C. .
1. Many cultures and religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism, were grounded in thoughts received.
during meditation. .
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2. The book Alternative Healing: The Complete A-Z Guide, written in 1993 by Mark Kastner and Hugh Burroughs, states that meditation techniques are used from various cultures around the world to reduce suffering and encourage healing. .
B. The most widely documented history of a meditative form is Transcendental Meditation. .
1. Transcendental meditation was founded by an Eastern Indian teacher named Maharishi Mahout Mahesh Yogi. .
a. According to Alternative Healing, Mahout was born in 1918, in former British India. .
b. In 1940, Mahout met Swami Brahamananda Saraswati, who was the Guru Dev, or divine teacher, and a key religious teacher in India. .
c. Mahout became the Guru's follower, and studied with him for 13 years. .
d. Alternative Healing continues to say that before the Guru's death in 1953, he asked Mahout to develop a simple form of universal meditation that could be learned and used by everyone. .
e. Mahout then went into seclusion for two years, in Utter Kasha in the Himalayan Mountains.
2. After the two year seclusion, Mahout suggested Transcendental meditation, which was a simplified version of yoga meditation. .
a. In 1959 Mahout began to formally teach Transcendental meditation. .
b. Following its" extreme popularity of the 1960's, by the 1970's, Transcendental meditation was firmly established in the United States, and is currently taught in more than 50 countries around the world. .
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Transition: Now that I have explained the history of meditation, I will now discuss the basics of meditation, by first discussing the different types of meditation techniques, and secondly explaining the correct body posture. .
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II. The basics of meditation. .
A. Although various forms of meditative techniques are available, only a few remain to be the most popular.