffiness” and cellulite in your skin reduces, which is why models around the world line up for this treatment!

Adding a few of the above tips to your personal wellness routine, along with good hydration and seasonal eating will encourage optimal waste release from your lymphatic system, allowing you to feel and look your shining best.

This is a guest blog by Healing Expert Claire Bostock.