I don't like spring. I have several reasons for that. I feel terribly tired. I have an uncontrollable appetite. I'm allergic to spring pollen. I hate the ubiquitous dust and mess revealed by melted snow and the harsh spring sun. I also dislike looking in the mirror at the unaesthetically and unhealthily white body that needs to be exposed due to the onset of heat.
One spring, however, I got lucky. My physiotherapist friend, who had just successfully completed her studies and a course in manual lymphatic drainage, was tired of hearing my annual springtime moaning about fatigue and suggested that she try using the manual lymphatic drainage technique to get me started. The reasoning was clear. She had the time and inclination to attend to me and I would be a real jerk if I didn't take the opportunity. Normally they charge around a grand for this one hour therapy. I decided to give it a try.
The first month I went to therapy more often, at least once a week, then the intervals got longer until they stayed at a maintenance frequency of 1-2 sessions a month. I had to drink a lot during the therapy day and avoid increased physical exertion, alcohol and treatments that circulate the skin (hot bath or shower, sauna, massage). The therapy was done dry and very gently until you think it can have no effect. But the opposite is true.
The body was really cleansed, both physically and mentally. After the first applications, I observed especially the mental cleansing. Right after the first treatment, I had a dream where I told all the people close to me who play an important role in my life what bothers me about them. In the morning I woke up quite exhausted because the dream was very vivid. I also took the cathartic gratuitous crying as part of effective therapy, and a therapist friend pointed this out to me. Gradually, however, I observed increased energy, unusual for the spring season for me. I went for a run after work instead of sleeping in, got up better in the morning, was more active, and managed more responsibilities during the day. But what surprised me the most was the gradual weight loss, I lost a good few pounds in six months, which surprised me probably the most because my weight had been stable and unchanging for several years.
Now it's been a few years. I am still 3 kilos lighter. My feet are not swollen at the end of the day. I have more energy. The sight of my white body is more aesthetic even in the spring. And I know why. A well-executed manual lymphatic drainage is simply a miracle.
Client Jana S.
