My name is Melissa Glehammer,
And today we're doing a lymphatic flow.
This class is designed to do just that,
To get your lymph moving.
Our lymphatic system doesn't have a pump of its own,
So it moves slowly.
Up in the direction of the heart.
So it needs it,
Meaning the lymphatic system,
Needs our movement,
Our muscular engagement.
Our deep breathing,
Our going upside down and massage.
All of those things help to encourage the movement of lymph up.
In the direction of the heart,
But also through the mind.
Lymph nodes that filter,
That clean out the waste,
The toxins,
The excess hormones,
All of the things that cause us inflammation and discomfort.
All of not all,
But many of the lymph nodes live where our main joints are.
So while today is all about getting the lymph to flow,
To drain,
It's also about range of motion for your joints and lubricating those joints for better range of motion.
So for today's class,
All you need is a blanket and a block,
And we're going to start standing.
And we're just going to start to swing the arms forward and backward.
Now,
Many of the first movements are repetitive,
Momentous.
So if you have shoulder injuries,
Instead of letting the momentum take you,
You control your movement.
Okay.
One more big breath here.
Okay,
And then we're going to swing and then pump the arms.
Swing and pump.
Couple more.
Okay,
And then let your arms come back.
All right,
So next we're gonna crisscross the arms.
And then switch which arm is on top each time.
And then as you feel comfortable,
You could just let the arms swing and dangle.
But again,
If this does not feel good for one or both of the shoulders,
Control the movement.
Big breaths while you go.
Okay.
All right,
And then just let your arms come on back.
And then let's bring the left ear to the left shoulder.
Bring your peace fingers to your temple.
So it gives your head something to fall or rest upon.
While you get a stretch on the other side.
And take one more breath here.
Then use your arm and those peace fingers to press your head back up.
And then switch sides.
Okay,
One more breath.
And then push the head back up.
We got one more thing for the shoulders.
So clasp your hands.
And then on your inhale,
You're going to flip your palms away.
Lift the arms up.
And then on the exhale,
You're gonna breathe.
Hold down an imaginary bar so you're You're creating effort here as you lower the arms down.
Inhale,
Flip the palms away,
Lift.
And then exhale,
Squeeze the shoulder blades together as you pull down a bar.
Couple more.
Some of our movement is quick,
Some is slow.
The slow stuff is really nice because it matches the pace.
Of the flow of the lymphatic fluid.
That moves at a very slow pace.
This will be our last one here.
Roll out the shoulders.
All right,
So we've gotten into the lymph nodes that live underneath the collarbones and in the armpits.
Now we're going to go to the inner thighs,
And we're going to do some high knees.
Which requires a little bit of balance.
I didn't mention this in the beginning,
But if you have a wall or a chair that would help you,
I don't want you to have to spend all of this time focusing on your balance.
I really want you to be able to get this lift and this squeezing at your inner thighs.
OK,
So as you do this,
Um,
Your weight is in your standing heel.
Your gaze is out,
Then maybe a little down.
So all of that together helps to keep the shoulders back.
Because if you look down,
The shoulders are going to go down,
And then that is where you will eventually go.
If the balance is off.
We'll do a couple more.
Big breathing here.
Really big breathing the whole time.
And then let's do a couple where we bring the leg out to the side just to get a little bit more range of motion.
Okay,
And this will be our last one.
All right,
And then shake it out.
Okay,
So now we're going to do some twisting to get into the viscera,
The organs.
All of the lymphatic fluid from here drains into the space that we just opened at the inner thighs.
So when will you twist a couple of things?
Kind of push off the knees just to make yourself more kind of pliable.
When you twist,
Let the opposite heel come up.
Let your head go with you.
If you're good with the shoulders,
You can just kind of let your arms whip around a little.
But again,
If you've got something going on in the shoulder,
Just kind of let them float around.
They don't have to hit you.
Big breaths.
So we're gonna keep twisting.
But now you're going to look forward.
You're going to look straight ahead.
So the twist is a little bit more isolating.
Into the middle.
Core area of your body.
Okay,
One more breath.
And come back to the middle.
Stand tall,
Weight in the heels.
Okay,
So we've worked.
Of the mid and upper body.
Now we're going to start to make our way down.
So use your blanket for your knees.
Coming into a table.
Have your block We'll use that shortly.
So from here.
Step your hands a little bit higher up so you're in a wider tabletop.
Take an inhale.
And then on an exhale,
Move your hips back.
So you might not actually end up in child's pose.
That's all right.
We're not quite there yet.
Inhale up.
And exhale back.
So just a little pumping.
To encourage the limb to move from the inner thighs all the way up.
The torso.
Remember,
Everything moves in the direction.
Of the heart.
And by everything,
I mean the lymphatic fluid.
Whether you need it or not,
I want you to take your block.
And put it first or second height underneath your buttocks.
Coming into a child's pose.
Now,
My hope and intention here is to get your hips slightly higher than your head.
So you're in a very small.
Slight inversion.
If your forehead does not reach the floor,
Stack your hands or your fists.
So the hips are above the heart,
Which is above the head.
And we'll take three breaths here.
Okay.
So press yourself back up.
This block out.
So now we're actually going to come back.
More directly upside down.
Because remember the The lymphatic system doesn't have a pump of its own the way our circulatory system pumps the blood.
Or has a pump for the blood.
So we have to use our muscles to go upside down to get the lymphatic fluid from the lower half of the body up.
So the block,
I'm just going to suggest first height here.
Underneath your sacrum.
And then lower your shoulders so it pops open the chest.
And then you're going to send your right leg up.
You'll immediately notice if you need to adjust your block.
Okay,
And then you're just gonna do little swings.
The leg up and down just to target the lymph nodes at the inner thigh.
Okay,
Legs stay straight and then we bend and straighten the knee.
Activating the lymph nodes behind the knee.
So I'm hoping now that you feel.
Or you notice that.
That you're opening and lubricating and easing the joints as well.
All right,
Leg up and then let's rotate the ankle.
Roll the foot.
Switch directions.
And then point and flex.
All right,
And then let's bring that leg down.
And opposite leg up.
Again,
Just little swings here.
Coming back to the inner thigh.
All right,
And then bend and straighten the knee.
And then roll the ankle.
Switch.
And then point and flex.
Okay,
And bring the leg down.
Pause here.
Now let's get started.
True inversion,
Let's send the right leg up.
Then the left,
Just three breaths here.
So upside down,
Encouraging the lymph to move up the legs.
The deep breath brings the limb from the lower body up this thoracic duct in the middle of your chest.
To the space where a colony of lymph nodes lives underneath the collarbones.
This is where the lymph goes before it gets directed into the heart.
To be redistributed.
All right,
Bend your knees one at a time,
Right foot down,
Then the left.
Lift your hips.
Remove the block.
And let's take a couple of breaths with your low back.
Your sacrum firmly on the floor.
So feet wide,
Turn slightly inward.
Hands on the belly.
Let's take two more breaths here together.
Then walk your feet together.
Roll onto your side.
And press yourself up.
And then take your block or your blanket.
Sit on one of them just for a moment.
So that you can capture.
What you might be feeling.
Hopefully.
More comfortable.
In your body.
A rejuvenation.
And ease of being fill in the blanks for yourself.
Thank you for spending a little bit of time with me.
I hope that you've learned something new about your body,
About the lymphatic system.
And I hope that you feel a little more embodied,
A little more energized for your day.
Thank you so much for your time.
