6 steps of the Butterfly hug (bilateral stimulation)

The Butterfly Hug is a fantastic self-soothing technique that can be used anywhere, anytime. It was originally created to be used with EMDR therapy but it's also very relaxing on its own!

The butterfly hug is a type of bilateral stimulation because it crosses the mid line (the center) between two bodies. This causes both hemispheres to work together simultaneously, which enhances the coherence of left brain (emotions and creativity) and right brain (logic, patterns, and control).

Here's how to do it:

1. Sit up tall, straight back with eyes closed.
2. Take deep breaths from your diaphragm
3. Notice any emotions or distress that come up and just breathe through them for now—try not to suppress anything but rather accept whatever comes up without judgment so it can be released fully during this process
4. Cross your hands so they rest on top of each other, with the middle fingers pressing against their opposite collarbones. Keep them closed for now and imagine that you are fanning out these wings to fly away from what's holding you back!
5. Now, you are going to alternate tapping your hands on either side of chest for 8 rounds. Don’t forget about taking deep breaths!
6. Take a break if you need one. If your distress has not decreased, try doing more sets of 8. Stop after each set to check your level of distress - and continuing on if you're feeling more relaxed.

Alternative method:
A different way the butterfly hug used is by placing your right hand on top of left upper arm and vice versa. This will allow you to tap both upper arms at once if it's more comfortable that way!