{"id":126,"date":"2011-01-21T01:00:00","date_gmt":"2011-01-21T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/blissblog\/2011\/01\/national-hugging-day.html"},"modified":"2011-01-21T01:00:00","modified_gmt":"2011-01-21T01:00:00","slug":"national-hugging-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/blissblog\/2011\/01\/national-hugging-day.html","title":{"rendered":"National Hugging Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

Imagine a world in which everyone who would like to do so, could experience nurturing touch on a daily basis. How many hugs do you share each day?  For most people, the number is stunningly low.  According to family therapist Virginia Satir:<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

“For human beings, you need two hugs a day to survive, four hugs for maintenance, six hugs to grow.”<\/font><\/em><\/strong><\/span>  <\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

<\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font> <\/p>\n

Even for this insatiable hugger, I can honestly say that even I don’t <\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

share six hugs each day, but I am working on it:)  Here is an <\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

opportunity to dip your toes into the hugging waters, if it is a new <\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

or uncomfortable experience for you. And if you are a veteran <\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

hugger, feel free to dive right in!  But, ask first before you hug <\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

someone and get their verbal consent.<\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

<\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font> <\/p>\n

 Today is National Hugging Day was founded in <\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font>1986  by <\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

Rev. Kevin Zaborney <\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font>from Caro, Michigan is a chance to ‘take up <\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

arms’ in a peaceful way . I am tickled with delight  <\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font>when I think of <\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

the j<\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font>oys of hugging that people have experienced <\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font>since that first <\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

day <\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font>that it was a <\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font>mere thought in <\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font>the mind of the <\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

creator of this event. <\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

<\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font> <\/p>\n

Hugging carries with it so many benefits on all levels, including <\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

lowering blood pressure  and heart rate and invoking a sense of <\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

belonging, thus preventing isolation. There is also increase of the <\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

hormone called oxytocin which is secreted when mothers nurse <\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

and people cuddle. Folks who hug more, also notice an ability to <\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

create and sustain intimate relationships. Quite simply, hugging is <\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

portable, fat free, calories free and cholesterol treat. so if you’ve got <\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

arms, welcome someone into them.<\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/font><\/font> <\/p>\n

<\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font> <\/p>\n

To <\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font>learn more, <\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font>go to www.nationalhuggingday.com<\/a>  <\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

<\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font> <\/p>\n

Music to hug <\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font>by written by Fred Small <\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

<\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font> <\/p>\n

The Hug Song  <\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font>http:\/\/youtu.be\/V6HR0mK9Y6E<\/a> <\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

<\/font><\/font><\/span><\/font><\/font> <\/p>\n

<\/span><\/font><\/font> <\/p>\n

<\/span><\/font><\/font> <\/p>\n

<\/span><\/font><\/font> <\/p>\n

<\/span><\/font><\/font> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Imagine a world in which everyone who would like to do so, could experience nurturing touch on a daily basis. How many hugs do you share each day?  For most people, the number is stunningly low.  According to family therapist Virginia Satir: “For human beings, you need two hugs a day to survive, four hugs…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":233,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,33,25,18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-126","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bliss-kiss-for-your-weekend","category-creativity","category-hugging","category-wellness"],"yoast_head":"\nNational Hugging Day - The Bliss Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/blissblog\/2011\/01\/national-hugging-day.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"National Hugging Day - The Bliss Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Imagine a world in which everyone who would like to do so, could experience nurturing touch on a daily basis. 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She has also contributed to several anthologies and personal growth books. Edie has interviewed such notables as Ram Dass, Wayne Dyer, Debbie Ford, don Miguel Ruiz, don Miguel Ruiz, Jr. Marianne Williamson, Grover Washington, Jr. Noah Levine, Shirley MacLaine, Dennis Weaver, Ben and Jerry and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. She calls herself an Opti-mystic who sees the world through the eyes of possibility. 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