The Lymph and Emotions
Hello and welcome! My name is Stephen, and I’m honored that you’ve found this space. If you are seeking a deeper answer to your lymph nodes, you are not alone! There is another way, and I hope that my experiences are illuminating for you.
“I wonder if there is an emotional cause behind my lymph challenge?”
I whole-heartedly believe that bringing peaceful, full-bodied resolution to core emotional conflicts, gets to the core of healing. I have experienced this for myself and with others again and again. And it’s nurtured a steadfast belief that empowers our body’s ability to heal naturally.
My name is Stephen, and I facilitate somatic therapy and mind-body healing. I’ve been lucky enough to support clients around the world on their journeys of healing, growth, and creating lives that truly light them up.
I take a mind-body approach, which means I help people utilize the wisdom and connection between their body, mind, emotions, and spirit. When we learn to understand and embrace these connections it guides us toward lasting healing, expansion, and creating a life that we love.
I’m so glad you found your way here.
I experienced a chain of lymph nodes swollen over 5 times their size on the right side of my neck. After 2.5 years, I hit a healing plateau. Everything stopped working…acupuncture, massages, an extremely limiting diet, loads of supplements and herbs.
This is when I was awakened to the world of energy, emotions, intuition, and the mind-body connection. I finally realized that my body was speaking to me, so I dug in and learned to listen.
I was awakened to the world of energy, emotions, and the mind-body connection. After applying what I learned, I experienced a breakthrough, and the swelling in my lymph nodes cleared in less than 3 weeks.
And the swelling in my lymph nodes cleared in less than 3 weeks, and I felt a sense of inner freedom I never experienced before.
I felt incredibly lighter as the inner burdens I’d carried for years softened and released. People started commenting on how peaceful my energy was, how I glowed, and how I looked content and more confident. I felt freer and more expressed…more creative and alive.
While the experience with my swollen lymph nodes certainly challenged me, ultimately, I'm extremely grateful for it because it was the catalyst for my true calling as a healing guide for others. If someone would have told me that would all happen because of swollen lymph nodes…I would have never believed it.
Looking back, it’s clear that I traveled that winding, confusing healing journey to arrive in a place where I get to help others embark on a direct path.
Now, let’s get into how emotions connect with and impact the lymph system.
Lymph and Emotions
Your emotional health does not exist in isolation. It is woven with your mental and physical health. We cannot separate them.
All fluids in the body, including the lymph, are connected to emotions. (Anne wrote an article about this in regards to the bladder too).
Emotions are meant to be felt so they can flow.
Imagine your lymph as a river. It’s intelligently designed to flow and nourish the body.
Now…imagine throwing some boulders into the river.
Add some more.
Little by little, they create rapids…creating more turbulence.
Photo by Andrew Bertram
Now, keeping adding more and more boulders. What happens?
Eventually they dam up the flow.
These boulders are suppressed emotional energies.
If the lymph isn’t flowing, it indicates that emotions aren’t flowing (or have been suppressed).
Lymph, Emotions, and The Spirit
Like many, I was taught to believe the body is wrong anytime it “spoke” through symptoms. This made me fear it! I didn’t learn that the body was an intelligent and supportive system that takes care of me.
And I certainly wasn’t aware that my emotional side impacts my physical and mental health. I thought I just needed to eat “right,” get enough sleep and exercise.
I didn’t know that my emotional side was ok to be in tune with! That it's healthy to allow it to be expressed in all ways. That certainly went against what I was taught as a man. :)
The truth is, we cannot have whole health without emotional health. And if we neglect this part of ourselves, we will feel it.
Emotions are representative of our ability to express. Expression is movement and release of energy.
When we are disconnected from our emotional side, it creates tension, stress, and resistance within the body
The body will tell you the truth.
The physical body is woven with the emotional body. You cannot separate the two.
Where the symptom is happening is the body’s way of communicating where the disconnection is happening, so you can address it.
For a long time I didn’t know how to deal with emotions, so I suppressed and avoided them…eventually becoming numb and disassociated.
Avoiding emotions is avoiding a whole part of yourself. It’s like turning off a whole sensory experience we are designed to have as humans.
Discounting or rejecting how we feel…stuffing down those feelings…is self-rejection.
This is abandonment of a whole, beautiful part of the self.
And that takes a toll on overall well-being in body, mind, and spirit.
At the time I was experiencing swelling in my lymph, I was burnt out, hyper-critical of myself, and my body was telling me that it was time for a new way.
