From Maharishi to Yoga Nation

There was a time in the 1970s when you could not pass a telephone pole or bulletin board on an American college campus without seeing a flier with the long, flowing hair and beard of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the guru who brought transcendental meditation to the West.

When the Beatles trekked to his ashram in India to study, his movement was the exotic realm of superstars. This week, the Maharishi died, in his 90s, and Eastern spirituality, meditation buzzwords, and yoga studios are all over the American landscape.

This hour, On Point: the path from the Maharishi to Yoga Nation.Guests:

Mark Juergensmeyer, professor of sociology and religious studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and director of its Center for Global and International Studies.

Geoff Gilpin, author of "The Maharishi Effect" (2006), a personal account of his involvement in the Transcendental Meditation movement in the 1960s.

Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, spiritual head of the Himalayan Institute, one of the most prominent centers in the U.S. for the study of yoga, meditation, spirituality, and holistic health. He is a contributor to Yoga + Joyful Living magazine.