In life, there are moments when you realize everyone just needs a hug sometimes. They may not know it themselves, or they may. All one will know for sure is that there will come a time when all one will need is a hug, and they will find that no one is there to help them. This will be a time where they feel that the Earth can swallow them whole and not one person will notice. No one will ever truly know their pain and suffering.
We have all been there. That moment when you couldn’t keep your mouth shut because you could have sworn talking about it would make it so much better. The time you thought you knew the best way to right a wrong situation, and everyone said you were actually making it worse. Or, how about that moment you lost someone that you truly loved, only to never be able to say goodbye. Forever. All these situations make you feel empty and just want someone to hold them to make the pain go away. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Many people take hugs for granted. Some people say it’s a waste of time. There are so many things for them to do, they say. It would just take too long. Then there are those that think it’s not manly. To show affection shows weakness. And then there are those that can’t be touched because of an awful memory in their past, whatever that may be. Hugs are diminishing in our everyday life and it’s a travesty.
Now, those naysayers of hugs may think I’m just blowing smoke. However, I did some research on the subject. Here are just a few benefits of hugs I found:
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.
So, the moral of this passage is to not let the chance of giving or receiving a hug pass you by. Unfortunately, I found myself in a situation tonight where I wanted to give a friend a hug, but was unable to. Not by lack of motivation on my end, but rather the distance of time and space between us. I could see the pain and hurt without that person having to say a thing. To not be able to comfort them in their time of need really bothered me. So, again, if you find yourself in a situation where you feel the need to give a hug to a fellow human being, don't shy away from it. That one hug could change everything for that person in that moment.
- Sandra Bryan
