Splinter groups

Hey I have only been in the program for a little over a month now so I’m pretty new to the internal dynamics and all that stuff. I found a new sponsor after a relapse and it just seems like her approach to AA and everything is fairly different from most people around me. I have also been introduced to a fellowship within the fellowship of people who do the 12 steps in a particular way and who put a lot of emphasis on transcendental meditation.I’m not suggesting that’s necessarily bad or anything and so far it’s been fine I’m just curious whether or not splinter groups or divergent groups within AA are a thing and if anyone with more experience than me has any knowledge that may be useful.

For more information about this particular group, I live on the east coast but I’ve been told by my sponsor that most of their fellowship is on the west coast in Los Angeles and San Francisco, with also a sizeable one in Ireland. Basically the entire practice revolves around taking inventory of your fears every day, which to them is the 12 steps, and practicing transcendental meditation. The only thing that sets me off a little is that I’m being often told that most people in AA that I meet in most meetings I go to won’t understand me and sometimes people in this fellowship talk about doing the steps in this way as The Steps. “Having the steps” “getting the steps” specifically refers to being shown how to do the steps in this way and not to just going to AA and doing the 12 steps broadly.