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Breathing · Breathing

Diaphragmatic breathing for lymphatic drainage

In the app: Belly breathing

It is the first and last step of all three routines. Your hands do nothing: they rest on your belly and follow a slow breath in which your tummy moves, not your shoulders.

Reps and rhythm
3, 5 or 8 breaths of 12 s: breathe in through your nose for 4 s, out for 6 s, then pause for 2 s.
In the routines
40–50 s
Pressure
Minimal: move the skin, not the muscle
AI-generated video based on NHS leaflets

How to do it

Position. Sit up straight on a bench, or stand. Rest your hands flat on your belly at navel height.

Direction. Your hands do nothing: they rise with your belly as you breathe in and fall as you breathe out. Your shoulders stay still.

Reps and rhythm. 3, 5 or 8 breaths of 12 s: breathe in through your nose for 4 s, out for 6 s, then pause for 2 s.

Your hands do nothing: they rest and follow your breathing. Your belly moves, not your shoulders.

Why you start and finish by breathing

NHS self-massage leaflets start with a few deep breaths,2, 5 and the Royal Devon one also ends with them.5 Breathing deeply with your diaphragm widens the thoracic duct, the main lymph vessel in your chest, and helps lymph flow.4

The British Lymphology Society is cautious: breathing calms you and prepares you for the massage, and it may also help move fluid, but that has not been proven.3 So we promise no more than that: a minute to slow down before you start, and another to finish.

How to tell you are breathing with your diaphragm

  • Your tummy rises, not your chest. Your hands, at the level of your navel, lift as you breathe in and fall as you breathe out. If you put a hand on your chest, it barely moves.
  • Your shoulders stay still. If they rise as you breathe in, you are breathing with the top of your chest.
  • You breathe out more slowly than you breathe in. The head and neck leaflet asks you to breathe out slowly through pursed lips, as if blowing on a candle without putting it out.2 Our rhythm is 4 seconds in, 6 out and a 2-second pause.

Common mistakes

  • Taking in too much air. The point is not to fill up completely. If you feel dizzy, you are forcing it: that is why the leaflets ask for a short rest between breaths.2
  • Pushing with your hands. One leaflet asks you to press your tummy gently as you breathe out.5 In Rinpa your hands only follow, so nobody pushes too hard.
  • Counting too many. The leaflets ask for five.2, 5 Our routines do 3, 5 or 8, depending on their length.

Questions

Are diaphragmatic breathing and belly breathing the same?

Yes. They are two names for the same breath: your diaphragm moves down as you breathe in and pushes your tummy out, which is why it looks like you breathe with your belly.

Can I do it lying down?

Yes. The leaflets allow self-massage sitting, standing or lying down.2 Lying on your back with your knees bent, it is easy to feel your tummy rise.

Does it work on its own, without the massage?

As a pause to calm down, yes. For moving lymph it may help, but that has not been proven.3

The cues, step by step

They are the ones shown on screen in the Rinpa guided version, in time with the move.

“Rest your hands on your belly.”

“Breathe in through your nose. Feel your hands rise.”

“Breathe out slowly.”

“Pause. No rush.”

In these routines

Fresh face

5:00
  1. 01 Belly breathing 0:40
  2. 02 Open the collarbone 0:45
  3. 03 Sides of the neck 0:25
  4. 04 Lips to ears 0:25
  5. 05 Nose to ears 0:45
  6. 06 Under the eyes 0:45
  7. 07 Down the neck 0:25
  8. 08 Belly breathing 0:50

Light legs

8:00
  1. 01 Belly breathing 0:40
  2. 02 Open the collarbone 0:45
  3. 03 Armpits 0:45
  4. 04 Groin march 0:55
  5. 05 Thigh 0:55
  6. 06 Behind the knee 1:05
  7. 07 Calf 0:55
  8. 08 Ankle pumps 0:45
  9. 09 Leg sweep 0:35
  10. 10 Belly breathing 0:40

Calm belly

5:00
  1. 01 Belly breathing 0:40
  2. 02 Open the collarbone 0:45
  3. 03 Sides of the neck 0:25
  4. 04 Armpits 0:45
  5. 05 Hands-on belly breathing 0:40
  6. 06 Groin march 0:30
  7. 07 Lower belly to groin 0:25
  8. 08 Belly breathing 0:50

Sources

  1. 1.Livewell Southwest · hands on the abdomen, 5 times, with a pause between breaths.
  2. 2.WSH head and neck · breathing at the start and at the end.
  3. 3.BLS · a calming effect. That it helps move fluid is possible, but not proven.
  4. 4.National Lymphedema Network (2025). Lymphedema diagnosis and treatment. Position paper.
  5. 5.Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Trust. Head and neck simple lymphatic drainage (SLD).