Christian Indian Head Massage

[HayleyLauren]

Hi I have probably written this in the wrong section and i am way late posting this..i wrote a note and have been tidying and found it again!anyway ..i did a course last year(aroma) and when we had all finished a couple of the girls were talking about what they were going on to do and whether other therapies were being taken up.i suggested to one that she might like to do Indian Head Massage,she said that she was'nt sure as she thought that it would conflict with her Christian beliefs,as ihm embraced the spiritual side. what are your thoughts please.

 

[NeEdSuMGuiDanCe]

My thoughts are that there are some strange Christians out there. (Just as there are strange members of every other religion under the sun.) Religion has a lot to answer for, IMO. Religion seems to limit so many people. What a shame; I'm so glad I don't have to live with that kind of fear.

 

[snowbunny]

Hi R1859

Well that's just life. Eventhough I personally think it's a silly attitude to have, if that is she believes let her get on with it. At least there isn't a shortage of IHM therapists, so the world hasn't been deprived ;-) lol.

Seriously though a true story. A colleague was teaching an IHM NVQ course, but one of the girls refused to do chakra balancing as she felt it was against her Christian principles, so she couldn't pass the course, as this technique was on the tick box list.

Best Wishes

RP

 

[Merina]

I was having a similar coversation with a Christian friend who told me that she had stopped going to a massage therapist who she had been visiting for some time because on one occasion she started talking about chakras and energy.

We then got on to reflexology, acupuncture and all kinds of other complimentary therapies and she said she wouldn't go near them either because she wasn't sure that they were from God. Apparently it says quite clearly in the Bible that we are to avoid this kind of thing.

I don't know my Bible as well as I perhaps should and would be interested in knowing which parts she is referring to (she couldn't remember). I'd like to be able to see how they are being interpreted. Yoga is also apparently a big No No too. I am not trying to be flippant here. I would genuinely like to understand why these things are felt to be wrong.

 

[epic failure]

I know the part of the bible she was referring to. Wasn't it this bit?

"32. And an Israelite did set up a complementary therapy studio, and Lo! God said: 'Thou hast offered Indian head massage? That is an abomination to me'.

33. And he smote the Israelite, even unto smashing up his seated massage chair. Yea, and his box of essential oils too.

34. And the Israelites saw this, and said: "Wow, we'd better not try reflexology either." And so it came to pass (though they did make an exception for nail-art, as that was kind of cool)."

 

[omiulrva]

haha v funny Supersub Myself a practising Christian do reiki and chatted to friend who has strong Christian faith about yoga once and she said didn't agree with it ! I asked her why she said when you empty your mind the devil gets in !!


Amethsytfairy

 

[Epotrebitel]

Oh Nick - you politically incorrect person you...thanks for such a good laugh - not at what the specific Christians believe or don't believe (as am with Dave Allen on this - "May your God go with you") but I just loved what you wrote and thank you for making me laugh out loud which is just what I needed at the moment!

 

[Jose Myth]

Have you heard about an organisation called the Christian Medical Fellowship, which has 4500 medical practitioner members, and 1000 student members?

This is what the www.cmf.org.uk thinks about reflexology:

"Christians need to consider both professional integrity and biblical guidelines when assessing any treatment, orthodox or alternative. Unproven effectiveness or mode of action cause reflexology to fall far short of the evidence-based principles supposedly required of all modern medical treatments.
From a Christian perspective there is much to cause concern. Reflexologists highlight the spiritual significance of healing through the feet. Inge Dougans comments: 'Feet play a significant part in spiritual well being. The feet connect us to the ground and they are therefore a connection between earthly and spiritual life. They are our base and foundation and our contact with the energies that flow through it'.[17] Referring to the biblical account of Jesus washing the disciples' feet, she adds: 'The Christ washed the disciples' feet in order to awake the crown chakra above the head to awake spiritual energies'.[18] Similarly, many other reflexologists find an association with chakras and elements of the Hindu practice of yoga. Its basic philosophy is related to the Taoist Chinese view of the life force ch'i (ying and yang) or its equivalent in other cultures and religions (eg Universal Cosmic Energy). Reflexology, therefore, may provide an introduction to New Age spirituality and eastern religious philosophy. The Christian worldview is of a personal Father God upon whom we depend in all aspects of our life.[19] The idea of an impersonal life force governing all living beings is contrary to this and must surely lead to the conclusion that reflexology is not a right choice for Christians.
Choose you this day whom you will serve…God forbid that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods. (Joshua 24:15-16, King James Version)"

