How about Making Some Christian CDs for a Change??

We’re always getting some variation of this question, so we thought it was time to post it again – especially given all the emphasis on religion permeating this election cycle. So here it is:

Hi Belleruth,

Might you be coming out with tapes/cd’s that would be Christian in nature? I have your Depression and Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue imagery and highly recommend them.

But for myself, I would like to hear power coming from God, not mystical beings and such.

Sincerely,

Dear Vanessa,

Actually, we do carry some lovely, Christian-friendly resources, the Tranquilities Series for Stress, Grief and Cancer by the Reverend Donna Shenk and Dr. Robert Miller. This is scripture-based work, where the imagery surrounds a kernel from Psalms which relates to a central theme for the CD. Each title contains 5 different CDs, each representing a different theme.

These are lovely, thoughtful and effective guided imagery audios, with matching aromatherapy tools. (We know people love the little vials of essential oils that naturopath Bob Miller creates, because they keep re-ordering them!) The background music uses classic Christian hymns to unobtrusively score the words, and there are calming, environmental sounds as well. The guiding is shared by hospital chaplain Shenk and holistic Doc Miller, offering a nice balance of masculine and feminine narration – gentle, authentic, appealing voices.

We've actually always been open to including Bible-based work, but most of what we've found just hasn't been up to par. I don’t feel qualified to write this sort of imagery myself (although I do try to keep my imagery compatible and inclusive), and that’s why we continue to keep our eyes open for resources from outside our shop. So if you ever hear of something you think we should check out, please let us know so our team can review it…. and that goes for any religious orientation.

Thanks again for sharing this feedback.
All best,
Belleruth

...
written by Vicky Andrade, September 23, 2008

Yes, I agree with Vanessa. I will love anthing with Scriptures and from a Biblical perspective, and of course I am desperate looking for these materials in Spanish for my elderly Mother. I have ordered the only one you have in Spanish, and she really enjoys it. Please keep me informed if you develop any more. I will keep my eyes open as well. Thanks Belleruth and God bless you.

vicky

...
written by Jeanie Christianson, September 23, 2008

I have just discovered your tapes. I think your voice is believable claming and relaxing. I am so pleased with them. I have never heard any others like yours! But being Jewish I get kinda get off when things are sometines" religious". I believe when it comes to my health and people giving and caring for me it shouldn't really have anything to do with my religion. I certainly believe it is at the joice of the person purchasing. I guess I just don't understand where religion comes into play and Judiasm is never in the mix. I plan to still listen to you and will purchase many in the future just wanted to make my point. Yours truly, Jeanie Christianson (my husband in luthern thus the last name)

...
written by Belleruth, September 23, 2008

Jeanie,
Thanks for the kind words and your reactions to this Q & A. This page is getting a huge amount of traffic, so it's clearly an issue that's generating a lot of interest.

We've always gotten very intense reactions both ways on this. The requests for Christian-friendly titles have escalated in the past few years, as have some negative reactions to the whole idea of them.

I would really appreciate hearing from more people. Are some of you offended that we offer selected titles that are religiously oriented? Are some of you bothered that we don't have more?

Our aim is simple: to make high quality guided imagery, meditation and other mind-body practices available and appealing to as many people as possible. But we also want to know as much as possible about how people feel about this and why.

Thanks again.
Belleruth

...
written by Jim Buccini, September 24, 2008

I believe that most faith traditions, if not all, have strengths and limitations. After all, they are both of the Divine, and also subject to misuse and human error.

Much of the spiritually-based resources available have a subtle "eastern" tone and may either appear neutral, but at sometimes come across as foreign to the western experience.
Other faith-based resources are blatantly and or offensively Christian. (I speak as a faithful Christian with experience from several traditions.) With the breath of expression even within Christianity, it is difficult to comfort everyone in the same way. It has also been suggested that certain forms of faith-based intervention can be more harmful than helpful- especially when they ask individuals experiencing pain to embrace the pain as a penitent and sacrificial act. I try to stay away from this concept as I believe it intensified suffering rather than alleviates it.

I appreciate the neutral tone to the Health Journeys recordings. I've found they allow the for the breadth of the mind's creativity as we take the journey and draw from our own tradition and experience.

