Greetings and Opening Prayer

         Note to the spiritist teacher: it’s important to give young people the opportunity to suggest themes during the meetings, which could be discussed usually at the end of each month. In April, the following topic was suggested: "Why are people obsessed with diets?"

         We then decided to expand the topic to "The importance of the physical body" (focusing on the physical body being an instrument that enables us to fulfil our task in this incarnation, under the light of the Spiritist Teachings). We seek to show the young group that there is a spirit inhabiting a body, even though there are unrealistic ‘standards’ imposed by the media out there. This body is here to help us evolve. We also aim to talk about their individuality, as well as the fragility of the physical body, when facing excesses and deviations.

         First - suggested group dynamic to be used: build up a pathway on the floor, with one meter to one meter and twenty centimetres long, with some curves. This path must (preferably) already be drawn on the floor before the meeting starts.

         Soon after the opening prayer, the spiritist teacher will expose the subject and talk about our time living on the planet.

         We know that we came to evolve, however, we do not know specifically what each one has to learn. Please ask the young group what conditions should we have for a healthy life here on Earth?

         Possible answers given by the group would be: family, constructive readings, friends, religion, etc.

         The answers given by the young people should be written into the pathway (the drawing that is now placed on the floor).

         The spiritist teacher should leave small balloons to be chosen and inflated by each member of the group, because this material will represent their physical body.

         Second: The pathway is now ready to be explored. First, ask one of them to volunteer and then explain how the game will work. The spiritist teacher should tie the small balloon with a line to the volunteer’s ankle, at this point. This person will have to follow the pathway until the end, without stepping outside its limits. As the volunteer beings to walk the way, his/her colleagues will try to puncture the small balloon. If he/she manages to reach the other side of the pathway safely, he/she completed the task.

         The young person must do the journey blindfolded, to increase the game’s excitement. He/she will be guided by "two guards" he/she chooses from the group. These could represent our parents and guardian angel. They will then walk the volunteer through the track and use the following command words to guide the blindfolded person: right / left / forward.

         However, the other colleagues could also take advantage of these features (voice command) to disrupt and divert the youth from the path. This represents the malicious media as well as bad influences.

         If the volunteer’s balloon is popped, the veil should be removed. It will then be someone else’s turn, who should then choose his/her protectors and begin to walk his/her way.

         Third: we suggest that the spiritist teacher also tread the path, but before he/she will tell the young group he/she "self-sufficient"; that is, the spiritist teacher doesn’t need anyone’s help trying to accomplish the task. He/she will fail (obviously) his/her attempt, since the spiritist teacher was blindfolded. Discuss the subject, after failing to walk the pathway.

         Note: we can use the following resources to make it a little bit more difficult:

         1) A boy and a girl should be chosen as protectors;

         2) A balloon could be tied on each ankle;

         3) The protectors must remain at a fixed point;

         4) No one (from the outside group) should invade the boundaries of the pathway.

         Closing Prayer

         Spiritist Teachers: Ricardo and Maria Claudia.

         Translation: Carolina von Scharten, London, linked to BUSS - The British Union of Spiritist Societies.

         Bibliography:
         The Spirits' Book, Part III, Ch. V (Enjoyment of the fruits of the Earth, Necessaries and Superfluities, Voluntary privations and mortifications) Question 799;
         The Gospel According to Spiritism cap. XVII, item 11;
         Book ‘Adolescence and Life’ (Divaldo Franco / Joanna de Angelis).
         Magazine ‘Presença Espírita’ - March / April 2001, Article No. 233: Body / divine machine by Anita Maria Rosas Baptist.