On this episode, Laura Chandler is joined by writer, activist, and Founder of the Global Peace Initiative of Women, Dena Merriam, to talk about her latest book, When the Bright Moon Rises: The Awakening of Ancient Memories. The book spans several periods from Vedic India to the Han and Tang Dynasties of China. It is an eloquent testimony to the evolution of a soul and the lessons learned over lifetimes. Dena and Laura discuss the remarkable awakening that was the impetus for writing the book, as well as the significance of the times we are living in and the part past lives play in understanding our current life.

Dena is the author of two other books, The Untold Story of Sita: An Empowering Tale for Our Time and My Journey Through Time. In addition to being the Founder of the Global Peace Initiative of Women (GPIW), Dena was the Vice Chair of the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders held at the United Nations in New York in the year 2000. She is a long time practitioner of Kriya Yoga meditation and a devotee of the spiritual master Yogananda for over 40 years. She received her master’s degree from Columbia University in sacred literature, and has served on the boards of many prestigious organizations, including the Harvard Center for the Study of World Religions and the Interfaith Center of New York.

Our featured music is from Rajeev Taranath, one of India’s foremost classical musicians, and a master of the sarod. His career spans over four decades and he was a distinguished disciple of the late legendary maestro Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. Rajeev has received many honors including India’s highest government award in the arts, the esteemed Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2000.