...
written by Bob Ebert, September 24, 2008

Dear Belleruth,
I have used your guided imagery CDs for years almost every day in my work as a hospice spiritual counselor here in Tucson, Arizina.
I have found them to be an incredible tool assisting patients with pain reduction, anxiety relief, stress management, grief, general relaxation, all the way through the active dying process.
The language is lovely and the music is beautiful without being obtrusive to the text. Personally I appreciate the universal spiritual approach in the messages, and have discovered that the majority of the patients are able to listen and edit according to their personal belief system. Often asking after their first session: "Where can I get this CD?" I direct them to your web-site or Amazon.com
Thank you so much for your work!
And I look forward to new titles/subjects added in the future.
Best wishes,
Bob Ebert

...
written by Maria H., September 24, 2008

Dear Belleruth:

I love you CDs! Last year, I suffered greatly from Rheumatoid Arthritis and a horrible eye condition that stems from it called Scleritis. I decided to take a natural approach in reclaiming my health (no drugs or medications). I juice fasted for almost a month and completely changed my lifestyle. I strongly believe that my anger, resentment, fear and anxiety contributed to my disease. During the worst part of my sickness, my intuitive sister sent me five of your CDs and I cannot say enough about how much they helped in my healing process. My favorite ones were the one on Anger and Forgiveness and of course the one on Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus. I find your voice to be very soothing and compassionate and your narrative is very imaginative and magical. Like some others, I too would love more CDs with a openly Christian feeling. The main reason I loved your CD on Anger and Forgiveness was because I definitely felt Jesus with me. The guided imagery was extremely poignant and beautiful and it really helped me search deep within my heart and my soul and finally forgive myself and others. Thank you and may God bless you and yours!

...
written by Louise Jacobs, September 24, 2008

I have grown very fond of the saying, "Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car." to go a step further, why is "Christian" the yardstick? So many atrocities are committed in the name of God. As a mental health provider I see a lot of distress for clients around religion and the guilt/fear and control coming from it that is very destructive in their lives. I saw a bumper sticker once that said, "God is too big for one religion." To me that is the beauty of guided imagery - you can imagine whatever you want, including God as a rigid paradigm if you so choose. I for one am appreciative that Belleruth's open ness encourages a spiritual connection in whatever form. In fact, the endings about being held in the hands of God really "undid" the healing for me and it took a lot for me to be able to set that pert of the imagery aside. If God is love, shouldn't that read, "being held in the hands of love?" If religion is a bridge to the truly spiritual, isn't it sad that so many get stuck on the bridge and are never able to get to the spiritual?

...
written by Linda, September 24, 2008

I would like to keep the religious titles to the religious. I do not participate in any religious organization; however, I do have spiritual beliefs which I keep to myself and do not try and influence others with.
Personally, I think we are getting bombarded with religion nowadays, and I do take offense. I'm sure there are religious sites people can go to in order to find healing through their beliefs if that's what they so desire.

...
written by Linda, September 24, 2008

This is the second time I'm responding to this because the first one doesn't seem to have gone through. Forgive me if it happens to appear twice.

Frankly, I'm a bit miffed with all the religious propaganda that seems to be at the forefront of everything these days. If someone chooses to follow a certain faith, that's great; however, I would prefer that it be kept to themselves. I'm sure there are sites with religious healing for all existing faiths, so people can go to them if they're looking for something religiously orientated.

...
written by Ulysses Castillo, September 24, 2008

I don't think that offering imagery of a religious flavor requires someone to buy into it, or that it is propaganda. (Ironically, some things that seem "neutral" on the surface are not). If I were Buddhist, I would naturally appreciate guided meditation with a Buddhist flavor. If I were Muslim/Sufi, I would appreciate imagery with that flavor. So too, if I were Christian, I would appreciate guided meditation that drew me closer to that tradition. While guided meditation of a Buddhist/Eastern flavor is very easy to find, it is -extremely- difficult to find quality guided imagery within the Judaic/Christian/Muslim paradigm--most likely because of misunderstandings about guided meditation. I have often found poetry to be the closest I can get, which is disappointing.

Within the Christian tradition, Anthony DeMello (who has deep connections to the Buddhism of his Indian birth) has some amazing guided meditations in print (e.g. Wellsprings: A Book of Spiritual Exercises and portions of Sadhana: Christian Exercises in Eastern Form). If permission could be sought to record some of those meditations in audio form, it would a tremendous boon for us all!

...
written by Joyce Jackson, September 27, 2008

When listening to guided imagery, I take any reference to "God" to be "God as you percieve him/her to be." If the "God" reference bothers some people, maybe they should, in their minds, replace it with "your higher power" as AA and AlAnon have done. Since Belleruth's CD have been so wonderfully recieved and have helped so many people, she must be doing something right. If her CD's and the referenced they make bother people, perhaps they should find another form of help. Personally, I'm extremely thankful to have Belleruth in my life, if only on CD.

...
written by Annie, September 28, 2008

My belief is that your (Belleruth) very powerful teachings transcend any one religion. The concepts and methods work without this kind of particularization. Please, please do not cater to the few at the risk of alienating the many. For the christians who want christian meditations, seek this from christian providers who wear their faith on their sleeve.

