Tending to our Spring Waters & Lymphatic System for overall Vitality + Discernment
Hearing the Waters calling us to remember how to flow, to be flexible yet powerful ♥
The theme of tending to our Waters keeps arising ~ flowing. Moving stuck, stagnant energy from a long Winter. Making space for all we are creating & calling in, shaking off the heaviness as we slowly emerge. How are you noticing those subtle shifts? Have you been called to more baths? To the Water? What is the closest body of Water to you (besides your own)? Is it frozen? Flowing?
Our lymphatic & detoxification systems are a vital aspect of our overall health & Immune system, but often not talked about too much.
Our Lymph is a protector, warrior system. It is vital to our immune health & Water balance, it moves white blood cells & helps processes waste. It also impacts gut health, nutrient absorption, as many of our lymph nodes are in the GUT.
Essentially, our lymphatic system helps when we are feeling stuck or stagnant ~ they help the smooth flow of water, as well as ridding our bodies of what no longer serves while also DISCERNING what is harmful + what is needed {impacting our ability to be & feel nourished}.
Aanii, Shíx Pachway, kin! As we deepen into Spring energies, I’m sharing some ways we can tend to our lymphatic systems & support our Immune health, and overall vitality + energy + protection.
Supporting our lymphatic system is often an accessible way to support our Immune systems & gentle detoxification pathways. Perfect for Spring as we begin to awaken with our Plant & Animal kin. (For folks in the Souther Hemisphere, also supportive to keep energy flowing during the cooler months).
Below are some Plant kin & physical modalities for supporting our lymphatic systems.
Physical Rituals
✙Dry Brushing: Can also use a rough/dry washcloth; moves lymph. I do before bath
✙Contrast Showers: Alternating hot & cold in shower. 3min as hot as you can, 1min as cold as you can (cold!!). 3+ rounds, end on cold. Amazing for circulation & natural detoxification. Our Ancestor’s knew this w sweat lodge + river dips
✙Movement {if able}: Going for a walk in fresh air. There is no lymphatic pump, our movement, circulation, moves lymph
✙Epsom Salt baths: Adding a cup of Epsom Salts, or a favourite herbal Epsom Salt blend to the bath. Giving gratitude to the Waters & feeling held, connected
✙Drink Water: This! Such a huge thing we can do for our health, provided we have access to clean drinking Water {a basic Human right, yet so many First Nations still don’t have access to clean drinking water in 2022}
✙Drumming: The vibration of the drum is felt in our bodies & vibrational therapy may support lymph flow
✙Dancing {if you’re able}: Remembering flow, joy, listening to the rhythms of Creation and letting our bodies guide us to be in Harmony
Plant Kin to help support Lymphatic System
This time of year many Plants are awaking that help w Lymphatic support & Liver. Yess! Mama Earth truly knows. When we work closely with the Land & Plants, and live within Seasonal shifts, we too benefit from this wisdom. We remember the wisdom we carry in our bodies and spirits.
Many of these kin are considered ‘weeds.’ They are often easily recognizable & we may already have relationships w them. *As always, seek a knowledgable Plant person. This doesn’t cover dosage, part of the Plant worked with, or interactions/contraindications
❊Cleavers: The quintessential lympathic support ~ clearing the lymphatic system while ensuring smooth flow of lymph. Essential for proper immune function, energy, vitality & overall well being. Cleavers also helps to support detoxification processes, and is known as an alternative herb {blood ‘cleansing’ or purifying}. They help to fortify the Liver as well, an amazing ally in the Spring as we transition from cool/slow/dark Winter months into more movement, energy & light.
❊Dandelion Leaf + Root: A sign of Spring. Dandelion Leaf & Root are both potent Medicines, the Leaf being more diuretic. Dandelion Root is known as an alterative, helping to support the body and lymph in metabolizing waste (detoxification). Also supportive for the Liver & Gallbladder, perfect for Spring.
❊Chickweed: A sweet Star flower beauty that is often found in abundance, they are lovely as a salve too! Supportive for the lympathic system and as a Spring tonic. Cooling & soothing. They are also high in Saponins.
❊Calendula: Sunshine Medicine! We grow these beautiful ones together in Grow Your Own Medicine & they are a favourite all Winter long. They help to improve flow of lymph & circulation (more subtly) in the body. Anti-inflammatory. They also tend to help to ‘clean up’ or decongest the lymph. I’ve seen them be very helpful for folks who get pre-menstural breast tenderness & swelling (moving those fluids among other things)
❊Red Root: One of my first lymph loves, they are also known as an alterative. Helping to move lymph & overall improve ‘flow’ in the body. Moving any stuck or stagnant energy. May help with feelings of heaviness or again, lymphatic congestion in the body. Tends to be a bit more astringent, which may be helpful for boggy or lax tissues.
❊Poke Root {w guidance; not a beginner kin}: Another favourite kin, but one that should be worked with cautiously. I love them for moving, protection Medicine. I have a write up on my Instagram if you’d like to read there.
❊Astragalus: An Immune supportive, and Spleen (TCM) supportive kin. Blood building & overall tonic kin. They may also help to improve blood flow & circulation.
❊Violet: Beautiful edible Purple flowers (but wait, did you know they have a second flower that stays underground? cleistogamous flowers) that emerge in the Spring. They are demulcent, and again, a sweet ally for stimulating lymph. Also lovely for sinus or upper respiratory conditions that sometimes accompany Spring time.
❊Prickly Ash {a fave circulatory stimulator & Plant kin!}: I love their sharp thorns & numbing fruit :) They are known as a circulatory stimulant. I find them to be supportive for stagnation held in the pelvic region (Ocotillo being another kin I’d add here) & extremities.
❊Echinacea... & so many more
Equinox Love, ease & allowing the Seasons to clear out anything that is no longer aligned, and bring forth all the shifts, and beautiful transformations we’ve been calling in ♥ {And reminders that transformations & shifts often don’t feel ‘easy’ or comfortable}
xo,
Dr. Jacqui, ND
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