New Delhi, April 29 -- From my earliest memories, my breath has been my closest companion, even before I made real friends. My mother's remedy for all of life's challenges was simple: "Bring awareness to your breath." Whether it concerned my fear of the dark, frustration with math problems, a tummy ache, or even the whims of a child's imagination, her advice was always the same. Through her, I discovered a world of healing and emotional processing long before I understood those concepts.

And remember how, on the 10-day silent Vipassana meditation retreat that I went on when I was a teenager, we spent 13 hours each day simply becoming present with our breath? By the third day, my awareness had sharpened to the point where I could detect w...