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Who doesn’t desire a genuine and warm hug after a tiring day?
If your partner, your friend, or someone you love hugs you from behind, you might be thinking if it means something.
This heartwarming hug is fun and might surprise you, but what does it mean about the way the other person feels about you?
To help shed light on your relationships, let’s unlock and find out the meaning behind this loving embrace.
What hugging from behind reveals
There are different types of hugs – and each one means something.
And when the other person hugs you from behind, it communicates what your relationship is like.
1) There’s a sense of attraction
If this person hugs you from behind, take it as a sign of attraction and affection.
You’ll know that it’s true when you receive this hug when you’re alone together. The hug also lingers, and you can feel the warmth of it.
If the guy is attracted to you but hasn’t said the words to you, he’ll do a back sneak attack.
When he comes behind and puts his arms around you, you know that he feels something deeper for you.
Psychologist and author of The Secret Lives of Men, Christopher Blazina, Ph.D., shares that this means, “He craves a closer connection but thinks you’re unavailable. He avoids hugging face-to-face because he’s worried you’re not into him.”
One reason is that this person is comfortable with showing affection towards you.
You can also notice these signs of attraction:
- Prolonged eye contact
- Keeping your gaze
- Smiling and laughing at what you say
- Leaning towards you
- Standing closer to you
- Light touching you more than other people
In case he hugs others the same way, take notice of his body language around them and what he is when you’re together.
2) It suggests that they care
This person comes behind you and gently strokes your back while holding you. This genuine and affectionate embrace signifies that the person deeply cares about you.
This is the type of hug that goes a long way in making us feel good.
This person wants you to know that he cares about you by giving you a hug from the back.
If he always surprises you with this heartwarming hug from behind, you’ve found such a deeply caring man.
It shows that this person is a keeper and protector who values your feelings.
As this hug also signifies faithfulness, it’s one type of hug that every woman desires from their partners.
So when you receive this hug, be grateful.
Why not hold his arms and enjoy the moment of intimacy?
3) To keep you safe and secure
A hug that comes from the back is also considered a “Protector Hug.”
It speaks aloud of someone’s affection towards the other.
This tight hug from behind suggests that the person is there to act as their protector in the other person’s life.
This person is protective of you and wants you to know you can rely on them.
Receiving this hug from your partner gives you a sense of security. With this person around, you’ll feel secure knowing he won’t let anything happen to you.
And this is in line with the new relationship concept about “hero instinct.”
According to this theory, a man has a biological drive to be a hero in a woman’s life (though not in a literal sense).
This “hero instinct” concept means that a man seeks to feel wanted and needed by the woman in his life and to provide for those he cares for.
It’s an interesting concept as you can trigger this hero instinct in your guy.
4) It suggests comfort and happiness
According to studies, we should embrace the 20-second hug as simply hugging someone for 20 seconds a day can alleviate stress and beat burnout.
You may get surprised when someone comes up and hugs you with your back facing them.
It can be the person’s way to express happy emotions with you.
This random yet loving embrace from the back, while the other is initially unaware, reveals that your love is always there.
The fact that this hug may come as a surprise, for instance, while having your back turned while working or washing the dishes, sparks feel-good emotions.
Maybe this person pulls you closer and wants this romantic moment to last as long as possible.
When someone gives you this type of hug, feel secure and happy knowing that someone values your happiness too.
Appreciate the person and savor the happiness that you two are sharing.
5) This person sees you as a partner
When you get this back from your back, someone considers you as a partner.
You’ve got a security blanket right there!
This person is showing how much he cares for you. He wants you to realize that you can count on his support and loyalty.
If a man hugs you from behind tightly, see it as a reassurance that is worth a million words.
This signifies a level of commitment that transcends beyond a casual romance.
You’re not just friends or a couple, but life partners – and this means that your relationship is bound to last.
This person desires a life with you. Cherish this person’s feelings more than anything else.
So when you receive this hug, enjoy it.
Why not lean your head on their chest, close your eyes and listen to their heart, and let the romantic feeling sink in.
6) You share a strong physical connection
This back hug may come as a surprise that often signifies two people being fond of each other,
Such a hug indicates deep feelings that a million words can’t express.
People give this hug to someone they’re comfortable with.
This type of hug is comforting as it makes one feel protected, loved, and special. And you’ll feel this deep connection with every fiber of your being.
It’s passionate, romantic, and intimate all at the same time.
There’s a sense of oneness when this person blankets your body with his, and your arms are intertwined.
Body-language expert and author of Success Signals, Patti Wood, shares that this also means:
“By covering your back, he’s conveying that he wants to shelter you.”
7) The other person is trying to cheer you up
Hugging someone has a stress-reducing effect and boosts feel-good hormones. According to a Healthline article by Dr. Karthik Kumar, MBBS, hugging aids in healing negative feelings such as anger, loneliness, and isolation.
When someone hugs you from behind, this person wants to make you feel better.
Whether this person is your friend, family member, or partner, you know that he cares about your feelings and happiness.
This person can feel your pain and is trying to make an effort to put a smile on your face.
This person reassures you with a soft back hug while rubbing your back soothingly to make you feel good.
Sometimes, the other person is feeling sad that hugging you gives him comfort. So pay attention to that and try your best to help them out.
Janine Driver, president of the Body Language Institute has this to share,
“Having one’s back caressed is a soothing touch that people often instinctively crave when they’re down. A man might rub your back because, unconsciously, that’s what he’s desiring.”
8) It’s a sign of trust and protection
Whether you’re in a romantic relationship or in a parent-child relationship, a hug from behind means that you’ve got the person’s back.
Hugging you with a tender rub on your back shows that this person wants to protect and nurture you.
