As a former massage & bodywork practitioner presently seeking the Father for His understanding about right-relationship with the body and somatic reality… this post was very timely.
I think the core of what I'm working through could come down to a question of "to what degree on this side of eternity is the somatic reality experientially allegiant to the kingdom of darkness or the Kingdom of God?"
And more specifically, "to what degree on this side of eternity is MY somatic reality experientially allegiant to the kingdom of darkness or the Kingdom of God?"
Like, is the body/soma *actually* trustworthy when willfully owned by the Lord Jesus? Or is it something to be continually suspicious of?
For lack of a better way of describing it, I had submerged my entire somatic perception in the realm of darkness for about 10 years, being "led" by "the spirit" by sensing what was "coherent" energetically and what was not. By the end of it, I have developed a pretty sophisticated somatic vocabulary with which to navigate reality.
Romans 12:1 says "...present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service."
At the time, I presented my body as a living sacrifice to hindu gods and goddesses, kundalini spirits, and God knows what else I was being run by, mostly through yoga, tantra, and a whole host of other things.
So, the entire context I have for even the idea of "somatic" is "my life before Jesus" and "darkness."
And so while the idea of "somatically sensing" God Our Father is something I am recently considering to be a real experiential possibility—almost a redeemed version of how I was living previously—the question remains:
"Is this safe? Because the last time I 'followed my somatic wisdom,' I found myself entrenched in the occult, tantra, sex-magic, and other things I don't even have words to begin to explain."
If "what happened last time" is simply a matter of my having been in the kingdom of darkness—and thereby being "led" by "the spirit" which I was of at the time (antichrist)—then I'm hopeful a new Kingdom allegiance will by default drive my somatic reality toward an entirely different end.
Brother, I thank you for your openness. I have been extremely blessed by the teaching of the Church on this topic - and I am sending you directly to them. If it is of any benefit - praise God.
My suggestion would be to print this out and read it at your own pace away from screens.
I am not Catholic but that’s because of historic circumstance and not due to any lack in their Orthodoxy.
This resource comes from the Vatican and directly addresses the issues of Christian contemplation, and meditation. The authority of the bishops who love our God washed over me, in truth and spirit, and I experienced real spiritual direction.
These things are worked out over the course of a life lived, but the principles and spiritual dispositions and mercies of God manifest to the entire being, are eternal.
As a former massage & bodywork practitioner presently seeking the Father for His understanding about right-relationship with the body and somatic reality… this post was very timely.
Praise God brother! Body building - and the interaction of the body with spirit - tell me what you’re working on/through??
A lot...
I think the core of what I'm working through could come down to a question of "to what degree on this side of eternity is the somatic reality experientially allegiant to the kingdom of darkness or the Kingdom of God?"
And more specifically, "to what degree on this side of eternity is MY somatic reality experientially allegiant to the kingdom of darkness or the Kingdom of God?"
Like, is the body/soma *actually* trustworthy when willfully owned by the Lord Jesus? Or is it something to be continually suspicious of?
For lack of a better way of describing it, I had submerged my entire somatic perception in the realm of darkness for about 10 years, being "led" by "the spirit" by sensing what was "coherent" energetically and what was not. By the end of it, I have developed a pretty sophisticated somatic vocabulary with which to navigate reality.
Romans 12:1 says "...present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service."
At the time, I presented my body as a living sacrifice to hindu gods and goddesses, kundalini spirits, and God knows what else I was being run by, mostly through yoga, tantra, and a whole host of other things.
So, the entire context I have for even the idea of "somatic" is "my life before Jesus" and "darkness."
And so while the idea of "somatically sensing" God Our Father is something I am recently considering to be a real experiential possibility—almost a redeemed version of how I was living previously—the question remains:
"Is this safe? Because the last time I 'followed my somatic wisdom,' I found myself entrenched in the occult, tantra, sex-magic, and other things I don't even have words to begin to explain."
If "what happened last time" is simply a matter of my having been in the kingdom of darkness—and thereby being "led" by "the spirit" which I was of at the time (antichrist)—then I'm hopeful a new Kingdom allegiance will by default drive my somatic reality toward an entirely different end.
Brother, I thank you for your openness. I have been extremely blessed by the teaching of the Church on this topic - and I am sending you directly to them. If it is of any benefit - praise God.
https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19891015_meditazione-cristiana_en.html
My suggestion would be to print this out and read it at your own pace away from screens.
I am not Catholic but that’s because of historic circumstance and not due to any lack in their Orthodoxy.
This resource comes from the Vatican and directly addresses the issues of Christian contemplation, and meditation. The authority of the bishops who love our God washed over me, in truth and spirit, and I experienced real spiritual direction.
These things are worked out over the course of a life lived, but the principles and spiritual dispositions and mercies of God manifest to the entire being, are eternal.
Thanks man.