The Hole in my Pyjamas

I was consciously drawn to Amma's ashram to write about it. I was curious to see for myself the female guru who travels the world, giving healing hugs to people willing to queue sometimes five hours for her “darshan” (opportunity with a holy person). The stories go that expectant recipients are enveloped in her arms and all the grief from many meridians is washed away. Some break down in tears, engulfed in her motherly embrace, others are touched to the core, some healed of strange illnesses. I realized I had developed a symbiotic relationship with my blog in that it now influenced me as much as I was influencing it. On my first blog post, hugging appeared on the list of healing activities to be pursued. Research shows that deep hugs, pressing hearts together, can heal sickness, disease, depression, anxiety and stress. A deep hug boosts oxytocin, serotonin and immunity. It can also regulate the body’s production of white blood cells, relax the muscles, ease pain, increase circula...

The gorgeous sandy beaches of Varkala, that wound around the cliffs as far as the eye could see, were reached by a few hours' drive from the Sivananda ashram. I booked into a retreat a few minutes’ walk from the sea that offered Ayurvedic food and had an adjacent health clinic. Freshwater ponds interlaced with luscious tropical plants that insatiably helped themselves to the free space of land surrounding the little cottages inhabited by guests. I was utterly depleted after Panchakarma, and unfortunately, a day after arriving, developed a fever and was confined to my cottage for the majority of the time. Thankfully, it had a veranda with a view of the pleasant setting where I could relax in peace, since I was barely able to read or move beyond its doors. Luckily there was an Ayurvedic doctor on site, a kind, tiny, lady who’s fuss of me was at first a relief that grew into an over attentive driver of anxiety. Before I knew it, I was being encouraged to go to the hospital for a fu...