What is Transcendental Meditation?

Unlike other forms of meditation, Transcendental Meditation (or TM) doesn't focus on breathing.

Instead, you are given a sound, known as a mantra, a Sanskrit word you repeat in your head. 

You're not supposed to tell anyone your mantra, which is different for everyone. Repeating the sound over and over lulls the brain into a trance.  

Practices vary but many people just sit quietly for 20 minutes twice a day - you don't have to cross your legs or make 'Om' sounds. 

After a couple of deep breaths, you close your eyes and focus on your Sanskrit word. You don't know the meaning of the word, it just sounds nice as you repeat it, silently, over and over.

The upfront cost to learn the practice varies. A four-day course with A-list teacher Bob Roth, who counts Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks and Katy Perry among his pupils, costs around $950 (£660). 

However there is a sliding scale for lessons based on ability to pay. The David Lynch Foundation, set up by the director who is a TM devotee, also subsidises costs for some lower-income pupils.

TM has been practised in India for thousands of years but was widely popularised in the West following its adoption by The Beatles in the Sixties. 

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