I recently attended a spontaneous female yoga retreat in Northern California. It was a day full of journaling, yoga, and hiking. One of our activities included cuddling as a meditation. It started with touching backs with a stranger and aligning your breath with them. That meant if one person moved or felt discomfort, the other naturally mirrored it. In this beautiful meditation, my mind and body was physically attached to another person. This exercise created a profound sense of connection, grounding my body and mind in a way I’d never experienced before. This had me thinking about the origin of human touch or more specifically, cuddling. After a deep dive, I realized there are actually cuddle services you can hire. I know it sounds unorthodox, but these “professional cuddlers” are trained to help people achieve comfort who are going through loneliness and depression. The physical touch releases endorphins to your brain to wash out the cortisol.
Cuddling as Alternative Healthcare
Let’s get to the basics. Touch has historically been recognized as a vital component of emotional and physical well-being. According to studies cited by WebMD, physical touch triggers the release of endorphins. Those feel-good chemicals are the ones that combat stress and anxiety by washing away cortisol, known as the stress hormone.
In therapeutic settings, professional cuddling is becoming increasingly popular as a tool to address loneliness and depression. The Harvard Crimson highlighted that human touch can “regulate mood, improve sleep, and even lower blood pressure.” Not only is human touch, or cuddling, good for your physical health but it has also been used as a technique to find peace with one’s mental state, especially after accounts of trauma. Sundria C. Sam, the founder of a cuddle hiring platform Cuddlist, was drawn to creating “healthy touch therapy” to combat her discomfort with physical touch after she had been physically abused during her childhood. By exploring healthy guided touch with cuddling, she was able to trust others physically again with her body.
When Sundria started her business, she had many clients that thought it was a front for sexual services. She was once hired by a 30-year-old man who was expecting sexual service. After explaining the model to this man, he ended up crying in Sundria’s lap after exposing his traumas. He found solace in understanding the deeper meaning as to why he wanted to pay for sexual favors in the first place. In this moment, this man turned his shame into a therapeutic revelation. Cuddling brings a sense of humanity and vulnerability that nothing else can replace.
Cuddle puddles are another movement on the rise. When I lived in San Francisco I attended a few parties that ended with many people, usually after taking substances like LSD, in a cuddle corner. There were a mound of bodies spooning each other in the least sexual way I can explain. I was hesitant, but I joined in. Testimonials from those who have attended cuddle therapy workshops or “cuddle parties” emphasize their transformative effects and how they can create feelings of safety, connection, and emotional release.
For over 20 years, Cuddle Party, founded in 2004, has created spaces for groups of people to cuddle with one another platonically with the guidance of a trained facilitator. These events are now regularly integrated into wellness retreats and community gatherings.
The Business of Professional Cuddling
Professional cuddling, once an unconventional idea, is now a structured and growing industry. Organizations like Cuddlist offer training programs that teach practitioners how to create safe, consensual environments for clients seeking comfort and connection. These sessions are strictly platonic and emphasize boundaries, communication, and emotional support.
As cofounder and director of training for Cuddlist, Madelon Guinazzo has trained over 1,600 Cuddlists and a few hundred Cuddle Party facilitators.
There are three pillars to the Cuddlist approach, according to Guinazzo. The first is the code of conduct. This helps set boundaries for the client and practitioner. The second is a verbal commitment at the start of every session. For this phase, both parties agree to stay present and aware of their boundaries and speak up if anyone feels uncomfortable. The third pillar is the fact that every session is client-led.
Samantha Hess, owner of the company Cuddle Up to Me, shared her business model in HuffPost. Her services offer “fully clothed, completely platonic cuddle sessions of 15 minutes to five hours.” She has developed over 60 cuddle poses to serve her clients and ensure a productive session. A cuddle session doesn’t just have to involve cuddling; she incorporates other stress-relieving activities as well like dancing, singing, or playing games.
