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The Heart of it All

Your best defense is a progressive offense: the lymphatic system

By MaryJo Ruggieri, PhD, RPP

The foundation of all good health lies within the function and operation of an individual’s lymphatic system. Those pesky nodes, when stressed out, will swell in your neck, especially behind the ear, and will make it impossible to swallow.

The lymphatic system, according to the Lymphatic System Anatomy Workbook, is a series of vessels, structures and organs that collect fluid throughout the body and return it to the main circulation for distribution. The lymphocytes function in the immune process; the fluid draining through the lymphatic system is lymph. The clusters of lymph nodes, almost like a bunch of grapes, are located throughout the lymphatic vessels.

These nodes provide a filtration system for the body. They contain the all-important T-cells that eventually will fight for your life. It’s a well-known fact that a highly functioning lymphatic system can handle even the toughest invaders in your body—cancer!

It is important to remember that the immune system is your main defense for healing and long-term immunity to diseases. The process and your entire body’s defense mechanism is located in the lymphatic system, a system we hardly pay attention to until it’s in a state of trauma or stops functioning properly.

When bacteria, viruses, foreign chemicals and environmental pollutants enter the body, the lymphocytes—the body’s "little soldiers"—begin "preparing for war." But this type of war doesn’t depend upon large defense spending. It is a natural part of our everyday internal healthcare—the physician within. When these soldiers are activated they secrete large quantities of antibodies. These antibodies move into the sites of the virus or bacterial or even cancer cells and begin to engulf and destroy the disease or abnormal cells.

It doesn’t take much to understand who runs the show n our human biological house. The lymphatic system is a sure bet. It is the only thing that really lets us function and live a normal life in a germ-infested world.

The body houses hundreds and hundreds of lymph nodes, which are located everywhere imaginable. If we are to keep our lymphatic system functioning, we must be aware of their locations:

Head and neck: Under jaw, behind the ears, back of neck, base of skull, around the eyes, side of the cheek and the floor of the mouth.

Chest: Shoulder area, under armpits, breast or the mammary glands, clavicle or collar bone area, along the upper arm extending into the elbow and all major organs like liver and kidneys.

Lower body: Groin area, pelvic girdle and all through the inner thighs. They even go along the spine in many areas.

The lymphatic system functions only as well as it is kept in good working order. Surprisingly, the lymphs are easy to care for, especially if you become aware of how they function.

• Walking, biking or any cardiovascular work. Both the cardiovascular and the respiratory system are tied into the lymphatic system.
• Get a mini trampoline and jump on it for five to 10 minutes daily. Great for pumping leg lymphs.
• Sit-ups and push-ups.

• Constantly do self massage—your jawbone, under your eyes, behind your ears, squeeze the muscles under your armpit and along side of your neck.
• If a node is swollen or hard to touch, work around the area not on it.
• Skin brush. It is good to use a dry vegetable brush daily on your entire body, stroking toward the heart.
• Meditate. Stress suppresses immune function.

• Lymphatic massage manually drains the lymphs and helps promote positive movement.
• Lymphodema, especially after surgery, should be attended to immediately through bodywork.
• Polarity lymphatic balance uses key acupressure points to help the body move fluids and create a good energy flow.
• Foot reflexology will stimulate certain lymphatic reflexes.

• Fast regularly—drink green juices or fresh carrot juice which flush the lymphs.
• Do a colon cleanse. Work with a holistic health practitioner to set up a program to cleanse your digestive system.
• Sweat. Soaking in hot tubs helps release fluids in lymphs.
• Eat good fats—avocados, olive oil, almond oil.
• Drink water every hour on the hour.

• Echinacea, golden seal, garlic for surface immunity
• Ginseng, liquorices, astragaluses for deep immunity
• Healthy Cell – Integrated herbs by Charoula Dontopoulos

The lymphatic system’s importance lies in the fact that it is the first line of defense of the immune system.

It is a transport system that moves fluids to all parts of the body and in the process drains and cleanses them.

It is closely tied up with the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.

