When we are recovering from injury, it is not just the affected area that needs rebuilding. Our body and our confidence also needs attention. In this blog I focus on how my research of the Fascia and Lymphatic partnership can rehabilitate the body, strengthen the mind and create a healthier immune system.
My journey through a broken ankle was very much virgin territory. At 58 I had never broken anything and so my learning curve was steep. Not only did I learn about acceptance and surrender I also became acutely aware of the devotion of a loved one who takes the strain whilst you heal. As the week’s past I discovered about mobility and how to adjust getting around the van. My hopping became of an Olympic standard.
However, as I started to quite literally find my feet again, I realised that my body needed some attention. Not just my ankle, my whole body. I had changed my diet during my recovery to include more carbohydrates and in particular fruits with high levels of Vit C. And there were a few additional ‘naughties’ that kept me going through the boredom. As a result of that and my unfamiliar sedentary lifestyle, I had put on a fair bit of weight. My confidence had waned and my body strength had started to suffer. There is only so much exercise you can do with space constraints and immobility – even of he hopping kind.
So as I gradually started to see real improvements in my movement ability, I started to explore ways to get back to my fighting weight and fitness. I started with a video from my exercise guru bestie and then fasica and lymphatic drainage started to come up in my newsfeeds across my Social Media.
Intrigued, I began to do more research.
Given my love for yoga and how its gentle movements can bring our body to a level of flexibility that supports our immune system and mental well-being I had a feeling this was just what I needed to complement my practice. Learning about the fascia and lymphatic partnership gave me a whole new language that suddenly made my yoga feel complete; in a very westernised way.
Fascia and Lymphatic Partnership
A little bit of science that I hope will set the internal mechanics in place.
The fascia is a layer – imagine it like clingfilm – that covers every organ, bone and muscle it is an important part of our body’s strength and connectivity. When the fascia is hydrated, flexible and mobile it allows our bodies to work and exercise effortlessly without stiffness or soreness.
The lymphatic system is a lesser known process that is starting to get more traction in the medical arena. Generally we only hear about the lymph system in relation to disease, especially cancer. The lymphatic system is all about carrying and draining fluid. Unlike our blood circulation that has its own ready-made pump in the heart, the lymph system has no pump, so relies on our muscle movement and breath to allow fluids to flow and circulate waste from our body.
When the fascia is healthy, it opens up the pathways for the lymph system to work more efficiently and so allow toxins and other bodily fluids to be removed from our cells and excreted out of the body. So you can imagine what happens when we are sedentary for too long. The fluid in the cells is not removed, nor drained from the body and as a result we start to feel what I can only call ‘stodgy’. We feel foggy in clarity of mind, stiff, inflamed and in pain. They bring with them a lethargy and a weakened ability to fight virus and bacteria. So we get sick more easily.
When we realise the unique partnership that actually allows our body to do what it does naturally, then we quickly see the benefit of movement – at its most basic yet fundamental level.
- Breathing acts as a primary internal pump for the lymphatic system.
- Breathing also acts as pump that stretches and massages the fascia, lubricates connective tissue and allows bodily fluids to flow naturally.
- Gently movement keeps the fascia stretched and flexible, ensuring that it protects our internals.
- Movement also helps pump fluids around the lymphatic system including the 600 nodes that are typically housed in the neck, armpits and groin areas.
- Hydration in both water intake and through movement enables the fascia to act like a sponge – it is made up of 70% water, relying on it to stay supple and support our body.
- When our fascia is unhealthy, tightens and compresses the lymphatic vessels acting like a road-block, slowing down the flow and drainage.
- When we combine movement and breathing with good hydration and nutrition, we give our body the foundation it needs to feel well, mobile, strong and clean.
- The fascia is predominantly made up of collagen and so for women over the age of 30 where our collagen is known to start dropping, it is imperative that we have a good intake of protein or supplements to help protect our fascia.
The most important thing I learned about movement and the fascia and lymphatic partnership is that we are not forcing the body to heal, we are creating the conditions where the body can do what it is designed to do – naturally.
And so from this point, the inspiration for my four step video series came to life.
Freedom to Move – Breathe to Flow
In this short video we focus on the simplicity of the diaphragmatic breath that brings a conscious deep breath to mobile the body and create movement through contraction and expansion of our lower lungs.
Freedom to Move – Wake up your Body
In this second episode we take to our mats to do some gentle stretches that allow the whole body to wake up gently. Focusing on the neck, armpits and groins especially, we stimulate those parts of our body to warm up, wake up and begin the movement that our body and our lymphatic system needs.
Freedom to Move – Restore your Flow
This third video integrates a short warm up and then some very focused yoga poses. Each one specifically included to work with our fascia and lymphatic system.
Freedom to Move – Energise your Body
And finally we raise the energy levels up to do some short cardio exercises for just 30 seconds that stimulate our body and those areas where our lymph nodes sit. And now we are getting a high level of movement that truly signals to the body in no more than five minutes, that we are moving and draining.
Freedom to Move – Combo Reset
And my extra bonus episode, brings the key elements of all four videos into one sequence. So if you want to do all four movements over the course of 25-30 minutes, then this is the one for you. This is a great workout after which you will really feel the benefit of your movement.
I have loved putting this series together because it has been an important part of my on going rehabilitation as much as it has for people who want to experience lightness and less inflammation. I have put a link to the playlist on our Youtube channel below and you can pick and mix as you wish.
As I mentioned you can also do just the final bonus video the Reset Combo, which allows you to have a 30 minute workout that combines all four videos into one if you would prefer.
I would love to know how you get on and what changes you experience in your body after doing this Fascia and Lymphatic Reset, so come back and let me know your experiences. For more information on yoga articles or to contact me about your yoga practice, click here. If you would like to explore more about the lymphatic system, then you might enjoy this Podcast on BBC Radio sounds.
Kx
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