The Unique Way of Hugging that can Improve Mental and Physical Health
Sami Wood meets up with a few strangers for a special get-together after every two weeks which she calls “cuddle puddle”. Everyone lies comfortably between soft mattresses or blankets and hugs each other in a friendly way to feel comfort and love. Sami, 41, lives in Bedford and is a professional cuddle therapist. She provides cuddle therapy to groups and individuals. Sami believes that hugging someone not only makes you feel good but is also beneficial for your health. She says that when you hug someone, your body releases the happiness hormone serotonin and the love and bonding hormone oxytocin. Sami says that touch not only reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol but can also balance our nervous system. Sami’s clients are often suffering from nervous system problems, PTSD, or loneliness. “People often think that my service is only for weird men, but that’s not the case at all,” she says. “I have men and women of all ages.” Pep Valerio, 36, from Bedford, ha...