Butterfly Hug: Nervous System Reset

This is a simple, grounding practice using the butterfly hug technique to support your nervous system through gentle, rhythmic touch. In this video, you’ll learn how to use this somatic practice to create a sense of steadiness during moments of stress, overwhelm, or emotional intensity.

You’re invited to follow along at your own pace, allowing the rhythm of the practice to guide you back into connection with your body. This is a space to reset and reconnect in a way that feels natural and supportive.

*Please note: This practice is intended to support your wellbeing and does not replace professional mental health care.*

Transcript

Hello. Thank you for being here. I'm Rachel Boucher and today we're learning about a butterfly hug which can be used as a reset to help you whenever you're feeling overwhelmed, Anxious, Disconnected, Or feeling like you need to ground more. So this is something that helps in different circumstances such as those. And we're talking today about the butterfly hug which is a bilateral stimulation that supports integration of emotional processing for those kind of situations and to help possibly also just kind of settle in a positive emotion as well depending upon how you're feeling. So this is a simple supportive practice that you can return to whenever you're feeling like you want to try something different or perhaps it becomes a regular part of your toolkit. And there's a couple different ways you can do that. One way is by hooking your thumbs together over your chest like this. And another way is like this. And then the third way is to put your hands down on your upper legs and tap that way. So for now, Experiment with which one feels best for you. Is it this version? Is it this in terms of how comfortable your hands feel before we start? Or if you prefer, On your legs. So just pick a position for now to try and then you can try again with a different way later on if you prefer. And then when you're ready, Take a deep breath in and pause. And then a slow exhale. And notice how you feel before we start. And then just tap gently, Slowly, Alternating back and forth. And this is something that might take a couple minutes depending upon how you're feeling. Not having to feel a particular way, Just noticing the sensations and allowing your body to settle at its own pace. And you don't have to go at my speed. You might want to go slower. Maybe you want to go a little bit quicker, But you still want to go just gently. Back and forth. And this helps to stimulate both sides of your body. And letting your body know that you're here, You're present, And all of you is welcome. And if you wish to keep going, Feel free if that feels best for you. And if not, You can just pause again and take another deep inhale in and exhale. And let yourself experiment with that, Whether it's through this version, With your thumbs hooked together, Or with your arms kind of further apart on your chest, Or on your thighs, Just going down and slowly tapping. And just letting yourself experiment. And perhaps this works one day, But it doesn't work another. It doesn't have to be something that works all the time. It's just another tool for you to use when you're feeling like you want to help yourself feel more grounded in some shape or form. So thank you for being here and for experimenting with this butterfly hug reset. Best wishes.