A Few of my Favorite Cuddle Positions

Dream Weaver
Jul 8
3 min read

Updated: Sep 18

Man cuddling a sleeping tabby cat, both appearing calm. The man wears a gray sweater, adding warmth to the intimate setting.

At Sacred Touch, cuddle therapy is more than just hugging. It's co-creating an experience that invites your body to feel safe, connected, and grounded. Each position has opportunities to build trust, regulate the nervous system, explore comfort and connection, and promote relaxation in a consensual and supportive environment. All positions can be modified to meet your unique needs, and new positions can be suggested or discovered along the way!

Side-by-Side (The "Classic Cuddle")

What it is: Both people lie on their sides facing the same direction, with one person holding the other from behind. This position is commonly referred to as "spooning."

As a Cuddle Therapist, I love this position because it offers a sense of safety and containment, particularly for the inside person (or the "little spoon"). This position allows partners to feel each other's heartbeat and breathing rhythm, making co-regulation particularly powerful. It can also release the lower back and hips, and additional support can be easily provided by laying pillows under the hips or between the knees. This position is great for people wanting close contact without the pressure or feeling of eye contact.

Face-to-Face Cuddle

What it is: Both people lie or sit facing each other. Some people enjoy touching foreheads or hands.

Face-to-Face builds a deep sense of emotional connection, synchronized breathing, and gentle communication. It promotes a close sense of intimacy without a sexual or romantic nature. The connection and intimacy that can occur in this position allows for gentle communication, eye contact, and check-ins that can make a person feel seen and cared for. As a Cuddle Therapist, I love this position for the sense of feeling witnessed and held it creates for people.

Human Blanket

What it is: One person lays on their stomach or back, and the other person lays on top of them.

This position creates a deep sense of pressure in the body similar to a weighted blanket. It can relieve pain or tension in the body and create a deep sense of being grounded. This position promotes release, comfort, care, and even a sense of protection or being shielded. It also allows for deep co-regulation through synced breathing and heart rates. This position may be particularly beneficial for people wanting a deep sense of connection and grounding without eye contact.

Cradling

What it is: One person lies on their back or side resting their head in the lap or ag against the chest of the other person. The cradler may stroke their partners hair, hold their hand, or lightly massage their scalp, face, or shoulders.

This position is particularly wonderful for tapping into our inner child. Cradling our head in someone's lap while they stroke our hair can release feelings of being nurtured and cherished. Leaning against another person while they hold us can help us feel protected and cared for. These feelings soothe us, allows for emotional release and comfort, and can be powerful for grief work.

Head-on-Shoulder

What it is: Both people sit upright or semi-reclined, with one person resting their head on the other person's shoulder.

This position can feel stabilizing for people. They're able to be upright and support their own body, while retaining a sense of connection to another person. It can encourage a sense of emotional safety and quiet companionship. This position can be supportive of longer conversations, limited eye contact, and accessible in public spaces.

Back-to-Back

What it is: Both people sit or lie back-to-back, touching along the spine and shoulders.

This position provides connection, grounding, and co-regulation with less vulnerability. It can be helpful for people building comfort with physical touch or that want to maintain a high-level personal space while cuddling. This position allows us to focus on feeling our partner's presence through sensory input such as their pressure on our back, the rate of their breathing, or the way they move and shift through this position.

This is only a handful of cuddle positions. Each offers unique experiences and benefits. A single cuddle session allows us to experience a range of positions, with goals as varied as deepening a sense of intimacy to relieving pain in a specific area of the body. Include what position you're most interested in trying when you submit a request for a session!

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