Divine Will Healing

There are many ways to maintain good health or to seek healing, if illness or injuries happen to us — through allopathic medical techniques and also through alternative healing methods. Ananda does not advocate any particular healing modality, except for the very simple and common sense approaches to healing found in the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda.

Yogananda presented a surprisingly complete and holistic approach to good health many years before “holistic” became a popular concept. His emphasis was to work on every aspect of human nature, physical, energetic, mental, emotional, and spiritual — all at the same time. None of these is to be neglected; all should work together in harmony.

Although he spoke often and eloquently on the more physical aspects of human needs such as right diet, fasting and exercise, in addition he strongly emphasized the more subtle concepts of energy, consciousness, will, right attitude and increased life-force.

It is definitely possible to completely heal people from a distance. You will find examples of this in Autobiography of a Yogi. The effectiveness of healing at a distance depends on two things: the power of the healer to act as a channel for God, and the receptivity of the “patient.” Though a person may be suffering from a physical or mental illness and want to be well on one level, on a deeper level, their soul may feel they need this illness in order to learn something.

If you know someone in need of healing, regularly hold them in healing light. Do not focus on the illness, or what you think their problem is and how you think God should fix them. Focus instead on God’s divine love and healing light, and feel you are sending that light to them from your spiritual eye to theirs. This course shares Yogananda’s techniques on how to heal at a distance.

Yes — you are right — we do create bad karma when we speak ill of others. Think of karma as a teacher. In this instance, your friend did something hurtful to you. In return, you sought to hurt her by badmouthing her several times before a large group of people. Sometimes karma teaches us by developing our empathy for others. In a very simplistic view, perhaps she may have to experience the pain she caused you, and you might need to see what it feels like to have your name maligned several times in front of a large group of your friends.

The Divine is merciful and compassionate. Ultimately, the laws of karma are not meant to punish us, but to awaken our understanding that we are all made of God’s Love. Sometimes we need a strong karmic lesson to help us realize, “I wouldn’t wish this pain or suffering on anyone.”

That is the awakening of divine love within us. We do not wish to make others suffer, even if they have hurt us. That is why Paramhansa Yogananda said Jesus Christ’s greatest miracle was when he offered forgiveness to those who were crucifying his body, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

When we are in the midst of our errors, we also “know not what we do,” regarding the karma we are creating for ourselves, but we are blessed if something awakens us, and gives us a chance to reverse the error by doing good. And now, by God’s grace, your spiritual understanding has made you ready.

Practicing Yogananda’s techniques could be a great starting point to heal this first in your own heart, and you will be guided as to what degree the outer friendship can be restored.

Paramhansa Yogananda emphasized that in working with healing prayers we should attune to God’s will (“Thy will be done”) rather than project any specific outcome.The thought here is to open up and magnetize as much as possible to the flow of divine healing energy, which is said to be an intelligent energy, and then have trust that the appropriate healing, whatever that may be, will manifest, in tune with God’s will.