A. The 12 points of Spiritual Health Habits, that is included in supplemental materials, should be printed as large as possible. This sheet should be taped to the wall and reviewed each session.

B. From the secretary's notes of the previous session the facilitators can type the insights and have photocopied for the members of the class. See the example sheet entitled "An Example of a Group's Insights" included below.

C. Photocopy, on attractive paper, for each of the participants the "Long Healing Prayer" (which is included in supplemental materials).

D. Be sure to have extra pens and paper out on a table for participants' use.

1. To begin, ask one of the participants to read a healing prayer to open the session.

2. One of the facilitators of the course can read out loud the 12 points of Spiritual Health Habits.

3. Go over the homework that was assigned during the first session. This is the opportunity for each participant to share their insights that they have from studying his/her quote. It is not necessary for the participants to read their quote before sharing their understanding. It takes too much time and each participant can follow along using their compilation of "Health and Healing".

4. Pass out photocopies of insights from previous session. (See above - B)

5. If there were any questions that individuals asked of a Bahá'í physician who uses the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh, now is the time to share the physician's answers to those questions with the participants.

This above part should take about 45 minutes.

Studying the Quotes

Now the class breaks into two groups. Each group will have their own writings to study. (See "Quotes to Study" - Group One and Group Two in this session.) Be sure that each group has a facilitator and a secretary. The facilitator will keep the group on track. The secretary will take notes of all insights and will report back to the general group at the end of this session. This part will take approximately 45 minutes to study the quotes. Follow the three steps outlined below.

1. Someone reads the quote out loud.

2. Participants take turns asking questions to the person beside them and the answer is given using the words in the quote rather than personal opinion. This is continued until the quote has been completed.

3. Consult how we can develop skills for our health based on the quote.

 

Completing Session Two

After 45 minutes of study, consultation and insights, the groups reconvene into one major group. Both facilitators and secretaries share the insights gained during the study of the quotes with all the participants. Allow approximately ten to fifteen minutes.

Give each participant the gift of the sheet entitled the "Long Healing Prayer".

After presentation of their gift, assign homework by giving each participant a different quote from the "Health and Healing" compilation to study at home during the week or if you are doing this on a weekend to study during their free time.

Announce that the third session will focus on physical healing and causes of disease.

Serve simple and nourishing refreshments such as fruits, nuts and water or juice to drink.

· Balance in our diet is very important.

· There are more and more breakthroughs into nutrition so it is important for us to keep studying.

· We have to determine within ourselves what our natural proportions are within our body. Foods have an immediate effect on our body.

· It is good to try to be conscious all the time about our body. We can question ourselves - how are we after an emotional storm, after we eat, when we are tired, etc. We should be constantly observing our body and thinking about these things.

· First - Trust in God - the rest will work better.

· We have to be aware of the physical, mental and spiritual balance in ourselves. When there is conflict between these states, there will be imbalance.

· Become closer to God.

· Pray and meditate daily. Read the Creative Word morning and evening.

· Become more spiritual in our outlook.

· Understand material causes of illness.

· Realize that God only sends us things that profit us. Sometimes He says "No".

Responses to Quote #1 & #2

There seemed to be more questions than solutions.

· How does one turn to God and trust Him?

· How does one develop a trusting relationship with God?

· There was talk of physical treatments for physical problems e.g. - fractured leg. A spiritual problem then had a spiritual solution. Perhaps we don't often really know which is which, the physical or the spiritual disease. We need to determine whether spiritual or physical elements are present.

· Every disease has a physical and a spiritual component. Both treatments should be used.

Quotes to Study

Session Two - Group One

"Question. - Some people heal the sick by spiritual means -- that is to say, without medicine. How is this?

Answer. - Know that there are four kinds of curing and healing without medicine. Two are due to material causes, and two to spiritual causes.

Of the two kinds of material healing, one is due to the fact that in man both health and sickness are contagious. The contagion of disease is violent and rapid, while that of health is extremely weak and slow. If two bodies are brought into contact with each other, it is certain that microbic particles will pass from one to the other. In the same way that disease is transferred from one body to another with rapid and strong contagion, it may be that the strong health of a healthy man will alleviate a very slight malady in a sick person. That is to say, the contagion of disease is violent and has a rapid effect, while that of health is very slow and has a small effect, and it is only in very slight diseases that it has even this small effect. The strong power of a healthy body can overcome a slight weakness of a sick body, and health results. This is one kind of healing.

The other kind of healing without medicine is through the magnetic force which acts from one body on another and becomes the cause of cure. This force also has only a slight effect. Sometimes one can benefit a sick person by placing one's hand upon his head or upon his heart. Why? Because of the effect of the magnetism, and of the mental impression made upon the sick person, which causes the disease to vanish. But this effect is also very slight and weak."

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, pp.254-55)

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"But the fourth kind of healing is produced through the power of the Holy Spirit. This does not depend on contact, nor on sight, nor upon presence; it is not dependent upon any condition. Whether the disease be light or severe, whether there be a contact of bodies or not, whether a personal connection be established between the sick person and the healer or not, this healing takes place through the power of the Holy Spirit."

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p.256)

Exercise:

1. Study the above quotes using the sample method provided.

2. Consult how we can develop skills for our health based on these quotes.

Quote to study

Session Two - Group Two

"Of the two other kinds of healing which are spiritual -- that is to say, where the means of cure is a spiritual power -- one results from the entire concentration of the mind of a strong person upon a sick person, when the latter expects with all his concentrated faith that a cure will be effected from the spiritual power of the strong person, to such an extent that there will be a cordial connection between the strong person and the invalid. The strong person makes every effort to cure the sick patient, and the sick patient is then sure of receiving a cure. From the effect of these mental impressions an excitement of the nerves is produced, and this impression and this excitement of the nerves will become the cause of the recovery of the sick person. So when a sick person has a strong desire and intense hope for something and hears suddenly the tidings of its realization, a nervous excitement is produced which will make the malady entirely disappear. In the same way, if a cause of terror suddenly occurs, perhaps an excitement may be produced in the nerves of a strong person which will immediately cause a malady. The cause of the sickness will be no material thing, for that person has not eaten anything, and nothing harmful has touched him; the excitement of the nerves is then the only cause of the illness. In the same way the sudden realization of a chief desire will give such joy that the nerves will be excited by it, and this excitement may produce health.

To conclude, the complete and perfect connection between the spiritual doctor and the sick person -- that is, a connection of such a kind that the spiritual doctor entirely concentrates himself, and all the attention of the sick person is given to the spiritual doctor from whom he expects to realize health -- causes an excitement of the nerves, and health is produced. But all this has effect only to a certain extent, and that not always. For if someone is afflicted with a very violent disease, or is wounded, these means will not remove the disease nor close and heal the wound -- that is to say, these means have no power in severe maladies, unless the constitution helps, because a strong constitution often overcomes disease. This is the third kind of healing.

But the fourth kind of healing is produced through the power of the Holy Spirit. This does not depend on contact, nor on sight, nor upon presence; it is not dependent upon any condition. Whether the disease be light or severe, whether there be a contact of bodies or not, whether a personal connection be established between the sick person and the healer or not, this healing takes place through the power of the Holy Spirit."

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, pp.255-56)

Exercise:

1. Study the above quote using the sample method provided.

2. Consult how we can develop skills for our health based on this quote.

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