NEUROLYMPHATIC REFLEX POINTS - Spring cleaning for the body
- Maddie
- Apr 8
- 9 min read
MY BODY ASKED FOR NLRP WORK TODAY
Read on to find out what that meant.
Over the past few months I’ve been trying to lose a couple of pounds but my body is sticking firmly at it’s favourite weight! However, I know a few pounds less would make a huge difference to my knees, breathing and general health. I know what to do, I’m doing it BUT … well, the word ‘plateau’ springs to mind.
It could be any number of things, so this morning I energy tested to see what was the 'priority issue' that is causing a roadblock, what could I do to remove that obstacle? Working the Neurolymphatic Reflex Points came up loud and strong.
I thought it might be useful to share what I’m going to do ONCE a day over the next few days to get my lymphatic system spruced up for Spring …. It will deliver a slightly different benefit to each of us but it’s well worth doing. I think of it as a spring clean for the body.
This technique, stimulates both the lymphatic and nervous systems and was first mapped by Dr. Frank Chapman in the 1930s and later integrated into Donna Eden’s Energy Medicine system.
Put simply it’s the Lymph system is the garbage disposal system of the body
and essential to healthy functioning of the entire body.
Unlike the cardiovascular system, the lymphatic system has no pump. It relies on movement, deep breathing, gravity, muscle activity, and stimulation to flow. If lymph becomes stagnant, it can lead to:
Swelling and fluid retention
Low energy and brain fog
Immune system imbalance
Toxin build-up and inflammation
(.... and I'm adding 'plateauing' ! )
Especially as we age, the lymphatic system responds well to a helping hand.
That’s where Neurolymphatic Reflex Points come in—they help move lymph and energy, supporting the body’s self-healing mechanisms. They can provide:
✅ Stronger immune function✅ Increased energy and reduced fatigue✅ Pain relief and reduced muscle tension✅ Enhanced detoxification✅ Improved organ function and digestion✅ Clearer thinking and emotional release✅ Hormonal balance (via adrenal and thyroid points)✅ Better sleep and stress relief
Before we go further, what is the lymphatic system? It is one of the body’s most vital yet least talked-about systems. It is a network of vessels, nodes, and organs that helps:
Drain excess fluid from tissues
Filter toxins, bacteria, and viruses through lymph nodes
Support immune response
Cleanse and detoxify every cell in the body
A ‘clogged’ lymphatic system can compromise other energies in the body, particularly the meridians.
Clogged NLRPs will be tender and that soreness indicates a problem area.
Massaging the points firmly can help unclog the system.
They are an easy and quick [albeit slightly painful] way of restoring balance to the body and through that balance nurturing a resilience and health.
Neurolymphatic Reflex Points (NLRPs)
a system that bridges physical, energetic, and emotional healing.
They sit along the surface of the body—mainly the torso, front and back—and correspond to internal organs and meridians.
To recap, i
n EEM and Oriental Medicine, stimulating these points:
Encourages the flow of lymph and Qi (life-force energy)
Helps release physical and emotional blockages
Activates detoxification and enhances organ function
Provide a better environment for the body to heal
Act as a great ‘preventative’
A word of warning – less is more if you are feeling vulnerable or suffer from an autoimmune issue, in which case a ‘gentle’ release and reset is going to be more effective.
You don’t need to be a therapist to use NLRPs—your fingertips and intention are enough.
Find the area (they are called points but I think of them as ‘areas’, they have also been called ‘zones’) Tenderness is a sign you’re in the right place.
Apply firm pressure – Use your fingertips, knuckles, or thumbs.
Massage in small circles – About 20–30 seconds per point, breathing deeply. You can also tap and stretch the area.
Repeat daily or as needed – Especially if you feel tired, foggy, or blocked.
You may feel tingling, warmth, emotional release, or a sense of relief—these are signs energy and lymph are moving.
Tenderness indicates that there is congestion in the area and a definite indication that the area needs work. After a few days one might find the tenderness lessening, this is a biofeedback that the area is becoming less congested.
