The new MERU Academy is almost ready to open

Have you ever wished you could stay overnight at MERU, not just visit for the day, but to really be here?

To wake up in the silence of the forest, meditate just a few steps away, and walk back to your room without ever leaving that peace?

No buses, no commuting, no rushing between places, just one peaceful home where everything happens together.

That wish is about to come true, and you can be among the first to experience it.

Click on the link below to learn more about the upcoming Winter Assembly.

A Year of Building and Beautiful Progress

Over the past year, MERU has been full of activity. The new Operations Building is already in use, and the other two Vastu buildings, the Academy & Residence Building and the Apartment Building, are moving quickly toward completion.

In January 2025, our operations team finally moved out of the well-known containers into the new Operations Building. It has been such a refreshing change: more light, more space, and inspiring views of the national reserve.

These three Vastu buildings are located on the south side of the MERU campus. With the Operations Building already in use, the Academy & Residence Building about to open this December, and the Apartment Building expected early next year, construction on this part of MERU is almost complete.

Left: Anne-Mareike Chu and Caspar Jung, MERU Academy board members, with Wout Schoof from Willemen construction company on the crane. Right: Darija Oreskovic and Margherita Ruelle, interior designer, in front of the Operations Building.

Finally, a Home for the MERU Academy

And now, the next milestone is almost here. The Academy & Residence Building is nearly ready to welcome its first guests this December (stay tuned for more about the upcoming Winter Assembly, starting 30 December)!

This building will be the new home of the MERU Academy, with a spacious lecture hall and comfortable rooms for course participants and staff.

Can you imagine it? After so many years of preparation and dedication from so many teams, we will finally have one place where everyone can live, learn, and meditate together again, right in the heart of MERU.

Watch the short video about the new MERU Academy and see how it all comes together.

Artistic impression of the Academy Building in the snow. Quite poetic, isn’t it?

The First Course in the New Academy

This December, MERU will host its first public in-residence course in the new Academy building: the Global Winter Assembly.

For many, this will be the first time staying overnight at MERU itself. No more daily transportation or commuting, everything will finally be in one place!

Days will be filled with deep rest and silence. In the evenings, you can walk through MERU, pass by Maharishi’s house lit up at night, breathe in the fresh winter air, and return to your room just across the hall from the lecture hall, in your slippers.

This really is a special moment. With only several occasional in-residence courses in the past years, MERU is ready to begin a new chapter of regular retreats, courses, and events once again. 

Click here to join the us for the Winter Assembly, we really hope to welcome you for this historic moment!

Renders of the Vastu room and lecture hall by Roxana Surca, our Maharishi Vastu architect.

Real photos of the Academy Building’s beautiful interior hallways and staircases, October 2025.

What comes next

With the first three buildings nearly complete, MERU is now preparing for its next phase of development that will bring Maharishi’s Master Plan even closer to fulfillment.

The Community Dining Hall will be the social heart of MERU, serving nourishing organic meals. The Assembly & Meditation Halls will host group meditations, celebrations, and events, bringing everyone together.

The Wellness Resort will offer integrative health programs combining authentic Maharishi AyurVeda with modern medicine. The Maharishi Tower of Invincibility will be a landmark of Vedic knowledge and a place of pilgrimage for all who visit MERU.

See how these buildings will look in our short video.

Renders of the upcoming Community Dining Hall, Assembly and Meditation Halls, Wellness Resort, and Maharishi Tower of Invincibility.

A Little Insider Update

For those who enjoy hearing what’s happening behind the scenes at MERU, I’ve started sharing more personal letters through our newsletter.

In the first one, I wrote about coming to MERU as a volunteer for one month that turned into three years — because two weeks after arriving, I met my husband. A year later, we were married here at MERU.

Although I no longer live at MERU full-time, I stay closely connected through my work and regular visits. Every time I return, it feels like I’m visiting my family.

To my surprise, more than 250 people replied to that first email. Many of you shared your own memories, how much you love this place, and how it reminded you of your time with Maharishi. Reading those messages felt like reconnecting with one big family spread across the world.

This is why we want our newsletters to feel a bit more personal. It is not only about announcements and dates. It is also about staying connected as a global MERU community, even when we are not physically together.

If you would like to stay up to date with campus news, upcoming courses, and these more personal stories from life at MERU, you can subscribe below.

We’re all waiting for you to come visit us at MERU! Photo taken on 8 June 2023 during the foundation stone ceremony of the Academy and Residence Building.

Darija is Marketing Manager of MERU Academy and MDevCo, supporting their mission to create a thriving MERU where people can live in alignment with natural law and explore their highest human potential. She loves bringing people together to grow, connect, and create coherence in their lives and the world.