Tag Archives: cuddle party facilitator nyc

Before cuddle app, there was cuddle party facilitator

Post written by Sherry Hsieh, originally published via Stress-Free NYC 

Cuddle Party? For most of us who have never attended a cuddle party, it sounds like group orgy. But it is not.Jamie Garde, a 61-year-old certified Cuddle Party facilitator, defines it as a social event where adults gather to exchange non-sexual touch. Clothes are kept on at all times.

Image Credit: cuddleparty.com

Research shows that touch – a hug, high-five or massage – can reduce pain, lower blood pressure, alleviate depression and increase oxytocins[1]. Getting touched or doing the touching makes us happier and less stressed. A native New Yorker and the oldest of five children, Garde grew up with parents who were not affectionate and she never received many hugs. In 2005, she attended her first cuddle party and enjoyed it so much that she became a facilitator after she got separated from her husband of 16 years in 2007. Since then, she has hosted seven to eight cuddle parties a year.

Plump and rosy, the 5-feet-tall Garde stresses that Cuddle Party is about effective communication. Her blue eyes dances as she lists cuddling positions: the massage train, puppy pile and rack of spoons (spooning in one direction then another). Her favorite is a long gentle stroke with a flat hand.

Are you ready for a good cuddle? Continue reading