Hugs for harmony and happiness

Neither a celebrity nor one of its kind, the response was unexpectedly unprecedented. Each of the 70-plus teenage school students, both girls and boys, waited for their turn to give me a warm hug. Unbelievable as it was, all I could afford were moist eyes.

My spontaneity got the better of me when a friend surprised me by stopping by a government-aided school to converse with students during my recent travels in picturesque north Karnataka. The liberty to speak on whatever topic suited me gave me the freedom to avoid being formally introduced, as neither half-a-dozen teachers nor seventy-odd teens were profiled. All eyes were glued to me without clarity on what to expect from an uninvited outsider.

In contemporary India, where children are exposed to hatred and hostility in the real as well as the virtual world, I thought an engrossing but entertaining conversation would be appropriate. Pointing at the boys first, I raised the most unexpected query: ‘When was the last time you hugged your father?’ They seemed bewildered! Nobody raised a hand, but quite a few confirmed hugging their mothers. The girls, who were few in number, were found to be better at hugging their mothers. Fathers do not know what they might be missing! 

Despite initial hesitation, the conversation evoked interesting insights. A teenager reported that he hugs his parents when they are in distress. What difference does it make? After a brief pause, he considered it to have a soothing effect. Hugging has been found to be therapeutic, reducing stress and pain. Research has further shown that hugging releases feel-good hormones such as dopamine and serotonin, generating feelings of happiness by overcoming fear.

By this time, teachers too had joined the conversation, suggesting that hugging can have a positive impact on mental and physical well-being. If you’re feeling down or stressed, consider reaching out to a loved one for a hug to feel better! Should hugging be a normal practice at home, parents can free themselves from forcing restrictions and stricter surveillance on their children. Everybody agreed that hugging could be a no-cost measure to promote harmony and boost creativity.

The headmaster offered his appreciation for an engaging discussion on a subject that neither occurred to any of them as a problem nor was considered a solution to any of life’s challenges. The teens were to stun me and their teachers no less, as each one came forward to give me a warm hug. The gesture was overwhelming and moving, with the teachers’ mute witness to the prodigious moment. I could only suggest that the idea of voluntary hugging be encouraged.