4 Ideas for Lymphatic Cleansing

The lymphatic system is like your body’s second circulatory system. It is responsible for the following:

• Detoxification of waste products from the body

• Immunity boosts to keep the body healthy

• Transportation of nutrients throughout the body

It might help if you think of the lymphatic system as your body’s trash collector and disposal system. It pumps lymphatic fluids throughout the body in order to absorb toxins + waste so that it can eliminate them from the body. If your lymphatic system slows down it can quickly clog and cause major problems with major organs and systems within the body.

The lymphatic system plays another very important role by absorbing the fats + vitamins you take in and delivering them where they need to go. When we take all of that into consideration, and we recognize how our physical bodies impact the brain, mind + emotions… Well, you can see why it is vital to do your best to keep it working smoothly.

So, I put together four VERY simple and easy techniques that are gentle + kind to your system. For those of you in the thick of grief I know it is easy to get overstimulated and overwhelmed, so I wanted to keep it super simple.

These are all things I have been using over the last few years, I actually began them prior to Dave’s passing, during his illness. I am here to tell you, no matter what shape you are in, you will feel SO MUCH better implementing these.

Just pick one, after a few days try adding another if you feel up to it.

GUA SHA is a simple technique that you can easily do yourself. There are several youtube tutorials to follow. You will need the following items:

• a GUA SHA stone

• Essential Oil Face Serum w/ Frankincense, Lavender, Myrrh, Helichrysum, Hawaiian Sandalwood, and Rose. (PLEASE, only use certified + pure, 3rd party tested eos, many are adulterated + filled with toxins in the name of “fragrance”)

Here is a Gua Sha Beginners video (click here)

HYDRATE more water, more water, more water. Increase your water to 50% of your weight. HNow does that work - claculate by taking your weight in pounds + drink half of that in ounces of water. Make SURE it is filtered. No plastic bottles. No carbonation. No juice. Just water counts for this one. You can have other drinks but they don’t contribute to your count. And caffeine can actually take away from it.

Drinking water with 1-2 drops of lemon or grapefruit essential oil in it is excellent for detox + your body while at the same time it will really uplift your mood.

• Berkey Water Filters are some of the best around for removing bacteria, pesticides, minerals and metals .

• Lemon essential oil, or grapefruit, are essential to add to your water for a gentle detox.

• Hydro Flask makes my FAVORITE water bottle to use with essential oils. Using a water bottle helps keep the tracking easy. (You want to use metal or glass when using eos.)

DETOX BATH SOAK is oh-so relaxing + calming to the mind it is also an AMAZING way to pump up that lymphatic system.

Hot water will dilate blood vessels, the epsom salt and baking soda draw out the impurities. Essential oils boost your body’s natural ability to purge what it needs to + support your lymphatic system.

• 2 cups Epsom Salt

• 1 cup Baking Soda

• Essential Oil Blend specifically designed to help boost your body’s detox system with Tangerine Peel, Rosemary Leaf, Geranium Flower/Leaf, Juniper Berry, Cilantro Herb essential oils.

  Directions: Fill the tub with hot water. Mix the salt, soda + 6 drops of the essential oil. Blend well. Add to bathwater just before soaking and stir in well. Soak for 30-45 minutes.

  Repeat weekly. Make sure and hydrate extra well after your soak, and the following day.

Now, let’s talk REBOUNDING.

This is SO incredibly good for all the cells in your body. It is gentle on the joints. It totally helps with mood, especially when you pump up some. music.

It stimulates the lymphatic system and moves those nasty toxins right out of your body. This is one of the fastest ways to jiggle + shake ALL those lymph nodes in your body at one time.

I have a jamming playlist I play on my earbuds as I get in the zone. I also pop a couple of peppermint beadlets in advance because there are studies done on the effects of this essential oil and increasde physical performance. PLUS it opens the airways and completely lifts my mood.

You don’t have to jump intensely, just hop on a bounce gently, pick it up a little and then back to gentle. Have fun with it.

I like the ones with handles, and some are foldable for easier storage, like this one that’s available on Amazon: Rebounder

Check out this diagram with all the lymph nodes in the body. Crazy right? I figured seeing them may help you want to do something to help them be tip-top.

