Cheryl Thomas, RYT
www.cherylthomas.com yoga@cherylthomas.com 415-308-3377 |
 The Lymphatic System
Funny we don't hear more about our Lymphatic System. Maybe it's not sexy enough or doesn't have a Michael J. Fox equivalent. I haven't seen any lymph campaigns like "Improve Your Sex Life with More Lymph". So let's (together) see if we can advance our know-it-all attitude about our lymph system, lymph nodes and lymph fluid. Yes, there's a yoga connection. I'm pretty sure this will be fun.
The lymphatic system is a part of our immune system. It's one of the body "systems" like the nervous, digestive and muscular systems. As a part of the immune system, it's the defense system for the body. The lymph system filters out organisms that cause disease, it produces white blood cells and makes those disease-fighting antibodies. It moves fluid and nutrients around, draining fluid when necessary to avoid swelling and sweeps excess fluid away from the spaces between our tissues and organs.
The lymphatic vessels criss-cross the body like our arteries and veins, but instead of moving blood, they carry lymph fluid. This fluid is clear and colorless and contains white blood cell. It clears the body of bad stuff like toxins and waste. The fluid connects up with nodes where the lymph fluid is filtered. The tonsils, adenoids, spleen and thymus are all part of the lymphatic system.
There are approximately 6 to 10 liters of lymph in the body, compared to 3.5 to 5 liters of blood. About 1.5 to 2 liters of lymph per day circulate throughout the whole body. Slow lymph circulation is said to contribute to allergies, chronic sinusitis, heart disease, eczema and other skin conditions and tons more from chronic fatigue to excessive sweating and obesity.
As with any system, things can go wrong. Most common is enlargement of the lymph nodes which is due to swelling from a blockage. And there can be bacterial infections, inflammation and cancer. Bacterial infections can include strep throat, local infected skin, and viral infections such as mononucleosis or HIV infection. Lymphoma is cancer of the lymph nodes.
So, the lymph system looks a bit like our blood circulatory system. It has distinct paths hooking up with nodes. But unlike the blood circulatory system which uses the heart muscle to move blood, the lymph system has no such pump. It relies on the movement of the muscles and diaphragm in order to circulate. Literally, it's the relaxation and contraction of the muscles and joins that moves it.
Move. Heard this before? Move in anyway that excites you whether it is in a pool, on a track, at the gym. Perhaps you're doing a set of sun salutations or kicking your own butt at crossfit. Speaking of yoga, we have inversions--a lot of them. Being inverted helps not just the lymphatic system, but the circulatory system as well by helping drain lymph toward the heart. Twists are also a great way to stimulate lymphatic flow. By twisting the abdomen, the organs and muscles are squeezed, forcing the lymph out of the tissues. Active yoga practice uses to muscles to contract and relax improving the flow of lymph.
There are other ways to keep a healthy lymphatic system, such as lemon water, herbs, enzymes, massage, dry brushing, raw foods and avoiding underwire bras. Another interesting way to improve lymph flow is rebounding which is the use of a small trampoline called a rebounder. The up-and-down rhythmic bouncing causes the one-way valves to open and close simultaneously increasing lymph flow many times over. Who knew?
There you have it. Now that I'm a bit more knowledgeable about our lymph system I think I'll book myself a lymphatic massage. You?
Want to read some of my past articles?. They're archived right here. Enjoy.
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Hey, Graton Yogis! I'll be subbing for Denise on Monday at 8:45. I'm looking forward seeing Denise's and my students on Monday and Thursday! Note: No class the week of October 5 due to the Fall Flower and Garden Show.
Find some quiet on Columbus Day. Silent Retreat with meditation, medical qigong, restorative yoga and yoga nidra all in one glorious day with Shirley Gilloti and her daughter, Camina. 10/12 from 10-5. Angela Center, Santa Rosa. Info here. Flyer is here.
Anne O'Brien will be offering a workshop on Workshop entitled Power and Pois and will include asana, pranayama, and a guided meditation. We've missed Anne, and here's an opportunity to her masterful teaching. All at POST Wellness on 10/18.
