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Neck and collarbone · Stretch and release

Open the collarbone: the first move of lymphatic drainage

In the app: Open the collarbone

Two flat fingers in the hollow above each collarbone move the skin down and in. It comes at the start of every routine, whether you are working on your face, legs or tummy.

Reps and rhythm
10 times (between 5 and 15), in 4-second cycles.
In the routines
45 s
Pressure
Minimal: move the skin, not the muscle
AI-generated video based on NHS leaflets

How to do it

Position. Sit up straight. Rest the index and middle fingers of each hand flat in the hollow just above each collarbone.

Direction. Down and in, tracing a J towards the centre, always above the collarbone. The skin moves only as far as it naturally goes. Target: the supraclavicular lymph nodes.

Reps and rhythm. 10 times (between 5 and 15), in 4-second cycles.

Your fingers stay on the same spot of skin: they never slide or lift off. They move the skin with them as far as it naturally goes, pause for a moment and relax, and the skin springs back on its own.

Why you start here

All the lymph in your body returns to the blood through large veins that run next to the collarbone.3 It is the end of the route, so it is opened first: the NHS head and neck leaflet explains that this step prepares the lymph nodes above your collarbone to take in the lymph you will then move from your face and neck.1

The same goes for your legs or tummy: even when you work far away, lymph ends up here. That is why “Open the collarbone” is in all three Rinpa routines, always second, after breathing.

How to find the spot

Shrug your shoulders up to your ears: a dip appears just above each collarbone. That is the spot.1 Drop your shoulders, rest your index and middle fingers there, flat, and stretch the skin down and towards the centre, tracing a J. The skin moves as far as it naturally goes and springs back on its own.

Three leaflets, three ways

UK lymphedema services do not all teach it the same way, which is worth knowing if you have seen other versions:

  • West Suffolk: two J strokes facing each other, always above the collarbone, 15 times.1
  • Lymphoedema Network Northern Ireland: a C shape, 5 times.2
  • Royal Devon: index finger above and middle finger below the collarbone, pushing down, 10 times.4

Rinpa follows the first: the J, always above the bone, 10 times (between 5 and 15 depending on the routine).

Common mistakes

  • Pressing your fingers into the hollow. It is a soft area: stretching the skin is enough. If you can feel the muscle, you are pressing too hard.1
  • Going below the collarbone. The move stays above the bone.
  • Rubbing. Your fingers do not slide: they stay on the same spot of skin and move it with them.
  • Lifting your shoulders. You shrug only to find the spot; during the move, they stay relaxed.

Questions

What are the supraclavicular lymph nodes?

They are the lymph nodes just above the collarbone, at the end of lymph’s route before it returns to the blood.3 They are where this move points.

Do I need it if I only want to work on my face?

Yes. Every head and neck leaflet starts here before touching the face.1, 4

One side at a time or both together?

Both together, each hand on its own side. The West Suffolk leaflet also lets you do one side and then the other.1

The cues, step by step

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

“Fingers flat in the hollow above your collarbones.”

“If you can't find it, shrug your shoulders for a moment.”

“Stretch the skin down and in.”

“And release.”

“No pressing. You're only moving the skin.”

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.WSH head and neck · two mirrored Js, 15 times; you find the hollow by shrugging your shoulders.
  2. 2.CSP NI · in a C shape, 5 times.
  3. 3.Cleveland Clinic (2023). Lymphatic system.
  4. 4.Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Trust. Head and neck simple lymphatic drainage (SLD).
  5. 5.NHS (2023). Swollen glands.