Wellness Unwrapped: a load of bull?

The pilot article of the Wellness Unwrapped series looks at the latest bovine-focused wellness trend.

Source: Flickr

Having just emerged from our second national lockdown of the year, I think it’s fair to say that we’re all looking for a pick-me-up. Now who would have thought that hugging a cow would provide the solution? Definitely not me.

This latest wellness trend has travelled all the way from the Netherlands and is stirring up quite the interest. Hugging cows, or koe knufflen in Dutch, is believed to have considerable mental health benefits, such as “boosting oxytocin in humans''. The cuddling experience promotes positivity by being incredibly calming thanks to the cow’s warm body temperature and size, perhaps slightly similar to wrapping your arms around a rather large beanbag (that breathes, of course). The cow huggers first spend time walking around their chosen farm, presumably getting to know their cows before any actual hugging begins. According to the Daily Mail, the experience can last for several hours and has now become so popular that a farm in New York has begun charging a whopping $75 an hour for a “Horse & Cow Experience”. Fortunately, cow hugging is considered to have benefits for the cows as well; it’s a “win-win situation and great experience for both [cows and people]” - reports the Insider. It seems that you can tell the cow is relaxed when being hugged due to its half-closed eyes and droopy ears. 

Although this new trend seems bizarre, human-to-animal interaction has been known to alleviate mental health problems in the past. It’s no shock that people appear to be happier in the presence of animals, in fact, 74 per cent of pet owners in the U.S. have reported mental health improvements from pet ownership . You can’t deny the pure joy that is gained from playing with a puppy or stroking a beautiful bunny; the feeling is similar to soaking up the heat from a roaring fire on a dark winter’s evening. An all-encompassing wash of warmth. It appears that cow hugging can provide you with this comfort. 

As the weather gets progressively chillier, I’m not certain that this new trend will continue to thrive, especially in the UK. I’m also not sure that I want to spend my Christmas shivering on a remote farm, using a large cow as a hot water bottle. Nevertheless, I’ll be the first in line to try this somewhat peculiar wellness trend come spring and summer. 

So next time you’re feeling down in the dumps, head over to your local farm and locate those cows with your arms open. 

This article is published as part of the Wellness Unwrapped series, written by Pi Media columnist Priya Patel.