Kara Maia Spencer, is an amazing hooper and member of the hooping and healing arts communites. She has written several articles about the the healing effects of hooping including the one below. Please visit her website for more information on hooping as a healing art.
http://www.mandalahoops.com/
Core Hooping for Lymphatic Health
Tuesday, July 14, 2009 at 2:47PM
The Lymphatic SystemHooping is the art of movement with the hoop. Dance, yoga, and the spinning arts have brought a great variety of styles, techniques, tricks, and moves to hooping. While it is exciting, challenging, and fun to learn beautiful off-the-body moves, or techniques with the arms, hands, legs, and feet - I urge all hoopers to really explore their core hooping with a daily practice.
Core hooping is rotating the hoop around the primary axis of the body, the spine, abdomen, back, chest, and hips. Core hooping covers the basic moves of hooping plus provides an amazing massage of the muscles and soft tissues of the core. The hoop provides a gentle, rhythmic massage that stimulates lymphatic flow resulting in increased circulation, cellular detox, weight loss, and increased immunity.
The lymphatic system is a primary part of our tri fold circulatory system. It is responsible for waste collection, immunity, waste processing, and cell transport throughout the body. The venous flow, arterial flow, and lymphatic flow work together to circulate all the blood and lymph in our bodies. Unlike the venous and arterial circulatory flow that has it's own impulse to move, the lymphatic fluid only moves because of our bodies movement and exercise, deep breathing, and through gentle rhythmic massage.
Over 50% of our bodies lymphatic glands are in the belly, around the intestines. The next most concentrated area of lymphatic tissue is the sides of the chest, under the arms. Then there are lymphatic glands in the femoral or bikini area. Also around the neck, throat, and shoulders where the lymph drains into the bodies two main lymph ducts. It is perfect synchronicity that the lymphatic system may be wonderfully massaged by core hooping.
Core Hooping Lymph Massage Flow:
In order to stimulate the lymphatic flow and provide a wonderful lymphatic massage with the hoop, I start with hooping on my hands above my head. This provides circular range of motion movements to the shoulders and neck, stimulating the drainage of the main lymph ducts on both sides of the neck under the clavicle.
The most important thing to remember when doing this technique is to breath deeply into the belly, stimulating the back of the throat, fully expanding your diaphragm, almost breathing audibly, so as to stimulate the lymphatic drainage. Also, drink lots of water before and after hooping!
Then, I hoop around the neck, and bring my shoulders into the hoop, rotating it around my upper arms and chest. Next, lifting the arms through the hoop, allowing the hoop to rotate around my chest with my arms above. This stimulates the drainage of the lymph nodes under the sternum, the main drainage duct for the lower extremities of the body, as well as the sides under the arms, another main lymph node site.
Letting the hoop slow allows it to come down to my waist where I hoop for a long while around my core. In order to not become bored with core hooping, I will practice mudras, yoga with my hands, or just dance to my favorite music.
Slowing the hoop, allows it to drop even further and I bring the hoop to my hips, allowing the hoop to provide a lymphatic massage to the inguinal lymph nodes on both sides of the anterior pelvic region. I bring the hoop to my knees, and then spend a while playing with keeping the hoop on my thighs between my knees and hips to stimulate the thigh circulation.
Bringing the hoop back to my waist, I lift it with my hands above my head and come down to lie with my back on the floor. I hoop on each foot, alternating feet, using the circular range of motion of the feet and legs, and the force of gravity to drain the legs and stimulate circulation.
Coming back to standing, I again focus on more core hooping around the belly, then bring the hoop up under the ribs to focus on the thoracic duct, then up to my chest to focus on the important thymus, then neck, then hands above head. Breathing deeply still.
Now I dance however I well please for as long as I want!
When I am done, I like to lie on the floor on my back, with my knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and hands on my belly. Breathing deeply into the core and experiencing stillness and rest I focus on completely releasing any tension from my core. I send love and gratitude to my core. When done, I roll to the left side and push myself to sitting.
This is a very invigorating core hooping practice that will assist your body in waste elimination, releasing excess fluid, relieving congestion, detoxing your body, and enhancing your natural immunity!
The lymphatic system is best stimulated by a light rhythmic touch, so I prefer to use a lighter hoop for this benefit, my favorite is a 100 PSI 1/2 ". The deep breathing, full routine of stimulating the lymph flow from the outlet at the neck to the toes then back to the neck, and the rest at the end are all important vital elements of the optimal hoop flow for lymphatic drainage.
