This post is about hugging. Hugging is an instinct, a natural response to feelings of affection, compassion, need, and joy. Hugging is a simple way to offer support, healing, and growth, with measurable and remarkable results. In its highest form, hugging can be thought of as a science. May the art of hugging a person serve as a framework for a greater understanding of oneself but also the outside world.
The word, “hug,” is a noun. The word comes from a Scandinavian language. It is defined by an affectionate embrace or to comfort or console with another person. Hugs therapy is a practice of administering hugs for the purpose of curing, healing, or preserving health. It is a treatment of disease through the simple, physical means of hugging.
The theory of hugging is that touch is not only nice but it is needed by every individual. Scientific research supports the theory that stimulation by touch is absolutely necessary for physical as well as our emotional well-being. Touch is used to hopefully relieve pain, depression, and anxiety. The art of hugging can bolster a person’s will to live, help premature babies who have been deprived of touch in his or her incubator to not only grow but thrive.
Various experiments have shown that touch can:
Receiving a hug builds trust and a sense of safety. This helps with open and honest communication. Hugs can instantly boost oxytocin levels, which heal feelings of loneliness, isolation, and anger. Holding a hug for more than 30 seconds can lift one’s serotonin levels; which fluctuates a person’s mood and create happiness. Hugs strengthens a person’s immune system. The associations of self-worth and tactile sensations from our early years are still imbedded in our nervous system as adults. The cuddles we received remain imprinted at a cellular level, and hugs remind us at a somatic level. Hugs, therefore, connect us to our ability to self love. Hugs boost self-esteem. Hugs relax muscles, hugs release tension in the body, and hugs can take away pain by increases circulation into the soft tissues.
Hugs not only teach us how to give and receive but hugs educate us that love flows both ways. Hugs are so much like meditation or laughter. They teach us to let go and be present in the moment. They encourage us to fall with the energy of life. The final reason why we should hug more is because the energy exchanged between the people hugging is an investment in the relationship. It encourages empathy and understanding. It has a synergistic effect, which means that the feeling more times than not are felt mutually, which makes this synergy to result in a win- win outcome.
While there are many forms of touching, the purpose of hugging is a very special one that can contribute to healing and health. What can be person’s rationale for hugging?
Simply put, the benefits of a hug speaks louder than not giving a person a hug. Hugging feels good, dispels loneliness, overcomes fears, opens doors to feelings, builds self-esteem, fosters altruism, huggers stay younger longer, and helps curb a person’s appetite. I will break these facts down even further.
I like this article, it was very informative and “feels right”! I always enjoy your research and writings!! Thanks for sharing!