# S3E07 – HOW TO GIVE YOUR BODY A “SOFTWARE UPDATE” – the art of updating your physical body on emotional breakthroughs for better lymphatic drainage, emotional release, and brain-body connection w/ Julie Tracy

Published July 26, 2022

Hi, pod fam! 

WELCOME TO LEO SEASON! Time for main character energy and romance and fiery energy and creativity and—ya know—my birthday. This also means we’re approaching the one-year anniversary of my transformative 3 weeks off, which really inspired one of the overarching themes of WTJ Season 3: getting in touch with every part of your self. 

Oh, and it just happens that this week’s guest played a major part in that time off, too. Anyone remember me talking about a vision with cartoon bears at a campfire? The incredible, intuitive, insightful Julie helped me see the parts of myself that weren’t in touch with each other and needed some extra TLC. 

You all know I’m obsessed with every single guest we have on the show, but there’s something so special about getting to introduce you all to someone who has PERSONALLY changed my life so much.

With that being said, I’m SO excited for you all to meet Julie Tracy: craniosacral therapist, visceral manipulator, and lymphatic drainage therapist. She helps people release tension and emotions, while teaching them how to fully connect with every part of their body. And—as her months-long waitlist will tell you—she’s got a GIFT for this. People fully embracing their true callings—we love to see it!

In this ep, she’ll share ways to reestablish a brain-body connection, while teaching us how to communicate with our organs and get in tune with what our bodies need. Get ready to give yourself (and every individual part of you) a big hug. Let’s get juicy!

P.s. Submitted a question on IG for Julie? Be sure to tune in for the Q&A at the end of the ep!

Need a release? Here’s why deep tissue massage might NOT be the answer.

Our bodies don’t necessarily like hard tools. Our muscles have a tendency to resist and harden with this kind of physical work. Soft tools—on the other hand, whether that’s lymphatic drainage or even more gentle work—help support soft muscles and soft tissues. These gentle techniques that Julie practices really complement the emotional aspect of release. 

“But I love my deep tissue massages!” By all means, please keep getting them! A good rule of thumb, Julie notes, is that if you can handle the deep tissue work, then it’s probably a physical release (and massage should help). But if you’re feeling super sensitive—full-on crying while on the table or right after your session—then your body’s probably in need of some gentle love and care. Your body’s only gonna change to the degree it’s ready, so deeper doesn’t always equal better.

What does lymphatic drainage therapy do?

Julie explains the lymphatic system as basically the “garbage collection of the body” The lymphatic system deep cleans our “house” (body), but it doesn’t always finish the job. When things get stagnant, it’s essentially like leaving a bunch of trash bags at your front door instead of sending them out for collection. Lymphatic drainage therapy makes sure those bags—the fluids your body needs to get rid of—actually get taken out.

The actual therapy involves relaxing muscles and stimulating the lymphatic system to help recirculate lymphatic flow, activating fluid circulation, and supporting the immune and nervous systems. The work is light, calming, and regulating to the nervous system. 

Psst: Want a taste of how this works? The next time you’re feeling bloated, gently move your stomach back/forth and up/down. This should help clear out your lymph nodes in that area to get things moving.

Connecting to all your parts: brain work & organ work

Julie also practices craniosacral therapy and visceral manipulation—two gentle practices that help us find balance within ourselves. We store feelings all throughout our body. Even feelings that we feel like we already totally processed with our brain. And when feelings are stored within a particular organ—whether that’s the brain or the liver or the lungs—they’ll have containers around them, causing tension that needs to be released.

You’ll probably notice physical symptoms in connection. Like, if you’re getting a lot of headaches, this might mean tension in the membrane around your brain. Always getting sick? Maybe you’re storing grief in your lungs. Tension in the shoulders? Might be holding onto some anger in your liver.

With small movements and gentle pressure—and sometimes literally by just TALKING to your parts—Julie (and other providers who practice this type of work) helps clients get that much-needed relief. (I’ve been there—it feels goooooood.)

Haven’t been feeling your feelings? Start here.

So the funny thing about holding onto feelings—and storing them deep within our parts—is that we might not even be conscious of it. We feel emotions with our whole body, but we tend to focus on the brain when it comes time to “deal” with them (if we’re even dealing with them at all). If you’re feeling any kind of physical tension or maybe you’ve just been through a lot lately (and I’m sure we all have—it’s been an intense couple of years), maybe it’s time to reintroduce yourself to your whole body.

“Nice to meet you. I’m sorry I’ve been neglecting you.” is a pretty good place to start. Sit down or lie down and start acknowledging your body from head to toes. Scan through your organs and make sure everybody’s on the same page. And while you’re scanning, notice if anything “lights up.” Your body won’t lie to you (there’s no need). Some part of you asking for more attention? Give it a “hug.” Make it feel seen. Feeling some emotions come back up? Let them be released. Shake, dance, take a deep breath—whatever you need to support that release.

We really need to make sure that our physical body gets the message from our brain (they’re connected, yeah, but wires get crossed). This kind of practice can help prevent a backlog of emotions from building up. ALSO—let’s remember that our bodies are communicating with us at all times, and that communication goes both ways. Our organs send symptoms—pain, discomfort, etc.—and our brain can send messages right back. 

Your lil ongoing homework assignment:

• Take a minute to honor each emotion you feel with every part of your body
• At the end of each day, check in with your organs and brain: ask each part what it needs
• Communicate throughout the day, too. Ask your body what kind of food it needs, for example.
• Remember: You’re the CEO of your body. You can try to appease all your parts, but you’re totally able to negotiate and overrule if need be. 

Here’s to becoming better communicators with ourselves! As always, tune into the episode for allll the juicy goodness in this ep! Be sure to share your thoughts with me on IG: @shoporganicolivia.

xoxo,

Olivia

Connect with Julie Tracy:

Visit the Posture Massage website (two offices in Stamford, CT & Fairfield, CT)

Follow @posturemassage_ct on IG

Recommended Reading:

Feelings Buried Alive Never Die by Karol Kuhn Truman

Your Inner Physician and You by John E. Upledger

Find a craniosacral therapist: The Chikly Health Institute