SNAK
SelfNourishingActionKit
Touch comes before sight, before speech. It is the first language and the last, and it always tells the truth.
Margaret Atwood
WhatisSNAK?
SNAK, short for Self Nourishing Action Kit, is a simple, effective practice that helps you feel better fast. You can use it wherever you are and for whatever you are feeling. Whether you're dealing with stress, anxiety, sadness, frustration, fear, or emotional exhaustion, SNAK offers immediate support when emotions feel overwhelming or heavy.
It works by gently stimulating specific touch points on the face, chest, arms, and hands. These points are closely linked to the body’s natural calming system: the vagus nerve and the parasympathetic nervous system. When touched in a particular sequence, they help shift the body out of fight-or-flight and into a state of calm by releasing soothing chemicals and hormones.
SNAK is more than just a quick fix. With repeated use, it becomes a way to build emotional fitness. Emotional fitness is the ability to return to balance, no matter the situation. Just like physical training builds strength and flexibility, emotional fitness strengthens your inner capacity to cope with life's challenges.
There is no need for devices, apps, or special equipment.
Once learned, SNAK is always with you. It is portable, safe, and empowering. It is simple enough for a child to learn, yet effective enough to support deep emotional relief for people of all ages.
HowtopracticeSNAK
SNAK follows a structured process involving four steps that are repeated three times. The entire sequence of stimulating the touch points takes less than three minutes and can be used quietly in almost any situation.
A series of diagrams of the fourteen touch points is included on page 6.
To do SNAK use all the fingers of either hand and follow these these four steps:
1 Touch each of the fourteen points in order (see diagrams on page 6). Start with the facial points, at point 1 (“eyebrow & nose”) then move to the points located on the chest, the arms, and finally the hands.
2 When you reach the final point (clasping hands), stop and take a deep breath in through your nose.
3 Breathe out slowly through your mouth. Make your exhale approximately twice as long as your inhale.
4 This completes one full sequence, or “wing.”
Repeat the full sequence two more times, for a total of three wings.
Videodemonstration
A video demonstration of SNAK is available on our website or Youtube .
HowSNAKsupportsemotionalbalance
SNAK is a practical, body-based tool that supports emotional regulation by combining touch and breath to activate the nervous system’s natural pathways for calming and balance.
It works through a combination of three key elements:
1. A structured sequence that engages the body directly
2. Integration of ancient and modern wisdom
3. Accessibility and adaptability
Astructuredsequencethatengagesthebodydirectly
The fourteen touch points, used in a specific order, activate sensory and neurological pathways that help the body shift out of stress. When combined with conscious breath, the sequence sends signals of safety to the nervous system, allowing the body to settle and the emotional state to soften.
Integrationofancientandmodernwisdom
SNAK is informed by thousands of years of traditional healing systems and supported by contemporary neuroscience It aligns with what we now understand about how the body regulates itself through three key processes:
● Vagus nerve stimulation, which helps switch off the stress response
● Interoception, or the ability to notice what is happening inside your body
● Heart rate variability, a measure of how easily your body can move between stress and calm
Together, these are signs of a nervous system that is flexible and able to recover after difficulty. A system like this can respond more calmly to pressure, and return to a steadier state after moments of stress, anger, sadness, or overwhelm.
Accessibilityandadaptability
SNAK is simple, non-verbal, and does not rely on thinking things through. This makes it helpful for people who feel overwhelmed, shut down, or emotionally overloaded. It works well for children who may not yet have the language for what they feel, and for people with trauma histories who may find talking or analysis too intense or reactivating.
Because it does not require talking, naming emotions, or making sense of what’s happening, SNAK is also useful for individuals who may not respond well to insight-based or talk therapy approaches. It offers a way to feel better that starts in the body, not the head.
With regular practice, even just three minutes, three times a day, SNAK builds emotional fitness, strengthens nervous system resilience, and offers a reliable way to move from overwhelm to a sense of ease.
5thPlaceConsciousness
Africa
5th Place Consciousness (Pty) Ltd
102 2nd Street, Linden, Randburg 2195, South Africa
www.5th.place
info@5th place +27 82 901 2404
Europe
5th Place Consciousness Ltd
20-22 Wenlock Road, London, N1 7GU, United Kingdom
www.5thplace.co.uk
info@5thplace co uk +44 7963 557648
Our work is dedicated to the memory and spirit of John Lennon, Martin Luther King Jr. and everyone else who longs for a better world. Dreams do come true.
Shape of Emotion™, Emotional Fitness Class™, Feel Better Now™ and their logos are registered trademarks of 5th Place Consciousness (Pty) Ltd.
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Copyright©2016-2025,5thPlace.Allrightsreserved.Firstpublishedin2024.
This document, prepared 5th Place Consciousness (Pty) Ltd in Johannesburg, South Africa, and first published in 2025, forms part of a body of work developed by 5th Place between 2016 and 2025 This document is the intellectual property of 5th Place. No part of it may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of 5th Place, except for the forwarding of this document via email or messaging platforms for informational, non-commercial purposes For permissions, implementation or facilitation inquiries, please contact info@5th place