We seem to need to give this helping hand to the system more in modern day life as we are surrounded by more toxins than ever before via food, drink, news, EMFs our bodies are having to adapt drastically and fast to the world that has emerged din the past few decades.
You can do them in any order, but a logical sequence for me is the following, but feel free to dance to the beat of your own drum!
Don’t forget, talk to your body, as you massage explain what you want your body to do, or simply use one statement such as:
It is now safe for my lymph system to function with total ease, eliminating any old, stale stagnant toxins of any kind, in this way self-healing is optimum. Thank you body!
TOP CENTRE LINE OF FRONT TORSO | |
LUNG | Sternum |
LUNG & GALLBLADDER | Either side of sternum |
K27 | In the corner formed by sternum and collar bones |
STOMACH | Move out along the underside of the collarbone |
COVERNING | Keep moving along |
HEART | Keep moving along |
CENTRAL | The area where your arm joins the torso |
KIDNEY | Front of deltoid and outside of upper arm |
MID TORSO | |
HEART PROTECTOR | Underneath the breast – move out of the way for easier access. |
LIVER | Under right breast (imagine where an underwire sits – this is why wire is not a good idea, it can increase stagnation) |
STOMACH | Under left breast |
SPLEEN | Just beneath in line with nipple |
SMALL INTESTINE | Under the ribcage |
NAVEL AREA | |
KIDNEY | 1 “ out of the centre line and 2 “ above the navel |
TW + ADRENALS | Same but 1” above navel |
BLADDER | 1” out from navel |
LOWER BODY | |
HP + BLADDER | Alone pubic bone |
LARGE INTESTINE | Outside thigh, roughly where seam of trousers will sit. Worth noting that if there is constipation, massage from hip to knee. If loose bowels are the problem massage from knee to hip. |
HP + SMALL INTESTINE | Where inside thigh seam would sit, the top part being HP and lower part being SI |
THE BACK | |
To be honest I simply massage the entire spine – either side, never on the bone itself. I use two tennis balls in a sock, place it on a strong wall, lean against it, adjust pressure by moving feet nearer or further away from the wall, lean on the balls, move them down an inch and lean … repeat until the entire spine is covered. Here is a link to something I wrote in the mists of time …
| |
Alternatively, you might explore a ‘back knobber’ – click on this link - https://www.madisonking.com/post/do-you-have-a-back-knobber
| |
BODY BRUSHING also stimulates lymphatic flow; done daily, before your shower on dry skin – it’s an excellent self care habit to develop.
Here is the extract from an article I wrote many years ago, but still holds true today ….
…… It works on two levels: on the superficial, it will give you softer, smoother more velvety skin; on the ‘inner’, it will help detox and boost your immunity, vital to increasing your physical well-being.
Our bodies are living in a world they have not yet fully evolved into. Think of all the technological advances of the past eighty years that we live with in our daily life. Consider what is in the air that was not there 50 years ago: cell phone, radio, TV, Satellite a veritable host of EMFs [electromagnetic frequencies] polluting our lives and I won’t even begin to go into how we self-pollute with sugar, alcohol, drugs, rubbish foods and chemicals…. you get the general idea.
Normally the human body would have thousands of years to adapt to such changes but no, we have given ourselves less than a lifetime and our bodies, on the whole, are doing a miraculous job at coping BUT at a cost. Coping makes continual demands on our bodies and after a while, albeit a few years, the immune and other systems begin to falter under such an unrelenting load, resulting in illness such as : arthritis, cancer, diabetes, skin problems, heart etc.
We cannot change the world we live in, but we can exert control over our own individual little universes ….. common sense changes such as: eating healthily, exercising more, drinking lots of water, positive attitude and also dry skin brushing all help support the body in it’s battle with the techno elements.
