Using imagery/Ideokinesis contrary to Catholicism?

[maxdouglas402]

Is using mental imagery acceptable for a stretching exercise or is it contrary to our faith. Im worried it will turn my mind inward and make me overly conscious of my body.

I’m sorry, I already brought a similar topic up about yoga a couple weeks ago, but I’m still looking for a good physical therapy.

Basically imagery is telling somebody to imagine they’re doing something so their body can adapt in a specific way.

Example: When teaching someone how to swing a golf club you tell them, “imagine like you’re throwing a bucket of water across your chest” (or something along those lines).

Is this a form of new age religion? (Im trying to be scrupulous about the whole thing because I’ve experienced adverse affects from yoga, and I know there are references to yoga in the book. The philosophy is known as Ideokinesis en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ideokinesis)

franklinmethod.com/

amazon.com/Relax-Your-Neck-Liberate-Shoulders/dp/0871272482/ref=pd_sim_b_4

 

[Julia_Mae]

Is this a form of new age religion?

No, it’s a form of teaching people how to do stuff they haven’t done before. It’s been used as long as there are records of teaching people stuff.

If you must do something new and it is similar to something you already know, it’s easier to think about how it feels to do the thing you know rather than try to describe in a billion words in minute detail how to swing the stupid club. Or do the movement or knead the bread or post a trot or …

To avoid whiffing, pretend you are using the edge of the iron to cut the grass under the ball…

See, when it’s about golf and not yoga, it hardly seems like anything scary at all.

 

[Mintaka]

Using images to build a “memory palace” for storing interesting facts, Bible quotes, and sermon topics was part of the ordinary medieval education of clergy and others. The wilder the image, the easier it was deemed to remember the association. Visualizing the image in a certain mental “place” enlisted the human power to remember landmarks and locations. The division of the Bible into numbered chapters and verses apparently started in the practice of memorizing the Bible bits in numbered “rooms”.

And of course, the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola encourage you to visualize all sorts of scenes from Our Lord’s life, as do many other forms of common Catholic devotion.

Mental imagery use is something that Christians use and have always used, because humans use it. It’s useful. It can be used badly, but so can any tool.

 

[Qwestions]

Hi, max! Stretch your mind (and your body!), just don’t go overboard. In other words, don’t continually dwell upon something until it possesses you and you’re obsessed by it. “All things in moderation!” Know what dangers lurk and beware of them, but instead of worrying about them, educate yourself so you’re not likely to be caught blindly unaware. Do read to learn why New Age beliefs are in opposition to Catholic thought, and how you might obliviously be suckered into those beliefs, but realize that sometimes practices that are not understood are categorized as New Age, when, in fact, they’re not at all. “Forewarned is forearmed.” You can always use more holy water in your home and pray more frequently. If you need physical therapy, though, you need to follow through with it. Good luck with your rehabilitation!

 

[maxdouglas402]

See, when it’s about golf and not yoga, it hardly seems like anything scary at all.

I do see your point. My main worry is that yoga focuses on the body, and so does this imagery. I feel scarred by yoga. I don’t want the same thing to happen to me. This is ideokinesis says it gets some of its influence from internal yoga/Mind Body stuff. I just don’t want the enemy to trick me again.

 

[Julia_Mae]

I do see your point. My main worry is that yoga focuses on the body, and so does this imagery. I feel scarred by yoga. I don’t want the same thing to happen to me. This is ideokinesis says it gets some of its influence from internal yoga/Mind Body stuff. I just don’t want the enemy to trick me again.

I don’t know what to tell you, Max, I’ve done yoga all my life and it’s never been anything but great exercise that’s helped keep me healthy. But why would you pick something else that involved mind-body connections, if that’s what you want to avoid?

Swim, find a climbing wall, use some nice exercise machines, and stay away from these things you seem to be uncomfortable with.

 

[earlyman]

I am rather new to this forum and this is an old thread so I don’t know if anyone will be reading it, but I want to suggest a booklet I have written that is free to read online on Google Drive - drive.google.com/file/d/0Bz8Bej68FhX5aURXenA2R1ZFYlE/edit?usp=sharing

Its full title is, Posture Release and Formation Imagery - a new somatic discipline, inspired by evolution, spiritually Christian. I have been a teacher of what is called the Alexander Technique, for many years. In addition, I developed imagery that can be very helpful (if you are good at imagining) for overcoming pain and dysfunction caused by postural habits. I later discovered (which helped me to convert to Catholicism ! ) that the imagery was very Christian in a sense.

Read it and see if it makes sense to you. It does not promote self-absorption but (I would argue) can help free people instead, allowing them to become more oriented toward God and others. If you are further interested, check out posturereleaseimagery.org/.

Best wishes

 

[Deus_tecum]

Thank you for the links. I have some back pain today from doing some heavy lifting prior to getting warmed up, and I know I have some postural imbalances. I believe most people do simply from being right or left handed.