Butterfly Hug: Technique and 3 Variations

Butterfly Hug is a grounding/self-soothing exercise that involves both physicality, breathing, brain work, and can involve positive imagery as well! The butterfly hug is an effective tool for grounding ourselves in the present moment because of it’s utilization of bilateral stimulation and connection to breathing exercises. 

Bilateral stimulation is like a fancy way of saying that we’re making the two halves of our brain connect much more than they normally do when we’re feeling anxious or agitated. The right side of our brain controls the left side of the body, and the left side of our brain controls the right side. When we cross our hands over and tap gently on the other side of our body, we create more communication across our entire brain, which can help us with our grounding!

To use the butterfly hug technique, cross your arms in front of you and place your hands around your collarbone area, with your palms flat like the wings of a butterfly. Gently tap your hands back and forth, just like the flapping of butterfly wings as you breathe in and out. You might find it helpful to use the tapping as a rhythm/timing for your breathing. 

The butterfly hug can be done with your eyes open, or you can try closing your eyes and visualizing a peaceful butterfly as you tap. You can also vary your tapping depending on your preference/what you need in the moment – experiment with different pressure and speed of tapping when you practice the butterfly hug to see what works best for you. 

Another great thing about the butterfly hug is the ability to adjust things to your liking and in a way that makes you feel most comfortable. Some survivors may find that having their hands on their collarbone area for the butterfly hug may feel too claustrophobic, or may trigger memories of their experiences of harm. 

The butterfly hug works because of the bilateral stimulation and the focus on your breathing, meaning you can adjust your hand placement to something that feels more comfortable for you. Some people may choose to place their hands on the oppositive shoulder, upper arm, forearm, or even will cross their arms and tap on opposite legs