At the start of the year, we were preparing ourselves for a wide variety of residential courses.  However, like the rest of the world, we had to quickly adapt to the COVID-19 situation in light of the need for distance learning.

As online group meditations began around the world, and partner institutions like Maharishi International University began offering even more online courses, the MERU Course Office had the idea to offer a ‘Vedic Summer Series’ — a programme of online events and courses covering different areas of Maharishi’s knowledge.

We first dipped our toes into the water of online courses by offering Phase one of the Maharishi Yoga Asanas Instructor Training Course online. This turned out to be a successful move, with course participation doubling.

Building on the success, we organised a programme of online events that took place throughout June and July. Here is an overview of each event that we held for our international audience of meditators, and what the participants learned.

Kicking off the summer: Maharishi’s Total Knowledge and Higher States of Consciousness with Raja Peter

Our first course was with Dr Peter Warburton (also known as Raja Peter), on the theme of ‘Maharishi’s Total Knowledge and Higher States of Consciousness’. Dr Warburton spent over 30 years with Maharishi, and in the last years of Maharishi’s life, Maharishi trained Dr Warburton to offer courses on Total Knowledge. The Total Knowledge courses ensure that the fullness of Maharishi’s knowledge can continue to be taught and preserved for future generations.

At its core, Maharishi’s Total Knowledge and Higher States of Consciousness course develops the understanding of higher states of consciousness, allowing participants to appreciate more and more the profound truth that consciousness itself is the field of Total Knowledge, the field of all possibilities. Throughout the course this summer, Dr Warburton shared many personal stories of his time with Maharishi, led discussions on different aspects of Maharishi’s Total Knowledge, and gave examples to illustrate how the different areas of knowledge work.

We wanted to make sure as many people as possible enjoyed this knowledge, so we made the first session free. Because of this, hundreds of people signed up for the introductory session, and many of them chose to continue the course.

Participants enjoyed the new online format of the course, the fact it was offered in several languages, and how they could conveniently go back and review the sessions on our online platform. Here’s what participant Daniel Holdrinet had to say:

‘I enjoyed the online formula. I experienced it as a private course. Also I could go back to the videos when I missed a detail. I’ll watch them again to refresh my learning.’

Planting seeds: Vedic Gardening

The next course offered during the Vedic Summer Series was Vedic Gardening with Dr Peter Swan, minister of communication of the Global Country of World Peace and a Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture expert.

This immersive weekend course introduced methods of gardening in light of Maharishi Vedic Science, bringing out the relationship between soil fertility, consciousness, and health. Participants received inspiration and practical tips for growing their own food and flowers, learning how to apply the knowledge of Vedic Agriculture to their daily lives. 

Although the course took place online, it was still very much interactive and Dr Swan led the course based on the participants’ interests and needs, meaning everyone took something away from the course. 

One participant said: 

‘The Vedic Gardening course covers the needs of any home beginner gardener to any professional farmer. I wish this valuable course soon reaches all the countries of our Mother Earth in order to transform Life in accordance with Natural law and all the inhabitants to be HAPPY.’ 

In fact, participants enjoyed Vedic Gardening so much that many have asked for another course to be given so that they can learn even more.

Marvellous Maharishi Knowledge: Advanced Lecture Series with Dr Bevan Morris

With so many TM centres being closed around the world, we wanted to ensure that everyone in the TM community could still enjoy Maharishi’s lectures. This was the inspiration behind the Advanced Lecture Series of three sessions with Dr Bevan Morris, which MERU offered free of charge.

For those who don’t know Dr Morris, he is an impressive figure in our organisation. He spent many years with Maharishi, is the former president of Maharishi International University, and has also been Prime Minister of the Global Country of World Peace since 2005. This made him the ideal person to present Maharishi’s advanced lectures and to answer participants’ questions.

Hundreds of participants joined live on Saturday afternoons during the Vedic Summer Series, and many more watched the recordings on our online platform. People found these lectures ‘rich and enlightening’, and so enjoyable that we continued the Advanced Lecture Series for an additional three sessions (a total of six lectures all together) throughout July.