1. Breath of fire (breathe in and out through nose while pumping the belly like a bellows for about 8-10 times, on the last breath, hold and then release with a "Ha" sound)
2. Energetic diaphragm release (fingers under diaphragm, deep breathe in, on the exhale bend down)
3. Squat and do the breath of fire
4. Cross arms, hands under armpits, bend and squeeze.
5. Arms spread out, play with fingers, compress them and extend.
6. Hands behind head, bend down.
7. Occipital node manipulation (eye nerve); grab earlobes, pull down, open jaw, close, then push tongue against teeth (great for ringing in the ears in kids)
8. Two fingers behind ears, come down under jaw to the mid point: open jaw and push against fingers with mild resistance (this is great for sore throats)
9. Turn the head down and pump the SCM muscle (sternocleidomastoid).
10. Hands behind back, head back, do breath of fire.
11. Shrug shoulders up and down.
12. With right hand touch left side where shoulder meets clavicle. Left arm out. Turn palm in and out, up and down, for about three minutes.
13. Leg up on the table, fingers behind knee. Bend up and down, stretch and tamasically massage nodes behind knee. (good for baker’s cyst)

    All lymphatic work engages the myofascial or connective tissue system. The fascia system-connective tissue, permeates the entire body. Fascia holds the body up. It holds trauma. Energy transports through fascia and exercise creates elasticity in fascia.

14. Squeeze mandible and down the subclavius (pinching along collar bone)
15. Stick tongue out, curl up under the palate, pushing against the palate. Suck it up against the palate. Stick it out and pull and pump it. (Brush the tongue am/pm from back to front, above and below – cleansing, use a tongue scraper or even a teaspoon works.)

The key to lymphatic work is an ether joint treatment and energetic balance. After any surgery it releases toxins that come up when the body in healing.

Polarity is an integrated science. It takes into consideration stress management. (The importance of the stress factor in cancer.) Lymphatic health care cannot be separated from stress. The lymphatic system is part of the overall immune system which is tied in closely with the glandular and the nervous system.

For the lymphatic system to be healthy, the adrenals must be properly balance. When the immune system is over taxed and suppressed, the para-sympathetic nervous system is atrophied. Stress suppresses immune action and creates hormonal imbalance. Emotional stress and depression has been linked with auto-immune diseases such as cancer and Fibromyalgia.

Hence the need to meditate and do affirmations. Engage in a passive conscious stabilization of your body.

1. Cradle hold – hold base of the skull at occipital ridge
2. Occipital release – roll the head to the side, use middle finger (fire) and do small circles at occipital protuberance.
3. Atlas release – hold base of skull, push finger up to release atlas.
4. Head stretches
5. Side head stretch, with chin down (same side, with hand on shoulder. Gently compress nodes under the ear.)
6. Compress and squeeze under arms with the whole hand.
7. Center hold – with right hand under the head, place left hand on sternum
8. Behind ear contact – flush using index and middle finger (air and fire), press down and milk it. Press and work tissue gently toward the throat.
9. SCM Pinch/ squeeze – turn head to same side (positional release), squeeze and press the entire muscle.

1. Vault hold – 2 fingers above and 2 fingers below, thumb on eyebrow area.
2. Index finger along bridge of nose down the zygomatic bone to the ear.
3. Glide along jaw to chin, close to ears and drain.
4. Pinch mandible from out to in.
5. Use a vault hold to ground.

Polarity Sinus – Fire Aries, eye balance, hold hands over eyes – Palms near eyes

1. Shoulder rock.
2. Chest pump – Place hands palm down below clavicles on chest/upper ribs, direction is down. Inhale into hands, press down on exhale. Pump and compress, 203 times in a row. Hold, inhale and hold the pressure, then release quickly as pressure is feet under hands.
3. Clavicle Pinch – start at sternum and work all the way out to shoulder. Do small and consistent circles on the marma points of clavicle. AC and SC joint.
4. Air Release/Side of Breast gland – grasp pectoralis major, compress on exhale and hold.
5. Side Thoracic release (both sides) – arm over head, lean and pull, with other hand contac muscles under arm – opens up lymph under the armpit.

1. Tummy rock – stand on the right side of body, top hand on forehead, bottom hand halfway between belly button and pubic bone. Rock hand on lower abdomen.
2. Satvic Stomach balance – two hands above stomach (navel) and hold
3. Colon drain: press in for 2 slow counts and follow colon ascending, transverse and descending, holding where needed.
4. Energetic Inguinal Gland rock – below pubic bone to lateral side where the pubic bone meets the iliac crest gently rock with the palm of hand. The leg can be in a bent (4) position or hanging off the table.
5. Pubic Bone Lymph palpation – with the leg in a figure 4 position palpate the triangle of the iliac crest and along the pubic bone.
6. Leg Extension rock – practitioner holding the leg extended out to the side, does light rocks keeping pubic bone lymph contact.
7. Ankle rock – hold on both sides of ankles and rock ankles between hands.

