Toward the One, the perfection of Love, Harmony and Beauty, the Only Being, united with all the Illuminated Souls who form the embodiment of the Master, the Spirit of Guidance.

I once heard Pir Vilayat say that if we are to be known as Healers, he would like us to be known as Healers with light. Early in my Sufi training, I was told that all light practices are Healing practices.

Hazrat Inayat Khan tells us that all scriptures have "explained in some way or other that life is like light. In the Muslim scriptures the word nur is used; in the Vedanta it is called chaitanya. "

Murshid tells us that all illness is due to a lack of life and by extension, a lack of light.

So, when we begin to heal with light we are intending to bring light and life to those parts of us that are lacking that.

Before doing practices I would like to suggest that you spend a few minutes looking in the mirror. Pir Vilayat calls this the cheapest of all feedback systems. I would suggest that you do this again after doing practices and see if you can see a difference.

In this posting, I would like us to start by being present to our breath. The breath deepens, lengthens and gets lighter as we are present to it. The breath is life and light. We are now going to assess ourselves to see where there is life and light and where we need healing. Then be present to your five bodies and see if there are places that feel numb or painful. For those of you who are new to this work start with the physical body and feel the skin, muscles, organs, etc, then go to your heart and be present to the sternum and gently allow your breath to explore that area. After spending time in your physical body, explore your emotions. Do you feel them, if not what do you feel. Next go to your mental body. Is your mind busy or relaxed? Can you watch the activity of your mind. Then look at your moral body, that place of connectivity to the inner and outer world. What are your relationships with others like. Then move to being present to your spirit or essential self. Allow the light of your breath to explore the state of your own being.

Ibn Arabi tells us "Light is of two kinds: a light having no rays and radiant light. If self disclosure takes place through radiant light, it takes away our inner vision. As for the light with no rays, it is the light within which self disclosure takes place without rays. Then its brightness does not go outside of itself and the viewer perceives it with the utmost clarity and lucidity."

It seems to me that we heal ourselves with the light without rays. It is that light that discloses to us our inner states and structures. It is that light that lets us know where there is life and where there isn't. In order for us to heal others with light we must first remove what stands in the way of our own light shining through. The clearer and more radiant we become, the more we are able to help spark the light that heals others.

After assessing your physical body, emotions, mind, moral body and spirit. Be present to those areas that seem to lack energy, life and light.

This is a foundation for the next three classes that we will do with light. This is the beginning of an exploration so I hope that people will share their experience

 Toward the One, the perfection of Love, Harmony and Beauty, the Only Being, united with all the Illuminated Souls who form the embodiment of the Master, the Spirit of Guidance.

As we explored our Being with the light of the breath pain emerged. Our discussion centered on the pain in the world but it could have disclosed pain in any one of the five bodies. Pain is a sign of something wrong but also of life. So light begins to reveal something. The light of the breath is a diagnostic tool as well as a way in which we heal with light. We also worked with the light of consciousness as it activates when we are present.

I learned a great deal about what I experience with light from Murshida Vera Corda and will carry my memories and her Being with me through my lifetime. I did a retreat with Murshida about 15 years ago and she had me visualize and concentrate on a flame on a log. The flame spreads.

Murshid tells us that light spreads in all directions. Life and light has its center in the center of every form but takes its expression through the direction in which it spreads.

We have explored how light comes through the breath. Now let's explore how it comes through the glance. At different times of the day sip in the light from the outer world through your eyes. Again, use the mirror for feedback. Be aware of anything that changes in the way you see things and in what you see on the inner eye.

I would also suggest that you do the practice Ya Nur/Ya Munawwir to experience the spread of light. For those of you who had an experience of pain, I would suggest holding that pain while you do the zikr. Nur is the light that we sense, what Pir Vilayat calls the uncreated light and Munawwir is the manifest light. The practice might help to clarify the two kinds of light that I talked about in the first class.

Toward the One, the perfection of Love, Harmony and Beauty, the Only Being, united with all the Illuminated Souls who form the embodiment of the Master, the Spirit of Guidance.

When we begin to work with light it begins to surface pain and sometimes darkness. It brings to light, literally, what was there. In areas that have lacked light and life there is sometimes pain as energy begins to flow.

If we stay present to what comes to light and allow the light to spread and expand, we begin to experience shifts in the structures that have come to light. Over a period of time that varies with the depth and intensity of what has surfaces the light begins to erase what was there and to heal it.

I have not talked about hands on healing and will do so now. I believe that I quoted Murshid in the last class as saying that "Life and light has its center in the center of every form, but takes its expression through the direction in which it spreads."

When we prepare our hands for healing, we are allowing light to enter into the hands and the finger tips. Hindus have used the symbol of four hands. Murshid tells us that this means two hands of the mind and two hands of the body. The physical hands are needed to help the hands of the mind. "when thought is directed from the mind through the hand, its power becomes double and its expression fuller.

You might want to try anointing your hands with the light of your heart and then focusing your mind on healing someone or something through your hands. You can do this on a plant that looks weak and needs a little more life. To anoint the hands, place your right hand over your heart, close to but not touching the body. When you feel the energy in the hand, scan your heart and then bring the right hand to the left shoulder, down the left arm and into the hand and fingertip. Do the same with the other hand on the right side. Then, feel the energy in your hands and direct it with your mind to what you want to heal. Some of you may be able to see or detect the light in your hands. What do YOU experience?

Toward the One, the perfection of Love, Harmony and Beauty, the Only Being, united with all the Illuminated Souls who form the embodiment of the Master, the Spirit of Guidance.

Murshid tells us that" every atom of our Being, whether mental or physical, is radiant and throws its rays outward, which is life itself and gives life." All illness is this lack of life and needs life to be given to it. Science has discovered the use of the power of electricity to help cure diseases.

"The mystic discovered ages ago the power of this hidden electricity, the life of the mind and the life of the body, and he believes and knows that its application in healing is most beneficial. There are sores and wounds and painful parts that are too tender to touch. In such cases healing by magnetic passes, in other words by waving the hands over the affected part and so allowing thought to heal." It is by being in touch with the light that is within us that we are able to send it forth through our thoughts, our glance our hands and our presence to heal others.

Thank you for your participation