Good health at home: Maharishi AyurVeda Family Care

Another of our faculty to offer a weekend course was Maharishi AyurVeda expert Dr Ernst Schrott, a trained medical doctor specialising in naturopathy and homeopathy, and one of the most renowned Ayurveda specialists in Germany and Europe.

Dr Schrott and other faculty members led an interactive workshop called Maharishi AyurVeda Family Care, which discussed the various practical applications and remedies of Maharishi AyurVeda that can be used in the home setting.

Participants received a comprehensive overview of Maharishi AyurVeda and had some time to ask any questions they had. One participant reported that the course had ‘very dense, beautiful and helpful information’ with others expressing a desire for more online interactive courses on Maharishi AyurVeda. 

Transformative aromas: Maharishi Aroma Therapy Online Foundation Course

Another innovation this summer was offering our Maharishi Aroma Therapy Foundation Course online for the first time.

How can an aroma course be offered online? Well, when it begins this week, participants will already have received a specially selected essential oil kit through the post. Dr Nadine Thomas, head of Maharishi Aroma Therapy Department at Maharishi College of Perfect Health International, will then lead students in the course, allowing them to practise what they learn throughout.

During the course, participants will learn a great deal more about the world of essential oils and how to use them to enhance all areas of life. They will then have the option to train as Maharishi Aroma Therapy consultants following the course.

Please note that applications have now closed for this course, but you are always welcome to sign up for our mailing list to find out about future opportunities to take this and other online offerings.

The highlight: Dr Tony Nader on Ramayan in Human Physiology

As part of Guru Purnima celebrations, we were treated to a wonderful lecture series from Dr Tony Nader (also known as Maharaja), leader of the TM organisations. Over two evenings, Dr Nader expounded on the Indian epic Ramayana and how it corresponds to different areas of human physiology. Many participants enjoyed the rich knowledge Dr Nader had to offer and how simply he explained the complex matter. One of them reported: 

‘Maharaja’s talk on Ramayan in Human Physiology was, hands down, the most invigorating thing I’ve seen in a long while. The production was fantastic, his presentation was as sharp as usual, and it’s a great introduction [to] not just that particular topic, but Maharishi Vedic Science in general.’

These lectures were free and available to all TM meditators, and if you missed them, don’t worry. You can sign up on our website to watch them free of charge.

What next?

We still have a couple of events in our Vedic Summer Series during August. You’re invited to take a look and join us in these upcoming events. 

Supreme Military Science 

Live Online 15 – 16 August

Attending this weekend webinar is a must for Sidhas and TM Teachers wondering how we can eliminate wars for good. 

In this first-time webinar, decorated colonel and Vedic Defence expert Gunter Chassé will discuss how we can prevent future wars around the world by having dedicated ‘prevention wings’ in the military, which build a strong, coherent national consciousness, leading to invincibility for both the nation and the whole planet. 

Apply by noon, 14 August.

Read more and sign up here.

Bringing Consciousness-based Education to Your Nation

Live Online 21-30 August

Eager to implement the practice of Transcendental Meditation in schools and educational institutions near you? If you are a TM Teacher, Sidha, or a meditating educator, you are invited to join this course to discover the principles of CBE, and how others have successfully implemented the TM program in their schools.

The content of this course has been inspired by those who have successfully introduced TM to school and educational institutions, which will guide you to make the practice of TM available to students and teaching faculty around the world.

Apply by noon, 20 August.

Read more and sign up here.

How to stay up to date about future online courses

Thanks to the success of our online courses this summer, we are keen to expand and offer more online courses in the future, in addition to our on-campus offerings.

We thank all of our faculty and course participants for joining us for these first offerings, for such a wonderful summer celebration of knowledge.

Interested in joining us for future courses? Make sure to sign up to our newsletter to receive updates! 

We hope to see you soon, whether it’s in person on our campus, or at one of our many virtual events to come.

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