Dear Readers: Missed an article? Here’s a quick round up of some of our favorites from this month! As always, we look forward to presenting you with up to date news and information about holistic events, health and well being from both the scientific and the spiritual perspectives, nutrition, vegan lifestyles, and more.

This Month’s Recommended Merlian News Articles:

Merryn’s Musings by Merryn Jose
Making it Through the Winter

The last several days of winter have seemed particularly snowy, dark, and icy. It’s been a struggle for many, with virulent viruses abounding, exacerbated by the bitterly cold weather. What has kept me going is the discipline of my daily routines: Qi Gong , meditation and exercise. My spirits are always lifted and I realize anew how rewarding is the ability to control one’s mind and body. Most recently, I have thought of the Buddhist monks who practice tummo, the art of controlling one’s body temperature through meditaion.

Liminal Moments by Cheryl Shainmark
How to Help Australia Right Now

If you’re like me, your heart has been breaking over the wave of images coming from fire stricken Australia: the burning homes, the loss of life, the destruction of habitat affecting millions of animals, and finally, the disturbing peril of the animals themselves. While the death toll for humans is 25 at this time,  estimates place the loss of animal life at over half a million victims. As reported on PBS, thousands of Australians are in need of assistance as massive wildfires continue to tear across the continent.
Wellbeing/Healing
How to Maintain Your Wellness Goals All Year Long

It’s no secret that we like to set wellness goals for ourselves at the beginning of the year. Even though these goals can include beneficial things like getting more sleep and having more relaxation time, many people struggle to maintain them. The best way to stay on track with your goals is to make a specific but adaptable plan that’s also affordable.

Eye Health
A New Look at Eye Exams by Marc Grossman, OD, LAc

Getting a thorough eye exam has always been about more than reading letters off an eye chart. That’s even more true today. One reason: We’re harder on our eyes than ever before. Many of us spend hours each day staring and squinting at screens, developing digital eyestrain and exposing our eyes to potentially damaging blue light. But the typical tests offered during a standard eye exam, even one during which your pupils are dilated, may not go far enough to find problems as early as possible.

Dreams
The Waters of Dreams by Robert Moss

In drugstore dream dictionaries we are told that water, as a dream symbol, is about emotions. Well, ye-es, it maybe, but what you find in your dream waters and what I find may be very different things. As with any dream, a dream of water may be symbolic, literal, or an experience of a separate reality. I have dreamed, over decades now, of being able to travel to the sea floor without any breathing problems and of encountering a Mother of the Deep and various other characters who seem to embody the elemental powers of the ocean. I have dreamed of healing in sacred pools, and delight in mermaid coves, and the kind of inundation that brings fresh new growth bursting into the world.

Website of the Month
www.themeditatingvet.com

Books
Where the War ends by Thomas Voss & Rebecca Anne Nguyen

After serving in a scout-sniper platoon in Mosul, Tom Voss came home carrying invisible wounds of war — the memory of doing or witnessing things that went against his fundamental beliefs. This was not a physical injury that could heal with medication and time but a “moral injury” — a wound to the soul that eventually urged him toward suicide. Desperate for relief from the pain and guilt that haunted him, Voss embarked on a 2,700-mile journey across America, walking from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to the Pacific Ocean with a fellow veteran.

Thank you once more, for your positive feed back and support!

Merryn Jose – Editor In Chief & Publisher
Cheryl Shainmark – Senior Editor