Now, go jiggle + jump, hydrate + flush, soak + release, and massage those babies.

Make sure and let me know what you try and how it works. Let me know if you have any questions.

If you are really spurred on to do all you can and you really want to dive in, you can always go for a full-on detox kit. We have a great natural option that steps through the elimination pathways in the proper order so that you get maximum detox results without side effects. When you purchase the kit you will also receive an ebook + gift box from us. You have us to help walk you through it as well. This is something we highly suggest doing two times a year. You’ll be amazed at how clear your skin is, how your energy increases, and mental clarity. BOOM!

You can purchase your all-natural detox solution here: Detox Kit

The Unexpected in Widowhood: Learning to trust.

My mornings are such a mix these days. They range from waking with head pressure, sometimes angst, maybe a song, all the way to out and out enthusiasm. But I am not so far away from the brutal slap of widowed reality + gasp for oxygen mornings, sleepless nights, to forget their sting. They were my unwelcomed morning ritual for, well, far too long to count. I will say they were there long enough, they were consistent enough for me to be able rise and recognize the feeling of freedom without their presence. And today it has brought to me a place of such deep gratefulness.

Today was one of those days. This morning I woke up with words of thanks spouting from my lips. I found myself standing up + speaking out loud from my heart:

“God, I LOVE you. Thank you for that. Thank you for loving me and for helping me to know you. Like really, KNOW you and TRUST you. Thank you for having a plan for my life. A good plan. Thank you for the people you have put around me in my life, to help remind me and to spur me on. Thank you that you are teaching me that I can trust myself .“ SCREECHING HALT…. ummmmm, wait … WHAT did I just claim? And when did that happen?

See, since Dave passed away this sneaky little distrust in myself began to grow. As time continued to separate me from the life I had lived with my husband I found myself questioning more and more of my abilities: my decision-making processes, my feelings, the filters I run info through, my ability to show up. I began to feel this weird weight of scrutiny pressing on me. And I found myself wondering just where did this mental onslaught stem from? Because I was pretty sure a lot of it was in my head.

Through time + much thought, I have come to the conclusion that there were some key voices that spoke into the spaces of my falsely held beliefs.

1- Well-intentioned people questioning my process.

2- The void where his voice once spoke to bring balancing opinions + thoughts.

3- History. All the voices of my past failures magnified by the risk of facing future ones alone.

4- The whispers of the enemy, “You can’t do it.”

The sheer volume of these voices spinning on repeat in my head would hit me at different times throughout the day, although I will say this… I think they were probably on constant replay. I think I was just busy putting every ounce of my subconscious mental energy into drowning them out. However, it took its toll + somewhere between 2-4pm my brain would just want to shut off with my body closely wanting to follow. About that time the nerves would fire up to keep me in motion until bedtime. And throughout the evening and upon rising I would have a spontaneous electrical dance responding to those voices until I stood up to drown them out that following morning. And repeat.

But somehow scattered here and there I found space to sit with Jesus,

even when I didn’t feel like I had a drop of energy to personally show up. My sordid past had already proven His immense love for me + I knew I could trust him to show up even when I couldn’t muster much strength. I just needed a willing heart to try.

And as I started to implement some simple steps with my Being Known time I would find Jesus asking me morning after morning… “I know you don’t trust yourself, but DO YOU TRUST ME?” Yes, Jesus, I do, completely.” And in my journey with him this last year He has shown me SO MUCH about the voices I was tipping my head to, the things that were holding my gaze. It matters much. And with his simple questions + his deep love, my mind has been able to identify some of the faulty wiring + naturally I am beginning to respond out of more of his truth.

In the course of that, I have fallen SO deeply in love with Jesus, right in the thick of my painful process. The very thing that took a swing at me with the intention of taking me out resulted in shifting my position + opening my view to THE ONE who would steady my stance by wrapping his loving arms around me, holding me tightly, looking straight into my eyes, while asking me the question over and over again until I believed it to my very core:

“Kim, do you trust me?”

I do. If ever I trust anything, it is YOU!

My journey is still long. I have much to still discover BUT for today I am so grateful to recognize that although I won’t ever have all the right answers on my own, I do know the ONE who does. And we are tight, like really tight. In fact, he adores me.