Unfortunately no articles on there about IHM. Plenty about the dangers of chakras and impersonal life-force energy.

RP

 

[chealmece]

This is my favourite quote on www.cmf.org.uk:

"As General Secretary of CMF, I spoke once on the phone to a lay Christian, an ordinary person without any training or expertise in health matters. He told me how he had visited an acupuncturist in his village, and after half a dozen treatments he had indeed achieved relief of the chronic painful condition he'd first gone with. He put this down to the therapy (though I must say I wondered if the condition had got better anyway over the two month period in question!). But what he went on to say was concerning. He told me that while the acupuncturist was twiddling the needles he was always muttering something inaudible under his breath, in what sounded like an incantation. He noticed too that progressively over that two month period his own spiritual life had begun to dry up. He found it hard to pray, he lost interest in going to church, he lost some of his love for the Lord. Eventually he came to realise that perhaps he'd come under some harmful spiritual influence from the acupuncturist. Simple repentance and prayer was immediately completely effective in restoring his spiritual life."

Maybe the acupuncturist balanced their client to the point that the client didn't need this mumbo jumbo anymore! ;-) :-] lots of lol.

RP

 

[Dig Dug]

Blimey, that's extraordinary! I've heard stories before of therapists being thrown off church premises, but I'd never heard of anyone "losing some of his love for the Lord" just because someone muttered inaudibly!

No offence to anyone here with genuinely-held convictions but this sort of thing is bonkers. And as for that comment earlier about emptying your mind and letting the devil in! You might as well say don't open the church doors in case the devil gets in.

I practise "Indian head massage", though I doubt it's very authentic. I know nothing of chakras - I just do a nice head, neck and shoulders massage. Though I have been known to mutter inaudibly.

 

[Greehtrdewqmi]

Just imagine if we were doing these therapies 5 hundred years ago we would have been burned at the stake for heresy!!!

I would like to know how opening the Chakras can let the Devil in.



Nick, maybe should take more water with your tipple

 

[tarsha]

Of course the really scary thing is that these are quotes from the medical profession.

RP

 

[dixonrs]

Mind-boggling in their narrowmindedness !!!! You will of course heard about the vicar of Totley near Sheffield (I believe) who banned a group of elderly ladies from doing Tai Chi in the village hall because it contravened Christian Principles .

If that's 'Christianity' you can keep it!! - and yes we should all be careful not to end up, like a few hundred years ago - at the stake

Loved your first post here Nick - laughed out loud too!!

 

[Riommerdista Esaltato]

 

[Miss Smith]

This is an interesting thread! I was raised by born again Christians, my Dad is a vicar and very against some of the things I'm into.

For example, meditation. When i first learnt Transcendental Meditation a few years ago, their belief was that it was against Christianity because you're given a mantra and that it was the name of a hindu God and therefore you are praying to someone other than Jesus.

When I learnt Vipassana, where there is no mantra..and you focus on your breath and body sensations, I was told that this was "bad" because it leaves your mind so open that it allows for "evil" spirits to enter.


I can see why, as a Christian, they would be against some of the moves in Indian head massage. Its not my belief personally, but I know what theirs are..having grown up with it and to them, it is very much the "occult" in a lot of cases. Healing, energy, chakras, meditation, its something most Christians, especially born again ones, will stay away from.

I said to my Dad that if anyone can o harm with their body using their body then the fault must surely lie with the manufacturer, not the person! Of course it seems insane that you are doing "wrong" by meditating when you are essentially experiencing your Self in its truest form!

