Monday, May 31, 2010

The power of a hug

The power of a hug


It has been proved that showing affection strengthens growth and positive development in people. We all need physical contact to feel good, and one of the most important ways of physical contact between two people is hugging.
Who does not need cuddles in this society that is becoming ever colder, more competitive, that compels us to be more individualistic, more personal-goal oriented...?
When we hug, we receive an energy feedback. We bring life to our senses and reaffirm the trust in our senses. Sometimes we CANNOT find the right words to express how we feel, and then hugs are the best way to say it.
We need four hugs a day to survive, eight to preserve ourselves, and twelve to grow. A hug makes you feel good. The skin is the biggest organ we have and it needs a lot of love. A hug can cover an extensive part of the skin and provides the massage you need. It is also a way to communicate. It can convey messages for which you have no words. We can always resort to the universal language of hugs.
The Power of Hugs
Hugging achieves many things that you might never have imagined. For example:
It feels good
It dissolves solitude
It defeats fear
It opens the door to sensations
It improves self-esteem (wow, he or she wants to hug me!)
It encourages altruism (I can't believe it, but I want to hug that person)
It delays aging (those who hug age more slowly)
It helps reduce appetite (we eat less when we are nourished with hugs and when our arms are wrapped around others)
More benefits from hugs:
It is environmentally friendly (it does not damage the environment)
It preserves energy
It is portable and requires no additional machinery
It does not require a special place to do it (an adequate place to hug)
In any place such as a conference room, a church or a football field
It makes happy days even happier
It gives us a sense of belonging
It fills the void in our lives
It is still effective even after the hugging has finished
It strengthens and increases our ability to share
It harmonizes the hearts of friends
Hugging creates some form of addiction to tenderness, to altruism, to happiness...

Just as laughter, it is highly contagious! Whatever your hug may be, let it always come from the heart, not from the mind.
Come up with new ways of hugging.
Give your hugs interesting or funny names.
Become a full-time "hug therapist."
Be always ready to offer a hug to someone.
Observe the other person and always be careful of his or her personal space.
Do not try to impose your vision or philosophy on others.
A hug does and says very much.

Hug your friend, your loved one, your kids, your parents, your pet...

Gawai 1Malaysia 1 Nation 1Motion

Gawai Preparation Starts With The Brewing Of TuakBy Linda Khoo Hui Li SERIAN, May 30 (Bernama) -- The aroma of "tuak" tickles the nostrils, filling the air with a sense of anticipation, signalling the arrival of the Gawai -- a festival which marks the end of the harvesting season. The Dayaks celebrate the Gawai annually on June 1, a thanksgiving day for the bountiful harvest and a time to plan for the new planting season. How this traditional wine tastes depends largely on who brews it. Made of fermented rice with yeast and sugar, tuak-making is the domain of the womenfolk who have to observe a myriad of rituals and taboos to ensure a fine tuak. Just ask Simai Linggi, an old hand in tuak-making, who has been brewing tuak and observing all the do's and don'ts religiously every year for the last 20 years. This 47-year-old housewife and mother of three from Kampung Lebor, Jalan Gedong, about 75km from Kuching, was taught the art of tuak-making by her mother and grandmother when she was in her 20's. She will proudly tell you hers is a "family recipe" and something she would not talk about. "Tuak-making starts early, sometimes two months before the festival. Brewing the tuak is always the first thing we do because a good tuak takes time to ferment," she told Bernama. Among the "pantang" or taboos observed by Dayak women is to avoid preparing the brew during menstruation. "It will make the tuak bad," she said. Another taboo is to never ferment the tuak in jars that were once used to store salt or salted foodstuff as this would cause the tuak to taste sour. "Those who brew the tuak should also avoid taking sour food and drinks," she added. The tuak is normally allowed to ferment in the jar for a couple of months, she said. "That is why we start to brew it two months before the Gawai." The Gawai festival starts on the evening of May 31 with the miring (offering) ceremony in the longhouse "ruai" or common space, or in the community centre if the community lives in a village. This is where the feast chief would give thanks to the gods for the good harvest and to ask for guidance, blessing and long life as he sacrifices a cockerel. "At the stroke of midnight, the ai pengayu (tuak for long life) is out with everyone sharing a toast. There will be eating and drinking, singing and dancing until the next day," she said. The longhouse never sleeps during Gawai, Simai said. In the morning, those who are still sober would be doing the "ngabang" (visiting friends and relatives). Simai said Gawai was the time for the Dayaks to showcase their rich cultural heritage and a time for the non-Dayaks to learn the tradition. Like in any celebration, when there is a beginning there will be an end. Celebrated over two weeks, Gawai comes to a close with the "Ngiling Tikai" or rolling up the mat ceremony. And the Dayaks would again go about their daily lives and routines; until the next Gawai comes around, that is. -- BERNAMA