Therapeutic Massage by Jodie Longino

26/06/2025

💚 7-Minute Lymph Flow Routine for Busy Mornings

Stretch. Bounce. Breathe. Glow.

📌 Because your lymph has no pump — it needs YOU to flow.

⏱️ Minute 1 – Deep Diaphragmatic Breathing
🧘‍♀️ “Your breath is your internal pump.”

Inhale deeply through your nose (4 seconds)
Expand belly and ribs
Exhale slowly through pursed lips (6 seconds)
Repeat x 6–8 breaths
💡 Why: The diaphragm rhythmically compresses the thoracic duct, your body’s main lymphatic highway.

⏱️ Minute 2 – Neck & Shoulder Rolls
💆‍♀️ “Free the cervical nodes.”

Gently tilt head side-to-side
Circle shoulders forward & back
Relax your jaw and take another deep breath
💡 Why: Stiff fascia and tension restrict lymph flow in the cervical and clavicular basins — where lymph re-enters the bloodstream.

⏱️ Minute 3 – Chest & Armpit Openers
🕊 “Unclog the axillary flow.”

Interlace hands behind back, open the chest
Lift arms overhead, gentle side bends
Pulse arms out to the sides 10x
💡 Why: Opens axillary nodes, which drain arms, breasts, chest, and upper torso.

⏱️ Minute 4 – Rebounding or Light Bouncing
🏃 “Bounce like a kid — your lymph loves it.”

Mini jumps in place or on a rebounder
Keep feet soft, knees bent
Or do heel lifts with arm swings if low impact needed
💡 Why: Vertical motion helps move lymphatic fluid via gravity and muscle contractions.

⏱️ Minute 5 – Spinal Twists & Side Sweeps
🌪 “Ring out the torso.”

Stand or sit: gently twist left and right
Add arm sweeps across the body
Finish with hands on liver (right rib) and breathe in
💡 Why: Stimulates mesenteric nodes and improves gut-lymph drainage.

⏱️ Minute 6 – Leg & Groin Activation
🦵 “Support the deep pelvic network.”

March in place with exaggerated knee lifts
Do 10 gentle squats
Massage or tap the inside of thighs
💡 Why: Supports inguinal and femoral node drainage — key for hormone balance and lower body lymph.

⏱️ Minute 7 – Castor Oil Affirmation Stretch
🧴 “Flow with intention.”

Rub castor oil over belly or underarms (if desired)
Lie down or stand in a gentle stretch
Inhale: “I release what no longer serves me.”
Exhale: “I welcome flow, healing, and peace.”
💡 Why: Lymph doesn’t just move with touch — it responds to rhythm, breath, and emotion.

✨ You’re Ready to Flow!
In just 7 minutes, you’ve:
✔️ Activated major lymphatic watersheds
✔️ Supported immune flow
✔️ Boosted circulation and energy
✔️ Sent your nervous system a message of safety

©️

22/06/2025

💪 The Role of Your Lymphatic System in Muscle Repair

Why Recovery Doesn’t Work Without Lymph Flow
📌 This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your health regimen.

🧬 Lymph and Muscle: An Overlooked Partnership

When most people think about muscle recovery, they focus on protein, stretching, and rest. But there’s a powerful, silent player in the background — your lymphatic system. This unsung hero is essential for clearing inflammation, delivering immune cells, and rebuilding tissue after stress, injury, or training.

🩺 What Exactly Happens During Muscle Repair?

When muscles are overused, strained, or injured:
• Tiny tears occur in muscle fibers (especially post-exercise)
• The body initiates an inflammatory response to begin repair
• Immune cells rush to the site to clear debris
• New tissue and fibers are rebuilt and strengthened

But here’s the catch:
💡 For healing to occur properly, all the cellular waste, damaged proteins, excess fluid, and inflammatory by-products need to be cleared… and that’s the job of the lymphatic system.

🔄 Step-by-Step: The Lymphatic System in Muscle Repair

1️⃣ Fluid Drainage & Debris Removal

📍Microtrauma from exercise floods the interstitial space with damaged cells, lactic acid, cytokines, and waste.
📍Lymphatic capillaries in the muscle tissues absorb this excess fluid, transporting it toward lymph nodes for filtration.
📍Without proper drainage, inflammation lingers, causing delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and slower recovery.

2️⃣ Immune Coordination & Inflammation Resolution

📍The lymphatic system shuttles immune cells (macrophages, dendritic cells) to the site of injury.
📍These cells:
• Remove necrotic tissue
• Signal repair pathways
• Help regulate the balance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses

📍Research has shown that lymphatic dysfunction delays tissue regeneration, increasing scar tissue and fibrosis risk.

