IN FLANDERS FIELDS

by Lt. Col. John McCrae/ member 1st Canadian contingent/ WW 1 veteran

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe;
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

CHANNELING ATHENA

First introduced to the Greek goddess Athena back in college reading Homer's "The Odyssey", I may have been a bit dismissive of Odysseus's need to call on the goddess in times of great peril. Pallas Athene would be there for him. As she guided him through his difficulties, she was merely a bit player in the epic poem as I was engaged at that time. She was just a mythological goddess after all and not "God".

In recent years as I think about the experience of getting involved with that work, I find myself more interested in that Muse weaving her way through the story. Pallas Athene was always present during the high drama and now I think of her more prominently as an extraordinary feature conceived in that epoch, but maybe more realized today.

Growing up Catholic, the Virgin Mary was the muse taught to me. Nurturing perfection, the Mother of Jesus, she represented all knowing kindness and maternal strength and a power to call on for guidance and safety. Its such an interesting concept that all cultures develop mythologies and deities as images of inspiration and aspiration. Many or most are very similar and yet world cultures often fight to the death their slightly different takes on these stories and conceptions that get passed through the generations. Often we find cultures wanting to claim for their own the origin of a particular entity as in the case of Athena's origins actually being connected to the less well know Egyptian goddess Neith whose birthplace was thought to be near Libya's Triton River. Imagine a goddess with a birthplace? Did they live and die and then live on in perfection and grace with the powers attributed to them by the living? It is interesting this diety/mythology thing in that we as humans continue to conceive of and imagine a better world through these icons, yet have failed thus far in achieving a more peaceful and sustained planet.

We've had the goods for a long time, yet seem still to fight an ancient battle. Classical thought and knowledge is insightful and empowering, yet we keep reinventing it as the world gets more crowded and cling to ideas rather than action on liberating ourselves from the defeat of Hades. Maybe its individual cultural ownership of the discoveries about our higher selves rather than an understanding of the collective human contribution that divides us. If we could forget about ownership and discuss the energies and powers that our gods and goddesses are endowed with, we may see a better and larger reflection of the human struggle and cease the need for direct ownership.

So sorry to the Greeks, Egyptians and Libyans, but I am going to claim Athena for my own and call on her along with Mary. I need both and the other deities as well. Why limit myself when I have a smorgasbord of brilliance to choose from. Athena, I want to walk with you starting today. I will make of you in my mind the strong daughter of the nurturing Mary, but a modern girl expressing herself with the previously masculine action trait taking a starring role with the power of turning events in the direction I desire. You, Athena the goddess of so many positive traits: strong, courageous counselor in battle, protector of the great wisdom and philosophy, arbiter of the true course in conflict have made your mother Mary proud. There I did it. I made up my own myth and this could possibly be found by some future historian and they may spend time studying its origins and connections. Or maybe the future beings will have recognized the greater importance of the realization of the myth and will have found a better way to grace the struggle. In the meantime I will call on my Athena as she guides and inspires.

Athena is making her presence more ardent. The female energy is being freed from her cloak of idealism. Strong, intelligent and assertive women are stepping into power along with their masculine counterparts of the same quality. They need us. As Athena knows there are battles that need to be won and are worth fighting for, but Athena knows the way to win is by standing firm on convictions and asking for constant guidance from all the eternal wisdom she has access to. She knows about the smorgasbord and her time has come. She is stepping out of the shadows to join Odysseus in the struggle. Athena is here in the physical as she continues to protect the great wisdom. I will work to be worthy of her and Mary lovingly approves.

Deep Restful Sleep Promotes Clear Mind and Weight Loss

Anybody who has suffered from chronic fatigue appreciates how a good night's rest contributes to feelings of well being and mood elevation. It all goes better after deep rest. To be the best you can be, deep restful sleep is something you deserve and should demand from yourself. In the stressful, overstimulated environment that surrounds us, you have the added, but wonderful responsibility of seeing to it that you get the rest needed. Balance is key. Being over tired or over stimulated when you need sleep the most, actually prevents deep rest. To restore balance, the following techniques will help. As you take control of your waking life, you must take control of your rest.

Dreams happen as a result of one of the stages of sleep that allows your mind to release thoughts and energy. Just as your body releases waste, dreams do the same to help you clear your mind. All of the body processes including digestion are happening as you sleep. Fatigue stresses digestion and deep sleep allows the body to metabolize more easily. Both a clear mind and rested body will lead to weight loss if caloric intake and exercise are also in balance. High calorie comfort foods are craved and mindlessly introduced into your body when fatigued. As children, we naturally went into deep sleep. As adults, most of us have to relearn how to do this. Imagine every day followed by a deep restful night's sleep.

Challenge yourself to a good nights sleep every night!

Helpful tips:

**Exercise at least 40 minutes a day. Move in some meaningful way. You can do this. Just dancing to music will do the job. Walking is the easiest and can be done just by walking through the mall. It burns calories, releases stress and allows the mind to "download". Go either by yourself or with a companion that will not talk about the day's stresses. Walking in Nature will release stress 100 fold. Go with a not too chatty friend or by yourself for the best results.

**Learn to eat by consuming the highest carbohydrate and protein meals earliest in the day. Eliminate sugar from your diet as much as possible. Read labels and create a diet mostly free of processed foods. Eat lighter as the day wears on and no coffee or excessive alcohol after about 6pm. A small glass of wine or beer before bedtime can assist you to relax. Fruit or lightly dressed salad are good snacks a few hours before bedtime and help with digestion. High calcium and magnesium foods: Milk, soymilk or almond milk will soothe.

**Observe your breath throughout the day as this will center you and set the stage for relaxation and balance while oxygenating the brain as the breath deepens.

**Prepare for sleep as carefully as you prepare for meals.
>Take time away from stimulating TV.
>A warm bath always helps.
>Keep your sleeping space uncluttered and never bring work to bed.
>Try sleep CD's with calming music designed to program the mind to quiet.
>Take a Calcium/Magnesium supplement, a natural relaxant for the nervous system, with
almond or soymilk.
>Try using natural relaxants: calming teas (such as chamomile), valerian root, or caffeine-
free aspirin or baby aspirin if your system tolerates it.

The mind/body connection is key to balance in weight as in all aspects of living. Consciously planning and structuring for success, educate yourself about nutrition and what works best for your body, and taking the leadership role and responsibility for your results insures your brain is engaged fully in the process. This is key! Make a decision about your ideal weight and assure yourself that your are capable of achieving your goal. Back up your goal with action. Much information is available for consumption, but keeping in mind the four necessary steps: excellent nutrition, burning calories by body movement with a program you enjoy, engaging the mind for results and success, programming yourself for deep restful sleep. Attention to the first three is very likely to insure the last. Finally a visual affirmation before rest and a smile of assurance will bring your dreams, waking and sleeping, closer to where you want them to be.

So as you lie down to sleep, observe your breathing by concentrating on the heart center...by observing the breath, it naturally deepens. Then scan your body from head to toe, allowing each area to peacefully relax. Let thoughts flow and let go. You are re-teaching yourself something you knew as a child, to let go into deep relaxing sleep.


SWEET DREAMS