The morning I woke up sick, my husband followed recommendations - he stayed home and kept 6 feet from me. That lasted through breakfast. We had been sharing a bed while I was incubating, so who were we kidding that he wasn't already exposed? A few hours later he had mild symptoms.

​To slow the virus spread, we need to social distance, but as a massage therapist, I know of the need for healthy human touch. People come to me for relief from pain, but a few admittedly come because they live alone and otherwise have no touch. There is a balance. We cannot become so afraid of each other that we avoid contact - when we are healthy. We will continue to self-isolate and I will not see any clients until we are the recommended 72 hours symptom-free.

Hopefully I will soon be able to resume my massage work and provide needed relief from pain and from the increasing stress that we are all feeling. Although we are social distancing, at least we have the technology to remain in touch. May we let this time teach us that we really DO need human contact and not let us become more distanced.

Say What?!

Lately I've come across several advertisements and articles advocating "dry brushing." You use a special stiff brush on your body, starting at the extremities and brushing towards the heart. Among other benefits, it is supposed to stimulate the lymph system. Google it if you're curious for more information.

The lymphatic system is a major part of the body’s immune system. It is made up of organs and lymph nodes, ducts and capillaries that transport lymph throughout the body. Many of these lymph capillaries run just below the skin and proponents of dry brushing claim that brushing the skin regularly helps stimulate the normal lymph flow within the body and help the body detoxify itself naturally.

From what I've learned in my Manual Lymph Drainage classes, I can not disagree with the benefits of dry brushing. But I do not have time to add yet another thing I'm supposed to do daily - I struggle with fitting in exercising and sometimes eating lunch. Then I realized that I was already dry brushing every time I showered.

You remember, we do not dry our laundry. People always tell me that is great because it is environmentally conscious, but they would never do it because they don't like stiff towels. I never noticed a problem with my towels - I like the invigorating rub over my body as I dry myself off. Besides, after the first use with a clean towel, it softens up significantly.

So now that I know about dry brushing, I conscientiously dry my body with my stiff air-dried towel in the direction of the lymph flow. I also do this when I sauna and rub myself down (but the benefits of sauna is a whole other post by itself. . .). 

But if you are not convinced to give up your dryer and still need your soft towel, well then, may I recommend booking a manual lymph drainage (MLD)! MLD is a gentle massage which encourages the natural drainage of lymph and in the process helps to build the immune system. As the winter season approaches, MLD is one more way to help your body fight off the viruses and bugs that are around.

Continue reading to learn the benefits of air-drying your clothes.

Manual Lymph Drainage (MLD) is one of the most powerful massages I know to affect change in the body. It is a very safe and effective technique that helps stimulate the lymphatic system to function more efficiently and is useful for many conditions where lymph flow may be compromised.

• Reduce swelling by moving the interstitial (between cells) fluid into the lymphatic system. Sometimes I have observed immediate reduction in swelling as I have worked on a client.
• Clear toxins from the body by facilitating waste removal at the cellular level and assists with bringing nutrients and oxygen to the cells.
• Reduce bruising by clearing out the cellular waste.
• Calming effect on the autonomic nervous system. Many people have reported to me that they sleep better after a MLD.