Hugging can be good for your health!
I ran into a college classmate the other day, who I had not seen in close to 40 years, although we “see” each other on Facebook. She lives in another state, so it was an extreme coincidence that she was crossing a busy intersection in Manhattan just as I was crossing the other direction. We both went in for a mutual embrace in the middle of the crosswalk, at which point I joined her to double back and walk a bit, so we could catch up. We were not that close during my short time at the same college, and don’t know each other that well, but I know she is a kind-hearted, loving person and the immediate availability, as well as the warmth of her embrace definitely lifted my mood.
I remember reading research a few years back, which cycles around every so often, about the positive health effects of hugging. This 2015 article in Scientific America included some of the research, specifically about how hugging can boost the immune system and correlates with a reduction in colds. The article cites a tie to strong social support as a significant factor in health and well-being.
When I work with students, I don’t actually hug them, but I do use hands-on cues to assist them in releasing excess exertion and tension that could contribute to fatigue, soreness, pain and other stressors on the musculo-skeletal system. The quality of touch can also prompt the relaxation response, which support a physiological reduction in stress, which often shows up in improved mood, and greater sense of calm and safety.
I use touch in many different ways, depending on how a person responds to the quality of my touch and the location of my hands. Hands-on work is paired with verbal prompts and to impart ideas and teach my students tools they can use independently of having a teacher’s hands. Not all students relax from touch. For some people, touch can be triggering. People also prefer different pressure, from the lightest, minimal cue with a fingertip, to a full, open hand that covers more surface area. preferences around lightness and pressure also vary from person to person, and even from moment to moment with the same person.
For me, taking an Alexander lesson, in the role of student, isn’t a replacement for hugs from family, friends and loved ones, but I find the contact that is part of the lesson does nourish me in a certain way. Likewise, using my hands when I am giving lessons, and being present in a calming way with another person, nourishes me.
Whether or not you study Alexander, you can still get many of the same benefits by going in for a satisfying hug from the right someone.