Before You Begin Your Lymphatic Massage for Breasts

Please follow these simple massage principles:

• Understand the Lymphatic drainage pattern of your breasts. You will massage the main lymph nodes at your neck first. These lymph nodes move fluid back to your bloodstream. The lymph fluid from your breasts drains to the axillary nodes in your armpit and along the center of your chest. Always stimulate these nodes before massaging your breasts.
  
  
• Use an extra-light touch. Lymphatic massage is gentle. You’re working the fluid layer above the muscle bed. Your strokes should be soft and nurturing, just like how you would soothe your baby. Extra benefit; It will calm your nervous system and allow you to enter the rest & digest state.
  
  
• Work slowly. Your lymph system moves approx 6-12x per minute. Stay in this rhythm. You only need to work for a few minutes. You don’t need to detoxify your body too quickly.
  
  
• Use skin-on-skin contact for maximum benefit.
  
  
• Massage your breasts after you’ve breastfed your baby or pumped.
  
  
• Drink plenty of water afterwards

 

 

Lymphatic Breast Massage Tutorial

This is a step by step breast massage self-care routine you can do a few times a week. To transform your massage into a ritual for connection, apply Healthy Breast Tonic to your hands before beginning. 

Lisa says, "This is my absolute favorite Oil for promoting Breast Health and Lymphatic self-massage. EarthTonic's Healthy Breast Tonic is full of antioxidants & anti-inflammatory properties plus indulgent-smelling herbs such as Orange Blossom, Rose, and Holy Basil for self-love. If you want to increase lymphatic circulation and decrease breast density, massage your breasts a few days a week with EarthTonic's Breast Oil."

Step 1: Massage the lymph nodes at the base of your neck 

The supraclavicular lymph nodes are just above your collarbone. Gently press your fingertips down into the hollows above your collarbone, making a J motion down and out towards your shoulders. Repeat ten times.

Step 2:  Stimulate the axillary lymph nodes in your armpit

1. Place your hand inside your armpit. Pulse upward into your armpit. Repeat ten times.

2. Place your hand a little further down the side of your torso. This region contains breast tissue, which is essential to drain. With the palm of your hand, make C-strokes up the side of your torso into your armpit. Repeat ten times.

Step 3:  Draw rainbows over your chest

This is great for calming anxiety, Place the palm of one hand in the center of your chest, over your breastbone. Take a slow, deep breath, and feel your chest rise into your hand. Exhale slowly, feeling your chest relax. Take another breath in, and feel your chest rise into your hand. As you exhale, feel your chest relax. Massage upside down C-strokes over your heart and lungs. This is where your heart chakra lies; treat it with acceptance, self-love, and tenderness. Repeat ten times.

Step 4:  Massage the top of your breast

Place the palm of your hand above your breast, your fingertips facing your armpit. Gently massage C-strokes over the top of your breast toward your armpit. Repeat five times.

Step 5:  Massage the axillary lymph nodes in your armpit

Repeat this five times.

Step 6: Massage your breast under the bra line

Place your palm underneath your breast. Gently, like a wave, massage C-strokes toward the side of your torso then up into your armpit. Repeat three times.

Step 7: Lightly tap your sternum

Visualize the sound of the thumping down into your cells. This is where thymus is located, above your heart. The thymus stores white blood cells that become active T cells when they need to mount an immune response.

Step 8: Massage the top of your breasts

Repeat this motion again, moving towards your armpit.

Step 9: Gently knead your entire breast

Massage the fluid away from your nipple. Think of the sun’s rays radiating from the nipple outward. Some of the fluid in your breast will drain into the lymph nodes along your sternum called the internal chain of mammary lymph nodes, as well as the axillary lymph nodes in your armpit. Notice how your breasts feel. They may be tender or full. Focus your thoughts and attention on softening the area. Create a nurturing environment here. I often say that the more time you take to get to know your body, the more you are cultivating a new landscape.

Step 10: Repeat Step 6

Massage your breast under the bra line.

Step 11: Repeat Step 2

Stimulate the axillary lymph nodes in your armpit.

Step 12: Massage your other breast

Repeat Steps 4 to 10 on your other breast.

Step 13:   Repeat Step 1

Stimulate the right and left supraclavicular lymphatic nodes at the base of your neck.

Note* If you’ve had breast cancer, a lumpectomy, lymph node removal, surgery, reconstruction, radiation or biopsies, please consult your physician or a Certified Lymphedema Therapist for clearance. If you’ve had a breast reduction, lift, or augmentation, the gentle techniques of lymphatic massage are beneficial for healing trauma in the tissues. For more information, please refer to my book, The Book of Lymph, available wherever books are sold.

Lymphatic Breast Massage Video Tutorial

 

Want to learn more about your lymphatic system?

Explore more resources from Lisa:

• Lisa's book, The Book of Lymph
• Online Lymphatic Masterclass (You can use code EARTHTONICS100 for $100 off.)
• Breast Care Mini-course
• Lymph x Brain Health Mini-course
• Find Lisa on Instagram 

Meet Lisa

Lisa Levitt Gainsley is the Founder of The Lymphatic Message; a wellness platform where she teaches people how to maintain a healthy immune system through Lymphatic Self-care. Lisa’s courses include evidence based research from her 30 year career as a Certified Lymphatic Drainage Specialist and Lymphedema Therapist. She is a passionate advocate, helping people learn the value of reducing inflammation to gain more vitality and live a healthy, joyous life.

Lisa is the best selling author of The Book of Lymph, a first of it's kind guide to understanding the benefits of lymphatic health. In it, Lisa shares how working with the lymph system can assist you to get glowing skin, reduce bloating, minimize headaches, earaches, anxiety, perimenopause, menopause & menstrual symptoms, arthritis, and more….Her clients swear this toxin-flushing technique helps them feel better instantly and recover quickly from injuries, surgeries, colds and viruses.  

Lisa teaches Lymphatic workshops online and around the country. She developed her popular “5 minute techniques” to address common issues she saw when working with cancer patients at UCLA Medical Center. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her family where she’s maintained a private practice for 25 years.  She loves hiking, traveling, cooking, swimming, dancing, and watching soccer. Her work has appeared in ELLE, GOOP, Vanity Fair, Forbes, The Hollywood Reporter, Healthline and more.