This song:

LOVE YOURSELF

by Justin Bieber + modified lyrics by Tanner Townsend, it gets me every single time I listen to it. Close your eyes + wrap the words around your heart and mind.

“For all the times that you feel so alone
And when you don't know where to turn or to go
You think you're too far gone, you've made your last mistake
You think I'm lying test me, kneel down and pray

'Cause Gods got a plan for you
Listen to the spirit there's too many
Different voices, block out all the noises
I'm singing that I know it's true
And if you think you're worthless, I just want to help you know that
You're still good, don't look back

And the Father loves you, and he loves everyone
And I'd invite you to pray through His Son
We get so caught up in our day, we forget to kneel and pray
Yes I know that you are never on your own

If you could see the way He sees your soul
Then maybe you could learn to love yourself
And if you start to hear the still small voice
Then maybe you could go and trust yourself

And if you start to feel that all your hope is lost
Remember Jesus died on Calvary's Cross
He suffered all the pains and hopelessness you'll see
So you can break the chains and start to be free

'Cause Gods got a plan for you
Listen to the spirit there's too many
Different voices, block out all the noises
I'm singing that I know it's true
And if you think you're worthless, I just want to help you know that
You're still good, don't look back

And the Father loves you, and he loves everyone
And I'd invite you to pray through His Son
We get so caught up in our day, we forget to kneel and pray
Yes I know that you are never on your own

If you could see the way He sees your soul
Then maybe you could learn to love yourself
And if you start to hear the still small voice
Then maybe you should go and trust yourself

For all the times that I know, you feel small
Just take His hand, and He will help you stand tall
And if you hold fast to the rod and don't lose sight
Then you can know that it will end up alright

And the Father loves you, and he loves everyone
And I'd invite you to pray through His Son
We get so caught up in our day, we forget to kneel and pray
Yes I know, that you are never on your own

If you could see the way He sees your soul
Then maybe you could learn to love yourself
And if you start to hear the still small voice
Maybe you should learn to love yourself”

Good Grief, what does it even look like?

I wish someone would tell me what GOOD GRIEF looks like. I take that back. No, I don’t! And here is why…

It doesn’t look like one particular thing. It doesn’t look the same from person to person. It doesn’t look the same day to day, or even hour to hour, or sometimes even minute to minute. Show me someone who loved deeply and lost, and I will show you yet another way that grief will show up on the scene. It is complex and individual to the person. And…. long lasting for most.

And MOURNING… the act of processing the deep abiding, long-lasting, grief. That is another thing entirely. Show me people who do that well and I will show you the most raw, revealing, public, tear your sackcloth, scream in the streets display of wailing you have ever seen. Stop and really think on that for a minute, how would that make you feel to witness? Um… perhaps too emotional for you? I mean, what would you do with that? Could you watch it comfortably from afar? Would you gently step up and touch it? Would you try to approach and hug it away? OR would you shift your attention elsewhere? I think internally your heart would quicken its step a little at that emotional exposure. Are they mad (as in out of their minds)? Do they need emergency assistance? Why can’t they control themselves? Many would want to do something about it to make it stop because it is just plain uncomfortable. And it should be…and it will be. And so what is a person going through it to do? Our culture holds many silent beliefs about this.

Okay, let’s open this door for a second…should those grieving “contain and control” the majority of the time? Is it a private matter? And let’s talk about the speed of it. Should it change its appearance rather quickly? Like would it be appropriate if the deep, incapacitating grief lasted a month or maybe two tops, following the loss? Then around 2-3 months we should probably expect the person to start engaging more and stepping back into the “real world” as many say. Oh, but they still seem and act different, perhaps guarded, distant, gloomy. Well, by six months surely they will be well on their way back to normal. And by a year… BAM… rolling forward with serious strides… in fact… some may say the wounds of grief should be basically healed at this point.