In something that is so physical, how do both parties ensure safety? The answer: They set specific boundaries and make the customer go through a series of precautionary questions. This includes obtaining a copy of each person’s ID alongside a waiver, a body map, and a questionnaire. They also have a third party who monitors security footage during all sessions.
I know you might be wondering, how lucrative is this business? Well, Samantha Huss charges $1 an hour. However, it also depends on the cuddling platform and the cuddler themselves. According to the Economic Times, cuddlers are able to set their own rate. Some set theirs anywhere from $60 to $150 an hour.
Although cuddling can be a profitable business, it is also a rewarding one. “Cuddling is a movement for people who believe in the healing power of healthy touching,” according to Experience magazine. One of the leading companies in the industry, Cuddlist, operates in 30 states and has 15,000 clients. Cuddlist has trained more than 1,200 people. Most of their professional cuddlers come from a wellness background in yoga, doula training, spiritual healing, and massage therapy. These cuddlers go through programs like the Cuddle Sanctuary Professional Cuddler Certification, which offers live online courses that cover essential skills including consent, boundaries, communication, and ethics. This is another way to assure customers that they are, quite literally, in good hands.
The Origin of Cuddle Culture
Although to us this concept seems extremely progressive, the concept of professional cuddling isn’t entirely new. In Western cultures like Japan, the idea of therapeutic touch has been part of the culture for years. Businesses like cuddle cafés offer patrons the chance to rest in the arms of a stranger. Other establishments that provide stress-relieving services include crying cafés, compliment cafés, and pet cafés. These unique businesses cater to Japan’s overworked population while offering emotional solace and companionship to combat the country’s high suicide rates.
As mentioned, cuddle cafés, including the popular Soineya in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, offer their customers the chance to sleep alongside a staff member in a nonsexual platonic way. This is supposed to provide a sense of comfort for the customer. In a city where the work-life culture has little to no balance, most hard-working civilians simply don’t have time to invest in relationships. This results in a general loneliness that is felt from the streets. When I visited Japan this past year, I was shocked by the somber energy of the city. Everyone was in such a rush. Innocent and friendly smiles from strangers were hard to come by. Knowing these companion cafés exist makes sense when observing the culture firsthand.
Another innovative concept is the crying café. According to an article in NovaAsia, this is a setting designed to provide a safe space for individuals to express their emotions freely. These cafés offer a relaxing environment where patrons can release pent-up feelings either in a group or alone. This is particularly beneficial in a society where emotional expression is often subdued. Personally, I think this is brilliant. Providing a secure place for people to experience their emotions is a step in the right direction when it comes to regulating and acknowledging mental health. Heck, I know I could benefit from a crying café a few times a month.
An additional concept in which I took part in were pet cafés. I personally visited a pig café, where I proceeded to be put in a room with over 20 baby pigs for a 30-minute time frame. I was able to play with them and pet them as much as I wanted. Pet cafés don’t just stop at pigs—they also offer settings where you can play with cats, dogs, and even more exotic creatures like owls and hedgehogs. These establishments offer a therapeutic experience. The calming and distracting presence of the animals helps alleviate stress and provide comfort, similar to what cuddling does for us.
Engaging with these unique concepts can also have tangible health benefits. According to KTLA News, physical touch and emotional expression are known to lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and alleviate headaches. In a high-pressure society like Japan, these establishments offer much-needed outlets for stress relief and emotional well-being.
Conclusion
At its core, the world of professional cuddling is a testament to our desperate need for connection. My fascination grew from feeling this firsthand. In a society that often stigmatizes vulnerability, seeking comfort through human touch can feel like an act of courage. The benefits of improved health and emotional resilience are undeniable. Whether through a spontaneous “cuddle puddle” or a session with a trained professional, embracing the power of human touch reminds us of our shared humanity. I hope, if anything, this helps readers to give themselves some grace when experiencing loneliness. Touch is a human necessity and nothing to ever be ashamed of needing.
The next time you hug a loved one, remember that simple act could be capable of saving a life.
Top Image Digital Art, Cuddles, By Laura E. White
