Butterfly Hug
Materials Needed
Feeling
Worry
How to Do It
Cross your arms over your chest so that your hands rest on your upper arms or shoulders. Tap your hands alternately in a slow, rhythmic pattern, focusing on the sensation of the tapping.
Why It Works
The Butterfly Hug is a form of bilateral stimulation that can help to calm the nervous system and reduce anxiety, making it easier to manage worry.
Guided Practice
Sit comfortably and take a few deep breaths, feeling the air move in and out of your lungs. Notice the sensations in your body, perhaps feeling a sense of stillness or restlessness. Let your breath guide you as you prepare to engage with this exercise.
Continue sitting comfortably, as you now deepen your focus with a few more breaths. Crossing your arms over your chest, placing your hands on your upper arms or shoulders, forming a soft embrace. Allow your hands to rest there, feeling the warmth of your touch. Notice if there’s a sensation of comfort or security as your hands make contact with your body, or maybe a different feeling emerges. Begin to tap gently with your hands, alternating left and right, like the gentle flutter of a butterfly’s wings.
As you continue this gentle tapping, bring your awareness to your breath. Feel each inhale expanding your chest, and each exhale softening your body. You might sense a rhythm beginning to form, a synchrony between your tapping hands and the flow of your breath. Allow this rhythm to become a grounding anchor, a steady beat that soothes and calms. If thoughts arise, notice them without judgment and gently guide your attention back to the sensation of your hands tapping and the breath flowing in and out.
Imagine with each tap, you are sending a wave of calm and relaxation through your body. Perhaps an image forms in your mind, like ripples in a still pond, gently expanding outward with each gentle tap. Notice how this rhythm feels in your body, how it affects your heartbeat, your muscles, your breath. Allow yourself to be fully present in this moment, exploring any sensations or emotions that arise, knowing there is no right or wrong way to experience this.
As we move toward the end of this practice, gradually slow down the tapping until your hands come to rest. Feel the stillness that follows, the quiet space that you’ve created within yourself. Perhaps you notice a sense of calm or a gentle pulsation under your hands, or maybe something else entirely. Take a few deeper breaths, grounding yourself back in the present moment. When you're ready, slowly open your eyes, carrying with you the sense of calm and presence that you have cultivated here.