I reached a point in my own journey after 2.5 years with swollen lymph nodes where I hit a healing plateau. Everything I was doing seemed to stop working…acupuncture, massages, a super limiting diet, loads of supplements and herbs.
Herbs, supplements, diets, medications, and surgery do not address emotions. In fact, if these methods aren’t working, it can even make us feel like we aren’t doing “enough” or doing it “right.”
And dry brushing and massages (unless you have a very specific energetic release) most likely aren’t going to address the suppressed emotional issues. That’s like trying to push water through a clogged drain.
This does not mean these physical methods can’t be supportive, but they will not address the emotional and spiritual roots underneath.
My family is my happy place, and I feel so grateful for their love and support. This is me, my wife Anne, and our dog Ferne. Anne does this healing work with people too and she is brilliant at it if you feel more drawn to her energy. :)
When I addressed my emotional side, the swelling in my lymph nodes cleared in less than 3 weeks.
I felt a sense of freedom and empowerment I had never experienced before. Healing became enjoyable and meaningful for my personal growth. It led me to my calling of helping others do this too, and I absolutely love it.
The symptoms helped me create a life where I feel safe and at home to express my truth. Isn’t that amazing?
Which leads me to ask you a much greater question…
What if your health isn’t about preventing or “fixing,” but about awakening a life you’ve always known is possible?
Our bodies have long been misunderstood and underestimated. For so long, we’ve been conditioned to control, fear, and even ignore the signals our bodies are sending.
What if it’s time to listen in a new way? What if your body’s wisdom is the key to everything you’ve been searching for?
Your symptoms aren’t roadblocks—they’re guides; that’s the magic. Each one reveals a pathway forward to the life you’re meant to lead, a path that is full of prosperous health, purpose, joy, and flow.
What I’ve shared here offers a peek into how powerful this approach can be. While it’s an invitation to start seeing your body and its wisdom in a new light, the true transformation happens when you explore this more deeply.
If you’re curious to dive into this connection, I’ve been lucky enough to help people all around the world, and I’d be honored to guide you through it too. Here’s a glimpse into how this approach has made a difference for others:
"I learned how to release the emotion and love inside me that wants to help—that was huge. My body felt more at peace than it has in a long time. After giving my heart a hug and a kiss, it felt almost like a homecoming. Writing this, I’m crying because it feels like I am returning to myself in such a beautiful way. In the past, I just was who I was, and then I was hurt for being that person. Now, I see who I was and who I am. I’m finally seeing myself and my gifts, accepting them instead of watering them down or suppressing them." –Amber
“Steve, my experience with you has been so elegant, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed ALL OF IT. It works. It flows. It feels stable in my life. I have felt genuinely supported - even loved! I’m more grounded than I have ever been before EVER. I’m present in my body and my life experience. I feel balanced. And capable of maintaining that balance (or at least returning to it) no matter what transpires. And I feel strong. Body, Mind + SPIRIT. Strong!! Dare I even say, I’m happy!! :) I want to tell everyone I know to work with you because you have been so paramount in my life! Thank you for everything.” –Kate
"I realized it’s okay to relax now in my life. For so many years, I’ve carried fears that prevented me from truly relaxing. I’ve come to understand how old, hurtful thoughts about being overweight and issues with shuddering have impacted my life. This session shed new light on those past struggles, helping me recognize the beliefs and stories that no longer serve me. A greater peacefulness was evident after our work today, and I’m feeling optimistic now, with a sense of calm in my emotions and a much more positive outlook on my life moving forward." –Christopher
“Wow, this journey has been absolutely amazing! I feel very relieved, like a weight has been lifted, Steve. Almost like I am a different person, just from this understanding of the energy that I have always felt with me. I can now perceive it as helpful to me instead of me fighting a constant war against it. I feel like this is going to affect my life in so many ways for the better. :) I truly appreciate everything you have done, and continue to do for me. You are such a blessing, so gifted and so appreciated!” –Sonja
Ready to see the amazing potential your body has in store for you?
I’d love to help! Let’s have a conversation with the incredible wisdom your body’s been waiting to share. On the call, we’ll explore what’s holding you back and direct you toward a clearer, more energizing path forward. This isn’t about solving everything right away—it’s about opening a doorway to new possibilities, clarity, and a deeper understanding of what your body is guiding you toward. This is a relaxed space to talk about what’s going on, explore whether this approach resonates with you, and see if working together feels like the right next step.
If this resonates with you, simply sign up for a time below. I’m excited to explore the potential within you! ↓
Or if you’d like gain more insights into the lymphatic system, check out my deeper dive resource.
I'm optimistically rooting for you,
Stephen
