Breathing Room

Body & grounding

Butterfly hug

Cross your arms and tap slowly, left and right.

Steady pace · 2 minutes

How to do it

  1. Cross your arms over your chest so each hand rests just below the opposite collarbone. Link your thumbs if you like, like the body of a butterfly.
  2. Tap gently with one hand, then the other, following the wings.
  3. Breathe slowly and let your attention rest on the feeling of the taps.
  4. Keep going for a minute or two, or until you feel more settled.

Why it can help

The butterfly hug was developed in the late 1990s by therapist Lucina Artigas and colleagues while supporting survivors of Hurricane Pauline in Mexico, as a way for people to calm themselves. The self-hug posture and slow, alternating taps can feel comforting and steadying, and nobody else needs to be involved.

  • If you would rather not tap, gently squeeze your upper arms in turn.
  • Turn on sound to hear the taps move from ear to ear. Headphones help.