Somatic Self-Hug For Calming Anxiety

This meditation guides you through a simple somatic self-hug. Gentle, intentional touch can send signals of safety to the body, especially during moments of anxiety, overwhelm, or emotional activation. This type of practice can lower the stress hormone cortisol, increase oxytocin (the "love hormone"), and support nervous system regulation. Rather than trying to think your way into calm, this practice works directly with the body’s innate capacity to settle. I encourage you to return to this practice regularly: repetition helps your nervous system learn that comfort and reassurance can come from within, making it easier over time to access a sense of steadiness and self-support.

Transcript

This meditation is a grounding somatic practice designed to help with anxiety.

To begin,

Place your right hand under your left armpit and your left hand just below your right shoulder,

Resting gently on your arm.

Notice the soothing warmth and pressure of your own touch.

Notice the sense of containment.

You may also notice a sense of being held or cared for.

Let's take a few deep breaths,

Anchoring this grounding practice deeply into the body.

Taking a deep breath in through the nose,

And a slow breath out through the mouth,

And in,

And slowly out through the mouth.

As you continue to breathe deeply,

Notice any shifts that might be taking place in the body.

Maybe noticing a softening in the jaw,

A sense of warmth in the chest,

A loosening or softening of muscles,

Or release in the shoulders.

Whatever you're noticing is completely okay.

This practice can take time to feel natural,

And I encourage you to come back to it regularly.

And then taking one last deep breath in,

And one last cleansing breath out through the mouth,

And releasing the hands and arms,

And maybe offering yourself thanks for showing up today.

And when you're ready,

Opening the eyes.

Thank you for meditating with me.

Reviews

A wonderful meditation to help calm or settle anxiety.