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HEALING THROUGH UNITY
October, 2003
A monthly newsletter dedicated to serving the principles of
physical and spiritual health envisioned in the Baha'i Teachings.Volume 7, Issue #2
______________________________________________________Contents
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- Announcement of New Editor of the Healing Through Unity Newsletter
- Forgiveness is a Bold Choice: Don't Waste Precious Time Carrying Around Anger
- The Exchange
- More Responses to Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Responses to Gambling
- A Reader is Requesting for Assistance
- Question of the Month
- Website
- Purpose of the Newsletter***************************************************************
ANNOUNCEMENT OF NEW EDITOR OF THE
HEALING THROUGH UNITY NEWSLETTER
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I am pleased to share that there is a new editor for the Healing Through Unity Newsletter. Lynn Ascrizzi from Maine, United States has kindly offered to take on this volunteer job of newsletter editor.
She has been a Baha'i since 1973. She has been an editor and feature writer for 23 years, and also has a network of supporters in the medical field who can review subject matter. She is well connected with alternative health and holistic issues.
Currently Lynn is a staff writer for Central Maine Newspapers, based in Augusta, Maine where she has worked as an editor and feature writer for about 18 years. She has come up with many innovative columns, story ideas and story packages for the Life and Leisure weekend feature section for which she writes.
She was also associate and senior editor for five years for Farmstead Magazine, a once-successful, but no-longer-in-circulation, publication for home gardening and small farming. It had an organic gardening and farming perspective.
And, she taught art and English for five-and-a-half years in Maine, Connecticut and New York. Lynn was awarded the 1999 Robert Hayden Poetry Fellowship, sponsored by Louhelen Baha'i School. She also has done free-lance book editing and page design.
I received many comments from people who indicated that they hope the newsletter will continue, since it helps many people and is a valuable service. Many thanks to Lynn Ascrizzi for taking on this new role, and we wish her well! Lynn will take over the editorship in January, 2004. It is a great joy knowing that the newsletter will continue.
Frances Mezei
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FORGIVENESS IS A BOLD CHOICE
DON"T WASTE PRECIOUS TIME CARRYING
AROUND ANGER
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By Father Joseph Sica (Father Joe Sica is a priest from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and coauthor of the book 'Embracing Change, 10 Ways to Grow Spiritually and Emotionally.')
http://www.beliefnet.com/nlrd.asp?to=st&sid=13158&bid=62960 Submitted by
Leslie Mezei, Ontario, Canada.
I recently visited a friend in the hospice unit at one of our local hospitals. As I was talking with Bill, a gentleman walked into the room. Bill began to cry and so did the gentleman. The gentleman leaned over the bed to embrace Bill. After a few moments the gentleman, Ken, said to me, "He's my brother. We haven't spoken in over 25 years."
Caught by surprise by his comment, I said, "You're kidding me?"
"No," replied Ken. "We had an argument over a piece of property and have been estranged from each other."
Bill said, "Ken, you haven't met my children."
Then Bill introduced his children to their uncle. I left the hospice unit thinking, there's something wrong when we can't forgive. Life is short and it's difficult to make up for all the time that has been lost.
This experience caused me to think the power of forgiveness and the need for it in our lives. Sure, when someone says something or does something to cause us harm, it hurts. But we need to move beyond the hurt, to healing, which comes from forgiveness.
I like to think of forgiveness as the bold choice we make to clear out of our lives resentment, bitterness, anger, hatred, and revenge. We need to ask ourselves, "Do I want to waste precious time and energy carrying around these nasty feelings?"
It's the unfinished business we may have with a spouse, parent, child, brother or sister, or friend which we need to take care of before it's too late. Holding on to the past only weakens the relationship and keeps us from mending it and putting it back together.
When we refuse to forgive, the other person owns us. Often forgiveness is not for the other person, it's for us—to let it go and begin again.
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THE EXCHANGE
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Question:
Forgiveness seems to be a powerful source of healing. Please share your insights, thoughts and stories re: forgiveness.
Responses:
A few years ago, I wrote to the Universal House of Justice (Governing body of the Baha'i Faith in Haifa, Israel) about this topic (among others) and thought you might be interested in their reply.
"As a devoted believer you are urged to strive to develop forgiveness in your heart toward your parents who have abused you in so disgraceful a manner, and to attain a level of insight which sees them as captives of their lower nature, whose actions can only lead them deeper into unhappiness and separation from God. By this means, you can liberate yourself from the anger to which you refer in your letter." ( From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, 9 September, 1992.)
I found it particularly interesting that they said I was to "strive to develop", which suggested I may never get there in my lifetime, and as long as I kept trying, this was as much as would be expected of me.
