Lymphatic Waterways

The tight fist of winter can only command us for so long (even with April snow in Vermont!). The hard ground acquiesces, small streams enliven and tiny waterways become generous and loose in their wanderings.  

In our bodies, lymphatic waterways run like a web of rivers that connect all our systems and keep them cleansed. One of the most important self healing networks in the body, “lympha” means water in Greek. I love that it is closely related to the word nymph, which were the spirits that preserved the rivers and springs for purification in ancient Greece. When our lymphatic system is flowing well, fluids move without congestion, toxins are cleared easily, and cells are bathed. The easy health of these waterways is truly connected to our life’s longevity and resilience.

In the exuberance of spring, the living world reminds us to enter the archaic wholeness of life with less efforting, more naturalness, less force, more flow. Our bodies already know what to do. Our bodies know how to enter the miraculous movement of renewal. Each structure in our body has its own rate of reformation: the lining of our stomach renews itself in a week, our skin is entirely replaced in a month, and our liver is regenerated in six weeks. Ninety-eight percent of the atoms in our bodies are replaced annually. 

This intrinsic longing to head towards health and renewal is what East Asian medicine is always in sync with. The placement of each acupuncture needle offers the body a message of intent, nudging it towards what it already knows and yearns for.

The inevitable push of spring encourages us to shake off the accumulated heaviness of winter, take a wider perspective, and find a freedom in our visioning. 

Some of my favorite springtime rituals are:

*Windowsill sprouting.

*Anything related to nettles! Including nettle soup (without the dairy) and making tons of batches of nettle tea.

*All things related to lymphatic health, like dry skin brushing &

castor oil packs.

The earth can’t help herself right now but giggle in crocuses, sing in cardinals, and dance in outstretched tree limbs. 

Wishing you connection with the wild jubilation of spring!

Excerpt from the Seasonal Love Letter: Wood element style, '25

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