Relationship and intimacy coach Marla Mattenson shares this is usually the hug parents give their children. She shares, “It gives them that extra support behind their back that’s literally saying ‘I’ve got your back,'”
A hug from behind is a great bonding moment for couples in a relationship. It keeps them physically close while looking at the same view and feeling comfortable in each other’s presence.
Body-language expert and author of Success Signals, Patti Wood, shares that this means:
“He’s also flexing his masculinity – this displays his strength and dominance.”
9) This person misses you
When you receive a hug from the back, you know that this person misses you for a long time.
This is especially true for long-distance relationships and for people who haven’t seen each other for quite some time.
It’s the feeling of meeting someone after a long time and you can’t say a word.
Or maybe you get so busy that the other person misses just being by your side.
There’s a sense of longing that he shows this by giving you a back hug.
The person simply allows his feelings to rule over with a tight hug to show how important you are to his life and how much you’re missed.
This person wants to get cuddly and wants to spend more time snuggled up with you.
10) This person loves you dearly
When someone you like hugs you from behind, it means that the person loves you more than anything else.
Sometimes, we can’t find the right words to express our love and affection. We hug someone to let them know how much they mean to us.
This person is telling you, beyond words, about his loyalty and genuine love.
And when this person kisses your hair in the middle of the hug, you know that he’s head over heels in love with you.
So don’t take this lightly as this person loves you dearly.
Cherish this person and value his feelings more than anything else.
And there’s a huge possibility that this is the one for you.
What to do when someone hugs you from behind?
The next time you find yourself getting hugged from the back, you know what it means and what it tells about the relationship you have with this person.
Considering that the person who hugs you is someone you like.
Enjoy the comfort that this hug brings. You can put one arm on this person’s arm to show you appreciate the gesture. You can also lean on the person’s upper shoulder.
If you don’t like the person and don’t feel comfortable with this kind of embrace, nicely tell the person.
Here’s what to watch out for
Pay attention to these situations and instances when someone you barely knew embraces you from behind:
- The person is getting a feel of your body without your permission
- You get locked in a dangerous position (and you need to act on this right away)
- This person is using you so others will think that you’re his lover
It feels odd and weird when someone you don’t know or barely know gives you a hug from the back. Make sure you stay away and make it known that you do not allow that kind of disrespectful contact.
Remember that you don’t have to endure anything you don’t want to.
Hugs are good for you
Whether it’s a warm hug on a cold day or a hug to show that someone misses you, it can create a huge impact on your health
Hugging makes people feel good – no matter how it’s done. It connects and brings people together.
Most importantly, hugs bring a myriad of positive effects on our health and well-being.
It makes us feel special knowing that someone values us.
When words aren’t sufficient, a hug can make it all enough. It’s the purest form of expressing one’s love.
Hugging is healthy. It indicates support, comfort, care, affection, and emotional warmth,
- It connects friends, parents, siblings, and children
- It builds and nurtures relationships
- It boosts mood and positivity
- It heals broken hearts
When you share a hug with someone, you can both feel the good vibes and energy. And when you’re happy, your happiness increases when you get or hug someone.
Hugging matters for your well-being
SCL Health shares these powerful benefits of hugging:
- It helps lower our stress throughout the day
- It provides a healthy boost to our immune system
- It aids in lowering heart rate and blood pressure
- It could lead to decreased depression
Regular hugs between partners have better physical and psychological health, handle conflict better, and have improved relationships. The study also found out that it’s also associated with higher oxytocin levels and lower blood pressure and heart rates.
Oxytocin, also tagged as the “cuddle hormone,” is the chemical in our bodies that’s associated with happiness and less stress.
Healthline also shares that hugging can protect one from illness, boost heart health, and may help reduce your fears.
And when it comes to relationships between couples, studies have found that couples who hug most of the time are the happiest. It’s because it improves each other’s well-being, reduces stress, and strengthens their intimacy.
According to Ilene Ruhoy, M.D., Ph.D., founder of the Center of Healing and Neurology, hugging nurtures the emotional closeness that two people share through the exchange of energy.
She explains it this way,
“The act of hugging also releases oxytocin stored in the pituitary gland. That feeling of love, familiarity, and fellowship is why we have the instinct to hug our children, our parents, and our friends.”
Get and give hugs
A hug makes us feel better, physically and mentally.
When you hug the people you love, you’re releasing happy hormones and giving them a loving vibe.
For best results, we should give and get more hugs to experience its best positive effects.
We could all benefit from hugging people we love. And you can start by hugging those closest to you.
Hug the people you love and care for. It’s easy and doesn’t cost anything.
Sometimes it’s also hard to comfort your friends or people you care for, but a single hug can do wonders.
So if you want to express your deep affection, concern, feelings, or love, don’t hold yourself back from giving them a warm hug.
If you desire to live a healthier and happier life, share and spread hugs. And when you hug, give the most of your positive energy.
It’s one of the best ways to show your love and make this world a much happier place.
We all can use more hugs, right?
After all, it’s harmless and easy to do.
In conclusion
By now you should have a good idea of what it means when someone hugs you from behind. Maybe you have a strong physical connection or maybe it’s a sign of protection.
But what if it’s both and you can’t draw a definite conclusion? When in doubt, ask an expert.
A gifted advisor from Psychic Source helped me get clarity about two of my own questions, from which I gained a lot of insight.
Not only was I able to draw conclusions that helped me, but I also got some really useful advice.
They are the real deal, so if you’re still not sure about any of this, I recommend getting in touch with one of their advisors.
They’ve helped me more than any other advisor in the past, and they’re bound to be able to help you too.
So instead of waiting for things to happen, why not get clarity on your love life now?