📚 Source: “Lymphatic Function Regulates Muscle Regeneration after Injury,” Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2020

3️⃣ Nutrient Recirculation

📍Lymph fluid contains proteins, lipids, immune cells, and growth factors.
📍When lymph flow is active, these resources are recirculated to support tissue regrowth and healing.

4️⃣ Swelling Prevention and Pressure Regulation

📍After intense training or injury, swelling can limit mobility and slow healing.
📍Active lymphatic drainage reduces pressure in muscle compartments and restores tissue elasticity.

🏃‍♀️ Who Needs to Pay Attention to This?
• Athletes or active individuals experiencing chronic soreness
• Post-surgical patients undergoing muscle recovery
• Lymphoedema or venous insufficiency patients with impaired clearance
• Anyone with muscle trauma, strains, or sprains

🌿 How to Support Lymphatic Flow for Better Muscle Repair

✅ Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD)
Gentle therapy that stimulates superficial lymphatics — ideal for post-training, injury, or surgery.

✅ Movement & Muscle Contraction
The lymph system has no pump — it relies on muscle contraction and breath to move fluid. Light movement and stretching aid circulation.

✅ Hydration
Lymph is 90% water. Proper hydration ensures optimal flow and fluid balance.

✅ Deep Breathing Exercises
The thoracic duct (major lymph vessel) is activated by diaphragmatic breathing — a simple but powerful tool for whole-body drainage.

✅ Anti-inflammatory Nutrition
Foods like turmeric, omega-3s, berries, ginger, and greens can reduce systemic inflammation and support tissue healing.

🌈 Final Thoughts

The next time you’re focused on recovery — whether from a workout or a surgery — don’t forget the lymphatic system. It’s not just about draining fluid…
It’s about clearing inflammation, delivering immune intelligence, and rebuilding strength from the inside out.

💬 “Muscles repair in silence — but only when the lymph flows freely.”

©️

19/06/2025

💧“The Silent Stream: How Your Lymphatic System Holds the Key to Energy, Immunity & Inner Cleanliness”
Because when your lymph flows, life glows ✨

We often think of the heart as the hero of our circulation, tirelessly pumping blood day and night. But hidden just beneath the surface of your skin is another powerful river — quiet, pulsing, and essential. It's your lymphatic system — the unsung guardian of your vitality.

So, what makes this system so important? Let’s dive in:

🌿 What Is the Lymphatic System, Really?
Imagine a vast, delicate web running from your toes to your scalp — a system of vessels, filters, and fluid that picks up toxins, excess fluid, and pathogens that your blood leaves behind. It’s your body’s internal waste disposal and immune transport highway.

At the center of it all? A crystal-clear fluid called lymph. It bathes your cells, drains waste, and carries infection-fighting white blood cells called lymphocytes.

⚖️ Balance Is Everything — What Happens When Lymph Stagnates?
Just like a river that’s blocked starts to smell and stagnate, your lymph system can clog up.

When that happens, you might feel:

Fatigued and foggy 😴
Puffy or swollen, especially in the face, legs, or underarms 🌊
More prone to infections or allergies 🤧
Heavy, bloated, or inflamed 🔥
The culprit? Anything from chronic stress, dehydration, poor posture, processed foods, to lack of movement.

🚶‍♀️The Secret? It Has No Pump!
Here’s the kicker — unlike your blood, lymph has no heart to pump it. It relies on you:

Movement (walking, stretching, bouncing)
Deep diaphragmatic breathing
Hydration
Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD)
Dry brushing and rebounding

🧠 Lymph & The Brain: The Glymphatic Revelation
Did you know your brain has its own lymph-like system? It’s called the glymphatic system, and it clears waste like amyloid plaques (linked to Alzheimer’s) while you sleep. Poor lymph flow = poor brain detox = poor memory and mental clarity.

🌟 Why We’re Passionate About Lymph
Because we’ve seen lives change.
We’ve watched puffiness melt away, energy return, mystery symptoms resolve, and inflammation reduce — all by simply helping the body do what it was designed to do: DRAIN.

✨ 3 Quick Ways to Support Your Lymph Today:
1️⃣ Start your day with a glass of warm lemon water 🍋
2️⃣ Do 10 minutes of gentle stretching or rebounding 🧘‍♀️
3️⃣ Breathe deep — fill your belly, not your chest 🌬️

💚 Your lymphatic system is more than a drainage system. It's a river of life, protection, and restoration. Treat it well, and it will carry you to better health, clearer skin, more energy — and maybe even a lighter soul.

🩵 This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your health regimen.

