Butterfly Breathing
Materials Needed
Feeling
Stress
How to Do It
Sit or stand comfortably and imagine your ribcage as the wings of a butterfly. As you inhale, visualize the wings opening, and as you exhale, visualize them closing. This breathing technique helps you focus on expanding your breath and calming your nervous system.
Why It Works
This breathing technique focuses on expanding breath and calming the nervous system.
Guided Practice
Before beginning, find a comfortable place to sit or lie down. Close your eyes softly if that feels right and take a few deep breaths. Imagine your body sinking into the support beneath you, releasing any tension as you prepare for a gentle movement or stillness.
With your hands resting on your chest, take a deep breath in, feeling your chest rise under your palms. Notice the expansion in your ribcage, the stretch across your chest as if your lungs are opening like the wings of a butterfly. As you exhale, let your elbows fall back to your sides, releasing any tension. Perhaps you visualize this exhale as a gentle breeze, releasing stress and inviting calmness into your body.
Begin to synchronize your breath with the gentle movement of your arms, bringing your elbows together as you inhale, and letting them drop back as you exhale. Feel the sensation of your muscles lengthening with each inhale, creating space across your chest and shoulders. Imagine the soft, rhythmic fluttering of a butterfly’s wings, your breath guiding each delicate movement.
Allow yourself to be fully present with this rhythm, noticing how your body feels with each breath and movement. You might sense a warm, soothing energy spreading from your chest, or perhaps a lightness as tension melts away. Imagine each breath filling you with a sense of freedom and ease, like a butterfly floating gently on the breeze.
As you continue, explore the sensations in your body—the gentle rise and fall of your chest, the movement of air flowing in and out, the sensation of your muscles gently stretching. Perhaps an image arises of a butterfly moving from flower to flower, each movement calm and purposeful. Allow this image to fill you with a sense of peace and tranquility.
As we near the end of this practice, begin to slow the movement of your arms, bringing them to rest softly by your sides. Feel the lingering warmth and relaxation in your chest, a gentle calm spreading throughout your body. Take a few deep breaths, letting go of any remaining tension. When you’re ready, gently open your eyes, carrying with you the lightness and peace of the butterfly’s breath.