Oh friends, I am sitting here telling you that (let me count) it has been eight months since my husband passed and I am not sure I feel like I have taken one step towards healing. In fact, I am feeling the depth of the loss more deeply. It’s funny how the reality of all that the loss touches takes serious time to press into your thinking bank. Memory serves us well, until it doesn’t. My memory still tells me from experience he is going to walk through the door, that I need to check with him, that he is the expert and I need to wait for his opinion, that I am hurting and he is the one physical space where I can rest and feel comfort…. that last one is literally killing me. The VERY thing I need him most desperately for (comfort) is present because I NEED him most (first place besides God in my life). That one makes me feel like I am going mad. Reasoning ones absence in our lives doesn’t come easy. It takes time, a ton of different emotions, a bazillion spoken (or written) words, and even more thinking through. It hurts to think, talk, do and so our brains naturally do their very best to avoid it. We are literally fighting within our heads ALL THE DAY LONG. The brain does all it can to avoid the pain and at the same time it is screaming at you about your inabilities. Inability to focus, to do, to remember, to work through it. It is like 10,000 gears are working in different directions and at one no certain point they just end up jamming. Shutting down. Frozen. This typically happens to me in the late afternoon. I find myself DONE and ready to just close my eyes, sleep the rest of the day, or just turn everything off around me. I am literally exhausted mentally and physically with the simplest of things seeming impossible to accomplish. My brain just won’t work anymore.

This leads me into my current stage of discomfort with my grief. I am BEYOND ready for this pattern to be over, and to move on. I have things to do, I need to earn an income, I need to flipping just plain feel happy. I fear I am exhausting my friends, and I am certainly exhausting myself in the trying. But one can’t just give up… I must keep striving.

I do however trust the good, some relief from grief, is coming. I cling to that hope. A day will come when I have held more happy than sad within my minutes. I will always remember, I will always be sad it went how it did, but I will also look forward to the new. For now… I’ll just continue to feel and process until that day comes. So that the day will come.

And for those of you who are walking alongside someone who is grieving, or even approaching someone who is grieving. You don’t have to understand it. In fact, you probably can’t. But you can have immeasurable grace and love for them. Ask to help them with tangible tasks. The collections of those are often the most overwhelming. And listen… don’t be afraid. Let them RANT and just listen, and care. As they talk they are processing it out themselves. Fill the space with love and grace.

Be well,

Kimber

Trauma Permanently Changes Us

Trauma. It wasn’t a word I would have thought I would be using with such a common type of death as cancer. However, when you sit with your person, and go through the treatments, and watch them suffer, and eventually die… well, it is indeed traumatic.

As the days go by, and some of the memories choose to resurface, you know… the kind where you are back in that room again, with all the sights, sounds and smells. It is then that your heart begins to race, and your eyes leak at the gut punch of reality. Your brain wants to turn it off quickly while clinging to it at the same time. This is because for a brief moment your mind would almost choose to be there (even knowing the outcome) versus sitting in this empty void you have been left with. The uncomfortable space between yes, this is my new reality and no, I don’t want to do this. I am sitting here telling you no one wants to do this.

The gut punch ache never leaves, even though your brain is doing a pretty thorough job of trying to protect your shattered heart. But when the brain is triggered by God to let the walls drop a little… “It’s okay, she can handle that memory, drop that wall, let her remember.” And BAM it unexpectedly slaps you awake… it is right here in this space that you are beyond aware you, no doubt, have experienced trauma.

A lot of times I find myself wondering if I will ever be the same, and I have come to the conclusion that, no, no I won’t. Will I still have joy, yes. Will I continue to have moments where I laugh until I snort at the silliest of things? Yes. Will I be able to go a week without bawling? Maybe? Will life go on and will new life experiences be fulfilling. For sure. But still…

I found a lot of comfort in this article that I found by Catherine Woodiwiss: A New Normal: Ten Things I’ve Learned About Trauma. Here is an excerpt:

This is the big, scary truth about trauma:
there is no such thing as “getting over it.”
The five stages of grief model marks
universal stages in learning to accept loss,
but the reality is in fact much bigger:
a major life disruption leaves a new normal
in its wake. There is no “back to the old me.”
You are different now, full stop.

This is not a wholly negative thing.
Healing from trauma can also mean
finding new strength and joy.
The goal of healing is not a papering-over
of changes in an effort to preserve or
present things as normal. It is to acknowledge
and wear your new life — warts, wisdom and
all — with courage.