1. Rajasic Sacrum rock – stand on right side of body, top hand contact on Occipital ridge, bottom hand rocking the sacrum.
2. L5 to C7 soft tissue pump – press in between the vertebral spaces for three counts in a forward motion moving up the spine. Using air and fire fingers.
3. Sacrum Brush up – brush lightly on the body from the sacrum up.
4. Repeat sacrum rock.
5. Coccyx balance – contact coccyx with fire finger and balance with crown point.
6. Back of Knee flush – in a superior direction only, press and work the popliteal space. Under the knee.
7. Ankle balance – hold ankles and balance
8. Brush off.

1. Pinch up outside the side of the foot from the heel to toe (earth toe)
2. Top of foot pump – with thumbs under foot and fingers in the groove at the ankle, pump to of ankle back and forth.
3. Top of foot between toes – press and work each point
4. Colon reflexes on the feet (ascendant, transverse, descendant, knuckles over small intestines)

Hold the third eye and belly button, bring energy up and out to the universe, then brush off with or without contact.

Balance, ground yourself, set your fulcrums and think of creating space

Feet first

• Basic Butterfly – palms of hands on "neck" of each big toe, slowly open up, push feet laterally (outward) and down to the table (this assists in releasing tension)
• Hold each set of toes – each toe joint connects with poles of the triads – positive top joint, neutral 2^nd joint, negative bottom joint
• Do toe pulls

Flushing up – with each foot

• Generative reflexology points – both sides of the heel and pinch up Achilles tendon (hold the water toe with other hand at same time) – work lymphatic up (squeezing outside of the foot up towards toes)
• Work the lymphatic points between each of the toes
• Flex and extend top of foot, especially those toes needing most work

Work Long Current Lines

• Work moving up and down the foot’s longlines (top and bottom of foot)

One hand under lower leg, on hand above squeezing

• squeeze the Achilles tendon while rocking the foot

Rajasic Body Rock

• Holding at ankles rock towards and away from head
• Shake the legs up and down a little (lean back gently and pull)
• Have client pump their belly breathing say the "ha" sound as they exhale then push the feet in a superior direction
• Ground by doing the butterfly again, pushing feet out and down towards table
• Press up the leg to the inguinal area
• Connect the foot with the hip and rock at the hip, (can also move the leg in different directions and shake and rock it)

Work the whole earth colon area: (for the sympathetic nervous system, use the Path of Fire principle)

• right side (ascending colon), transverse & left colon (descending)
• gently palpate the colon
• hold the intention of working the spiral
• balance knees to colon
• pinch around the navel in a spiral pattern (disperses fire energy very well, and it is the neutral pole of the Sympathetic nervous system)

• place the thumb in the navel – work it in all four directions
• squeeze the soft tissue of the central abdominal area with both hands and gently pull it up ("aerate")
• fire spiral work – palpating the area clockwise
• could do any gas release
• could end with a liver balance also

• Do some star work; big or small, or right on the colon
• Rock the legs – especially thighs (negative pole of fire)
• Tummy rock (hand on forehead and other hand on belly)
• Hip and shoulder balances

Shoulder work

• Shoulder rock, alternately pushing the right, then left
• Clavicle pinch, palpate the clavicle, working from either to earth (inside/out)
• Massage the K27 points (Brain Gym points) at the clavicle sternal notches
• Make contact at the zygomatic process with all fingers, under the earlobes
• (jaw reflexes to the pelvic area)

Head and jaw

• Each element is along the jaw line
• Use a "polarity" pillow, or some support to keep the head balanced back, chin up
• Work the jaw line points from underneath, pinch and hold points for a balance
• Positive, neutral and negative poles are at each point
• Hold points on face near the temporal bones
• End with a cradle hold, with air fingers under the atlas, palpate/ rotate a bit and then relax into the cradle (as fire occipital rock)

Tummy rock with left hand on crown (on the right side) and other on the belly

Thumbs on the third eye and the belly

Release off the belly

Brush off towards the feet

Ground fee

• Can use 5 or 6 pointed star at any time in any session. 5 pointed star balances water.
• Dr. Stone’s Balancing by Contour sessions also work for balance of nervous systems. Use points on gluts and reflex to scapula’s, neck, feet, or califs.