10 Reasons Why We Need at Least 8 Hugs a Day
Hugging therapy is definitely a powerful way of
healing.
Research shows that hugging (and also laughter) is extremely effective
at healing sickness, disease, loneliness, depression, anxiety and
stress.
Research shows a proper deep hug, where the hearts are pressing together, can benefit you in these ways:
1. The nurturing touch of a hug builds trust and a sense of safety. This helps with open and honest communication.
2. Hugs can instantly boost oxytocin levels, which heal feelings of loneliness, isolation, and anger.
3. Holding a hug for an extended time lifts one's serotonin levels, elevating mood and creating
happiness.
4. Hugs strengthen the immune system. The gentle pressure on the sternum and the emotional charge this creates activates the
Solar Plexus Chakra.
This stimulates the thymus gland, which regulates and balances the
body's production of white blood cells, which keep you healthy and
disease free.
5. Hugging boosts
self-esteem.
From the time we're born our family's touch shows us that we're loved
and special. 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 from our Mom and Dad while growing up remain
imprinted at a cellular level, and hugs remind us at a somatic level of
that. Hugs, therefore, connect us to our ability to self love.
6.
Hugging relaxes muscles. Hugs release tension in the body. Hugs can
take away pain; they soothe aches by increasing circulation into the
soft tissues.
7. Hugs balance out the nervous
system. The galvanic skin response of someone receiving and giving a hug
shows a change in skin conductance. The effect in moisture and
electricity in the skin suggests a more balanced state in the nervous
system - parasympathetic.
8. Hugs teach us how
to give and receive. There is equal value in receiving and being
receptive to warmth, as to giving and sharing. Hugs educate us how love
flows both ways.
9. Hugs are so much like
meditation
and laughter. They teach us to let go and be present in the moment.
They encourage us to flow with the energy of life. Hugs get you out of
your circular thinking patterns and connect you with your heart and your
feelings and your breath.
10. The energy
exchange between the people hugging is an investment in the
relationship. It encourages empathy and understanding. And, it's
synergistic, which means the whole is more than the sum of its parts: 1
1 = 3 or more! This synergy is more likely to result in win-win
outcomes.
There is a saying by Virginia Satir, a respected family therapist, “We need four hugs a day for survival. We need eight hugs a day for maintenance. We need twelve hugs a day for growth.”
Eight or more might seem quite high, but while researching and writing
this article I asked my child, “How many hugs a day do you like?” She
said, “I'm not going to tell you how many I like, but it's way more than
eight.” That really made me smile and touched my heart. And, I realized
how organic and deep the need for hugs is.
As a
loving father, I get plenty of hugs from my little princess and her
Mamma. And as a yoga therapist, I often give and receive them from my
students at the end of a session. I find that
love, is a miracle drug
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