©️

19/06/2025

More and more research confirms that a dysfunctional Lymphatic system is related to all sorts of chronic health issues. Taking care of your Lymphatic system is so important for good health. If you are suffering from swelling, brain fog, lethargy, joint pain, etc your Lymphatic system may need some help. Message or text me if you'd like to schedule a Lymphatic drainage massage to give it a boost!

05/06/2025

🧬💥 Autoimmune Chaos in the Lymphatic System: The Hidden Battlefield Inside Your Body

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your diet, exercise, or health regimen.

🚨 Introduction: Autoimmunity Isn’t Just About Antibodies—It’s About Drainage

Autoimmune diseases—from rheumatoid arthritis to Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, multiple sclerosis, and lupus—are often discussed in terms of antibodies, genes, and immune dysregulation. But there’s an unsung hero—or rather, a wounded soldier—in this war: the lymphatic system.

Long regarded as the silent partner in immunity, research now confirms that the lymphatic system doesn’t just respond to autoimmune disease—it drives, modulates, and sometimes deteriorates under it.

🧠 What Is the Lymphatic System—And Why It Matters in Autoimmunity

The lymphatic system is a fluid transport and immune surveillance network, consisting of:
• Lymphatic vessels
• Lymph nodes
• Lymph fluid (interstitial fluid, immune cells, proteins)
• Lymphoid organs (thymus, spleen, tonsils, Peyer’s patches)

Key Roles:
• Maintains interstitial fluid homeostasis
• Transports immune cells
• Filters pathogens, toxins, and damaged cells
• Presents antigens to immune cells (e.g., dendritic cells to T cells)

📚 Reference: Randolph, G. J., et al. (2017). “The lymphatic system: integral roles in immunity.” Annual Review of Immunology
https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-immunol-041015-055354

🔬 What Happens in Autoimmune Disease?

In autoimmune conditions, the immune system begins to attack “self” antigens—mistaking body tissue as foreign invaders.

Here’s how the lymphatic system becomes disrupted in the process:

🧩 1. Lymphatic Activation and Overload
• Autoantigens are constantly picked up and presented via dendritic cells in lymph nodes.
• The nodes become chronically inflamed (lymphadenopathy), losing their capacity to filter efficiently.
• Lymph vessels dilate and lose contractility, impairing drainage.

🧠 Fact: In rheumatoid arthritis, lymph node swelling occurs even before joint pain, showing early-stage lymphatic involvement.

📚 Randolph, G. J., Ivanov, S., Zinselmeyer, B. H., & Collier, A. R. (2017).
“The lymphatic system: integral roles in immunity.” Annual Review of Immunology, 35, 31–52.
🔗 https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-immunol-041015-055354

🔥 2. Chronic Inflammation Damages Lymphatic Architecture
• Persistent inflammation leads to lymphangiogenesis (growth of new vessels) driven by VEGF-C and VEGF-D.
• However, these new vessels are often leaky, dysfunctional, or misrouted, leading to protein-rich fluid retention, fibrosis, and further immune dysregulation.

📚 Source: Kataru, R. P., et al., “Lymphatic dysfunction in chronic inflammatory diseases.” Trends in Immunology, 2019
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.it.2019.01.007

🧬 3. Breakdown of Immune Tolerance in Lymphoid Organs
• In healthy systems, regulatory T cells (Tregs) are developed in lymph nodes to maintain immune tolerance.
• In autoimmunity, lymph nodes show defective Treg formation, resulting in a failure to suppress self-reactive immune cells.

📚 Source: Fu, Y. X., et al. “Lymph node tolerance and autoimmunity.” Cell Research, 2014
https://doi.org/10.1038/cr.2014.43

🌊 4. Lymph Stasis Leads to Systemic Toxicity
• Impaired lymph flow prevents clearance of cytokines, immune complexes, and cell debris.
• This contributes to immune flooding—a sustained state of inflammation systemically, not just locally.
• Patients often experience:
• Brain fog
• Edema
• Fatigue
• Skin eruptions
• Muscle/joint stiffness

🧠 5. The Glymphatic Link (Autoimmune Brain Fog)

Autoimmune diseases affecting the brain (like MS or lupus) often impair the glymphatic system, the brain’s unique lymphatic-like detox pathway. Inflammation and immune complexes may block glymphatic drainage, leading to:
• Neuroinflammation
• Cognitive dysfunction
• Mood disorders

📚 Study: Louveau et al., Nature (2015) – “CNS lymphatic vessels identified in the meninges”
https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14432

🧪 Clinical Applications: Supporting Lymph in Autoimmunity

There’s no cure-all, but supporting lymphatic health can radically improve quality of life and inflammation management in autoimmune patients.

