Today, cuddling is being touted as a form of wellness together with body therapy, massage and other methods of relaxation. During a cuddling session, which is strictly non-sexual, the client is hugged, stroked and caressed by a professional cuddler. A session may be performed lying down, sitting or standing, depending on the customer's wishes, yet is devoid of romanticism.
According to Lucy Vittrup, the head of the Professional Cuddling Institute, Denmark's first educational institution of this kind, 15 Danes have already been educated, with a further 10-15 on the way, Danish newspaper Copenhagen Post reported.
"We need more intimacy and physical contact to promote our physical and mental health," Lucy Vittrup told Danish newspaper Metroexpress.
"If there is something we miss in our society with smartphones and the virtual world, where we spend most of our time, it is the presence of each other," Lucy Vittrup said, adding that she has not heard of anyone who feels that they get too much physical contact.
According to Vittrup, people must learn not to be afraid of touching each other.
"It's clear to us that people are willing to do so, but there is a modesty limit that is difficult to get past," Vittrup told Metroxpress. "People are afraid to get close to one another because we are scared of sexualized contact," she said.
However, Vittrup warned her fellow cuddlers against being over-optimistic about their profession.
"As of now, I recommend that all cuddlers keep their original source of income. You can't live off cuddling just yet," Vittrup said.
Lucy Vittrup is a Master of Arts, coach and columnist on sexuality with an audience of tens of thousands of readers. Before founding the Professional Cuddling Institute, Lucy started the Erogenous Life Academy, which teaches people to use their sexuality and sensuality as a source of vitality and strength both privately and professionally.
