Healthy Living - Yoga Living Magazine

Yoga Theory | by Erika Tennebaum
TheSkin You’re
in:
ASANA AND THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM
INEVER CEASE TO BE AMAZED BY THE YOGIC PATH.
As I peel away the layers on the surface, deeper realizations
come to light that make me stop and think. When I
started practicing yoga six years ago, I was very focused on how
the muscles in my body were affected. I would get so sore. I
felt parts of my anatomy I didn’t even know I had. Over time,
my superficial aches and pains began to fade, and I started to
notice other things. My skin would look so healthy for days
after class. My cheeks were getting rosier and my friends took
notice. Considering that I work as an esthetician (skin care specialist)
during the day, this was indeed a fortuitous development.
I was becoming a walking advertisement for skin health
and radiance.
I decided to look more deeply into how asana improves overall
health and, in particular, the skin. As the old saying goes, “The
eyes are the windows to the soul.” I would go a step further and
say, “The skin is a window into the wellness of the body.” Yoga
was improving mine, and I had to know why.
When I look at someone’s face, I can tell by the condition of
their skin if there are hormonal, genetic, or digestive issues at
work within their body. I can also usually see if there are drug or
alcohol toxicity problems. One of the reasons for this is the
involvement of the lymphatic system, which is the filtration system
of the human body. I had the opportunity to study the lymphatic
system at the Vodder Institute in Cambridge,
Massachussettes, and my views on the skin and lymph network
were forever changed. I learned that detoxification via lymphatic
processes involve the movement of water, whether it is already in
our bodies or water that we drink. The principle function of the
lymph system is to channel water through the lymph nodes, like
a giant internal strainer. After all, the most important element
in the creation and preservation of life is water. Forty percent of
the lymphatic system is located throughout the skin. The lymph
system tends to move rather slowly, so certain manual manipulations,
known as MLD (Manual Lymphatic Drainage), were created
to help detoxify the body. When giving someone a treatment
in MLD, the focus is on stretching the skin in rhythmic
movements, in varied directions. This speeds up the action of
the lymphatic network, creating a systemic domino effect. It
starts in the layers of the skin and sends the effects through the
entire body, down to the marrow of the bones.
The major
functions
of the lymphatic
system
are to
remove
excess fluid,
help absorb
fatty acids,
and fortifying
immunity.
If this doesn’t equate to a comprehensive detoxification, I
don’t know what does. You can think of the lymph system as a
one way road throughout our entire physical being. Two of the
first stops are our liver and kidneys. The liver is the largest
organ within the body (the skin is the largest organ in total)
and specializes in detoxifying the system. It takes up to a half
an hour to mobilize the lymph system but, once active, it
remains in a heightened state for three hours. Additionally, by
drinking at least a glass of water every hour you will increase
the natural detoxification process. You never have to spend a
dime on the multi-million dollar “detox” industry that will
push its pills and powders to those who really don’t need it.
This is not to minimize the benefits of a legitimate hollistic
approach to healling the body through herbal therapy. It just
seems that preventative care should be kept simple, without a
lot of unneccessary supplements and expensive gimmicks.
One day during a practice, my teacher commented that a certain
pose I was in was great for the lymphatic system. I was
struck by the fact that asana is, in itself, a beautiful exercise in
keeping the skin and lymph network healthy and flowing.
Think about a side angle pose. The entire side of the body, from
foot to fingertips, is being stretched and moving toxins through
the skin and lymph nodes. Yogic movements involving twisting
wring out the liver and kidneys like a sponge, purifying the
body and, by extension, the mind. Asana is essentially a massage
for the entire body, inside and out. In my experience, yoga
is about nothing so much as purity. The next time you’re in
class, take a second, whether during something as simple as
Tadasana, or a pose as difficult as Locust, that you are doing
more than stretching your muscles – you are purifying your
body and mind in a most profound and natural way. s
16 YOGA LIVING September/October 2007