Marian Cioe posted on January 01, 2010 00:06
January 2010 Navy
by CDR Marian Cioe, NC, USN
Did you know that there is a miracle universal medicine that can relieve many physical and emotional problems? And the price is right – it’s free!
Not only that, physicians often tell their patients to use it as a part of their pain management. It can help you live longer, protect against illness, can lift depression, reduce stress, strengthen family relationships and even help you sleep without pills. Tired and run down? This can help make you feel more vibrant and improve the quality of your life. It also conveys both comfort and affection.
Of course, there is a catch. You will need a partner and be willing both to give and to receive this miracle medicine to make it work.You can practice this both publicly and privately and use it to show many levels of affection. The most effective way to administer this medicine is to face the person you will share this miracle treatment with, then wrap and hold your arms around this person (or group of persons). You have just been hugged!
You will find that the partner will reciprocate, eliciting a feeling of being special, wanted, supported, joyful or just happy. Both the hugger and the person being hugged (the huggee) benefit because they immediately feel the result (good). Hugs supply our souls with the nutrients of affection that we all need for our mental health and well-being; they can convey feelings when you just can’t find the right words. Hugs can be considered therapeutic pills that we can prescribe to each other.The prescription is four hugs a day – one at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and bedtime.
In his book, Touching: The Human Significance of Skin, Dr. Ashley Montagu examined the importance of touch on all aspects of human development. “Hugging is health enhancing because it has no negative side effects,” he stated.
National Hugging Day started on 21 January 1986. The Reverend Kevfin Zaborney from Caro, Michigan, created the day to promote the emotional benefits of hugging. This celebration has moved beyond America’s borders and people now celebrate the benefits of a hug in Australia, Canada, England, Germany, and Russia. It seems the day might catch on and start in other world countries. In America, National Hugging Day is big in schools, nursing care facilities, and hospitals. It is a wonderful way of letting people know how you feel about them and of showing you care. So, go on... this National Hugging Day give everyone a big hug and make them feel good. A word of advice: ask before you hug!
A hug is a great gift; it’s inexpensive, one size fits all, and it’s easy to exchange. So, this is my gift to each of you: a hug for all the support you have given to me over the past two years as the author of the previously titled “Health Affairs” (currently “Health Talk”) column. I would also like to thank my predecessors, especially CAPT Susan Labhard for the guidance and encouragement that she provided me these past two years.
With the restructuring of the elected positions in the transition to AUSN, the intent is to continue offering assistance and guidance in health matters as needed and requested by the members. Also continued is publishing appropriate health-related articles. With a broader membership, there is an increased opportunity for members to participate by actively authoring an article. How about sharing some of that health talk knowledge with your fellow Sailors? Feel free to contact me at cioemar@aol.com for the guidelines.
I leave you with a big bear hug.