Loving Kindness For Yourself – Butterfly Hug – EMDR

This meditation combines two powerful practices: Metta (loving kindness) and the Butterfly Hug, a gentle tapping technique from EMDR therapy. Together they support emotional self-regulation, grounding and a deeper connection to your inner compassion.

The Butterfly Hug involves crossing your arms and gently tapping your upper arms or shoulders in an alternating rhythm - left, right, left, right. This bilateral stimulation is used in EMDR to help the brain process emotional experiences, reduce stress and restore balance to the nervous system.

Here we use it in a gentle, meditative way - alongside the phrases of loving kindness - to offer you safety, warmth and kindness from within.
You are invited to repeat these simple yet powerful phrases silently or aloud during meditation:

May I be safe.
May I be kind to myself.
May I feel supported, just as I am.
May I rest in who I truly am.

Transcript

Welcome to this loving-kindness meditation.

I've included some bilateral music and as a support you can also tap either on your knees or do the wonderful butterfly hug.

So your right hand will go to the left shoulder and the left hand will go to the right shoulder.

And slowly in this beat,

And maybe later in the rhythm of your heartbeat,

You can start to tap just a little bit,

Friendly,

Kindly,

On your shoulder,

Or if you're sitting or lying you can also tap on the upper legs or your knees.

So welcome.

Let's arrive here fully.

You're already hearing the ocean.

It's a natural rhythm,

Isn't it?

It's like the breath of the earth.

Waves coming in and going out.

It's like our breath,

Breathing in and breathing out,

Pausing.

And again,

Breathing in,

Breathing in fresh air,

A pause.

And then letting go of that breath,

Peacefully,

Without any effort.

So I invite you to really close your eyes and trust the process from a method called EMDR.

You might have heard of it.

Let's just use it as a resource today,

Very gently.

We can calm ourselves and we can find inner place of safety and refuge.

So,

Let me add some words to this,

Words you may know from the loving kindness meditation.

Just repeat these words silently for yourself,

Or if you wish,

Loud and spoken into your room.

You can also start to tap if you have stopped.

Slowly,

Left and right.

Then I invite you to think of these words,

Or even speak these words with me.

May I be safe.

Breathing and tapping.

May I be kind to myself.

Breathing and slowly tapping.

May I feel supported in the way just as I am.

May I rest in who I truly am.

I invite you to keep tapping if it feels good for you,

If it feels right for you.

And also keep breathing.

Let the waves hold you and let the music soften you.

And be assured that your presence right now here is enough.

Breathing and tapping.

You can stay here as long as you need.

It is nothing to perform,

Nothing to prove.

It is just a very simple and peaceful act of care.

May I be safe.

May I be kind to myself.

May I feel supported just as I am.

May I rest in who I truly am.

Whenever you are ready,

You may pause tapping.

Let your hands rest.

And feel your breath.

Feel the stillness beneath the sound.

And carry this gentleness and peace you found with you into the day or into the night.

I wish you well.

And I wish you that you have access to all the resources that you need right now.

Reviews

A beautiful method to combine with a loving kindness meditation. Thank you Motoki Namaste

I’ve never done this just for myself, loved it as in some way I see me forgiving myself. Many blessings your way and thank you!🌸❤️💝