A couple of months before my Australian and European adventures during the summer and fall of 2007, I had decided on a whim to participate in a retreat at Amma’s ashram in San Ramon, CA.

For those who don’t know Amma, she is known as the “hugging guru,” and Indian woman who travels all over the world and gives everyone who comes to her ashram during her open visits a heartfelt hug.

The feeling a person gets from her hug is almost impossible to explain; it might be likened to how people who had their feet washed by Jesus must have felt, or those who heard dharma directly from Buddha’s mouth.

So most everyone has heard about yoga and its benefits by now. Same with Pilates; possibly Tai Chi. Ok, a little fuzzy on the benefits. And possibly don’t really know what is actually involved with any of them. But definitely have read an article or two about yoga. Or saw the cover of a magazine that talked about it. Heard some friends talking about a magazine with a cover that talked about it. Definitely that–at least.
Not to worry, you can pull your head out from under the couch of which you have buried it in shame for not really understanding all of this alternative mumbo jumbo. It is OK. Smile. Breathe. That’s all it really comes back to anyway, the breath. You can do that, I promise. Can’t get too far into your day without it.