A daily core hoop practice will help with detox, immune functioning, and weight loss. If you have inflammed lymph nodes, I do not recommend hooping over them at that time because it could irritate them worse. When feeling ill please drink lots of water, care for your body, and get ample rest. However, a regular hoop practice will help keep your lymphatic system functioning at it's prime and keep sickness at bay!
http://www.mandalahoops.com/
Core Hooping for Lymphatic Health
Tuesday, July 14, 2009 at 2:47PM
The Lymphatic SystemHooping is the art of movement with the hoop. Dance, yoga, and the spinning arts have brought a great variety of styles, techniques, tricks, and moves to hooping. While it is exciting, challenging, and fun to learn beautiful off-the-body moves, or techniques with the arms, hands, legs, and feet - I urge all hoopers to really explore their core hooping with a daily practice.
Core hooping is rotating the hoop around the primary axis of the body, the spine, abdomen, back, chest, and hips. Core hooping covers the basic moves of hooping plus provides an amazing massage of the muscles and soft tissues of the core. The hoop provides a gentle, rhythmic massage that stimulates lymphatic flow resulting in increased circulation, cellular detox, weight loss, and increased immunity.
The lymphatic system is a primary part of our tri fold circulatory system. It is responsible for waste collection, immunity, waste processing, and cell transport throughout the body. The venous flow, arterial flow, and lymphatic flow work together to circulate all the blood and lymph in our bodies. Unlike the venous and arterial circulatory flow that has it's own impulse to move, the lymphatic fluid only moves because of our bodies movement and exercise, deep breathing, and through gentle rhythmic massage.
Over 50% of our bodies lymphatic glands are in the belly, around the intestines. The next most concentrated area of lymphatic tissue is the sides of the chest, under the arms. Then there are lymphatic glands in the femoral or bikini area. Also around the neck, throat, and shoulders where the lymph drains into the bodies two main lymph ducts. It is perfect synchronicity that the lymphatic system may be wonderfully massaged by core hooping.
Core Hooping Lymph Massage Flow:
In order to stimulate the lymphatic flow and provide a wonderful lymphatic massage with the hoop, I start with hooping on my hands above my head. This provides circular range of motion movements to the shoulders and neck, stimulating the drainage of the main lymph ducts on both sides of the neck under the clavicle.
The most important thing to remember when doing this technique is to breath deeply into the belly, stimulating the back of the throat, fully expanding your diaphragm, almost breathing audibly, so as to stimulate the lymphatic drainage. Also, drink lots of water before and after hooping!
Then, I hoop around the neck, and bring my shoulders into the hoop, rotating it around my upper arms and chest. Next, lifting the arms through the hoop, allowing the hoop to rotate around my chest with my arms above. This stimulates the drainage of the lymph nodes under the sternum, the main drainage duct for the lower extremities of the body, as well as the sides under the arms, another main lymph node site.
Letting the hoop slow allows it to come down to my waist where I hoop for a long while around my core. In order to not become bored with core hooping, I will practice mudras, yoga with my hands, or just dance to my favorite music.
Slowing the hoop, allows it to drop even further and I bring the hoop to my hips, allowing the hoop to provide a lymphatic massage to the inguinal lymph nodes on both sides of the anterior pelvic region. I bring the hoop to my knees, and then spend a while playing with keeping the hoop on my thighs between my knees and hips to stimulate the thigh circulation.
Bringing the hoop back to my waist, I lift it with my hands above my head and come down to lie with my back on the floor. I hoop on each foot, alternating feet, using the circular range of motion of the feet and legs, and the force of gravity to drain the legs and stimulate circulation.
Coming back to standing, I again focus on more core hooping around the belly, then bring the hoop up under the ribs to focus on the thoracic duct, then up to my chest to focus on the important thymus, then neck, then hands above head. Breathing deeply still.
Now I dance however I well please for as long as I want!
When I am done, I like to lie on the floor on my back, with my knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and hands on my belly. Breathing deeply into the core and experiencing stillness and rest I focus on completely releasing any tension from my core. I send love and gratitude to my core. When done, I roll to the left side and push myself to sitting.
This is a very invigorating core hooping practice that will assist your body in waste elimination, releasing excess fluid, relieving congestion, detoxing your body, and enhancing your natural immunity!
The lymphatic system is best stimulated by a light rhythmic touch, so I prefer to use a lighter hoop for this benefit, my favorite is a 100 PSI 1/2 ". The deep breathing, full routine of stimulating the lymph flow from the outlet at the neck to the toes then back to the neck, and the rest at the end are all important vital elements of the optimal hoop flow for lymphatic drainage.
A daily core hoop practice will help with detox, immune functioning, and weight loss. If you have inflammed lymph nodes, I do not recommend hooping over them at that time because it could irritate them worse. When feeling ill please drink lots of water, care for your body, and get ample rest. However, a regular hoop practice will help keep your lymphatic system functioning at it's prime and keep sickness at bay!
