Hugs Are Better Than Shrugs

Day 14:  18 Mindful Hugs
Week 2 = 188 Mindful Hugs

I've made it through the second week for a total of 188 hugs in 14 days!  I actually can't believe that I've stuck with this for two weeks.  A lot of people have been asking me why I'm doing this, and I just shrug and say "why not?".  Here's what I've learned over the past 2 weeks of my Hugging Meditation Experiment:

• Most people really do want a hug.
• Hugs make people feel better, even if it's just a little better for just a little while.
• Children seem to hug each other naturally and often.
• If I hug someone in a busy public place, strangers in those places will likely ask me to hug them, too!
• More people are aware of my project and are eager to help me reach my goal of 500 hugs in 30 days.
• I notice that I am more present throughout my day when I take the time to be really present during each hug.
• I have been more productive and creative in my work.
• I have more energy throughout the day and I find that I don't need as much sleep.  I'm not sure if that's related to the hugging, but thought it might be worth mentioning.

I recently read an article about Teddy McHuggin, a man who broke the world record for giving the most hugs in 24 hours.  He gave 7,777 hugs in 1 day and gave over 700 hugs in the first hour.  Kudos to Mr. McHuggin.  I wonder if he was really present with each of the people he hugged.  And no, I do not intend on breaking his record.