Oprah's Next Chapter — Season 1, Episode 13: America's Most Unusual Town

Episode synopsis

Oprah spends the day in Fairfield, Iowa—one of the safest, greenest and most unusual communities in America. In the middle of corn country, it's probably the last place you'd expect to find a dome and an evening traffic jam where thousands of the local population of 9,400 are headed to meditate. Oprah's journey begins at a unique Fairfield school where twice-daily Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a mandatory part of the curriculum. Next, she visits the neighboring community of Maharishi Vedic City—named after the Indian guru who founded the TM movement. Here, nonorganic food is banned, and all houses face east, adhering to an ancient Indian architectural style that is said to bring peace and harmony to one's surroundings. Maharishi Vedic City is also home to a top secret, 80-acre compound where 800 men from India live and spend eight hours a day meditating, chanting and studying. Cameras have never been allowed inside their community—until now.

About Oprah's Next Chapter

Oprah's Next Chapter is an American primetime television show hosted and produced by Oprah Winfrey, airing on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. The series premiered on Sunday January 1, 2012 at 9/8c, with a two-part episode featuring Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler.

More episodes from Season 1

• E1Steven Tyler
• E2Pastor Joel Osteen
• E3Governor Chris Christie
• E4George Lucas
• E5Sean Penn in Haiti
• E6Hope in Haiti
• E7America's Hidden Culture, Part 1
• E8America's Hidden Culture, Part 2
• E9Tony Robbins
• E10Paula Deen
• E11Worldwide Exclusive: Oprah Talks to Whitney Houston's Daughter and Family
• E12Lady Gaga and Her Mother, Cynthia