Amma, the "Hugging Saint"

[SteveLaura 0]

BBC

When it comes to being tactile, the British are notoriously, well, hands-off. So what leads hundreds of people to travel to a giant hall in London all for a hug? ...

Amma, the "Hugging Saint", is in town. And this procession of slightly disoriented passengers are among the crowds making their way to be embraced by her at the north London venue.

For 30 years Indian spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi, to give her her real name, has been hugging people, leading some to give her a saintly nickname.

This really is as simple as it sounds.

Amma sits on a slighted elevated seat. Strangers come before her, kneeling, and she embraces each as though they were her own flesh and blood.

Time spent with Amma is free and she does not promote any particular faith, being for "all religions and none". She is said to have dolled out some 26 million hugs, or "darshan", as the experience is known. Each is counted off with a clicker.

She has said that to hug someone is to symbolise giving, and that her embrace should help awaken the spirit of selflessness in people.

But there's more than just a cuddle being dished out here. Her charity, the Mata Amritanandamayi Math, has UN consultative status and claims to have built more than 36,000 homes and several hospitals for India's poor...

Now it's my turn to experience darshan. I kneel before Amma and shuffle forwards. She flings her arms open with a delighted smile that reminds me of the infrequent occasions that I go back to see my mother.

Amma takes me in her arms and I melt naturally into her embrace. Everything goes black. There is noise out there, but it seems to just become an indecipherable hum. It's just calm and comfortable in my head and heart.

Her robes are beautifully fragrant, and for the rest of the day I keep getting wafts of it, distracting me momentarily from whatever I'm doing.

Amma murmurs into my ear, repeating something that sounds like "Lo, Lo, Lo." Whatever the words, they have a power.

She kisses my forehead and cheek, and finally we part. She lifts up my hands and kisses them, and that for some reason makes my heart leap.

There are beaming smiles all round. I thank her and to my surprise, as I stand, I'm a little wobbly on my feet.

Amma, incidentally, means mother. On the way home, I call mine.

[almaty 19]

wow, what a saint....

[Ban Hammer 13,252]

still, check your wallet.

[JODO 2]

still, check your wallet.

[Fandango 1,439]

Dunno how I feel about kneeling before her, but otherwise, hugs are good!

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

My MIL has been hugged by her. The whole Amma phenomenon is a bit of a joke in our household.

[almaty 19]

My MIL has been hugged by her. The whole Amma phenomenon is a bit of a joke in our household.

did she cop a feel off of your MIL

[joelunchbox 0]

My MIL has been hugged by her. The whole Amma phenomenon is a bit of a joke in our household.

did she cop a feel off of your MIL

Kept waitng for the punchline.

It is nice to hear about people that don't appear to be in it for the money, sex, power, etc.

sounds like a nice person that I would like to meet, a hug would be nice too.

dancing is hugging set to music.........sorta.