?Change Begins Within? benefit Dec. 3

Celebrities Ellen DeGeneres, Russell Brand, Russell Simmons and David Lynch will headline the third annual ?Change Begins Within? Benefit Gala, to raise funds for the David Lynch Foundation, Dec. 3 in Los Angeles.

The goal of the foundation is to offer the benefits of the Transcendental Meditation technique to tens of thousands of students as well as to veterans and their families suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder.

DeGeneres has had major roles in movies and TV shows, hosts an Emmy Award-winning TV talk show, has her own record label, has a book on the New York Times bestseller list, is a comedienne, and practices the Transcendental Meditation technique.

In an interview on the ?Today Show,? DeGeneres spoke about her practice of meditation and said that it?s ?kinda like when you have to shut your computer down. Just sometimes when it goes crazy, you just shut it down and when you turn it on, it?s OK again. That?s what meditation is for me.?

Joining DeGeneres will be comedian, author and actor Russell Brand, whose movies include ?Get Him to the Greek? and ?Arthur.? Brand hosted last year?s Change Begins Within gala in New York City.

Also appearing will be Russell Simmons, co-founder of the hip hop record label Def Jam, film director David Lynch and psychiatrist Norman Rosenthal.

The featured participants will talk about how the Transcendental Meditation technique has benefitted their lives.

The event, being held at the Los Angeles Times Central Court, will include a dinner and entertainment.

Brand also is scheduled to host a standup comedy show Tuesday at the Palace of Fine Arts Theater in San Francisco to support the David Lynch Foundation.

The Change Begins Within galas began in 2009 with a Radio City Music Hall concert that featured Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, as well as musicians such as Sheryl Crow, Moby and Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam. Also appearing were comedian Jerry Seinfeld, talk show host Howard Stern, actress Laura Dern and more.

Last year?s event featured Brand, TV host Dr. Mehmet Oz, CNN news anchor Candy Crowley, fashion designer Donna Karan and filmmakers Martin Scorsese and Clint Eastwood.

Commenting on last year?s event, John Hagelin, president of the David Lynch Foundation, said, ?The momentum of support for the Transcendental Meditation program is growing stronger and stronger each year.

?People like Clint Eastwood, Candy Crowley and Mehmet Oz are coming forward to support this effort because their personal experience of the Transcendental Meditation technique tells them how important it is.?