The Power of Hugging

20 seconds

This past May I read Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily and Amelia Nagoski. Early in the book they talk about the power of hugging. Twenty seconds is all it takes to “change your hormones, lower your blood pressure and heart rate, and improve mood…” For weeks afterwards, every time I gave someone a hug I also shared that tidbit.

The Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh has his own take on hugging with this Hugging Meditation. He begins by sharing a story about hugging a tree. This so resonated with me because of the oak tree that used to stand majestically across the street from where I live. Yes, my husband and I hugged it.

My yoga practice is a self-hug; it creates the same sensations as a twenty second hug. My husband and I begin each day with a hug, and every time I look at photos of my sons hugging one another, the mirror neurons of my nervous system respond like my yogic self-hugs. In the yoga practices I guide at my local community center, where many of us know each other, it is not unusual to give welcoming hugs as people come into the room.

Not used to hugging? Start with yourself and try a few self-hugs throughout your day. Maybe turn the corners of your mouth up ever so slightly towards your eyes. Notice what you sense and how you feel.

(Image below taken a number of years ago at a NY airport; thumbnail image from 2014 at our older son’s marriage ceremony)