Check out this great article about "Amma" a Guru in India who seems to have seized the heart and imagination of many Indians as well as people from all over the globe with her healing hugs. Another case for the importance of touch, and 4 hugs a day which also happens to be a pretty endearing children's song from Canadian Children's songstress Charlotte Diamond. Check out the jazzy 80's video, which was filmed in a retirement home. Pretty cute.
On another note, something I learned in my class was that the 2 groups of people who are the most touch deprived are
1) Seniors
2) Teenagers - is this second one surprising? Think about it, maybe this is part of why they sometimes launch themselves into unsafe situations, it feels good to be hugged and we need that positive connection. Hug a teen! But be sure to ask first :)
Oh and another thing to keep in mind, courtesy of the Portland Art Museum:
"The average length of a hug between two people is 3 seconds. Researchers have discovered something fantastic. When a hug lasts longer than 20 seconds, there is a therapeutic effect on the body and mind. The reason is that a sincere hug produces a hormone called "oxytocin", also known as the love hormone. This substance has many benefits in our physical and mental health. It helps us, among other things, the relax, feel safe and calm our fears and anxiety. This wonderful calming effect is offered free of charge every time we have a person in our arms. When we cradle a child, cherish a dog or cat, when we're dancing with our partner, or even just holding the shoulders of a friend."
Maybe this is why I love salsa dancing class so much? I'm an oxytocin addict!
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