– Catherine Woodiwiss

I am different now. If you have experienced trauma, you are different now. It is okay. Don’t try to hurry your way back to an old state of norm to please the people around you. It won’t happen. Give yourself the gift of grace and patience as you discover your new life, day by day.

Cheers my friend, here is to a new life with warts, wisdom and all.

Be Well-

When the “ABOUT US” changes: dealing with loss

I’m sitting here, in Hawaii. Dreamy right? It stirs up all kinds of romantic notions, yes? However, romance is the last thing on my brain. I’m actually sitting here thinking about how on earth I got here.

Oh, I know that I arrived here on a plane with an airline ticket that I myself purchased. That isn’t what I am referring to. I am talking about how on earth did I end up a middle-aged woman, sitting (possibly wallowing),  in the thick of immense grief. 

GRIEF

GRIEF because 20 months ago my husband was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer.  

GRIEF because 12 months ago we found out it was tougher to fight than we thought. 

GRIEF because the next year would be filled to the brim with horrendous battle after exhaustingly unsuccessful battle. 

-GRIEF because six months ago he was SET FREE from the battle. 

But here is the unfortunate thing… I wasn’t. My kids weren’t excused either. The memories still swirl in our brains, poke at our hearts and physically shake us at times. We so wanted a different outcome. We wanted a victory story that would have us all on our feet dancing, singing praises of “Only God could do that.” as we grabbed Dave’s hands and raised them high in adoration. 

As deep as our longings were, as heartfelt as our prayers could have been, that wouldn’t be the conclusion to Dave’s story.

Our “ABOUT US” has changed and it is not what we would have chosen.

I brought my computer with me on this trip because God has made it evidently clear that he has some work for me to do. (I’ll get to that in a future post.) But this is the deal for now… I needed to update this website, and I needed to start with the about page. AND I hate that I am sitting here having to do this. That battlecry part of the story is over and now…. yeah, now what? What the heck am I about? As I go down the list of what used to be there are a lot of boxes to check of “not anymore’s”  - so then what is left? What is going to be? I don’t even know.

I do know one thing: the cancer battle for Dave is over which means the battle of making the memories serve us well is in full force. The battle of choosing to keep going and staying strong. The battle of fulfilling what God has in mind for us to do. YES. Every single day will reveal to us what that looks like. Our job isn’t to think too far out and become overwhelmed, our job is to be present with listening ears and a willing heart… no matter the cost.

God, help us to not waste a morsel of what you intend to use in us and through us. Help us to feel, to process, to pray, to grow closer to you in the thick of it all. Carry us through what we can’t muster the strength to trek on our own. 

I am posting below our old “ABOUT” contents because I don’t want to erase the past journey, I want to embrace it, hold it dear and use it to launch forward. 

(About page 2018/19”

“THE JOURNEY SO FAR

I was talking with my husband the other day about this life we have lived together. Battling cancer as a family has a way of walking you through the years and almost demanding you reflect on your story. Are the pages filled with all that matters? What chapters did we miss? Any we would choose to rewrite? Looking back I would say we have lived a fairly BIG life in our recently turned 50 years. I imagine the rising action and climax in our current storyline would be something people would dream about  happening at some point in their lifetime.

The pages of this website will be riddled with some of the stories of our glorious adventures with family, lake life, racing boats and cars, camping, taking teams to Tanzania and Kenya, partnering with a school in Kibera Slum, working alongside programs in Tanzania that help widows, orphans and young single mamas, starting a nonprofit, overcoming debilitating pain and more. Those are the peaks. Then there are the valleys of abandonment, abuse, anxiety, cancer, a stillborn baby, the division of a family business. The beauty in all of this is the good comes with a natural sparkle but the hard places… they have the ability to shine when you find the beauty in the pain. It’s always there just waiting to be picked up, dusted off and held high. 

My personal story is packed full with this type of rescuing. So, so many stories of being redeemed from the muck and mire covered in the thick weight of my earned distress. When that kind of grace and mercy show up in your life you are pretty eager to sprinkle it around like confetti. 

I hope you find the encouragement and help you are looking for here. We will be posting our upcoming workshops, simple DIY projects, devotions, keto recipes, and random musings along the way. “

Heart + Mind Work