Self-Touch Practice for Regulating the Nervous System
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Updated: January 2026
I love self touch for so many reasons.
You can do this practice anywhere: lying in bed, sitting in a chair, in the bathtub, or lying on the floor. In the video below, I'm just chilling out on the floor. I like the floor—the ground is hard and supportive, and I feel really close to the earth.
I have a nice fuzzy blanket. I enjoy the softness. I like how it feels really nice against my skin. It's just beautiful and luxurious. I encourage you to choose any kind of fabric that makes you feel sexy, sensual, and really good in your body.
This is a Sensual Somatic™ practice, so let’s break it down.
What does sensual mean? It’s close, intimate, and involves touching your body.
Somatic is the body experience. It involves touching your own body in a soothing, loving, and caressing way and noticing what sensations arise. It’s a beautiful way to give your body love and gratitude and a powerful practice for soothing the nervous system.
It helps you to remember how amazing your body is and how Divine this vessel is that you have.
To begin, lie on the floor or on your bed. Lying on your back is often the most relaxing. You can always prop your head up with a pillow.
A really good place to start is simply placing one hand on your belly and the other hand on your chest. Breathe naturally here for a few breaths. You don’t have to change your breathing—just notice it.
You might choose to breathe more deeply into your womb space, the sacral chakra. This energetic space exists for all genders whether or not you have a physical womb.
On every exhale, release tension from your body. Allow yourself to breathe for a few minutes with one hand on your belly and one hand on your heart center.
I’ll take you through where to start, how to flow with it, and where to explore in the video above.
During this practice, as you're touching different parts of your body, you can say out loud or silently:
“Thank you, beautiful body.”
It’s almost like a meditation. You may notice mental chatter, your mind drifting, or even self-judgment and old stories coming up. That’s okay. You can always come back to the simple phrase: Thank you, beautiful body.
It’s a quick way to send pure love and gratitude to your body anytime.
Continue to breathe throughout the practice.
Start by touching your hands and then caressing your arms. Look at your arms and visually take them in—the creases, spots, shapes, and angles.
When you notice your mind drifting, come back to the phrase: “Thank you, beautiful body.”
Tune in. Let your body tell you what it wants. Give your body what it needs. Find the language of your body.
Then, give it what it is craving.
Start moving your hands to your face and head, and continue to meditate on the mantra. Direct loving energy to your body. Notice how the statement “Thank you, beautiful body” feels as you repeat it.
Move your hands down to your chest, breasts, and belly (in ways that feel safe and nourishing for you).
You can then move your hands down to your legs and thighs. If you’re lying down, you might raise your legs up in the air and caress your thighs—the backs, the front, and the sides. You can touch your toes and feet. Discover what areas of your body have more sensitivity and sensation.
We have so many erogenous and sensitive zones on our bodies: neck, ears, chest, belly, inner thighs, feet, groin, and genitals. Move slowly, with consent from your own body, and stay connected to your breath.
Allow yourself to explore and let your body guide you as you keep returning to the loving statement: “Thank you, beautiful body.”
Set aside 15–20 minutes for this practice. Don’t rush it.
Going Deeper With This Practice
If this practice resonates, I’d love to support you in experiencing it more fully—not just as a one-off, but as part of a gentle somatic journey.
This guided video is from Day 3 of my 3-day somatic practice series, where we slowly build safety, presence, and softness in the body. If you’d like to experience the full series from the beginning, you can access all three days here: Click here to access the full 3-day practice.
For continued support, deeper embodiment, and monthly guided sessions, I teach self-touch and Sensual Somatic™ practices inside my Patreon community. We explore nervous system regulation, sensual embodiment, and self-intimacy in a supportive container.
➜ Join my Patreon community here
You can also read my updated blog post on the benefits of self-touch for the nervous system here: Read more about self-touch and the nervous system.
Who am I?
I’m Heather Wild (Heather Dolson).
I’m a somatic educator, sensual embodiment guide, author, and former mental health nurse. I help people come back into their bodies through breath, movement, self-touch, nervous system regulation, and creative expression.
My work lives at the intersection of science, sensuality, and soul—a place where shame softens, the body feels safer, and self-intimacy becomes a path home. I teach ongoing practices through my Patreon community and write about embodiment, boundaries, and the reclamation of sensuality.