28-30 Apr 2024
Radisson Blu Hotel,
Glasgow,
|
08-08 May 2024
Hotel Melià ,
Milano ,
Italy
|
10-12 May 2024
China Import & Export Fair Complex,
Guangzhou,
China
|
13-16 May 2024
Conrad Chia Laguna Sardinia ,
Italy
|
14 May 2024
JPMorgan Chase Headquarters,
New York City,
United States
|
18-22 May 2024
The Ravenala Attitude Hotel,
Mauritius
|
23-24 May 2024
Large Hall of the Chamber of Commerce (Erbprinzenpalais),
Wiesbaden,
Germany
|
30-30 May 2024
Four Seasons Hotel George V,
Paris,
France
|
|
|
|
'Everyone needs a daily dose of touch,' says touch doctor |
|
By Helen Andrews 16 Dec 2014 |
Touch therapy therefore makes us healthier, according to Tiffany Field PhD Credit: Shutterstock / Antonio Guillem
|
A cuddling shop has opened in Oregon, US, charging US$60 (€48, £38) for an hour of hugging – highlighting the potential for the spa industry to cash in on physical contact.
The shop, called Cuddle Up To Me, is located in Portland. It offers hour-long sessions of platonic touching that includes hair strokes, hand-holding and a range of different cuddle positions. Sessions are filmed to ensure the safety of the cuddler and the cuddled. Clients sign a waiver agreeing they will be clean, courteous and will keep their clothes on. Founded by Samantha Hess, in November, she says that the business is in no way adult-oriented.
Massage therapy and platonic touching are becoming increasingly popular ways to de-stress and calm the nervous system, according to Tiffany Field PhD – director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami/Miller School of Medicine.
Touch deprivation can lead to aggression, depression, pain and health problems according to Field – writing in The Guardian. “An extreme example of touch deprivation can be seen in orphanages where children who receive less physical affection fail to thrive and are developmentally delayed,” said Field.
The benefits of touch therapy, studied by Field, have included reductions in aggression, decreased prenatal depression and lower pain in people with arthritis, fibromyalgia, back pain and headaches. “It also leads to an increase in the neurotransmitter dopamine, which can explain why there is less aggression in cultures that are more physically affectionate, such as France compared with the US,” added Field.
One study conducted by Field and her team, compared the way parents touched their small children in playgrounds in Paris and Miami and how adolescents touched each other in McDonald’s restaurants in those same cities. The French children received more physical affection from their parents and were reportedly less physically and verbally aggressive towards their peers in the playground than the children studied in the US. The French adolescents were also more physically affectionate towards each other than the US adolescents.
Field laments the way policies enacted to protect children from bad touch have created a culture of fear, especially in the US. While child abuse still occurs, “adults in the US sue each other for harassment following even accidental touch and as a result of all this, people are afraid to touch each other,” said Field.
Another study gave elderly people the opportunity to massage infants. These older volunteers’ stress hormones decreased and after a month they needed fewer doctors’ appointments, according to Field.
“Touch calms the nervous system, which lowers blood pressure as well as stress hormones, which in turn mean that immune cells can survive,” said Field. Touch therapy therefore makes us healthier.
“We can also experience less pain and depression as the body's natural pain killer, serotonin, is also its natural antidepressant and this increases following massage therapy,” said Field.
|
|
News |
1 to 12 of 8704 news stories |
|
|
25 Apr 2024
Kerzner International has signed deals to operate two new Siro recovery hotels in Mexico and Saudi Arabia, following the launch of the inaugural Siro property in Dubai this February. Designed to offer guests a holistic ... More
|
|
|
|
24 Apr 2024
The US spa industry is continuing its upward trajectory, achieving an unprecedented milestone with a record-breaking revenue of US$21.3 billion in 2023, surpassing the previous high of US$20.1 billion in 2022. This data stems from ... More
|
|
|
|
24 Apr 2024
Short-term incentives to exercise, such as using daily reminders, rewards or games, can lead to sustained increases in activity, according to new research. Researchers found that even a simple daily reminder encouraged people to move ... More
|
|
|
|
24 Apr 2024
Spa and wellness veteran Shannon Malave has been named spa director at iconic US spa destination Mohonk Mountain House. Based in New York’s verdant Hudson Valley and founded in 1869, Mohonk is a historic Victorian ... More
|
|
|
|
23 Apr 2024
Six Senses Kyoto opens its doors today, marking the eco-luxury hotel and spa operator’s entry into Japan and a new addition to its urban collection. Situated in the historic Higashiyama district, the 81-key hotel is ... More
|
|
|
|
23 Apr 2024
The UAE’s first-ever Dior Spa has officially launched at The Lana, Dubai – the Dorchester Collection’s debut property in the Middle East. Bathed in natural daylight on the hotel’s 29th floor, Dior Spa The Lana ... More
|
|
|
|
22 Apr 2024
The Sacred River Spa at Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan will reopen later this year with an all-new design plus enhanced treatments and experiences inspired by its river valley home. Nestled amid rich tropical ... More
|
|
|
|
18 Apr 2024
The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) has released new data on the US’ wellness economy, valuing it at US$1.8 trillion. According to the organisation's recent report – called The Global Wellness Economy: United States – the ... More
|
|
|
|
19 Apr 2024
UK sauna enthusiasts will converge at Galgorm Resort in Northern Ireland next week for the highly anticipated second annual UK Aufguss Championships. Hosted from 22-24, the event will see competitors from across the UK showcasing ... More
|
|
|
|
17 Apr 2024
Remedy Place, a US-based social wellness club brand, is poised for steady expansion in the coming years, with plans to open two new clubs annually moving forward Remedy Place is the brainchild of Dr Jonathan ... More
|
|
|
|
16 Apr 2024
Swiss longevity brand Clinique La Prairie (CLP) has inked a deal with Montara Hospitality Group to operate a resort at Tri Vananda – a purpose-built wellness community in Phuket, Thailand. Tri Vananda, envisioned as a ... More
|
|
|
|
15 Apr 2024
Six Senses has announced the grand opening of its first-ever property and spa in the Caribbean, called Six Senses La Sagesse. With a picturesque beachfront setting and surrounded by verdant hills, Six Senses La Sagesse ... More
|
|
|
|
|
Hydrafacial |
Founded in 1997, Hydrafacial has grown to become one of the world’s leading skin health brands.
[more] |
|
|
|
|