Health
Matters
Hugs for Health - Leslie Bek
This time of year,
lying peacefully wrapped in a hammock or upon a warm bed of sand at
the beach can feel like a mid-summer hug. It reminds me of the year-round
and lifelong medicinal value of hugs.
My first experience with hug therapy was over twenty years
ago when one summer I volunteered for the Special Olympics. My job
was called a Hugger. Our duty was to assure that open arms met every
athlete who crossed a finish line. A Hugger also would seek out anyone
who attempted yet didn't cross the finish line. I remember a lot of
hugging going on.
Another hug-inspired experience of mine traces back to
a film I viewed during a college sociology course. It was called "Peaches."
The focus was on an elderly lady and her family coming to terms with
her aging and her new surroundings in a nursing home. A point made
in the film that has stayed with me over time is that many people
who are elderly may not have been hugged for a very long time.
We are born into a world of stimulation. The first sense
we use is that of touch. We are bonded with it in maternal unity.
When deprived of sight and hearing, our tactile sense is our guide.
Its main organ, the eighteen square feet called "skin,"
is the body's largest. It's the last of our senses to desert us with
age. Physical contact rewards us as infants, delivers our love as
adults, and reassures us in our advancing years.
Unfortunately though, early years of love and giving too
often turn into later years of isolation. As we age we lose the sharpness
of our bodies' responses, however, we don't lose the need for nurturing
touch.
I was pleased to recently learn of an organization called
the Hugs for Health Foundation. Their mission is to bridge the gap
between the community and aged persons residing in senior and long-term
care facilities through hug therapy wellness programs, outreach, education
and volunteer support services. The Hugs for Health Foundation programs
bring compassion and touch in an atmosphere of dignity and warmth
to senior care residents whose contacts with family and friends are
often limited or don't exist at all.
Consider that by the year 2010, the senior population
is expected to quadruple. By the year 2030, twenty-five percent of
our population will be over the age of sixty-five. Many of us will
be faced with the decision to place a loved one or even ourselves
into a care facility. The Hugs for Health Foundation asks that we
stop by a local nursing home and see for ourselves the many "invisible
people" of our community. Say hello, and share a smile and a
hug. Endear yourself to everyone you come in contact with and know
your visit may be the only one many receive.
The Hugs for Health Foundation suggests the following
proper hug etiquette & techniques:
Hug Etiquette
1. Always respect another person's space.
2. Ask permission when you need or want to share a hug.
3. There is a difference between a warm, friendly hug and a passionate
embrace— please hug accordingly.
4. A hug is a gentle embrace—not the Heimlich.
Techniques
Some huggers pat while hugging. Others simply hold and embrace. Gently
rub the back of your huggee and they'll be back for more. (Hint: I'll
give you an hour to quit that.)
Me-Hug
Giving yourself a hug is a great way to start the day and whenever
you need or want a hug. Warm-up your hugging muscles with a real good
stretch by wrapping your arms around yourself!
Hand-Hug (AKA the Reserved Hugger's Hug)
This is the most common and frequently shared hug . . . a simple handshake.
Side-to-side Hug (AKA the Buddy Hug)
Huggers stand or sit next to one another, embracing around the waist
or shoulders.
A-frame Hug
Huggers stand about a foot and a half apart, bend at the waist . .
. only the shoulders touch as you embrace!
Back-to-front Hug
Gently wrap your arms around huggee's waist and embrace. Always let
your huggee know you are behind them.
Cheek-to-cheek Hug
This hug requires no arms. Simply face your huggee and press your
cheeks together. Face the same way for the Kodak Moment Hug.
Custom-tailored Hug
To ensure a high-quality hug, whenever a taller hugger hugs a smaller
huggee. The taller hugger should bend at the knees to come eye level
with the huggee and embrace.
Bear Hug
This is a full-body hug. Hugger and huggee are toe-to-toe and belly-to-belly.
I have a framed poem on the wall next to the door of my office. It
catches my eye each time I greet someone and then again when I send
them off after a visit:
Hugs
It's wondrous what a hug can do
A hug can cheer you when you're blue.
A hug can say, "I love you so," or
"Gee, I hate to see you go."
A hug is "Welcome back again!" and
"Great to see you, where've you been?"
A hug can smooth a small child's pain,
and bring a rainbow after rain.
The hug! There's just no doubt about it…
we scarcely could survive without it.
A hug delights and warms and charms—
it must be why God gave us arms!
Hugs are great for fathers and mothers,
sweet for sisters, swell for brothers.
And chances are your favorite aunts
love them more than potted plants.
Kittens crave them, puppies love them,
Heads of State are not above them.
A hug can break the language barrier,
and make your travels so much merrier.
No need to fret about your store of ‘em
the more you give, the more there's more of ‘em!
So stretch those arms without delay,
and give someone a hug today!
—Barbara Daniel
I wonder how my four-month-old son feels about all the hugs he has
been getting? I know I can hardly wait until he can hug back.
Note: Contact the Hugs for Health Foundation at their website: www.hugs4health.org
or by calling (714) 832-HUGS
—Leslie Bek