 

[dmx87]

There are some blummin weird people in this world and it is scary
to say the least!

 

[jonas.fan4eva]

I'm hesitating to participate in this thread and I am not sure why. I suppose I don't want to offend anyone or appear to be flippant - because I am truly not. I just want to understand why Christians believe some of the things they do.

For example



What moves? Why would they be considered "un- Christian"?

I do struggle with this whole Christians against the occult thing. I thought that occult simply meant "hidden" or obscure. Well I can tell you that I find a lot of the Bible pretty obscure - full of hidden and ambiguous meanings and a lot of strange stuff goes on in it. I know - sorry. That is what I mean about sounding flippant. I really don't mean to be, but seriously there is isn't there? Doesn't mean I don't believe it, but it can be far more unbelievable than what happens in todays new age circles.

And wandering a bit away from IHM for a moment. I found the bit in Deuteronomy 18:1-11 which says " Do not let your people practice fortunte-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witch-craft, or cast spells or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead." I think that might be a modern translation of the Bible but you get the drift. Well, I thought that the Magi of the New Testament were supposed to be astrologers and that the greatest event in the history of mankind was foretold by a prophecy - and that they knew Christ was born and where he was by following a star from the East. If that isn't interpreting omens then I don't know what is!

I also have a feeling that a lot of Christians steer way from what they would term the occult or new age because they don't understand it or have not looked at what it really means. For example I recently read in a book for new Christians that the reason why astrology was wrong was because "it worships the heavens instead of the God who created the heavens, and worshipping anything or anyone other than God is idolatry." Okaaay. I am sure that serious astrologers would say that they are operating within a scientific framework - not worshipping stars - or am I wrong here?

Sorry I have wandered a bit
I am seriously not anti-Christian. I have recently started attending Church regularly and find the Christian message very uplifting, but there are some things I find difficult to understand - this whole anti-New Age thing being one of them.

 

[Rochamgrun]

Hi Celtia

I think that in an uncertain world, people will often cling to promises of certainly. So if a vicar, pastor etc says that something like IHM is not compatible with their faith, then of course those who subscribe to that faith are not going to book a IHM treatment. This is just life and they have a right to their opinions, even though it's narrow-minded. As Sunanda said in a previous post: Religion has a lot to answer for, IMO. Religion seems to limit so many people. What a shame; I'm so glad I don't have to live with that kind of fear.

Best Wishes

RP

 

[dottie]

Yep I think the part you quoted from the Bible is one of the modern interpretations of it. Actually I just asked my Dad about peoples specific problems with indian head massage - I think, the references to Charkras (i havent studied this therapy I dont know 100% whats involved) he said a lot of Christians see it as a reference to a force which is unknown


I put a smiley face because it does make me smile..because there's so much fear in this religion.

I also wonder about the "i am a sinner" mentality and the effect it can have on someones well being at a deep level.

I was a Christian for about 6 months at university, but then I discovered psychedellics, nietchez and philosophy all around the same time .. so yes, that was it for me.

But the ideas about the "occult" and good/bad etc are absurd, agreed.


And Rachel you raise an interesting point about the concept of the word "occult". Words are ambiguous at the best of times, and can mean different things to different people but they're just symbols at the end of the day and respresent a whole variety of things.

 

["LC" KNOWEN AS AIRFORC]

Well I understand fear of the unknown, and the case of chakras as far as I can establish there is no real scientific proof for them, so I guess that makes them an unknown quantity. But I have often heard Christians use the expression that something (and chakras, yoga, mantra meditation etc would be good examples) are "not from God."

Since there is no real proof for chakras, they either exist or they don't. If they do and God created all things then he must have created chakras - so....? If they don't exist then - well I guess we all just look a bit like idiots and alot of people will have parted with cash for nothing.

I think I can see where they are coming from...... Not sure I quite see so much danger in it though. I'd like to keep myself open to the possibility that they do exist. After all there are more things in heaven and earth.....