Samii Wooden, a 41-year-old skilled cuddler from England, hosts “cuddle puddles” each two weeks. In these group occasions, strangers sit or lie along with cushions and blankets. They provide one another non-romantic hugs and luxury, the BBC reported.
Samii additionally offers one-to-one cuddle remedy. Based on her, it helps scale back stress and enhance feel-good hormones like serotonin and oxytocin.
Her shoppers usually face points like loneliness, PTSD or nervous system issues. She says folks wrongly assume the service attracts solely “creepy guys”. In actuality, each women and men of all ages attend.
In group classes, Samii asks contributors to think about emotional moments, like hugging somebody they miss. This usually makes folks cry.
“It is therapeutic with out phrases. You needn’t know folks’s issues; you simply know your contact is offering support to them,” the BBC quoted one attendee as saying.
In private classes, she adjusts the method primarily based on the shopper’s wants. It includes sitting and chatting to spooning or light back-stroking.
On Cuddle Companions, knowledgeable cuddling service begins from $160 (round ₹13,500) for two hours to $1,200 (over ₹1 lakh) for a 2-night session. Journey and metropolis tour choices with cuddling are additionally obtainable at $600 (about ₹50,000) per day.
Cuddlers in India
Skilled cuddling, a rising development worldwide, is slowly getting into India, particularly after COVID-19. Many individuals shifting to huge cities really feel lonely. Cuddling offers them consolation.
Whereas this development is well-liked overseas by web sites like Cuddlist and Cuddle Companions, India has only a few recognized cuddlers. Some small pages like Jaadu Ki Jhappi and CuddleBuddy exist, however they’ve little attain.
A world survey by Ipsos on World Psychological Well being Day 2024 discovered that 53% of city Indians confronted stress that affected their day by day life, and about 22% skilled it many occasions.
Melancholy can also be rising, with 25% of Indians feeling unhappy or hopeless for weeks. International locations like France confirmed decrease stress, probably as a consequence of a greater work-life stability.
Will India take part?
Will India be part of within the new development? Appears unlikely anytime quickly. Culturally, India has a fancy relationship with bodily contact and intimacy. The worry of being misconstrued is a serious barrier.
There have been a number of social media queries about skilled cuddlers. Many are prepared to supply as properly. Nonetheless, there’s little engagement.
For now, platforms like cuddlecompanions.org and cuddlist.com have zero Indian professionals. Cuddle Consolation says the service is unavailable in India.