It was also interesting that they said I was to strive to develop forgiveness "in my heart", which suggested that I didn't need to do it with them physically present.
- anonymous
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This excerpt is taken from "Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom" written by Dr. Christiane Northup (obstetrician and gynecologist), pp. 630 - 631
"Forgiveness frees us. It heals our bodies and our lives. But it is also the most difficult step we must take in our healing process. It takes a great deal of energy to keep someone out of our hearts...Forgiveness and making amends are completely linked. Holding a grudge and maintaining hatred or resentment hurts us as least as much as the other person.
Forgiveness moves our energy to the heart area. When the body's energy moves there, we don't take our wounds so personally - and we can heal. Forgiveness is the intitiation of the heart, and it is very powerful. Scientific studies have shown, for example, that when we think with our hearts by taking a moment to focus on someone or something that we love unconditionally - like a puppy or a young child - the rhythm of our hearts evens out and becomes healthier. When people are taught to think with their hearts regularly, they can even reverse heart disease and other related conditions. The electromagnetic field of the heart is forty times stronger than the electromagnetic field produced by the brain; to me, this means that every cell in our bodies - and in the bodies of those around us - can be positively influenced by the quality of our hearts when they are beating in synchrony with the energy of appreciation."
"To get to forgiveness, we first have to work through the painful experiences that require it. Forgiveness doesn't mean that what happened to us was okay. It simply means that we are no longer willing to allow that experience to adversely affect our lives. Forgiveness is something we do, ultimately, for ourselves."
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BAHA'I QUOTES
Pray to be forgiven, O people, for having failed in your duty towards God...and be not of the foolish. (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings, p. 105)
...O my Lord...I have made haste to attain unto the ocean of Thy forgiveness, and have sought shelter beneath the shadow of Thy most gracious favor. (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings, p. 114)
If someone commits an error and wrong toward you, you must instantly forgive him. (Abdu'l-Baha, Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 453)
Do not look at the shortcomings of anybody; see with the sight of forgiveness. The imperfect eye beholds imperfections. The eye that covers faults looks toward the Creator of souls. (Abdu'l-Baha, Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 93)
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MORE RESPONSES TO RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
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I have some form of arthritis. I have not bothered to have it diagnosed officially. However there was a point where it was extremely painful affecting almost every joint. I would just ache when trying to move after sitting still for any little length of time. I was referred by a friend to an intuitive healer who also had studied under Hannah Kroeger and she helped me immensely to get rid of much of the achiness. First, the comment about the inflammatory process being a certain parasite living in the joints is correct because Arthritis is associated with coxaccie and protozoa. With the healer's help I was able to take a homeopathic remedy for the coxaccie. After that I felt much better, but then noticed that my achiness was very much aggravated by certain foods - tomatoes, green peppers, chile (peppers), eggplant, all the same family of veggies. My healer pointed out that protozoa which likes all the pepper-related family of vegetables, tends to swarm close to the time of the full moon. I had to take another treatment which was a herbal for the protozoa timed with the moon phases (at this time I don't remember which
phase.) I was somewhat skeptical about this but went along with it, and, to my amazement, the achiness thing that plagued every joint especially after sitting still for a while totally disappeared. I also find that there is something about beef especially beef fat that tends to activate the arthritic condition so I have eliminated beef and milk and butter (cheese) from my diet as well as wheat. I can be sure, whenever I eat any cheese or butter that within 24 hrs I will feel aches in my joints. Keeping wheat out of my diet definitely seems to help as well, but not as obviously. The funny thing is that my healer used spit balls (soaking a cotton ball in your mouth 1st thing after rising before eating or drinking anything so that you get the essence of your own saliva on it) for doing the diagnosis. I have been relatively pain free for 2 years now. I garden and it is quite likely that I get re-infected during the summers as a result. I can eat those tomatoes and peppers with no problem now. Taking glucosamine and chondroitin have also helped keep it at bay. I have now become trained myself in Hannah's method of checking spit balls.
- Phyllis Janeway
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About arthritis: a combination of different aspects is important I think.
1. Diet - a cleansing of the body to rid itself of toxic substances to begin
with. Cutting out fat and refined sugar and reducing the intake of meat. Also
check for allergies such as milk (many people are allergic to milk and milk products and do not know it) It causes mucus buildup in our system. I personally have noticed that I have less sore joints and feel much more energetic since I have been following this diet. A good book where this is mentioned is "Living Foods" by Brian Clement (ISBN 0-7615-1448-1).
