Cow Hugging Therapy: What It Is, How It May Help, and What Science Says? The importance of cows in Anthroposophy,  and importance of cows mentioned in Vedas and other hindu scriptures

Cow hugging (also called cow cuddling; Dutch: koe knuffelen) is a nature-based, animal-assisted practice in which people spend unhurried, tactile time with calm, human-accustomed cattle—often brushing, stroking, leaning against the animal’s warm flank, or simply sharing quiet presence. In professional settings, it sits within the broader family of Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI), especially farm animal-assisted therapy and Green Care/Care Farming programs that use farm environments and animals therapeutically.

What benefits are reported?

Across peer-reviewed studies of farm animal–assisted programs that include work and contact with cattle, researchers consistently report reduced state anxiety and depressive symptoms and improved coping/self-efficacy in many participants:

A 12-week intervention with regular, structured work around dairy cattle reported decreases in anxiety and depression and increases in self-efficacy; gains were strongest when participants experienced mastery of farm tasks.

A review of farm-animal AAI for psychiatric populations concluded such programs can reduce depression and state anxiety and raise self-efficacy, with the farmer’s social support as an important ingredient.

A longer-term care-farm literature (including Norwegian programs with cattle) describes improved coping ability, quality of life, and recovery-supporting routines following repeated farm engagement.


While most research evaluates programs that combine animal contact and meaningful farm tasks, there is emerging evidence about direct, quiet interaction with cows—close to what people mean by “cow hugging”:

An observational study of 18 nursing students interacting (stroking/brushing) with a single dairy cow for 15 minutes found a significant reduction in self-reported state anxiety post-session. Average plasma oxytocin did not change overall, but individual anxiety reductions tracked with individual oxytocin changes, suggesting nuanced physiology.

New work in bovine-assisted therapy examines cow cognition and welfare during cuddling contexts (e.g., handler sex, choice, and consent cues), emphasizing designs that are positive for both humans and cattle.


Bottom line: Evidence is promising—especially for anxiety, mood, and self-efficacy—though the most robust data come from broader farm-based programs where cow contact is one component. Controlled studies focused solely on “hugging” are still limited and small, so results should be viewed as encouraging but preliminary.

In Europe, especially the Netherlands, it is known as “koe knuffelen” (Dutch for “hugging cows”), which is where the modern trend of cow cuddling as a wellness practice became popular.

When used in structured therapeutic settings (like care farms or mental health programs), it’s often described as part of “Green Care”, “Care Farming”, or “Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI)” involving cattle.

Key Research Findings

Oxytocin and Anxiety Study

An observational study with 18 female nursing students found that interacting with a dairy cow (e.g., stroking/brushing for 15 minutes) led to a modest but significant reduction in self-reported state anxiety. While oxytocin (OT) levels didn’t change significantly on average, there was a positive correlation between anxiety reduction and OT changes in individuals, suggesting complex individual responses.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37780173

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10536144

Green Care / Farm Animal Therapy

In a “Green Care” (or care farming) intervention, patients with mental health challenges who engaged regularly with cattle showed long-term improvements in coping ability and self-efficacy and reductions in depression and anxiety.

https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.1079/hai.2024.0016

12-Week Farm Animal-Assisted Intervention

A clinical trial involving 14 adults with depression who participated in a 12-week program that included working with dairy cattle twice a week found:

• Decreased anxiety and depression, and
• Increased self-efficacy, especially when progress in working skills was achieved.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21767251

Social Buffering and Stress

Research on social mammals—including cows—demonstrates that being with familiar, calm individuals (social buffering) reduces stress reactions. Cattle are highly social and suffer psychologically when isolated; the mere presence of calm conspecifics—or familiar animals—helps mitigate stress.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320771759_The_Psychology_of_Cows

Here are some more perspectives:

Vedic / Indian tradition: The cow (gau mata) is seen as deeply sattvic (pure, life-nurturing). It’s believed that sitting near a calm cow or being in a goshala (cow sanctuary) can create a sense of peace, reduce stress, and elevate one’s mental state.

Biofield / aura research: Modern researchers sometimes use terms like “biofield” or “electromagnetic field.” Cows, like all living beings, generate subtle electromagnetic fields from their hearts and brains. Some suggest that humans may resonate with this calm, steady frequency.

Therapeutic effects: Practices like “cow cuddling” (popular even in the West) show that physical closeness with cows lowers cortisol (stress hormone) and increases oxytocin (the “bonding hormone”). This matches the idea of receiving calm, grounding energy from their aura.

Symbolic / spiritual layer: Cows are patient, nurturing beings. Spending time around them often mirrors these qualities back to us, which some interpret as their aura helping regulate our own.

Summary of scientific research on cow cuddling therapy

Cows radiate a gentle, grounding presence that many people experience as healing and calming, often described as their “aura.” Being near them naturally soothes the mind and heart, as their steady rhythms, peaceful nature, and nurturing energy seem to harmonize with our own. Modern observations show that time spent with cows lowers stress and uplifts mood, while traditional wisdom holds that their very presence carries purity and life-giving vibrations. In this way, the cow’s aura can be felt as a subtle force that restores balance and brings humans closer to a state of peace and well-being.

