Prevention is better than cure! As part of the Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we’d like to share with you a healthy breast massage technique!
Before that, we’d like to acknowledge all the brave women out there who are currently battling cancer, and those who have been through this battle. I know many women who emerged with full health are now educating others and sharing their stories. And we thank you for helping bring more awareness to this very needed subject and thank you for being part of the cure. ❤️❤️❤️
Our breasts are a delicate part of our body – it is comprised of primarily fat (as well as nerves, veins, arteries, connective tissue and lymph). Anatomically, we store excess things that the body hasn’t been able to release in the fat cells. The lymph glands and blood are there to help us flush and eliminate toxins before being held in the fat cells. So for taking care of this part of the body, we must emphasize two main elements:
- Reducing chemical exposure; and
- Increasing circulation to the lymph glands.
Today, we are surrounded by harsh chemicals – synthetic fragrances, parabens, plastics, and petroleum by-products… and the list goes on and on! Statistics show that the average woman is exposed to 100-1000 chemicals before even leaving the house in the morning! If we are applying these chemicals to the body or inhaling them, the body is basically ingesting them and trying to find where they “fit”. We do not have built-in receptors for synthetic molecules, so if they don’t “fit” anywhere or can be released, the body will simply store them and start to function less efficiently.
And this is where our trustworthy company, Young Living, comes in! With all its natural products, we are ensured that we prevent ourselves from taking in unwanted synthetic chemicals and toxins.
Movement and healthy exercise is also vital on many levels but especially for the lymphatic system! Bouncing on a rebounder, dry skin brushing and healthy breast massage will all aid the health of the glands and in turn, the breast tissue.
“Breast massage supports and heals breast tissue, preventing toxic build-up and helping to clear toxins from the breasts. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), breast massage increases circulation of the healthy flow of blood and “qi”, or energy, through the body. In Western medicine, breast massage is acknowledged as helping to promote lymphatic flow and drainage.” (cited from The Women’s Wellness Collective)
So, we can turn our regular self-breast exam into a healthy personal massage! 🙌 Here’s how:
First, we need a breast massage oil. Here’s a little recipe that you can try:
💧1 cup jojoba oil
💧3 oz. evening primrose oil
💧2 oz. castor oil
💧10-20 drops of essential oil or a blend of your choice
Store your oil in an amber jar, protected from heat and light, to preserve its shelf-life. Refrigerate to prevent carrier oils from becoming rancid. You can heat up a few ounces on the stovetop or in a candle-heater essential oil diffuser before the massage to have a pleasant, warm massage oil.
And then, follow these 6 steps for the massage:
Step 1: Turning your head to the left and starting on the right side of your neck, use one or two fingers to slowly and gently stroke downwards, beginning at the space in front of the ear. Follow the same movement in the space behind the ears. Move down along your neck in short, sweeping movements, toward your collarbones. Repeat on the other side.
Step 2: Moving along the top sides of the collarbones, use the same sweeping movements until you get to your shoulders, then move down to your armpits. Beginning with your right armpit, use the pointer and middle finger of your left hand to massage the hollowed area in a downward movement, toward the heart. Follow with 10 circular, clockwise motions along the same area, and repeat on the other side.
Step 3: With your left palm faced open toward you, move it underneath your right underarm, with all four fingers in your armpit and your thumb resting toward your shoulder, and keeping your right arm by your side. Begin to do a gentle inwards and upwards pumping motion. You’ll likely feel some tenderness, which is related to congested lymph nodes. Continue pumping with more pressure, but not to the point of pain or serious discomfort. Start with about 10 pumps. The tenderness should diminish after a few minutes, as the lymphatic system clears. Repeat on the other side.
Step 4: Moving back toward your breast, spread your hands along the top area of your breast, just beneath the collarbones. Gently apply pressure downwards, moving your hands to cover the right breast, with the left hand on top and the right-hand cupping from the bottom. Grasping the breast, use the same gentle pumping motion, moving your breast first toward your armpit then downwards toward your sternum, and back. After 10 pumps, make a similar motion but this time, move your breast upwards toward your collarbone and then back to its original place. Repeat this 10 times. Holding the breast, in the same way, now push it back toward the chest, slightly compressing the breast against the body. Repeat 10 times, and then repeat the whole sequence with the other breast.
Step 5: Now, placing the right hand on the right breast and the left hand on the left breast, massage the area, moving from the outermost area in opposite circular motions (e.g. right side clockwise, and left side counter-clockwise). Move inwards toward the nipple. Begin the same sequence again, but move along the breast in the opposite circular motion as before, once again ending at the nipple.
Step 6: Finish the massage by focusing on the areola and the nipple. Go slowly and gently and feel what works best for you during this step. Begin by placing your whole hand over the breast, focusing on the nipple and moving the hand in a circular motion. Once you feel comfortable, massage the areola in a circular rotation with your pointer, middle, and ring finger, then move toward the nipple. Use the thumb and pointer fingers to pull gently and kneed the nipple and areola between your fingers, and then use all 4 fingers and thumb in a pulling movement, stroking the areas from all sides. This is the most fragile and gentle area of the breasts, so listen to your body and take your time to ease into it and feel comfortable.
(technique cited from The Women’s Wellness Collective)
Hope you learned a lot! Remember, prevention is the cure! We need to do our best every day – educate ourselves and look after our bodies with care and compassion. And also ask for help when we need one!
With support, we can all take better care of ourselves and our families. 🤗
This TipsterTuesday post is from our guest contributor and member of The GoodDrop team, Erika Eddy Licensed Acupuncturist (L.Ac.), RYT, MSAOM. As a practitioner of Chinese Medicine for the last 15 years, her work emphasizes wholeness in Mind, Body, and Spirit. You can connect with her through mobile at 805-215-3942 or through her website – www.ErikaEddy.com.
