In the previous blog posts, the origin of doctors and physical therapy was mentioned. In this post, the origin of Mensendieck therapy and what the Bible says about it. Just like physical therapy, there are many people, including Christians, who visit a Mensendieck therapist. But do they know, where they go to and where they got themselves into?
The History of Mensendieck
Mensendieck is invented by a German medical doctor: Bess A. Mensendieck (1866-1959). That’s why the therapy is called Mensendieck. During her studies in fine arts, she became aware of the many different body shapes of people. She wanted to know, to what extent the posture and shape of the body were
influenceable, and therefore could be adjusted. She immersed herself in anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, physical education, and rhythmic gymnastics. After these studies, she developed her own kinematics; Mensendieck.
She emphasized the unity of body and mind. According to her, you could not separate these two. She wanted her clients to become aware of their body alignment and movements. She held her clients responsible for the good functioning of their bodies.
Awareness and self-reliance are the central points in this therapy; you ought to listen to your body signals; listen to bodily cues arising from breath, touch, and movement. Bess Mensendieck her slogan was: do it yourself, see for yourself, feel for yourself, and judge for yourself.
You have to become aware of every muscle, tendon, organ, breathing, etc. In other words, she wants you to start listening to your body and become aware of every part of your body. Mensendieck has a holistic approach. The therapy consists of a series of exercises designed to treat and/or prevent physical complaints, incorrect posture, or chronic pain. The exercises teach your body awareness and how to move consciously from the center of the body, following breathing.
Awareness of your body
When I read this, it reminded me of yoga. You also have to become aware of your body and focus on conscious movement from the core and the union between movement and breath. Let’s have a look at the similarities of yoga and mensendieck:
- Awareness: listening to your body
- Relaxation: muscle balance, let go of tension, and pay attention to your breathing
- Posture improvement: i.e. improvement of the flexibility of the spine
What does the Bible say about self-reliance?
By doing this therapy you adopt an independency. This is against the will of God because He wants us to completely rely on Him. He wants total dependence on Him. God wants us to be His people and He wants to take care of us.
When we follow-up these methods of Mensendieck therapy, it shows that we don’t need Jesus and that we can control everything by ourselves. The ‘self’ is the center in this therapy.
But the Bible says that we should trust the Lord and depend on Him with all of our hearts. We must not lean unto our own understanding, because it is not reliable. Only the Lord Jesus Christ; the Word, is reliable and trustworthy.
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths (Proverbs 3:5-6)
What does the Bible say about awareness?
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life (John 6:63)
Now let’s discuss awareness; becoming aware of your body. Awareness of the body shall result in the fact, that your body shall rule over your mind and spirit. Your body becomes the master of your life. You will listen to your body, and do, what your body tells you to do, and therefore you submit yourself to your body.
Your body shall lead you because you have trained and disciplined yourself to become conscious (aware) of every part of your body (posture, movements, breathing, organs, etc. (Read also: What is the danger of mindfulness?)).
But every Christian is bought with the blood of Jesus Christ. Therefore a Christian has surrendered his/her life to Jesus. Jesus is now King over the life of a Christian.
Jesus is Lord over your life
As a Christian, you have made Jesus, Lord over your whole life. The spirit in you has become alive, through the reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ, and by becoming born again in the spirit. Your spirit will work together with the Holy Spirit.
From the moment you become born again in the spirit, it’s important to feed your spirit with the Word of God. So that your spirit will mature and will rule in your life, instead of your body and mind (soul).
Your body has become a temple (habituation) of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19). God has become your Owner.
Your body and soul must become subordinate to the spirit, instead of your spirit becoming subordinate to the body (and soul).
In Romans 8:1 it is written that we are saved when we walk in Jesus Christ and walk after the Spirit and not after the flesh. When you live after the flesh, you shall die, but when you walk after the Spirit and kill the deeds of the flesh, you shall live.
When you walk after the Spirit, you will live
Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God (Romans 8:12-14)
The Spirit of God and our spirit must reign over the body. We must not listen to our body and to its signals.
Becoming aware of the body is a trap of the devil. He wants you to keep living after the flesh so that he can come back into your life and rule and control your life.
When you become born again, your spirit will become alive in you but is still subordinated to the body and soul. Now it’s time for some training: growing up in the Word of God and in the Holy Spirit.
How will your spirit mature?
The Holy Spirit shall teach you in His Word and you shall grow up into the image of Jesus Christ. By feeding your spirit with the Word of God, doing the Word of God, and through prayer and fasting, you will mature and will become strong in the spirit, so that your spirit will reign in your life. You will walk after the Spirit, and rule over your soul and body and therefore walk as the new creation; a son of God.
The spirit is not a slave anymore, but your spirit (in unity with the Holy Spirit) shall reign over your soul and body. You will walk after the spirit, and do His will on earth.
You can only do the will of God, out of the spirit, because only the Spirit of God shall bring forth life. When you do the things out of the flesh; senses, feelings, emotions, thoughts, etc., it shall not produce life, but death.
Corn of wheat
You must see your life as a corn of wheat, that has to die. Unless it dies it shall bring forth much fruit. If it doesn’t die, it shall stay death and shall bring forth nothing (John 12:24-26)
How can you, when you’ve laid down your life (your flesh; will, lusts, desires, opinions, etc.), died in Jesus Christ, through the water baptism, become conscious (aware) of your body?
This is not possible, because you cannot become aware of something that is dead.
Dead is dead and doesn’t live unless you raise your dead body and make it alive. You have the ability to do that.
When you do that, you will become aware of everything that occurs in your body; every pain, tiredness, wrong breathing, anxiety, feet/hands tingling, stress, tension, etc.
You shall become aware of every bodily signal and you shall be led by these signals. You shall walk according to these signals, instead of your spirit ruling over these signals.
Because of the fact, that you have given your body its rulership back, your body and your soul will rule again and the spirit will take a subordinate role and shall eventually die. You shall lose your life, even if you think, that you shall gain life.
Don’t open the gates for the enemy
Don’t open any gates for the enemy, because if you open any gates for him, he will be more than willing to enter, and take you captive. By becoming aware of your body, breathing, and posture (by doing certain exercises/movements), you will open the gates. You will invite demons to enter and take control of your body.
These gates are also called Chakra’s (energy centers in the body). You will open a Chakra by doing certain exercises/movements accompanied by your breathing. The therapist guarantees, that you shall feel some kind of relief in your muscles/bones, getting energized and becoming relaxed. But the energy and peace you will get are from the devil. By doing these (breathing) exercises he shall slowly take over your body and mind until he totally controls your body.
Maybe it’s not your intention to open any gates for the devil by becoming aware of your body. But let me tell you, that the devil doesn’t care if you know this or not. When you enter his territory and open the gates, it’s enough for him to take you captive. This is what happens with Mensendieck (and yoga)
Mensendieck is a doctrine of man, and not based on the Word of God and His wisdom. It is a doctrine of man, and therefore a doctrine of devils. The doctrines of the world, are foolishness to God. Just like God’s doctrine is foolishness unto the world; the old man.
There is so much more to write about, but I will stop here. In the near future, yoga and the dangers of practicing yoga will be discussed.
Jesus is our Healer and we have total healing in Him, How? Read ‘Jesus the Healer’.
‘Be the salt of the earth’
