As we continue to work on our own personal cleanses (see previous ‘Join the Spring Cleaning Challenge’ blog post for more details!), this week our yoga practice here at The Yoga Room focused on our lymphatic system. Lymph is the clear, watery fluid that moves through the body picking up bacteria and viruses and filtering them out via the lymph nodes. Unlike blood, which moves as a result of the heart pumping, lymph moves by muscular contractions. Physical exercise, such as yoga, is key for keeping lymph flowing. The movement of lymph is also affected by gravity, so anytime your head is below your heart (think standing forward bends, shoulderstand, or other inverted postures etc.) lymph moves into the respiratory organs, where germs often enter the body. When you return to an upright position, gravity drains the lymph, sending it through your lymph nodes for cleansing. Besides inverted postures, dynamic yoga poses (flowing with the breath) and Vinyasa are good for moving that lymph. The picture above shows our lymphatic system. Think about doing poses that move/squeeze/contract these parts of your body to keep your lymph flowing.
