Cuddling releases oxytocin—the love hormone—which can ward off depression and loneliness, reduce pain and even lower blood pressure, according to research. So in our culture, with more and more couples divorced and lose ties in our communities, isn’t it only logical that there’s now a “cuddle movement,” complete with “cuddle parties” (for pajama-clad people gathering in a living room) and “professional snugglers (who will cuddle, comfort and caress for $80 an hour). While cozying up to a stranger might sound weird and paying for it might even sound fishy, cuddle proponents say its benefits are vast. “Research bears out that touch is as important as food,” says Chandler Yorkhall, integrative medicine practitioner at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis. “Medicine doesn’t have everything we need; we can also benefit from things that touch into our primal human needs, such as touch.” Here’s a report about the rise of the cuddle movement in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Feeling a need for physical contact, some are cuddling up with strangers
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