The warmth of loving arms around you. The feeling of knowing that someone cares.
The calm assurance of safety and security that it brings. The emotional lift we feel.
There’s just something about the power of a hug.
When you receive a 20 second hug, your body releases a hormone and neurotransmitter called oxytocin. Increased levels of oxytocin (the bonding hormone) have been attributed to happiness and reduction of stress and anxiety. Oxytocin is nature’s anti-depressant and anti-anxiety.
Oxytocin is a neurochemical that actually speeds up the physical healing of wounds. Just a quick touch of the hand from someone who cares can cause this healing process to occur. Did you know that one-third of our five million touch receptors are centered in our hands? Inside our bodies is hemoglobin which carries oxygen to the tissues. Studies have shown that hemoglobin levels go up when we use meaningful touch.
Jesus even used the power of meaningful touch. He healed with a touch. He touched people while the Scribes and Pharisees never touched anyone. They wouldn’t touch people because they believed they would be defiled.
In Mark chapter 8, when Jesus healed the leper, we see that He was “...moved with compassion, He stretched out His hand and touched him,...“. It’s interesting that Jesus used the power of touch before He even healed him. Surely He could have just said, “Be healed”, and it would have been so. But instead, he showed COMPASSION first by extending his hand to touch him.
Jesus also used meaningful touch when He held and blessed the little children. Mark 10:16 says, “And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.” He showed them meaningful touch BEFORE He blessed them. Can’t you just see this beautiful picture of Christ’s love and compassion. In the picture of my mind, I see Him giving them hugs too!
Hugging your spouse can give both people a sense of security. The wife feels loved and well protected. That everything else in the world might fall apart, but she knows there is always safety and trust in her husband’s arms. The husband feels loved and needed by his wife. He feels secure in his role as the leader and protector of his family.
Neglecting meaningful touch and hugs with your children can STARVE them of genuine acceptance. When a child does not feel a genuine love and acceptance, it can drive them to find that love and acceptance elsewhere. What a difference a hug can make! Hugging is just GOOD medicine!
I’ve heard it said that one needs four hugs a day for survival, eight for maintenance, and twelve for growth! Scientists have even said that hugging is a form of communication because it can say things for which you have no words.
Some people find it hard to give a hug, or to show meaningful touch. This could stem from the home in which you were raise. Maybe you didn’t experience a home that showed emotions well. But, there is ALWAYS time to change. There is ALWAYS room for improvement. You can make a difference in your life and in the life of another.
Go hug someone today!
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