Transcendental Meditation is a distinctive form of meditation that was first introduced by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. He was raised in a Hindu family in India and began the Transcendental Meditation movement in 1958. It captured worldwide interest ever since and now has millions of followers all over the globe. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi now lives in the Netherlands and has founded clinics, conducted programs and even written books about the benefits of Transcendental Meditation.

Transcendental Meditation is supposed to be different from all other forms of meditation because it claims to take the practitioner to an extraordinary level of consciousness termed as "bliss". The key attraction of Transcendental Meditation is that it purports to be a scientific method of alleviating stress. Regular practice of Transcendental Meditation is supposed to release pent-up energy, relieve stress, boost creativity and infuse inner peace and contentment.

Practicing Transcendental Meditation is pretty simple and clear-cut. It has to be practiced for about 20 minutes twice a day by sitting in a snug position with shut eyes. This technique takes you to the recesses of your mind where you experience a sense of awareness termed as "Transcendental Consciousness". This is supposed to be a kind of soporific alertness where your brain functions with superior clarity and your body is relaxed.

It may interest you to know that you have to pay to learn and perfect the Transcendental Meditation technique. There's no book or video clipping that can teach you the art of Transcendental Meditation. It can be learned only through a certified trainer from the Transcendental Meditation Program and for this you are charged a fee.

The main purpose of transcendental meditation is to tap latent sources of creativity, energy and intelligence by stimulating the mind. Transcendental Meditation guides the mind to move in an inward direction after which the mind naturally takes over and discovers energy, peace and contentment. It is supposed to work for everyone no matter what age, culture or nationality they belong to.

The benefits of transcendental meditation are said to be hundred fold. It claims to sharpen your memory and make you feel rejuvenated and energized. Your self-confidence goes up a notch and it is accompanied by a marked improvement in relationships with family, friends and colleagues. You become better able to handle stress and feel calm and relaxed most of the time. Overall, through healing of mind and body, you become physically healthier and mentally strong and focused.

A lot of scientific research has been conducted on Transcendental Meditation. The technique is unfolded to practitioners in a seven step process consisting of lectures, a personal interview and instruction session after which the student learns how to practice the technique and begins meditating.

There are many skeptics of the Transcendental Meditation technique but the enthusiasm of 6 million followers worldwide speaks for itself. Besides, celebrities like Mia Farrow and Jerry Seinfield have also claimed that this technique has enriched their lives. Regardless of the critics and skeptics, Transcendental Meditation is here to stay. It is certainly not harmful and if the fan following is anything to go by at the most you'll only rediscover yourself and add quality to your life.