Nina Rao welcomes Dena Merriam and Mirabai Starr for a conversation about Dena’s book, The Untold Story of Sita, and how the forces of Sita and Ram are still present in the world today.
Dena Merriam is a long-time meditation practitioner in the lineage of Kriya Yoga and the author of multiple books, including The Untold Story of Sita. Learn more about her at denamerriam.com.
Mirabai Starr is an award-winning author of creative nonfiction; her latest book is called Wild Mercy. Learn more about her at mirabaistarr.com.
Nina welcomes Dena and Mirabai to the BHNN Guest Podcast. She asks Dena how her book, The Untold Story of Sita, came about. Nina reads from the book, and asks about Sita’s connection to the natural world. Dena talks about how she fell in love with Mother Earth all over again while writing the book.
“The whole universe was just part of one consciousness at that point. That’s very important for us to try to remember, because it’s in our collective memory. We all hold that memory.” – Dena Merriam
Rebalancing Sacred Energy (21:56)
The discussion turns to the power of mantra and vibration. Nina brings up how Dena is telling the story of Sita as an equal to Ram, not an appendage. Dena talks about the opportunity we now have to bring the sacred masculine and the sacred feminine into balance, and Mirabai explores how women are reclaiming their stories across different spiritual traditions. Dena discusses her work with environmental activists.
“The collective mind wanted to see Sita as the weaker, feminine figure that had to be saved; her hero comes to save her. That’s what the collective mind wanted, and that’s how the collective mind interpreted the whole thing. But that’s not serving us at this moment, that’s not what our society needs or wants. And there’s this desire to understand and to acknowledge the Shakti energy, because our society has been out of balance for so long.” – Dena Merriam
Nina Rao speaks with Robert Thurman about preserving the wealth of nature on BHNN Guest Podcast Ep. 52
The Presence of Sita and Ram (44:10)
Nina and Dena talk about how the forces of Sita and Ram are still very present in the world today. They touch on the idea of wisdom and love on the path of dharma, and Sita’s incredible trust in her own heart. Mirabai brings Hanuman into the conversation, and how selfless, loving service is the path to reunification of masculine and feminine.
“I think that when we turn to Ram and Sita, it should be that we are turning to living presences, invoking their help collectively with the Earth right now.” Dena Merriam