3 Somatic Practices for Calming the Nervous System
In our fast-paced, overstimulated world, it’s easy for the nervous system to spend more time in “fight or flight” mode than in a place of rest and ease. We’re often juggling work, personal relationships and countless daily stressors that keep our bodies subtly braced for danger—even when we’re physically safe.
Somatic practices are gentle, body-based ways of helping the nervous system find a sense of safety and ease, even when stressors still exist. Rather than trying to think your way out of stress, somatic techniques invite you to feel and connect with your body. This helps signal safety to your brain, encouraging a shift from activation (which is driven by your sympathetic nervous system) to relaxation (driven by your parasympathetic nervous system).
When the parasympathetic nervous system is engaged, our bodies enter what’s often called the “rest and digest” state. In this state, the heart rate slows, digestion flows, breathing deepens, and the body can restore and repair itself. Somatic practices are one of the most direct and accessible ways to support this shift—helping us feel more grounded, calm, and present again.
Below are three simple yet powerful somatic practices for calming your nervous system: humming, the butterfly hug, and legs up the wall. Each one supports regulation in a slightly different way, and together they create a versatile toolkit you can apply anytime you need to soothe and reset.
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1. Humming: Using Vibration to Calm The Body
If you’ve ever found yourself instinctively humming a tune to self-soothe or focus, you’ve already tapped into one of your body’s innate regulation tools! Humming activates the vagus nerve, a key player in the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps bring you into the rest and digest state.
When you hum, the vibration created in your throat and chest gently stimulates the vagus nerve, signaling safety to your body and helping it shift out of “fight or flight.” This can slow your heart rate, deepen your breathing, and increase feelings of calm. It’s also a simple way to bring awareness back into the body—especially when you’re feeling anxious, tense, or disconnected.
How to Practice Humming for Nervous System Regulation:
1. Find a comfortable seated position and allow your shoulders to relax.
2. Take a slow breath in through your nose.
3. On the exhale, gently hum—allowing the sound to vibrate in your chest, throat, and face.
4. Continue humming for several breaths, exploring different tones or pitches that feel soothing.
5. Notice the subtle sensations: the vibration, warmth, or resonance that arises.
You can hum your favorite song, a single note, or even a simple “mmm” sound. Try placing a hand over your chest or heart to deepen the sense of connection to your body. Over time, you may notice how quickly this practice can settle your energy and bring you back to your center.
How It Supports the Parasympathetic Nervous System:
Humming directly stimulates the vagus nerve, increasing vagal tone—the measure of parasympathetic activity in the body. Higher vagal tone is associated with greater resilience to stress, improved mood, and better emotional regulation.
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2. The Butterfly Hug: Gentle Touch and Self-Soothing
The butterfly hug is a well-known somatic tool used by trauma therapists as a self-soothing technique for grounding and emotional regulation. It’s commonly used in trauma-informed therapies to help the body feel safe and supported during moments of stress, anxiety, or overwhelm.
The butterfly hug combines gentle bilateral stimulation (fancy term that means alternating movement on each side of the body) with the comforting sensation of self-touch. This helps the brain integrate sensory and emotional information, while the rhythmic movement creates a soothing, regulated rhythm.
How to Practice the Butterfly Hug:
1. Cross your arms over your chest so that each hand rests on the opposite upper arm or shoulder—like forming butterfly wings.
2. Close your eyes or soften your gaze.
3. Begin to slowly tap one hand, then the other, alternating left and right at a comfortable pace.
4. Continue breathing gently and notice the sensations under your hands—the temperature of your skin, the movement of your breath, or the soft rhythm of your tapping.
5. You can imagine sending compassion or love to yourself with each tap.
This practice helps create a sense of comfort, gentle awareness, and self-compassion. It can be effective to use in moments of emotional intensity, such as after (and certainly during!) an intense therapy session, feeling overwhelmed by the news and world events, or experiencing general anxiety.
How It Supports the Parasympathetic Nervous System:
Similar to the way a baby is soothed by being rocked- The bilateral rhythm and comforting self touch associated with the butterfly hug mimic comforting experiences that are wired into our biology. This rhythmic, predictable movement communicates to the body that it’s safe to relax, helping the parasympathetic nervous system activate the “rest and digest” response, and increase vagal tone.
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3. Legs Up the Wall: Restorative Grounding
Legs up the wall (known in yoga as Viparita Karani) is a deeply restorative posture that offers nervous system benefits. It’s simple, accessible, and can be done almost anywhere with a wall and a few moments of quiet.
This pose creates a gentle inversion—allowing gravity to assist blood flow from the legs back toward the heart, which helps regulate circulation and reduce physical tension. When the body is supported in this way, the nervous system receives a signal of safety and stability, making it easier to activate rest and digest.
How to Practice Legs Up the Wall:
1. Sit with one side of your body close to a wall.
2. Slowly lower yourself onto your back as you swing your legs up to rest vertically against the wall.
3. Adjust your position so that your sit bones are close to (but not pressing against) the wall.
4. Let your arms rest by your sides, palms facing up, or place one hand on your belly and one on your heart.
5. Breathe naturally, allowing your exhales to lengthen over time.
6. Stay for 5–10 minutes, or as long as it feels comfortable.
If lying flat feels uncomfortable, you can try placing a pillow under your head or hips, or try laying down on a yoga mat for support. When you’re ready to come out, roll slowly to one side and rest for a moment before sitting up.
How It Supports the Parasympathetic Nervous System:
By promoting physical stillness, deep breathing, and gentle mindfulness, this posture helps the body to shift out of stress and into “rest and digest” - a state of increased vagal tone. It’s especially beneficial before bed, after a long day, or anytime your body feels tired or tense.
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Bringing It All Together
These three somatic practices—humming, the butterfly hug, and legs up the wall—are quick, accessible ways to communicate safety to your body. When practiced regularly over a period of time, these types of somatic practices can help to increase your baseline vagal tone, and rewire your nervous system toward greater regulation and resilience.
Each technique activates the parasympathetic nervous system in its own way:
• Humming activates the vagus nerve through sound and vibration.
• The butterfly hug offers gentle comfort through self soothing, and bilateral stimulation.
• Legs up the wall promotes stillness and grounding.
Together, these practices invite the body to soften, the mind to slow, and the heart to open. With time and consistency, these small moments of regulation add up—helping you build a more regulated and balanced nervous system.
Keep in mind, the goal of somatic practice isn’t to eliminate stress altogether—it’s to help your body learn that it can safely return to calm after activation. By engaging your body as an ally, you remind your nervous system that peace is not something you have to chase; it’s something you can access within.
