Butterfly Hug
Cross your arms over your chest, hooking your thumbs to form a butterfly shape, and gently tap your shoulders—left, right, left, right—while breathing slowly.
Cross your arms over your chest, hooking your thumbs to form a butterfly shape, and gently tap your shoulders—left, right, left, right—while breathing slowly.
This technique uses bilateral stimulation (tapping both sides of the body) to help soothe the nervous system and lower emotional intensity.
Combine the tapping with a visualization of a safe, calm place or a comforting phrase to deepen the sense of security.
Overview
The Butterfly Hug is a self-soothing technique based on **Bilateral Stimulation (BLS)**. It involves rhythmically tapping the left and right sides of the body to help process difficult emotions. Educators often recommend this somatic strategy because it uses physical rhythm to provide a sense of safety and reduce feelings of overwhelm.
Understanding the Guard Dog and Wise Owl
The Guard Dog
The Amygdala lives in the basement. Always on alert. Reacts fast to keep you safe, but sometimes barks at things that aren't really threats.
The Wise Owl
The Prefrontal Cortex lives upstairs. Thinks things through, makes plans, and helps you make good decisions—but needs a moment to wake up.
Think of your brain like a house with two floors. The **Downstairs Brain** is home to the Guard Dog (Amygdala). Its job is to keep you safe, reacting to stress with "Fight, Flight, or Freeze." The **Upstairs Brain** is home to the Wise Owl (Prefrontal Cortex), which handles logic and calming thoughts. When you feel overwhelmed, the Guard Dog barks so loudly that the Wise Owl cannot be heard. Logic often fails here because the Guard Dog does not speak English; it speaks "body." The Butterfly Hug sends a physical signal of safety directly to the Guard Dog. The rhythmic left-right tapping mimics the steady heartbeat of a calm state or a rocking motion. This **Bilateral Stimulation** helps "digest" the emotional energy. It acts like a lullaby for the Guard Dog, quieting the barking so the Wise Owl can wake up, reconnect, and take charge again. By using your body to send safety signals, you can calm your mind without needing to use words.
How to Use This Skill
This technique acts like a "manual override" for the body's alarm system, using physical rhythm to interrupt the stress response.
The Setup (The Butterfly)
A student sitting in a quiet corner crosses their arms, hooking thumbs so their hands look like butterfly wings resting on their chest.
Why this helps: Crossing the midline of the body helps integrate brain activity. The physical pressure on the chest can also provide a sense of "containment" or holding.
The Action (Bilateral Tapping)
The student begins tapping their shoulders—left, then right—at a slow, steady walking pace.
Why this helps: Alternating tapping engages the parasympathetic nervous system (the "rest and digest" system) and can disrupt the loop of repetitive worried thoughts.
The Breath (Pacing)
The student inhales for four taps and exhales for four taps, focusing entirely on the vibration.
Why this helps: Slow, deep breathing stimulates the Vagus Nerve, sending further safety signals to the brainstem to lower heart rate.
"**The Trigger:** You just walked out of a difficult presentation and feel shaky and tearful. **The Reaction:** Your heart is racing, and your brain is looping thoughts like "I messed up." **The Strategy:** 1. **Position:** You find a bench and cross your arms. 2. **Action:** You tap your shoulders—left, right—while breathing. 3. **Focus:** You count the taps, letting thoughts pass like clouds. **The Result:** After two minutes, your heart slows, and you feel steady enough to walk to class."
Try to imagine yourself in this situation as you practice the skill.
You can use this technique quietly in public without drawing too much attention, or use it privately when emotions feel big. **Pace:** Tap slowly. Fast tapping can sometimes increase energy, while slow tapping calms the system down. **Pressure:** Use firm but gentle pressure. It should feel like a reassuring pat, not a slap. **Breath:** Focus on making your exhale longer than your inhale while you tap to maximize the calming effect.
If crossing your arms feels uncomfortable, you can simply tap your knees—left, right, left, right—while sitting. This works on the same principle of bilateral stimulation.
The Butterfly Hug is recommended because it is a portable, body-based tool that works when words are not enough. This works because it directly addresses the physiological symptoms of stress, calming the body so the mind can follow.
Key Research Points
- Bypasses Language: When you are too stressed to talk or think clearly, this physical action speaks directly to the brain's safety centre.
- Portable Regulation: It requires no equipment and can be done anywhere, providing an immediate sense of control.
- Interrupts Spirals: The concentration required to tap rhythmically helps break the loop of racing thoughts.
Research-based evidence supporting this skill
This technique was created by Lucina Artigas for trauma survivors. It is a standard intervention in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) protocols to help regulate arousal.
Books & Manuals
- Shapiro, F. (2018). *Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy: Basic principles, protocols, and procedures* (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.
- Levine, P. A. (2010). *In an unspoken voice: How the body releases trauma and restores goodness*. North Atlantic Books.
- Porges, S. W. (2011). *The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation*. W. W. Norton & Company.
Peer-Reviewed Journals
- Artigas, L., & Jarero, I. (2014). The butterfly hug protocol for self-administered bilateral stimulation. *Standard Protocol for the EMDR Early Intervention Field*.
- Jeffries, F. W., & Davis, P. (2013). What is the role of eye movements in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? A review. *Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews*.
Websites & Online Resources
- EMDR International Association. (n.d.). About EMDR Therapy.
- The Trauma Institute. (2020). Resources for grounding and stabilization.