Across the globe, an Indian woman has become known for miraculous healing simply through hugging others. Amma, also affectionately known in Sanskrit as Ammachi, “darling mother,” is the daughter of a destitute fisherman and was born in 1953 in a small village in Kerala in southern India. As a teenager, “her love for the Lord surmounted,” and she began to have a following who came to her for love and support.
Called a “modern day saint” by many, Amma has toured the world giving out words of love and assurance and warm hugs. In fact, devotees of India’s Mata Amritanandamayi are willing to spend hours standing in line for just one of her brief hugs. They claim the effect of that one hug—her loving touch—can last them a lifetime.
As Amma greets her followers, she lifts their chins with a finger and dots their foreheads with sandalwood paste. Then she wraps her arms around their necks and rocks each person gently, while rubbing their backs and whispering in their ears –“my daughter” and “my son”–over and over in her native language. The hug lasts about 10 seconds, but in a world that is high tech and low touch, the hug is therapeutic.