It's a good thing I wrote about Jack Reacher and me yesterday because I learned more about yoga today than you care to know. First, the so-called yoga class I referred to was not, in fact, a class; it was a spa tourist's version of a stretch session. I did learn a bit about breathing but nothing compared to yesterday's revelations. The count on breathing in and out is hugely important and very long, to a count of five breathing in and another five breathing out. Long time. You really scour your lungs, especially, I found, on breathing out, like emptying your soul. Amazing!

I won't go into the poses - the first basic movements of the beginner's class of Ashtanga Yoga that I attended. I'm stiff today, but mainly in the upper arms. Turns out I don't have much strength there. The big news is the wonderful use of my arms that I have not been making: Hugs.

Stand up, feet together, and stretch your arms out to the side, parallel to the floor. Then bring them together, crossing them in front of you and wrap them around your body as tightly as you can and as much as you can in a big bear hug. You are the hugger and also the hugee. It feels good, sooo good.

See, if you live alone as I do, you don't get hugs every day. Long ago, in my book about widowhood (Beginnings, 1977), I did some research about hugs As I remember, and the numbers may not be quite accurate, a person needs 3 hugs a day for survival, 6 for maintenance, and 12 for growth. Try getting that if you live alone. So this discovery of a yoga hug is very important.

Hug yourself.

Jack Reacher, as many of you will know (not that I know that many), is the hero of Lee Child's thriller mystery novels. Reacher is six foot five and upwards of 250 pounds and he does not carry a gun. I won't go into more detail but the reason I am writing about him is that he has taught me to get to sleep faster. When he lies down, even after a strenuous or dangerous day, he takes three breaths and falls asleep. Oh, and he can set his head and wake at the time he specifies.

In one yoga class I went to, the guide instructed us to take a deep breath and fill our bellies, then, letting out that breath, take another and direct the air up to the chest. Then sigh as you let the air out. That's what I do now when I lie down, and think of Jack Reacher. Works like a charm. I have always been able to set my head although if I have to catch a plane, I don't trust myself. I might as well, because I can't handle an alarm clock. I take a brief nap every day, set the timer for half an hour, go into a deep REM sleep and wake one or two minutes before the timer buzzes. I have a terrible sense of direction but an exquisite sense of time. My line is that I lost my map when I was born but I swallowed a clock.

Me and Jack Reacher.