The most important 5 minutes of your day:
Give Yourself a Spa-Quality Lymphatic Drainage Massage
Giving yourself a lymphatic drainage massage might sound tricky, but we promise you, it’s actually not! When you have the right tools, you can perform own immune-boosting massage ritual quickly and easily. We’ll walk you through the technique and give you the DL on everything you need to know.
What is lymphatic drainage massage?
Before we get into our how-to, let’s take a minute to talk about what your body’s lymphatic system does—and why supporting it with a consistent massage ritual can improve your overall wellness.
“To put simply, your lymphatic system supports your overall immune health and helps your body drain away toxins,” says Gigi. What exactly is being drained? Lymph fluid. This clear watery fluid delivers nutrients to your cells and tissues, and also “sweeps up debris like damaged and cancerous cells, bacteria and viruses,” according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Your lymphatic system transports lymph fluid to your lymph nodes, where it’s detoxed, filtered, then put back into circulation. To help visualize, think about when you’re sick and your lymph nodes swell up—that’s because they’re busy detoxing, draining and helping your body recover.
At de la heart, our goal is to help you live a healthier life—and one easy way to do that is through daily lymphatic drainage massage. We created our Detox + Drain ritual to help move stagnant fluid and boost your body’s natural detox flow. And as a bonus, it also helps to:
- Decrease the look of puffiness, bloating and water retention
- Achieve a more toned and sculpted body contour
- Help reduce the appearance of cellulite by minimizing the amount of fluid pressing against your connective tissue (which causes that “orange-peel” look)
- Reconnect with your body and feel more centered
- Instantly feel more energized
- Promote healthier and more efficient digestion
“I created The Body Tool so that anyone can do a full-body lymphatic drainage massage at home, in about 5 minutes. When I made the commitment to performing this ritual daily, it transformed my health and my body. It takes consistency to see and feel results, but it’s worth it.”
says Gigi.
Ready to learn how? Here’s your ritual.
STEP 1: Stimulate & Awaken
The first thing we’re going to do is “awaken” the lymphatic system. You’ll use your fingertips to gently massage the lymph nodes in your neck, armpits, thighs and behind your knees. Basically, all the major “hinges” of your body. This step prepares your lymph nodes to receive and dispose of the fluid we’ll be moving.
Practice deep belly breathing as you do this first step, and do 5-10 strokes on each area. Use a light touch. The lymph nodes are located close to the surface, so there’s no need to use intense pressure.
- Split your fingers into a ‘V’ shape and place them between your ears. Gently massage, stroking downward to the base of the neck. Next, massage the area above the collarbone, moving downward toward your super clavicular lymph nodes.
- Move to your underarms, where your axillary lymph nodes are located. Place your hand in your armpit and use your fingertips to massage this area. Fluid from your arms, chest and breast area will be moved to these lymph nodes.
- Move to the bikini line/top of thighs, where your inguinal lymph nodes are located, and massage with gentle motions. Then massage behind your knees, where your popliteal lymph nodes are located. Fluid from your legs will be moved up to these lymph nodes.
STEP 2: Hydrate
It’s essential to hydrate your skin before your lymphatic drainage massage, so that The Body Tool has the “slip” it needs to glide smoothly. Look for vegan, plant-based formulas that don’t introduce additional toxins into your system. “We formulated our 100% natural body oils and creams with plant extracts that are naturally rich in antioxidants and essential fatty acids, to deeply hydrate your skin and give you added circulation-boosting benefits,” says Gigi.
- Apply Lift & Tone Body Cream, then layer on Flow + Glow Body Oil to deeply hydrate and open detox pathways.
- Re-apply Flow + Glow Body Oil as needed during your lymphatic drainage massage ritual to maintain slip.
STEP 3: Sculpt & Drain
Now you’re ready to move stagnant fluid and support your body’s natural detox flow. Again, practice deep belly breathing as you perform your massage ritual. Complete 5-10 strokes on each area, on both sides of the body, using The Body Tool or The Body Sculptor.
- Holding The Body Tool in a vertical position, glide the tool from the crease of your elbow up to the armpit, working toward your axillary lymph nodes.
- Move to your lower arm and glide the tool from wrist to elbow, then all the way from wrist to armpit.
ARMS
- Gently glide your tool from the center of your chest to the armpit, then underneath your chest towards the armpit. Fluid from the breasts drains to these lymph nodes, so use gentle nurturing pressure in this area.
CHEST
- Hold your tool in a vertical position and glide it from side of your waist up to the armpit, then from behind your torso to the front of your body.
WAIST
- Holding your tool in a horizontal position, start above your knee and gently stroke upward toward the inguinal lymph nodes.
- Massage the back of your thighs by holding the tool in a vertical position and gently stroking upward until you reach the gluteal fold (you can use a stepstool for balance if it’s helpful).
THIGHS
Finish your ritual with more deep belly breathing to help move lymph fluid through your thoracic duct, and hydrate by drinking plenty of water. “When you make your daily massage ritual a habit, you’ll notice real changes in your body and in your overall health,” says Gigi.
- Consult your healthcare practitioner before use if pregnant.
- Keep out of reach of children.
- These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.