Back when I was but cub reporter Bella, one of the editors at the magazine where I worked had a singular obsession: lymphatic drainage. The woman talked about it as if it was the holy grail of spa services, and she'd return from her appointments glowing and, she swore, five pounds thinner. Lymphatic drainage is a massage technique designed to help the body rid itself of extra fluids, so for the water-retentive among us, it can mean a visible slim-down. Unfortunately, it's also pricey. But never fear! In her book Being Simply Beautiful, author Helen Noble gives a step-by-step tutorial on self lymphatic drainage. So to find out how to get the lymph out, just keep reading.
For the best at-home results, Noble suggests you use a soaped sponge while you take your shower or bath, and that you do five to 10 repetitions of each stroke.
- Begin by sponging from your neck to your collarbones. Then move down your chest and sponge your pectorals in opposite circular motions.
- Then move down to your abdomen, and sponge in clockwise circular motions.
- For your legs and thighs, start by sponging from your feet to your hip socket in light upward strokes. Then, spend several minutes making clockwise circles on your thighs and up your glutes and hips.
- For your arms, stroke from your hands up to your shoulders, and make several clockwise circles around your triceps.
Source: Flickr User Ourania2005
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Ehhh.. I don't know about lymphic drainage, sounds hideous, like something a mortician would do to a corpse on his table. But that picture above sure is adorable.
1I had a series of lymphatic massages a few years ago for water retention issues, they didn't work for me and didn't feel like I got a good massage for the money since they are based on a very light touch. Some people swear by them. Cute picture of the cats.
2I wouldn't recommend performing Lymphatic Drainage on yourself. The lymph fluid is really important in our bodies and if you drain it into the wrong node, you can really do yourself more harm than good. It takes a trained professional to know how to perform it (Vodder or Vacuum) and where to drain your lymph to. As well, there are contraindications for people to do this (illnesses, cancer, etc) so it's really dangerous to suggest that it's something that people can go and just "do" on themselves.
3Interesting..
4Ah! My grandmother is trained in this. I've got lymphadema and it helps so much with the swelling. I would totally agree thought it sound a little risky to do it on yourself when you don't know the whole science behind it because you wouldn't want to screw it all up.
5Have done body brushing for the same purpose. Tried the shower method this week. I like it better! It's a great all over body polish. it's bathing with your lymph system - a gentle way of keeping your body performing at peak. It's not like doing your own MLD at home.
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