Cuddling to connect, even with strangers, creates a space of “innocent intimacy” and helps alleviate loneliness, something that can’t always be achieved in the swipe right, app-enabled world.
Private cuddle sessions and public cuddle-up events attract both singles and couples looking to reduce anxiety and to feel physically rejuvenated through the curative power of spooning. Some say cuddling is the new yoga—and there are definite similarities, according to Madelon Guinazzo, co-founder and director of training for Cuddlist, a network of “certified cuddlists” trained to empower their clients through consensual, nonsexual touch.