What is the butterfly hug?

It is a self-administered bilateral stimulation technique: you cross your arms over your chest, rest your hands just below your collarbones and tap in turn, left then right, slowly. The crossed hands look like the wings of a butterfly.

It needs no equipment and can be done anywhere, quietly.

Where does the technique come from?

It was created by Lucina Artigas, and later described with Ignacio Jarero, from her work with survivors of Hurricane Pauline in Acapulco, Mexico, in the late 1990s. It was then used in group interventions after disasters.

Its authors described it in a book of EMDR protocols published by Springer, and in an article in the Iberoamerican Journal of Psychotraumatology and Dissociation. In that work, it sits within a defined therapeutic framework.

Available evidence comes mostly from field observations. Controlled studies of the technique on its own remain few, so it is presented here as a calming exercise, not a treatment.

How do you do it, step by step?

Sit comfortably, cross your arms over your chest, rest your fingertips below your collarbones and close your eyes if you like. Tap slowly, one hand then the other, for one to two minutes, breathing calmly.

Keep the rhythm slow and steady, like a quiet heartbeat. Let thoughts and sensations pass without holding on to them.

Finish with three slow breaths, then open your eyes and look around you.

  • Cross your arms, hands flat or fingertips below your collarbones.
  • Close your eyes, or lower your gaze to a fixed point.
  • Tap in turn, left then right, slowly.
  • Breathe into your belly, without forcing.
  • Stop after one to two minutes, or sooner if you prefer.

When should you use it, and when not?

It can help you pause in a tense moment, before sleep or after a heavy day. Avoid using it to revisit a traumatic memory on your own: that work is done with a trained therapist.

If an emotion becomes too strong, stop tapping, open your eyes and name five things you can see. The 5-4-3-2-1 grounding exercise is made for these moments.

How does EMDR Pocket guide you?

The Butterfly hug session lasts three minutes. An alternating sound sets the rhythm for your taps, eyes closed, then guided breathing takes over. Leave the screen on during the session.

This session is part of EMDR Pocket Complete, the single purchase that opens five more sessions. Headphones are recommended to hear the alternation clearly.