Mike! Do you offer cuddle parties???

[Guest guest]

Cuddling Strangers Latest Craze for Singles

Mon Aug 9, 9:59 AM ET

By Herbert Lash

NEW YORK (Reuters) - It's not about sex and all about the touchy-

feely experience of snuggling up to perfect strangers wearing

pajamas.

The grab fests are called cuddle parties, and since they started in

New York in February, hundreds of people have paid $30 each to touch

and embrace others in intimate gatherings.

Everyone needs to be cuddled, especially in lonely New York, say

creators Reid Mihalko and Marcia Baczynski who say it's a good way to

meet new and interesting people.

But the rules are clear. The PJs stay on the whole time and

participants are reminded of Rule No. 7: " No dry humping! "

In case things get too steamy, a small chime is kept on hand. Before

the cuddling begins, the chime is struck several times so everyone

gets the message.

" We've never used it, " said Mihalko, who said sexual arousal does

occur, and that participants shouldn't be turned off or scared by

erections. " They happen. "

The idea for cuddle parties loosely came about after Mihalko, a 14-

year masseur, began giving massages to other masseurs who never got

the chance to receive them.

Signs that people need to be touched were brought home one day when

Mihalko said he noticed a woman bawling from the emotional release

that a massage provided her at an outdoor stand in midtown Manhattan.

" It started out as a joke, " said Baczynski. " Now we talk about

cuddling all the time. It's just been amazing. "

MOOOOO!

Curiosity is a big driver for people who attend cuddle parties, and

it is a better way to meet people than going to a bar, getting drunk

and spending the night with someone just because of the need for some

affection, she said.

A cuddle party is really about communication and not therapy, say the

organizers.

Before any touching begins, participants gather in a circle to hear

the rules and voice any questions or concerns. The first rule is that

the event is not clothing optional, pajamas must stay on and sex is

not permitted.

Participants team up into pairs and to ensure the boundaries of what

is permissible are clear, they practice saying " no " to the

question, " May I kiss you? "

An introduction to cuddling ensues, first by hugging three people.

People then get in a circle on their hands and knees, rub shoulders

and moo like cows. After a bit of swaying, everyone falls to their

side, which puts them into an easy cuddling position.

Cuddle parties are intended for people who are emotionally sound.

People in therapy or who are seeing a mental health professional are

asked to consult their doctor before signing up for a party and to

tell organizers of their situation.

'PLAYING THE DOZENS'

One group on an overcast Sunday drew a mix of mostly single people in

their 30s and a smattering of older people.

A repeat customer who called herself a born-again Christian said it

was good to cuddle up to another person, albeit a perfect stranger,

after a hectic week.

" I felt good. I had a particularly stressful week, " said the woman,

who did not wish to be named.

Friends had warned her that the parties would be nothing more than

thinly disguised preludes to sex, but she dismissed those worries as

alarmist and unfounded, saying, " It's not about sex. "

Like others, the chance to meet someone was a consideration in

attending a cuddle party.

" People in a way are looking for a connection, " said . " It's

weird, but not unusual. "

A man named Dwayne H., who described himself as introverted, said he

thought the parties would help him relax before strangers and help

him express his feelings.

" I have a problem showing emotion, " he said.