So here are the best cuddling positions for couples, depending on yourrelationship stage, goals, and surroundings.

How to:Just sit or stand side by side, lean against each other, and hold hands.

Benefit:Holding hands can be both innocent and intimate.

Abby Moore

How to:Sit side by side and look at each other.

“It can be both comforting, reassuring, and intimate yet still allow space for some independence.”

How to:Sit crisscross on the couch or the floor.

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Have your partner lie down and rest their head in your lap, and then pet their hair.

Benefit:Seated hugs can be more comfortable and sustainable than standing hugs, Brown says.

Plus, they help cancel out height differences.

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Have the other person sit in front of you and lean back.

Simultaneously, it may allow the giving partner to feel confident in being able to provide support.

How to:Both partners should lie on their sides facing in the same direction.

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Little spoon: Rest your back against their stomach.

Big spoon: Rest your stomach against your partner’s back and wrap your arms around them.

“It’s romantic because it gives you a feeling of unity and comfort.”

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How to:One partner lies on their back, and the other partner lies on their side.

Benefit:This position can increase softness and connection with a partner, Tumbling says.

How to:Pillow your heads on each other’s legs and face one another.

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Benefit:This creates a simultaneous flow of giving and receiving for each partner, Tumbling explains.

Spooning and resting your head on your partner’s chest are two of Brown’s favorites.

This could look like intertwined legs or touching back-to-back.

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There’s a neurochemical reason cuddling can help couples bond, Brown-James explains.

And these physically intimate gestures might be especially meaningful or people with thephysical touch love language.

There are many benefits to cuddling and ways to do it.

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“Cuddling is a form of touch that can be both sexual and nonsexual,” Brown-James says.

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