A Winter Blessing by Rev. Dr. Rebecca Parker

In the shadowed quiet of winter's light
earth speaks softly
of her longing.
Because the wild places are in tears.

Come, she cries to us.
Kneel down here
on the frosty grass,
and feel the prayer buried in the ground.

Bend your ear to my heart
and listen hard.

Keeping Quiet by Pablo Neruda

Now we will count to twelve
and we will all keep still.

For once on the face of the earth,
let's not speak in any language;
let's stop for one second,
and not move our arms so much.

It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines;
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness.

All We Have in Common

Together on Earth
Seeing The Bigger Picture

by Madisyn Taylor

We have created imaginary boundaries, sectioning ourselves into countries and states, forgetting that in reality we are all living together.

Seeing an image of the planet Earth taken from space inspires awe in many of us, since we can clearly see the connectedness of all of us who live upon this planet. We have created imaginary boundaries, sectioning ourselves into countries and states, forgetting that in reality we are all living together, breathing the same air, drinking from the same water, eating food grown from the same earth. We share everything on this planet, whether we are conscious of it or not,
with other people, and those people are our brothers and sisters. Keeping a photograph or painting of the planet Earth in a prominent place in our homes can be a positive way to remember our interconnectedness. 

Meditating on the fact that any sense of separation we have from one another is truly an illusion,

Stonehenge: A Global Icon

Thousands of people gathered in countryside of southern England on this summer solstice to watch the sunrise at Stonehenge. Every year, nearly a million people visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site to see the monument, learn more about its past and try to understand its mysteries. Roman coins and other objects found at the site suggest Stonehenge may have been considered a tourist attraction as early as the Roman period. Medieval people visited the site and described it as one of the “wonders of the world”.

My "vintage" photo of Stonehenge, taken just a few weeks ago.

The Wish You Were Here! exhibition at the Stonehenge Visitor Centre examines the history of Stonehenge as a tourist attraction and global icon. Stonehenge memorabilia from the past 200 years coming from the personal collection of archaeologist, Julian Richards, as well as items on loan from Wiltshire Museum and The Salisbury Museum, are on display until March 2016. Here are just a few of the memorabilia:

Top 5 Beaches in Mykonos

by Laura Bianchini

Mykonos in Greece has over 20 gorgeous beaches and to highlight the best is a real challenge! Yoga Escapes has been hosting yoga retreats in Mykonos for years now and have had the pleasure to visit most of the beaches on the Greek Island of Mykonos. They’ll be happy to take you around and show you the best ones to fit your mood. There’s one for everyone – it just depends what you’re looking for. Many of them are organized with sunbeds and umbrellas, beach bars, restaurants and water sports, and many of those are found on the southern coast. But if you venture a little further away, you’ll find the less touristy beaches, each one unique and beautiful in its own way.

Here are the Top 5 Beautiful Beaches in Mykonos, Greece, each with their own style and vibe, catering to a specific crowd: