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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Catholic Church - meditation and yoga-like movements	Joe	Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Question: I'd like to ask a follow-up question on one reply you posted: "The Catholic Church has nearly 2000 years of experience in mediation and yoga-like movements that are totally consistent with the Church, yet we seem to think we must go outside of the Church to find these things." Can you explain what kind of "meditation and yoga-like movements" are totally consistent with the Church?
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Joe: There are practices among the Eastern Catholic Monks and Eastern Orthodox monks that are similar to many of the Eastern Meditation techniques and body movements. Nearly all of these practices are not to the average person but require a lifelong commitment under a Master. This is why it is nearly exclusive to the monastic and hermit communities. At the moment, the only specific example I can recall are the Hesychasts. The Hesychast monks and hermits are the ones that use the "Jesus Prayer" with a breathing discipline. On the inhale they pray, "Lord Jesus Christ, son of the living God" and on the exhale, "Have mercy on me a sinner." Those who are accomplished in this prayer discipline are able to continue this inhale/exhale prayer even when at the same time they are talking with others. The older monks, it is reported, even do this inhale/exhale discipline in their sleep thus literally praying 24 hours per day. There are also body postures that accompany this discipline but I am not sure what they are at the moment. The bottomline is that whatever can be borrowed from the non-Christian East as been borrowed and throughly tested and Catholicized over centuries. There is no longer any excuse, and it is rather dangerous, to borrow much from the non-Christian East today. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.

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Posted By

Question Date

Catholic Church - meditation and yoga-like movements

Joe

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Question:

I'd like to ask a follow-up question on one reply you posted:

"The Catholic Church has nearly 2000 years of experience in mediation and yoga-like movements that are totally consistent with the Church, yet we seem to think we must go outside of the Church to find these things."

Can you explain what kind of "meditation and yoga-like movements" are totally consistent with the Church?

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Joe:

There are practices among the Eastern Catholic Monks and Eastern Orthodox monks that are similar to many of the Eastern Meditation techniques and body movements.

Nearly all of these practices are not to the average person but require a lifelong commitment under a Master. This is why it is nearly exclusive to the monastic and hermit communities.

At the moment, the only specific example I can recall are the Hesychasts.

The Hesychast monks and hermits are the ones that use the "Jesus Prayer" with a breathing discipline. On the inhale they pray, "Lord Jesus Christ, son of the living God" and on the exhale, "Have mercy on me a sinner." Those who are accomplished in this prayer discipline are able to continue this inhale/exhale prayer even when at the same time they are talking with others. The older monks, it is reported, even do this inhale/exhale discipline in their sleep thus literally praying 24 hours per day.

There are also body postures that accompany this discipline but I am not sure what they are at the moment.

The bottomline is that whatever can be borrowed from the non-Christian East as been borrowed and throughly tested and Catholicized over centuries. There is no longer any excuse, and it is rather dangerous, to borrow much from the non-Christian East today.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.