About the Author

‍ ‍Dena Merriam

Dena Merriam began working in the inter-faith movement in the late 1990s when she served as Vice Chair of the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders held at the United Nation in New York in the year 2000.  She subsequently convened a meeting of women religious and spiritual leaders at the Palais des Nations in Geneva and from that gathering founded the Global Peace Initiative of Women (GPIW) in 2002. In 2008, Ms. Merriam was one of the founding members of the Contemplative Alliance, which later became a program of GPIW. For over 40 years, Dena Merriam has been a student of Paramahansa Yogananda and a practitioner of Kriya Yoga meditation. Ms. Merriam received her Master’s Degree from Columbia University. In 2014 she received the Niwano Peace Prize for her interfaith peace efforts. She is the author of the book My Journey Through Time - A Spiritual Memoir of Life, Death and Rebirth, The Untold Story of Sita, When the Bright Moon Rises, Rukmini and the Turning of Time, To Dance with Dakinis, and Sita’s Yoga: The Yoga of Awakening.  

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Books by Dena Merriam

My Journey Through Time: A Spiritual Memoir of Life, Death, and Rebirth

Published 2017

ISBN 978-1-979438-25-4

My Journey Through Time is Dena Merriam’s first book. It is a spiritual memoir that sheds light on the workings of karma the law of cause and effect that creates one’s present circumstances and relationships as we see it unfold through the author’s vivid memories of her previous births. We travel back in time as Dena learns of a life in early 20th century Russia, from the time of the overthrow of the Czar through the period of Nazi Germany. The lives go back further to a life in early 19th century America in the Deep South, and before that to a time in Africa in the early 18th century. Her lives in the East in Persia, Japan, and India go back to the 15th to 17th centuries. With each past life, we see the impact on her present life, how current life circumstances can stem from the end of the previous birth, and how it will influence her next life. A long-time disciplined meditator, Dena’s access to her past lives brings a clearer awareness and purpose to her present life, and also overcomes any fear of death. The memories are triggered when Dena meets a new person or visits a new place in her current life. The memories bring remembrances of past suffering, but also recollections of spiritual teachers and wise guidance.

 

“I cannot stop thinking about this remarkable book – a fascinating and deeply engaging spiritual memoire.” – Lynda Terry

 

 

The Untold Story of Sita:  An Empowering Tale for Our Time

Published 2019

ISBN 978-0-578-46534-0

The Untold Story of Sita replaces the traditional narrative of Sita's life as told in the Ramayana with Sita as she truly is -- an incarnation of the great Devi Narayani. Sita comes to Earth to join Sri Ram in setting the foundation for a new civilization at a time when humans are becoming separate from the natural world. She seeks to embed a great love for the forests and rivers, plant and animal life in the hearts and minds of the people, and to share the high spiritual accomplishments of the great women rishis and sages, many of whom you meet along Sita's journey. This is a story of a woman's wisdom, courage and strength, her love for the manifest and unmanifest worlds, and her selfless sacrifices for the welfare of all. So step into Sita's time and see what life was like during a more spiritually more advanced age, when there was an understanding of Dharma, not just as duty but as an alignment with the higher forces of love that make possible the preservation of our world.

 

“This book is unforgettable. I smiled. I cried. I couldn't wait to read more. These writings spoke to me. It is a beautiful awakening.”  - Nina Bennett

Rukmini and the Turning of Time: The Dawn of an Era

Published 2021

ISBN: 987-1-5136-9064-3

 

The main story of Rukmini & the Turning of Time takes place before, during and after the Mahabharata War, an event that marked the ending of one era and the beginning of another – a time when spiritual knowledge was decreasing but material development increasing.  The story begins in the ancient city of Dwarka, India and is told through the voice of a dancer of that time.  It is a story about Rukmini, who is said to be the rebirth of Mata Sita, both of whom are avatars of the great deity Narayani. Although Rukmini is the consort of the much beloved Bhagavan Krishna, her story has been lost in time, but it is essential now to recall her as the energy and presence of the divine female incarnations is so critical for the healing and evolution of human society. As with all of Dena Merriam’s books, this story explores the complex and wonderous workings of cause and effect, the law of karma, as it guides and shapes our lives.  But it is also a story of love, one that transcends time and place and that persists from one incarnation to the next. As we leave one form and take another through the laws of rebirth, we bring with us our love, the relationships that have left deep impressions and that have helped in our awakening.  This tale follows the dancer of Dwarka through a series of rebirths, as she unknowingly carries with her the love and teachings of Rukmini, who patiently and silently guides her evolution. It is a story that applies to each one of us, because we all participate in this great cosmic dance of love as the illusion of time keeps turning.

 

“This book is life changing. Throughout this book, the author also highlights the teachings of Rukmini Mata and Shri Krishna. Lots to learn and implement in our lives.
This book will deepen your faith and make you understand what true love really is.” – Reader, P.S., Germany

 

 

When the Bright Moon Rises: The Awakening of Ancient Memories

Published 2020

ISBN: 978-0-578-76682-9

When the Bright Moon Rises is first and foremost a love story: love between the sages and the cosmic forces known as the deities, love of the sages for the people, and love between individuals seeking to express this universal force of love that exist within all of us.  It is also a study of karma, the cosmic law of cause and effect. This narrative begins in Vedic India, around the 9th century BCE, with the meeting of two people and the seeding of a love that cannot be fulfilled but which comes to fruition nearly 10,000 years later during the Tang Empire in China, where they are reborn as the renown poet Li Bai and his poet wife.  The awakening of her memories of previous births initiates an inner struggle that is only resolved under the guidance of her Daoist Master.  This is her story.

 

To Dance with Dakinis: In Search of Self

Published 2023

ISBN: 979-8-9868063-1-2

 

As with all of Dena Merriam's books, To Dance with Dakinis is a study of the universal law of cause and effect, how events in our life, our deeds, thoughts and reactions impel the process of rebirth.  The story begins in 12th century Tibet, with a woman's search for the Goddess and the deeper truths of life. A crisis that she encounters leads her to a great Master who helps awaken memories of her previous life in medieval France and a much earlier life in China, during which events were set in motion that led her to the crisis she now faced.  The book follows her through death, the time between earthly rebirths and then her rebirth in India, where she brings to conclusion unfinished matters from her life in Tibet. In the process of her journey, great teachings are conveyed, teachings that we can all apply to our lives today.

 

 

Sita’s Yoga: THE YOGA OF AWAKENING

Published January 2026

ISBN 979-8-9868061-5-0

Much attention has been paid to the outer circumstances of the life of Sita, a much-revered figure living in ancient India.  But there is an inner story that is not often revealed, the teachings given by this great avatar. To those who encountered her, she transmitted transformative teachings on how to live a dharmic life and progress on one’s spiritual journey.  Sita’s Yoga is the story of those teachings, a story of how to grow spiritually through life’s challenges; how to overcome grief, live a life of gratitude, foster forgiveness and compassion for those who cause harm, practice generosity, find beauty and meaning in everyday life, and how to understand events in the light of complex karmic conditions.  It is a story of coming to know our deeper Self and of coming into a consciousness of unity with all that is, overcoming the illusion of separateness and division, the source of all suffering. It is foremost a love story, for as Sita teaches, love is the foundation of all and the more we advance in understanding, the more we become pure unconditioned love.