Importance of cows in anthroposophy

Rudolf Steiner (the founder of Anthroposophy and the basis of Waldorf education & biodynamic farming) spoke often about cows—especially in the context of agriculture, cosmic forces, and the spiritual ecology of life. His view of the cow goes beyond material milk production, seeing the animal as a kind of “cosmic mediator.” Here are some of his main points:

1. The Cow as a Cosmic Animal

Steiner said that the cow is especially sensitive to cosmic and earthly forces.

Its horns and hooves are not mere ornaments but “sense organs” that help channel etheric and astral forces into digestion and into the environment.

Through this, the cow becomes a kind of mediator between the earth and the cosmos.

“Through the cow’s horns and hooves, forces stream into the digestive organism that are necessary for the forming of substances which then radiate into the environment.”
— Rudolf Steiner, Agriculture Course (1924)

2. Cows and Nourishment

Milk, according to Steiner, carries not just nutrition but life forces (etheric vitality) from the cow.

He described how the cow, by consuming plants and transforming them, gives back something highly refined (milk, manure) that sustains both human and earth health.

3. Manure as Life-Giving

In biodynamic farming, cow manure is sacred. Steiner insisted that manure, especially when treated with biodynamic preparations, is not just fertilizer but a carrier of cosmic-earthly vitality.

This is why cows are considered central to a biodynamic farm organism—they “digest” the farm’s vegetation and return it transformed into a force for soil fertility.

4. The Cow as Central to the Farm Organism

Steiner placed the cow at the heart of the “farm organism” concept.

Without cows, he said, a farm cannot be truly biodynamic because they anchor the circulation of life energies through eating, digesting, and returning manure to the soil.

5. Spiritual Significance

For Steiner, cows were deeply connected to cosmic rhythms. Their calm, ruminant nature reflects an alignment with cosmic order.

He even suggested that being in contact with cows could bring humans into harmony with the same life forces that sustain the earth.

What our Vedas say about cows

In Vedic and post-Vedic literature, the cow (gau, go, dhenu) is revered not only as a source of material nourishment but also as a being with healing, protective, and purifying qualities. Many hymns and shlokas connect the cow with health (ārogya), vitality (ojas), and spiritual well-being. Here are some key references:

1. Rig Veda – The Cow as Nourisher and Healer

The Rig Veda (10.87.16) praises the cow’s milk as life-giving:

गोमदिन्द्रस्य सोमपः पवस्व वाजसातये ।
gomad indrasya somapaḥ pavasva vājasātaye

“May the soma flow for Indra, accompanied by cows, for strength and nourishment.”

This highlights the association of cows with vital strength and sustenance. Milk and ghee are repeatedly described as amṛta (nectar).

2. Atharva Veda – Cows as Healing, Sin-Removing

The Atharva Veda (11.1.34–35) describes cows as a source of healing and purification:

गावो भूतं च भविष्यम् च पश्यन्ति ।
गावः सर्वस्य भेषजम् ।

“Cows perceive the past and the future. They are the remedy (medicine) for all.”

Another verse (Atharva Veda 1.16.4):

गावो मे, अस्य भेषजम् ।
gāvo me asya bheṣajam

“The cows are indeed my healing remedy.”

3. Yajur Veda – Cows as Sources of Purity

The Yajur Veda (Taittiriya Samhita 6.5.7.2) states:

गावो भेषजं भेषजीनाम् ।
gāvo bheṣajaṃ bheṣajīnām

“The cow is the medicine of medicines.”

This is often quoted in Ayurvedic and traditional texts to emphasize that all products of the cow (milk, curd, ghee, urine, dung) are purifying and healing.

4. Bhagavata Purana – Cows as Spiritual Healers

In Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (10.8.6), cows are associated with prosperity, health, and blessings:

गावो हि भूतानि हितानि भग्नाः
पावन्यपः सर्वजुषां च पुष्ट्यै ।

“The cows are for the welfare of all living beings; they purify and bestow nourishment.”

5. Gau Seva as Healing Practice

Beyond texts, in Vedic lifestyle, gau seva (serving cows) itself was considered healing:

Sitting near cows (gau-sannidhya) was seen as calming for the mind.

Panchagavya (milk, curd, ghee, urine, dung) was used as medicine, ritual purifier, and agricultural aid.

Touching or hugging cows was viewed as a way to absorb sattvic vibrations.

The Vedas and allied texts clearly recognize cows as universal healers (sarva-bheṣajam). Shlokas from the Atharva Veda and Yajur Veda explicitly call the cow “the medicine of medicines”. This is both symbolic (spiritual healing, removal of sin and impurity) and practical (milk, ghee, and other derivatives for nourishment and health).

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