Find Grounding: Three Body-Based Practices from a Trauma Therapist Hobart

We all feel our nervous system buzzing, even as a trauma therapist and a social worker, I often feel my body buzzing. I notice it in my throat first, then my breath and my chest feels tense. When I catch that feeling, I know it’s time to come back to my body.

Below are three of my favourite body-based strategies that I return to, both personally and with the people I work alongside.

1. The Butterfly Hug: This simple movement comes from EMDR therapy, where it’s used as a form of bilateral stimulation helping the two sides of the brain communicate and regulate.

   
   

   To practice: cross your arms over your chest so each hand rests gently on the opposite upper arm or shoulder. Then slowly tap one side, then the other, like the soft beat of wings. Breathe as you do this. Notice the rhythm, the sound, the warmth of your hands. It’s gentle, steady, and helps the body remember: I’m here, I’m safe enough right now.

   
   

2. Palm Havening: This is a nurturing touch-based technique that engages the body’s soothing system. With open hands, gently stroke your palms together slow, rhythmic, almost like washing your hands in warm water. You can also sweep your hands down your arms, or over your cheeks, if that feels comforting. The slow, repetitive motion helps calm the amygdala (the brain’s alarm system) and invites the body into safety.

   
   

3. Self Holding: Developed by Peter Levine, this practice invites containment and comfort. Place one hand on your heart and the other on your abdomen, or try one hand under your opposite armpit and the other resting across your shoulder — like giving yourself a steady hug.

   
   

   Notice the warmth of your hands, the gentle pressure, and your breath beneath them. Often, after a few quiet moments, people notice their breath deepening or their body softening — the nervous system recognising the signal: I’m held.