FUN Fridays.....at Ann Austin's Friday 9:15 class at Yoga Studio Ganesha. Truly, it's Cirque de Soliel meets Olga Korbut meets Patthabi Jois. There's no better way to learn the FUN poses than from Ann! Hot off the Press - Tony Briggs will be heading up a yoga teacher training at Westside Yoga Studio in Sebastopol starting in January. Find all the info here. Lots more Tony offerings at www.tonybriggsyoga.com.
The fabulous Sofi Milani will be offering a 4-week series, Introduction to Yoga, starting Thursday 10/1 from noon to 1:15 p.m. at POST Wellness in Petaluma.
Another important opportunity to teachers and serious students. Study anatomy with Judith Lasater at Mt. Madonna. Not just any anatomy, but Experiential Anatomy, billed as the The Most Fun Anatomy Course Ever. I'll be there. More info here.
Know about Yoga in Graton? It's hopping! Find 5 classes a week ranging from Gentle to Slow Flow to All Levels, featuring me, Corina Stoicescu and Denise Hammond. Time and places at YogaInGraton.com. Restorative Yoga..........Thanks to your interest in this important practice, I'm adding a permanent Wednesday class. See below for details!!! My weekly schedule is below (scroll down or click here!). Or, you can always go to my website and click on the always up-to-date calendar to find where I might be.
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 The Adult Nap
Thanks to your interest in this important practice, I'm offering a a Restorative Yoga class on Wednesdays from 5:15 to 6:45. The location will be at Yoga Studio Ganesha on the Square in Sebastopol. Pricing - Buy a 4 class pass for $54 ($13.50/class) or 8 classes for $100 or Drop-In of $16. Yoga in Graton students can use your punch card ($10 per class)!!!
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 Is it Possible to "Catch Up" on Sleep?
Here's a bit:
"There's no doubt that sleeping just four hours a night catches up to people within a few nights, leading to impairments of attention, learning and memory and worse performance in school and at work."
The rest is here. |
Fat is Back!
Ayurveda practioner, John Douillard reported on the benefits of a Super High Fat Mediterranean Diet. Recently published in the The New England Journal of Medicine, a study suggests [note the word "suggests] that "a high-fat diet will boost cognitive function as well as heart health. It turns out that what's good for the heart is good for the brain! From the article: "Our ancestors were fueled not by sweets, but by a naturally-occurring diet that was higher in fat. Today, we are finally getting it right and it is quite simple: good fats are good and bad (processed fats) are bad." The article is here. |
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Schedule of Upcoming Classes
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Class Schedule - Week of Sept. 27, 2015
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Monday (Denise's class)
8:45 - 9:45
Graton Community Center
All Levels Yoga
Tuesday
5:00 - 6:00
Private, Healdsburg
Wednesday
(New Location New Time)
5:15 - 6:45
Yoga Studio Ganesha, Sebastopol
Restorative Yoga
Thursday
8:45 - 9:45
Graton Community Club, Graton 5:00 - 6:00
Private, Healdsburg
All Levels Flow
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Schedule Week of 9/27(clickable schedule below) Monday
8:45 - 9:45 Graton Comm Ctr All Levels Tuesday
5:00 - 6:00 Healdsburg, Private
Wednesday
(New Location
New Time)
5:15 - 6:45
Yoga Studio Ganesha, Sebastopol
Restorative Yoga
Thursday 8:45 - 9:45
Graton Comm Club,
All Levels
5:00 - 6:00 Private, Healdsburg
9:00 - 10:30
All Levels Flow
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Graton Yogis Info:
Did you know your class pass (get these from your instructor) are accepted by all yoga teachers at Yoga in Graton?
We Gratonite Yogis have a place to call our own. It's www.
yogaingraton.com. There is information about current and new yoga classes offered in Graton.
Don't live in Graton? No problem. We want you to come anyway.
Quotes I Like
You cannot be lost if you don't care where you are.
Judith Lasater
When people ask me what equipment I use, I tell them my eyes.
Ansel Adams
"Not to have what we want is stressful; to have what we do not want is stressful."
Buddha
"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion."
Dalai Lama
"Everything will be alright in the end. And if it is not alright, it's not yet the end!" The Magnolia Hotel movie
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