I Am NOT the Free Hugs Guy

Day 7:  17 Mindful Hugs
Week 1 = 82 Mindful Hugs

So, I've made it to the end of my first week.  I have given hugs at home, work, the gym, the coffee shop, on the street, and other random places.  I do NOT, however, give hugs in dark alleys or underpasses.  Definitely be skeptical of people hanging out there offering hugs, whether or not they say it is for research.  It's not for research.  


I also don't want to be confused with the Free Hugs movement.  I am not giving hugs to just anybody.  I get to choose who, when, and where.  It's my experiment, and those are my rules.  There have been a few hugs just a little on the creepy side, so I am erring on the side of caution, which I am considering to be a compassionate act towards myself.


What have I learned during this week of mindful hugging?

• I am more likely to give hugs between noon and 5pm.
• I am more likely to give hugs during the work week than on the weekend.
• It's best to ask people if they want a hug before hugging them.
• Men may not understand this project, but they sure don't mind being a part of it.
• While I still don't consider myself a hugger, I have come to appreciate the pause that is shared between two people during a mindful hug.
• When you enter into the present moment with another person, time slows down.  I have actually been more productive this week than I have been in a long time.  I have more energy and I am less irritable.  
• Even if I don't feel like hugging right now, do it anyway.

Hugging is an act that I never gave much thought before I began this project.  Now it seems to be at the forefront of my mind.  I wonder every morning how many hugs I'll give that day and who will be the recipients.  I wonder how many strange looks I will get when I explain this project to people.


I have been the most surprised by the fact that when I offer someone a hug, they are eager to receive one.  In a society where physical contact is nearly extinct thanks to Facebook, Google Chat, Skype, etc., I have found that people genuinely want to connect to another human. 


A hug is an effective way to send compassion to yourself and others.  You don't need any special skills or education.  You just need an open heart.