The lymphatic system is like the body’s housekeeper, some call it a garbage disposal. It comprises a vast, delicate network of vessels and nodes that filter, purify, cleanse and detox the entire body. Many of these vessels lie just under the skin and dry skin brushing will stimulate the entire system, purging toxins from the body. It also helps remove old dead skin cells, opening up the pores and increasing elimination. [The skin is the largest organ of the body and can eliminate up to 2lbs of waste daily.] Lung, Large Intestine and Kidney are the other primary detoxifiers and organs of elimination.
A weakness in any one organ, forces the others to carry an increased workload which can in turn result in exhaustion and further inhibit the body’s ability to get rid of harmful toxic waste. Daily dry skin brushing helps your skin remain vibrant and efficient so that organs are not stressed or overloaded.
It only takes a minute, do it a couple of times a day on dry skin before taking a shower, certainly before a workout as it opens pores and allows sweat to remove more waste.
For us ‘ladies of a certain age’, dry skin brushing is a godsend. Aging skin does not shed its outer layer of dead cells as efficiently as younger skin. The build-up of this outer skin layer accounts for the thick, dry, "leathery" look of older skin (along with too much sun exposure). Skin brushing exfoliates this layer. It also stimulates the oil glands, providing more moisture for older skin. Further good news is that it helps break down cellulite and tightens the skin and can improve muscle tone by stimulating the nerve endings which causes the individual muscle fibres to activate and move. It can help mobilise fat, stimulate hormone function, the nervous system and blood circulation in the underlying organs and connective tissue. Pretty good payback for a couple of minutes brushing a day.
Unlike blood, which has the heart to pump it around the body, the lymphatic system relies on movement, exercise and gravity for its circulation, so walk when you can, move the body, treat yourself to a massage to encourage the flow. All you need for this technique is a soft bristle brush. They are normally set in wood, either circular to fit into the palm of your hand, or oval with a detachable handle. Use a light pressure and brush, on dry skin, in long sweeping strokes. The basic rule of direction is: imagine a belt around your waist, anything below that belt gets brushed into the groin and anything above the belt goes to the armpits.
On the legs, I suggest you start at the knee and brush up into the groin all around the thigh, then linger a little around the inside of the knee [lymph nodes are located here so the area can often feel tender].
Now move down to the ankles and brush up to the knee all around the lower leg.
Brush around the top of the foot, as I said at the beginning, I studied the Vodder Lymphatic Drainage Technique [Austria] and they romantically call this area ‘The Sea of Lymph ’.
Proceed with long strokes from toe to groin. In this way, you are ‘clearing’ an area before brushing new lymph into it. Move on to hands and arms, then back [this is where a brush with a detachable handle comes in useful], abdomen, shoulders and neck. A cunning trick is to use TWO BRUSHES, get an alternate rhythm going and you will have done your entire body in no time at all. Now jump into the shower, I use an exfoliating sponge or cloth [Dermalogica do a great one] and if you can bear it, finish off with a cold blast of water. Dry with a rough towel, rub in some oil or cream and voila! … you will feel invigorated and ready to start the day. Pretty soon you will begin to crave your daily ‘brush off’.
TIP – to help prevent slack skin as you age or lose weight, massage and ‘pinch’ the skin. It will stimulate the circulation, feeding the tissue and encouraging elasticity in the skin. Clean your brush using soap and water once a week. After rinsing [maybe a drop of Tea Tree or Lavender essential oil in the rinse water], dry it in an open, sunny spot to prevent mildew. Try it and see, after a couple of weeks you should begin to notice a difference, a lot less sluggish and your general immunity will improve. After three months you will definitely be an addict. A few words of caution … Even though you are working with soft bristles, your skin may feel a little tender or sensitive at first, be gentle and soon it will feel good. Obviously don’t brush any broken or damaged skin. If the skin becomes red or irritated in any way, you are using too much pressure, ease off. Your skin will soon become used to the technique and will cease to be sensitive.
After several days of dry brushing, you may notice a gelatinous mucoid material in your stools. Don’t panic, this is a sign that the intestinal tract is renewing itself. If you have cancer, serious skin problems or just feel a little uneasy about brushing, have a word with your doctor first.
|
Comments