Quote: "The Arthritis Foundation insists there is no relation between diet and arthritis. I predict they will change their position in the very near future since the facts are too strong to ignore." pg. 59. ..." Six arthritis patients went on a fat free diet and their symptoms disappeared within seven weeks. When fat was reintroduced into their diets, it took only three days for the symptoms to reappear. .. Through removal of dairy products all symptoms disappeared within four months...." (pg. 59) I feel that this is in accordance with the Baha'i teachings of curing diseases with diet.
Cleansing the body of toxins is the first step.
2. According to the polarity teachings of Randolf Stone, joints are connected
to the ether element. When one is not able to take in his/her own space, to exist and be able to say I AM then the joints may become affected. One must be able to love one's own self first before one is able to give love to someone else. Many times in the role of mother, wife, teacher, etc we are so busy caring for others that we forget to take care of ourselves. I share the experiences of my own mother as an example. My mother was so busy caring for other people that she had no space for herself. Her rheumatoid arthritis totally crippled her and left her an invalid. Every summer vacation as a child, I remember that she was in the hospital having an operation: on her fingers, feet, knees, hip replacement. The cortisone treatment weakened her bones so that when she fell and broke her leg it took 9 months to heal.
Emotions: repressed, unexpressed anger turns itself into disease in the body, and can manifest itself in various ways, among others, arthritis. Learning to express oneself is vital. Gestalt, NLP, or general psychology courses can be helpful for expression. Also massage such as polarity can be a contributing factor to restoring balance in the body. It basically is aimed at removing energy stoppages so that the energy can move freely. According to eastern medical practices, disease begins at the energy level and that is where it can be most effectively cured.
- Terry Pratt, The Netherlands
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RESPONSES TO GAMBLING
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There are so many things that we can become addicted to, and tastes are so different! My sister has a friend whose addiction is to jaywalking -- and, although he is run over by vehicles rather regularly, keeps on doing it...
1. Alcoholics Anonymous works extremely well for people quitting drinking, and I understand that there are similar organizations for people with other addictions. (I want to look for or found a Backbiters Anonymous so we can learn not to backbite!) If available (and since the gambler is willing to make an effort and has acknowledged the problem) Gamblers Anonymous ought to be a good option.
2. Why would God make us with the capacity to become addicted to things? I think that the addiction response / reflex / propensity may be related to the capacity to become contemplatively devoted to God. Teaching as hard as Dr. Muhajir (Hand of the Cause of God for the Baha'i Faith), who told us years ago: "Destroy your lives for the Faith", is quite like ending up on Skid Row, just healthier and saner. In psychoanalysis, there is what they call the Rumpelstiltskin response, in which, once one can name the problem, it goes away. There may be barriers to turning one's life over to God that are not so strong against giving every minute and dollar to the casino -- but, this drive to follow one craving may be a sign of a profound capacity to leave everything and develop spiritually just as doggedly!
- Bernarda & Sam DuBois-Bravo
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This is something a Local Spiritual Assembly could advise on. They might send you to Gamblers Anonymous. In any case you would have the authority of the Local Spiritual Assembly to help you make the decisions you must make.
You say he is "turning to God" and "continuing to gamble". Which? Gamblers Anonymous - 1-800-GAM1234 - knows the difference. You will not win this one without them.
- Nancy Walker
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A READER IS REQUESTING ASSISTANCE
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"Does anyone with diabetes, and insulin-dependent, have experience of other treatments (e.g. particular foods, a specific therapy, a type of exercise, a particularly meaningful prayer or meditation etc.) that have definitely lowered blood sugar or reduced insulin intake. I want firsthand experiences and not theory."
(Editor's note: Please send your responses to -- and then your messages will be passed on to the person requesting assistance.)
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QUESTION OF THE MONTH
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The steps for staying healthy which are excerpts from "Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom" written by Dr. Christiane Northup will be reprinted in the November issue. Please share your steps for staying healthy.
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WEB SITE
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You can visit the website, obtain back issues and the Healing Through Unity Course at: http://www.healingthroughunity.org.
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PURPOSE OF THE NEWSLETTER
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"Healing Through Unity" is published for the purpose of sharing thoughts, comments and experiences on how the teachings of the Baha'i Faith are being applied to physical and spiritual health. Other than the quoted Holy Writings, the material in this newsletter represents the thoughts and opinions of the writers and has no authority. You are free to copy articles, provided you indicate the source of the article. There are 10 issues per year; it is not published during July and August. The newsletter is produced in Ontario, Canada.
Please send your stories, comments, suggestions or "Question for the Month" ideas to Frances Mezei by e-mail: fmezei@sentex.net.
PLEASE NOTE:
Many thanks to all of you who send such wonderful contributions for "Healing Through Unity" Newsletter. The decision to select and edit material submitted for publication is determined by the editor.
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