The Pulsation Of Tender Wings

The Butterfly Hug is a soothing bilateral stimulation technique that involves making a butterfly with your hands and/or crossing your arms over your chest and lightly tapping the chest, shoulders, or upper arms, like the flutter of butterfly wings. It’s a simple, self-holding gesture that can calm the nervous system, support emotional regulation, and invite a deeper sense of safety in the body. Let this hug be a homecoming.

Transcript

This practice is entitled the butterfly hug, A practice of comfort and tenderness towards yourself and so beginning here I invite you to hug your thumbs together crossing your hands over each other making a butterfly with your hands and this butterfly that you have created with your hands place it centered on your chest over your heart center fingertips resting either side of your heart these wings folded in quiet anticipation and I want you to lift one hand off your chest and then allow it to tap your chest and then repeat this with your other hand so four fingertips will rise and then tap against your chest and then the other four fingertips will rise and then tap your chest and we're going to go back and forth between each of the wings of your butterfly tapping against your chest in a steady rhythm and breathe here letting your hands tap against your chest in their own rhythm one side then the other a gentle flutter feel the beat the quiet drum of your body's pulse that says I am here tap tap like rain on the surface of a lake tap tap like footsteps on a path you've always known tap tap like the echo of someone who loves you knocking at the door of your ribs notice any sensation notice your breath can you notice any softness emerging melting you might like to drop your chin closer to your chest almost like you're in the cocoon perhaps a gentle imperceptible sway and stay here held by the wings tapping on your chest and as another gesture of tenderness towards yourself you may like to turn this into a butterfly hug so placing your right hand on your left shoulder and your left hand on your right shoulder crossing your arms over your chest almost like you're giving yourself a hug and again lift one hand and tap your shoulder and then the other hand and tap the other shoulder and find that butterfly rhythm your wings flapping tap tap tap and stay here again maybe a sway maybe the chin dropping closer to the chest feeling yourself be held perhaps feeling at home in your own body a gesture of self-tenderness and care you can stay here in the butterfly hug for as long as it feels supportive already you can slowly bring the tap to a close take one final deep breath in and a sigh out and allow your hands your arms to soften back down perhaps blinking your eyes open noticing how you feel returning here anytime you feel you need to be held