Technology impacts and shapes our lives in countless ways. Our technologies surely bestow benefits, but our relationship to technology is often fraught with imbalance. In particular, our vision suffers from the hours we gaze at two dimensional screens. The good news is that, as part of the brain, our eyes share in our brain’s innate adaptability. The not so great news is that modern demands on vision, especially our constant focus on close-up screens, is causing our eyes to make unhealthy adaptations. But there’s more good news—you can do something about that! Here’s how…

All the rituals involved at Christmas and the image of the tree sparkling with light is a mythological celebration that gives rise to a form of living psychic energy, which manifests from the ancient symbolism of the light. So, as we gather with our families and friends, and exchange gifts around the Christmas tree, we have the opportunity to reflect and rekindle the magical childhood awareness within ourselves of the true spirit of Christmas. For as the old year comes to a close, and a new year heralds unbound possibilities for growth and celebration of life, we are reminded of the birth that brought “tidings of great joy” and the promise of the everlasting life of the soul.

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is the second most common age-related neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer’s disease. An estimated seven to 10 million people worldwide have Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s is not just an issue of lack of dopamine production but in fact a multi-faceted neurological disease with many factors contributing to or causing PD. This applies as well to other brain diseases resulting in dementia and Alzheimer’s.

An excerpt from The Clutter Remedy: A Guide to Getting Organized for Those Who Love Their Stuff, by Marla Stone. December is dominated by the holiday season, which often involves lots of parties, visitors, travel, and special meals. Maintaining an organized home is a particular challenge this month, given all the pressure to decorate, buy presents, host gatherings, and cook. This is when having a fine-tuned storing system will help a great deal, since it makes it much easier to find all those special-occasion holiday items.

Happy Holidays from Merlian News!  We thank you for your support, and wish you and your loved ones a season of warmth, joy, and good tidings!

Helping your kids make good, healthy decisions is tricky. You can do everything in your power to set strict rules about a healthy lifestyle, but they are going to have plenty of opportunities to break them as they get older. Instead of worrying so much about setting the right rules, you should perhaps focus on creating the right environment at home, one which prepares them for responsible choice-making when they are older.

Several years ago I had a vision of the future that transformed my life and helped me to determine what new career path to pursue. Leading into that moment was the fact that, at the age of 40, after years of working in computers, I was back at school. I was an adult returnee in my “senior” year at college and my three most favorite professors had each approached me about entering into their field of expertise: Asian Studies, the School of Journalism, and Psychology. What a wonderful compliment! — each thought that I would excel in their profession and offered me mentoring, contacts and references for further graduate work. I was both flattered and immobilized with indecision

Like so many of us, I’ve been watching my nutrition and eating healthfully for years, buying only organic food and the very freshest ingredients possible. Also years ago, I cut out those foods that are known to damage our systems. I thought I was doing well until I heard about Qigong Master Jeff Primack and his food based healing system.

Soul Star ~ Child of the Universe is a collection of quotes and poems from the Source and Soul Series. As the author explains, “Allow yourself to dip into these pages and read the poems you feel drawn towards. They each carry a message for you to trust in the dark mystery of the feminine; calling you to follow your heart and trust in the subtle messages that speak to you in the language of your soul.”