🔄 Evidence-Based Strategies:
• Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) – clinically shown to reduce lymphatic load and improve flow
• Movement & Rebounding – stimulates lymphangions, the vessels’ natural pumping units
• Dry Brushing & Far Infrared Therapy – increases surface circulation and lymphatic responsiveness
• Lymph-Stimulating Botanicals – cleavers, red root, manjistha (consult with practitioner)
• Vagus Nerve Support – activates parasympathetic regulation of lymph flow
• Anti-inflammatory, dairy-free diets – reduce antigen load and systemic swelling

💡 Final Takeaway

The lymphatic system is not a passive bystander in autoimmune disease. It is the battlefield, the waste manager, the immune negotiator—and sometimes the collateral damage.

Modern research is finally catching up to what integrative therapists have long seen: you cannot heal the immune system without addressing lymphatic flow.

🧠💧 When the lymph moves, the immune system listens. When it stagnates, disease speaks louder.

You are not inflamed because your body is weak—
You’re inflamed because your body is fighting.
Now let’s help it drain, detox, and heal.

©️

11/05/2025

19/04/2025

The Silent Clean-Up Crew: How Your Lymphatic System Works While You Sleep 😴

Because even your body needs a night shift!
🛌💤🧠🌊✨

Did you know that while you’re off in dreamland, your body is hard at work doing a deep clean?
Not your kitchen… not your inbox… but your brain and lymphatic system!

Yes, your body has a built-in cleaning crew – and it gets to work while you sleep!

The Glymphatic System – Your Brain’s Rinse Cycle

Let’s start with your brain. For years, scientists believed the brain didn’t have a lymphatic system. But then… they discovered the glymphatic system – a network that works a bit like the lymphatic system, but for the brain.

During deep sleep, your brain actually shrinks slightly (don’t worry – it’s temporary!), allowing cerebrospinal fluid to flow more easily through your brain tissue and wash away metabolic waste, dead cells, and even proteins like beta-amyloid – the stuff linked to Alzheimer’s.

So if you’ve ever woken up feeling “foggy” – your brain might have missed its rinse cycle!
🧠🚿💧

The Lymphatic System Joins the Night Shift

While your brain does its thing, your body’s lymphatic system is also working overtime. Think of it as your body’s toxic waste removal system. It collects excess fluids, filters out bacteria and viruses, and helps keep inflammation in check.

But here’s the trick: unlike your blood, your lymph doesn’t have a pump like the heart. It relies on muscle movement, gravity, and deep breathing – all of which slow down at night.

That’s why side-sleeping and slow diaphragmatic breathing can help lymph move while you rest!
🛏️➡️💨

The Magic of Sleep & Detox

Research shows that sleep deprivation slows down lymphatic clearance and glymphatic flow. That means toxins hang around longer, potentially leading to:
• Brain fog
• Mood changes
• Lowered immunity
• Inflammation
• Even weight gain!

Getting 7–9 hours of quality sleep is one of the most powerful detox tools you already have access to. No expensive supplements needed – just rest.
🌙🧘‍♀️💖

Boost Your Night-Time Lymph Flow with These Tips:
• Sleep on your side (especially the left side – bonus points for better drainage!)
• Elevate your legs slightly if you’re prone to swelling
• Use a FIR sauna before bed to activate lymph and promote deeper sleep
• Do light stretching or dry brushing before bed
• Practice slow breathing or gentle prayer/meditation to calm your system

Your body – and your brain – will thank you!
🌿✨💤

So Tonight…

When you crawl into bed, remember – your body is clocking in, even while you clock out.
Let it do what it was wonderfully designed to do:
Cleanse, restore, and prepare you for a brand-new day.
Jesus made our bodies fearfully and wonderfully – even while we sleep.
🕊️🌌✨

Disclaimer:
This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your diet, exercise, or health regimen.

04/12/2024

Gift Certificates on sale for a limited time! $10 off 60min ($90) or 90min ($140) or buy 4 60min for $400 and receive a 60min FREE, buy 4 90min for $600 and get a 90min for FREE, or by 2 60 min & 2 90min for $500 and receive 75min for FREE. Cash preferred, credit card payments will incur a 3.5% processing fee

13/11/2024

Thank you for the shout out !

01/08/2024

I have a 60 or 90min massage opening tomorrow at 12:30. Comment, message or text me if you'd like to book. I also have availability this Saturday.

07/07/2024

Our lymphatic system is a one-way sewer system for the elimination of toxic waste products such as inflammatory mediators, white blood cells and dead cellular products, all of which make you sore, tired and irritable. In addition to recovery activities like stretching, yoga, swimming and cycling, adequate water intake is critical. Remember that the solution to pollution is dilution. Dr. Kay

16/06/2024

Happy Father's Day to my better half!