Indian guru helped Helen Hunt conceive

Los Angeles: Oscar-winning actress Helen Hunt believes an Indian guru helped her realise her dream of becoming a mother after an uplifting experience with him.

United Nations-recognised spiritual master Sri Chinmoy invited the actress to his headquarters in Queens, New York shortly after Hunt won her Best Actress Oscar for her role in `As Good As It Gets`, and she accepted, reported E! online. The guru, who passed away in 2007, was famous for showing off mind-over-matter feats of strength, and he celebrates the achievements of people he admires by lifting them above his head. "He lifted people that he felt had achieved something, that had contributed something to the world, (Archbishop) Desmond Tutu, Muhammad Ali and me," Hunt said chat show host David Letterman. "I went with my goddaughter and we pull into this place and women open the car door and they are dressed in, like, floral gowns, and they walk me into this garden. Then I get on this contraption, walk up four steps and he lifted me up," she added. The one-off encounter with Sri Chinmoy may have been a little odd, but `The Sessions` star Hunt is convinced it helped her conceive. "I wanted to have a baby and he was encouraging me to pray and not give up and I did have a beautiful daughter, so he was right," Hunt said. PTI