There is no denying the fact that the stress experienced by today’s generation is far more than what was experienced by the earlier generations. The hectic schedules, unhealthy lifestyle, desire to achieve more in less time, etc. are some of the reasons which are increasing our stress levels and gradually they are pushing us towards the condition of emotional exhaustion or fatigue.
In order to deal with such conditions of emotional exhaustion and high levels of stress, some new trends have been introduced in the wellness industry. One such trend that is gaining popularity is “cow cuddling” and the results of this new technique are also encouraging.
However, before we get into the details of cow cuddling, let us talk about some other important things:
Cows are the main source of milk for the human consumption. All other dairy products which have high nutritional value and are important for humans, such as curd, yogurt, cheese, ice cream and butter are made from milk. It is almost impossible for us to live without these dairy products as they have become a vital part of our lives.
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Cuddling is holding someone close in arms for showing love and affection. However, now cuddling and hugging are also used as therapy and they have been pretty helpful in reducing the stress levels as well as in dealing with the problem of emotional fatigue. The cuddling therapy industry is getting bigger every year and more and more people are getting attracted towards it for getting de-stressed.
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Playing with animals can be a great stress-buster and this will be clearly known to those who have pet animals at home. However, some new trends have been picking up off-late and animals have an important part to play in them. Goat yoga and cat yoga are slowly getting popular while the newest trend in the market is cow cuddling.
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Till now, we were talking about cuddling with humans but cuddling with cows seems to be the next big wellness trend. Yes, we are serious! This trend is growing immensely as people have shown interest towards it and are actually loving it. Cows are known to be gentle and sensitive by nature and these characteristics ensure that they make great cuddle buddies.
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Basically, cow cuddling is about brushing cows, patting and rubbing them gently, sitting close to them, showering love on them and getting their love in return. If you feel a little unsafe as you would be a complete stranger to the cow and are afraid of what if she reacts violently, let us tell you that a licensed counselor and an equine specialist will be there during the whole session.
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It starts with theoretical introduction to the visitors in which they are given some information about the cow. After that they are asked to pat and clean the cow so that trust is developed between the two and then comes the most fun part which is cuddling. Some farms allow cow cuddling for kids above seven years too, however, most of the farms cater to adults only.
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A farm house in upstate New York, Mountain Horse Farm is charging $300 for two people for a session of 90 minutes. However, farms in Switzerland and Netherlands can prove to be cheaper as they will cost you 50 Euros for three hours and some of them will also serve you tea and cakes.
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As per the experts, there is no need of any prior experience of cow hugging or playing with cow as it will not be risky to go through the process of cow-cuddling even if you are touching a cow for the first time. In fact, a new term has also been devised to describe the interaction between the human and the cow and it is ‘Cow-munication’. Interesting, isn’t it?
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Other than their sensitive nature, what makes cow great cuddle buddies is the fact that their body temperature is a little higher than that of humans and heart rate is lower. As per experts, these two characteristics also make cow cuddling a very relaxing and soothing process to get de-stressed.
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A lot is being heard about cow cuddling nowadays and most of it is positive but still you just can’t start cuddling with any cow. You should only cuddle with a cow which is provided to you at a farm house because they are fully aware of their cow’s nature and the matter of hygiene is also taken care of.
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There are some voices against cow cuddling too as several animal experts feel that cows are not cuddly animals. They may be quiet by nature and enjoy body contact but at times, they can be unpredictable and may not feel the need to cuddle with people. As per these experts, it may cause a risky situation if a cow behaves unpredictably.
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Few experts may have advised against cow cuddling but there are some who feel that cows can be trained for cuddling purposes. However, they have a word of caution for all those who want to try cow cuddling and that is to refrain from scaring cows by making sudden or large gestures.
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As per farm house owners, cows are good at reading body language so when a person enters their space, they will read him/her just like any other herd member. They will instantly get to know how you are feeling – sad, happy, excited, lost and they will respond to you as per your condition.
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Cow cuddling may prove to be a great earning opportunity for those who already have cows and are earning good by selling their milk. It can be a good platform for those as well who want to set up a new business and do something in the field of dairy farming. This is a good earning option because it may make a cow owner earn almost £2.50 per minute during cow cuddling.
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Well, if you can afford, you should try it as cow is a wonderful animal and there are very less chances of its getting violent. Besides, your session will be monitored by licensed counselor and equine specialist, so there is not much to worry about. Still if you are not comfortable, cat and goat yoga are the options.
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