What is it about this diminutive Indian woman that has inspired 32 million (and counting) to wait in line for her darshan, a simple embrace?

Kirtan Wallahs founders Craig and Monnie Ramsell have been Amma devotees for many years, playing music during darshans and attending retreats. Craig Ramsell explains, “Now I understand much better the bliss of being in service to others, although of course I’m still working on the ego’s distracting, relentless ‘me, me, me’ noise in my day-to-day existence. In Amma’s presence, it’s much easier to shut off at least most of that noise.”

Though blessings from Amma are free, donations and proceeds from her events have made her one of the world’s leading humanitarians, funding hospitals, schools, and homes in 40 countries. Ramsell calls her “one of the most transformational people on the planet,” adding, “The charitable work done in her name is off the charts, and no one has consoled as many people one-on-one as Amma has through her darshan hugs.”

Often called “the hugging saint,” Amma was born in Kerala, India. She left school at age seven to care for her ailing mother and seven siblings. While going from house to house collecting scraps to feed her family’s cows, she saw poverty and suffering among her neighbors. Her great compassion led her to do something unthinkable for a young girl raised in traditional Hindu culture: to reach out to comfort others through her touch.

To attend one of Amma’s darshans is to be immersed in an ocean of bhakti. Because it is an experience unfamiliar to Westerners (even to most yoga students), Amma’s organization publishes guides to make it easier for first-timers.

 Do you plan to see Amma during her tour?