The butterfly hug.
This is a tool and a practice that you can use when you're in need of some grounding and perhaps feeling overwhelmed by your emotions.
There are a couple of different ways that you can practice this and I'll take you through your options.
The first is to cross your thumbs right at the center of your chest almost as if you were making like a shadow puppet with your hands in the shape of a butterfly.
And so each opposite hand or each hand rather rests on the opposite side of your chest with your thumbs right at the center right at your sternum.
You create this butterfly like shape across your chest.
Option two is to take your hands and place them on the opposite arm really probably around your upper arm or the middle of your upper arm and just gently hold yourself in that way so that your arms are completely across your chest.
And then option three would be if this doesn't feel comfortable or soothing to you,
You could take your hands to your lap and just let them rest on your lap.
So just kind of finding which option is going to work best for you.
And then we're going to begin to just gently tap each hand wherever it happens to land.
So we're just moving from one hand to the other hand whether it's on your chest,
Your arms,
Or your lap.
And you're providing yourself with this bilateral stimulation that is going to help to bring a little bit of soothing,
A little bit of quieting to your nervous system.
You may notice if you need a little bit more and you need to tap a little bit harder or a little bit less and you need to be a little more gentle with yourself.
And it may provide something that is just good enough for right now so don't put too much pressure on this.
But also give yourself permission to continue to tap for as long as it feels good to do so.
You might even invite in a deep breath while you're doing this.
Maybe taking an inhale in through the nose and exhale out the mouth.
And just going as long as you need.
Perhaps your eyes are closed or softly focused.
And when you do notice that something has shifted,
Even if it's just a little bit,
And you are ready,
You can slowly stop the tapping.
Maybe just pausing for a moment and almost giving yourself a little squeeze like a hug.
And gently release the hands,
The arms away from the body.
If your eyes are closed go ahead and open them back up and look back around the room.
And moving back into your day,
Your evening,
Wherever you happen to be.
But knowing that at any moment that you need to,
You can return to this practice.
