Lymphatic Drainage Massage For Upper Respiratory Support

This post will teach you how to preform lymphatic massage on yourself, or someone else, in order to get the lymph system moving and working to fight or stave off infection. This is a system I learned directly from Dr. Mary Anna Block, of The Block Center in Dallas Texas, many years ago when my children were very young. I still use this myself today to drain my own sinuses and ears naturally.

The Lymph System

What is it?

The lymph system is a part of the circulatory system. It is comprised of a system of tissues and organs (such bone marrow, thymus, lymph glands and spleen) which produce and store immune cells used to fight infection and disease. The vessels of the lymph system carry the clear lymph fluid, which is essentially recycled blood plasma, transporting these immune cells through out the body.

What does the Lymph system Do?

The Lymph system is part of the immune system and the lymph fluid contains immune cells which fight infection. When your body is reacting to an infection, or possibly just allergies, immune cells can build up in the lymph nodes causing them to swell - sometimes painfully. A gentle lymphatic massage can help drain these glands, relieve pain, and get the system moving to fight or stave off infection. You can use this massage to drain the sinuses, head and ears.

How to do the Lymph Massage

To begin, locate the slight depression below each collarbone. To find this, begin in the center of your chest and trace along underneath each collarbone going toward your shoulders until you find a hollow about two thirds of way along the bone. There is a major lymph node located in each of these depressions.

Gently pulse both nodes 10 times. To do this on yourself you will need to cross your arms and use the tips of your fingers. To do this on another person, have them lie down and use your thumbs to preform the massage.

Homemade Soothing Throat Spray

This recipe will help with a painful throat. It will help to promote clear sinuses and easier breathing.

You will need a 2 oz. glass spray bottle (not plastic)
Organic vegetable glycerine
Water
Essential oils
Stevia (optional)

To your glass spray bottle add the glycerine and water so that you have a mixture that is about 60% glycerine and 30% water. This is so the glycerine will be thin enough to spray. Leave room at the top to add your essential oils, so dont fill too full.

For the Basic Recipe

To the glycerin in your bottle add:
20 drops Peppermint essential oil
15 drops Lemon essential oil
15 drops Thieves essential oil blend
5 drops Eucalyptus globulus essential oil
Stevia to taste, about 10 drops (optional)

For more pain fighting power add even more peppermint, and add 5 drops of Clove oil. I love mine to be really pepperminty!

Make sure you are using essential oils that say "supplement" on the bottle, which have been approved for internal use, such as Young Living's Essential oils. Click on the "opportunity" button above, or the small lavender picture on the top right, to buy Young Living essential oils.

I use vegetable glycerine over alcohol for the taste, and because I don't like using alcohol for children. You can find vegetable glycerine at most health food stores. I buy my glycerine from The Bulk Herb Store. Click on their picture on the right to go there.

I found the glass spray bottle at my local health food store, or go to Abundant Health

My family loves this throat spray!

To get started buying essential oils at wholesale prices, please click on the small lavender picture at the top right of the page, or go to youngliving.com. Open an account with Young Living and use this number (1401517) for your enroller and sponsor. A Preferred Customer buys at retail prices and a Distributor buys at wholesale prices. To become a distributor and get your oils at wholesale prices, with no selling required and no monthly quotas,  simply purchase one of the starter kits. The Premium Starter Kit is the best value and includes 11 bottles of essential oils, essential oil samples, an ultrasonic diffuser for aromatherapy (worth $100!), literature that explains all about the programs at Young Living, and more.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, just a mom who loves taking care of my family.  This blog contains suggestions for for moms, showing you how easy it ican be to use essential oils and herbs to support your family's health naturally. This information is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease. Please consult a qualified holistic health care practitioner for any medical needs you may have.

Essential Oils and Home Remedies I use for Painful Ears

I have pretty sensitive ears. It only takes a few days of a painful throat or sinus drainage for me to start getting  painful ears too. These are the remedies that I use for my family. I will give you three steps you can take that you can use separately or all together.

First of all, do not put essential oils in your ears neat. They are much too strong. I will tell you what you can put IN your ears and what you can put ON your ears and body to help.

First, two things you can put in your ears that will help are Carbamide Peroxide drops, and Garlic Oil drops made especially for ears. Both of these kill germs and are soothing. Carbamide Peroxide ear drops are a stronger concentration than the regular peroxide you find in the grocery store. You can usually find them in the pharmacy. 

Garlic Oil ear drops are composed of a carrier oil (such as olive oil) infused with garlic and often some herbs. The kind I use are infused with garlic and Mullein, and I bought them at my local health food store. Did you know that scientists are able to measure gasses from garlic on the breath of someone who has rubbed their feet with garlic oil? This is why garlic is especially good for upper respiratory and lung complaints.

Lie down on a couch or bed. Put 5 drops of Carbamide peroxide or garlic oil in the affected ear. Cover with a small tuft of cotton and lie still for twenty minutes, 2-3 times a day. If you do not have time to lie still for so long, you may place the small cotton tuft in your ear canal and go about your business, removing the tuft later. A small child might enjoy lying on a warm heating pad or rice sock. 

You may want to warm these ear drops up before applying, because it feels really weird if the drops are cold. The garlic oil with Mullein will actually get warm in the ear and feel good all by it's self. You can also put the garlic oil on the bottoms of your feet! Yes! Then cover them with socks (right before bed is best.) 

Peppermint Oil Rescue for Stomachache

I was woken up at 1:00 am by a child with a stomachache. I was so disoriented! I felt someone shaking my arm and looked up, but no one was there - however, the bedroom door was open.

I said to my husband, "Was _____  just in here?" and he said, "I don't know, but why is the door open?"

I got up and found my daughter on the couch. She said her stomach hurt really bad. I was so befuddled that I just stood there trying to remember what to do for a stomachache!

I went into the kitchen and picked up an empty bottle of Panaway.  I repeatedly tried to get the Panaway on her abdomen. She kept saying, "Mom, the bottle is empty." (The full bottle was in my purse but I was too sleepy to remember that!) 

I finally remembered Peppermint  and got her a glass of water with a drop of Peppermint oil in it. Soon

Frugal Scentsational Body Wash

 

I love to make my own frugal homemade versions of typical commercial household products, and these days I am making more and more things that contain Young Living essential oils. I will be sharing a few of my favorite recipes on this blog.

Have you ever found your self ogling the expensive goat's milk soap at the health food store? You smell each luscious one, but put them all back because of the price? One year I bought everyone their own bar as a stocking stuffer at Christmas, then I turned my own bar into half a gallon of shower gel!

Natural Treatment For Dandruff Using Essential Oils

I recently read an interesting article about the causes of dandruff that was a real eye-opener. Did you know that dandruff can be caused by a fungus feeding off the oils on your scalp? A diet high in sugar and refined carbs is indicated as a culprit in dandruff flair ups. This explains a lot to me as I can look back and see that it was really times when I had a poor diet that I had the most trouble with a dry flaky scalp.

I have never liked using smelly shampoos with questionable ingredients like coal tar and fungicides on my hair, so I was happy to find out that there are many natural ways to treat my scalp.

Natural treatments for eliminating fungus from your scalp include reducing the amount of sugar and carbs in your diet, and using oil of oregano, lavender oil, or tea tree oil on your scalp.