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Over the past 25 years of doing bodywork and studying holistic health, I've come to understand that people don't have "bad sinuses" or "blocked sinuses"...that what is more likely happening is that the drainage channels for their sinuses are blocked. These are lymphatic channels that help circulate fluid throughout the head and neck. And since much of our present lifestyle has us looking down at a keyboard, a book, a desk, or straight ahead at the monitor or tv, the channels that run down the neck get constricted, contributing to lymph blockage in the head. Did you know that, of all the lymph nodes in the entire human body, about 30% of them are in the head and neck? Four out of five of our sense organs are in the head and the body knows they have to be protected by the cleansing action of the nodes. Did you know that the sinuses produce, on average, about a quart of clear mucus a day to keep the passages moist and protected? The mucus only gets colored because of infection or if the channels get backed up and bacteria starts to breed in the stagnant channels when it cannot get flushed out. So, we have lots of lymph/mucus fluid whose job is to cleanse and lubricate and protect. Then we have an almost frozen head position that does not allow the channels to stay open and drain thoroughly. What to do? Simple. The following exercises will not only help your sinuses drain, they will help you think more clearly, once your head isn't so full. So, fewer headaches, fuzzy thinking, eye strain (because the largest sinus is right behind the eyes). 1. Sit comfortably on a chair with a low back and take a deep breath. 2. Slowly let your head roll forward as far as is comfortable without strain. Relax your shoulders. Relax your tongue. Breathe. Slowly raise your head back up to the center. 3. Slowly let your head roll backward as far as is comfortable without strain. Relax your shoulders. Relax your tongue. Breathe. Slowly raise your head back up to center. 4. Slowly let your left ear move toward your left shoulder. Relax shoulders and tongue. Breathe. Slowly return to center. 5. Then the right ear to the right shoulder, etc. You are getting the pattern now. 6. Do some eye exercises. Squeeze them shut tight and keep breathing. Open them wide, then bat them rapidly and keep breathing. Repeat two more times. 7. Repeat step 3. While your head is back, focus on your breathing and become aware of how your sinuses are draining down your throat. Repeat the entire sequence until you get the results you want. If you have a neck injury that keeps you from achieving a nice stretch or lengthening of the neck, do the exercises very carefully and only go as far as feels safe and comfortable. You will be able to stretch farther a little at a time as you continue to do them. If you have had sinus back-up for a while, the fluid may be very acidic. In this case, you need to alkalize, and an easy way to do that is to drink a bit of baking soda in some water, or the juice of a fresh lemon in some warm water. It will help settle your stomach from the acidic mucus. For prevention, to keep your sinusus from backing up in the future, incorporate some of these neck exercises into your daily habits. Stop and do them from time to time to keep your neck supple and the drainage channels open. Watch children at play, how they look up in the sky and their heads go back and forth as they take in the life around them. Become again as little children. For your sinuses and for other reasons, too. Back to Info page. Back to Home page. Contact Us | My Daily Dragon Home | |
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