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but none of them are good.

By Jenn Markham

all among the possible problems that came to mind
when I thought about the idea of a cuddle party and I
just can’t get over how many things could go wrong.

These people are strangers with whom you haven’t
built enough of a relationship to warrant cuddling. Cuddling
for the sake of cuddling with no feeling behind it is kind
of like a one-night-stand is it not? You don’t know their
background; they could be criminals or stalkers or people
with foot fetishes. And think about it, regular people who
have healthy relationships where they receive a decent
amount of touch in their daily lives won’t attend cuddle
parties. Weirdoes and the freaks that creep everyone out will
though.

On that note, if someone isn’t used to cuddling, won’t
they be awkward? Haven’t you ever tried to hug someone
who didn’t know what they were doing? They stand frigid
or just wrap one frigid arm around you for long enough to
slap your back before their body retracts away. Cuddling
with someone who didn’t know how would be even more
awkward because it involves more bodily contact.

The official cuddle party website goes into extensive
detail to explain that it’s not sexually driven and even lists
rules for a cuddle party. Although it’s comforting for me that
pyjamas must stay on at all times, the rules also state that
you must ask permission to cuddle someone. That’s a great

B edbugs. Flus. Cold Sores. Scent allergies. These were

 

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way to avoid the weirdoes and freaks, but what if I asked to

Qivaro

Cuddle Parties open up endless possibilities for affection,

cuddle the hottie and he said no? Was rejection part of this
pro-love experience? I was expecting a “shower first” policy
on their list of rules, but there was no such thing. Maybe a
scent free environment would be a bad call.

I took some time to read the testimonials on the site,
also called “cuddlemonials” and I wasn’t disappointed. At
first I thought “cuddle puddle” was a spelling mistake, but
it’s the term used to describe the glob of pyjama wearing
adults in the middle of the floor in all the pictures on the
website. One described them as place to “open new arenas
up for me in regards of my own sexuality and also my love
for women and learning to love myself and my body” Do I
need to touch that one?

The website boasts about all the different newspapers,
magazines, and TV shows cuddle parties have been featured
in. I laughed when I saw CSI: Miami on the list. For those
who have never seen an episode, they always start off with
at least one, sometimes two creative deaths, and then the rest
of the show the actors figure out who was the killer and how
they almost got away with it. I wonder if the organizers frisk
for weapons at the beginning of the gathering. A strip search
might be against their ideology.

Did I mention it costs money? Between $25-40
depending how early you buy tickets, with discounts on
group rates and bring a friend. Glad it didn’t say boyfriend
because that would be an awkward swinging cuddle
experience. Of all the American cities where cuddle parties
are planned, only one is scheduled in Canada. It might be a
while before it takes off here, for all the above reasons.

Cuddle parties are practical, not creepy

Cuddle parties are practical, not creepy
By Sharon Yoshida

hat if I told you I wasn’t going to sleep or eat for

months at a time? You’d probably say that I was

insane, and that rest and nourishment are basic
tenets of human existence, and to deprive myself of these
things is ludicrous. Well, what if I told you that I’m going
to go months without human touch? Would you still think I
was crazy? While I concede that no one will die from lack of
contact, tactile interactions with others are a primal need and
I believe that it’s dismissive and insensitive to disregard the
undeniable fact that many people— including myself —need
to ask for affection. As such, I think that incorporating
non-sexual contact into your life is a great way to promote
general well-being; one new way to-obtain ne cena
touch is to attend a cuddle party.

Cuddle parties or clubs are organized events that aim.

to provide opportunities for safe, consensual, boundary
appropriate and platonic touch. The original cuddle party was
conceptualized in 2004 by a group of American relationship
coaches and has spawned a variety of similar groups all
over the world. Traditionally, cuddle parties are directed by
trained leaders and involve participants paying a fee and

 

following prescribed rules for non-sexual connection. People

Four hugs a day, that’s the minimum

arrive in comfortable clothes and are led through a series of
cuddling activities in a workshop-like environment.

Sounds good to me. I mean, it’s not like I stink. I shower
every day and my clothes are clean. I’m generally nice and
I interact with peers, friends and coworkers every day. Still,
I’m single and live on my own, so it is entirely possible for
me to go weeks without the slightest graze of human touch.
How could I not support this movement?

Although I understand the knee-jerk reservations of
naysayers —cuddling with strangers is indeed an unusual
concept and we do live in a hyper-sexualized world—I
think that the structured environment of cuddle parties could
actually help to teach people to better respect each other’s
physical boundaries in day-to-day life. It may seem silly,
but with a little training, we might —— become better
cuddlers.

Try to think about cuddle parties with an open mind.
With work and academic commitments mounting, we are
increasingly in states of stress. and our bodies are showing it.
For those of us not in romantic relationships and not looking
for sexual partnership, there might be options like cuddle .
parties that can alleviate our stress and help us to be healthier
and happier human beings through the power of touch.

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