'Cow Cuddling' is the new wellness trend taking over the Netherlands

Cows are big and warm and have a slower heartbeat, which can all bring a calming effect. Photo / Facebook

A new wellness craze in the Netherlands has stressed people hugging cows for comfort .

Koe knuffelen in Dutch translates to "hugging cow" and involves a person visiting a farm where they spend a few hours cuddling one of the animals.

Advocates of the new wellness craze told the Daily Mail "cow cuddling can be quite soothing thanks to the animal's warm temperature and size, and the oxytocin boost it leads to can even reduce stress".

Cow hugging is the new wellness craze. Photo / Facebook

This is not the first wellness trend to involve animals. In recent years, we've seen people take up things like goat yoga and piggy pilates, all in the name of wellbeing and relaxation.

Heerlijke knuffelsessie met Jut 🥰

Posted by Koeknuffelen on Tuesday, October 20, 2020

The trend, which began in the Netherlands, has started to spread worldwide, with one farm in New York offering a similar experience for about $75.

The trend is a type of self care that can bring "serenity" to participants. Photo / Facebook

"It will be about finding a connection, getting close to the natural world, slowing down, taking time to take a breathe, doing something new and exciting, finding peace & quietness and simply Be," the Mountain Horse Farm in Naples, New York, explains on its website.

"Cow cuddling is believed to promote positivity and reduce stress by boosting oxytocin in humans, the hormone released in social bonding," an article on the BBC explains.

"The calming effects of curling up with a pet or emotional support animal, it seems, are accentuated when cuddling with larger mammals," it adds.