...
written by Gene Skala, Chicago, September 28, 2008

As a survivor of severe child abuse, your PTSD Mp3's have been one of the most important gifts I've ever received--both literally and figuratively speaking. I must have listened to the program dozens of times within the past year, if not more, and each time I have a new experience and gain new insight that helps me heal. I revel in the program's simplicity and yet each phrase and imagery is so condensed with meaning and power that they are like seeds of light that plants itself in the mind and grows over time. It's extraordinary work you've done Belleruth and it's even more extraordinary for the helpful effect it's having on my healing journey. Thank you.

...
written by Belleruth, September 29, 2008

Thanks so much for these thoughtful comments. They help to keep all of us at HJ from making assumptions based on the filters in our own heads, you know?
BR

...
written by Deborah, September 30, 2008

I believe there is a place for Christian imagery, but the CDs of yours that I use do not have it. I would not have bought them if they did. I appreciate the nonreligious approach of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue, Relieve Stress, General Wellness, Healthful Sleep, and Diabetes. In one of these there is a reference to God which I try to ignore; I don't listen to that one as often. I understand the person who is able to translate the name in her head, but I don't want to have to do that while listening to imagery because it takes me right out of the imagery.

...
written by Belleruth, October 01, 2008

The one God reference is often found toward the end of the affirmations track ("I know that I am held in the hands of God and I am perfectly, utterly safe.") and it's true that it's both the most appreciated line and the most complained about line on our audios. People with life threatening illnesses or undergoing difficult circumstances generally tend to love it; selected others, not so much.
BR

...
written by Clarissa, October 14, 2008

Like Vanessa, I would also like to hear, meditate, visualize, imagine, and affirm that the power is from God. My faith is in an almighty, loving, and healing God. I have several of Belleruth's compact disks and an older serenity prayer tape by Dr. Miller. While listening, I mentally replace words on the recordings with my choice of words to help strengthen the experience. I believe God has used these recordings as a tool for healing in my life even though they are not titled as Christian material. In my own journey, that is the way I use them. Even though others do not share my spiritual views, I still respect them as individuals. My opinion, for what it is worth, would be to not change any of the existing recordings, but to offer some new recordings that are scripture based. I understand what Belleruth is saying about a quality standard, so hopefully someone who is qualified will write something that can be produced. Scriptural affirmations are something I would be interested in buying.

...
written by Diane , October 20, 2008

I too have looked for Christian CDs but have not found any that measure up to yours, Belleruth. I can also empathize with those who have negative views of Christianity given all the evil that has been perpetrated in the name of Christianity. But I believe to reject Christianity because of the way humans have abused Jesus' message is to throw the baby out with the bathwater. There has also been an incredible amount of good to come into the world thanks to Christianity - think of all the saints' lives, for example - would those people have had the strength to sacrifice, hold on, stay strong in the darkest nights of the soul, without their Christian faith? I think not. So for Christians, it is hard to imagine us NOT wanting to connect with the trinity as we work through difficult mental, physical, and spiritual images. It is in the tough times that we need our religion the most. So I applaud your open-minded, Belleruth, in recognizing that both kinds of CDs have enormous value in serving the global community. you are such a blessing here on earth! Thank you for your love for all beings regardless of belief, and thank you for honoring religious believers as well. Blessings to you and your team at Health Journeys, and keep up the great work. It is so amazing that you exist and that I feel like I can help my friends - such as a friend with a 6-year-old son like mine who just found out she has breast cancer that has spread to her lymph nodes. She has 10 months of chemo in front of her and I felt a little less helpless knowing that I could connect her to Health Journeys.

...
written by Renae, June 23, 2009

To each his own. The point of the CD's is that they resonate with you and your beliefs; if you don't want a "christian-based" CD then DON'T BUY ONE but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be available for those who do.

...
written by VIRGINIA KAJA, July 20, 2009

I am having open heart surgery and found the guided imagery cds
are great for before surgery and suggest to have it played during
surgery and also after. The cds are good but I would love to have one
with a Christian base because I believe that is where most of our
faith and courage will come from and the majority still believe in
a God of love.

...
written by Suzann, February 16, 2010

I LOVE your work, and have so many of your cd's. Just want you to know that I absolutely LOVE the line in the affirmations track that says, "I know that I am held in the hands of God and I am perfectly, utterly safe." It simply does not get any better than that for me. PLEASE do more Christian guided imagery... so everyone will have their choice as to what will work best for them. I LOVE your work, and have so many of your cd's. Thank you, Belleruth. :)

...
written by sara, March 02, 2010

I absolutely love the cds that you currently produce and I hope that you continue to make more titles that are non-religious. I hope that if some future selections do incorporate a christian theme, that they are clearly marketed as such. I would be extremely disappointed to buy a guided imagery cd and find out while listening that it was religious. I gravitate toward things like guided imagery for spiritual/emotional healing precisely because it does not require belief in any religion or creator.

...
written by LM, October 06, 2010

Just casting my vote: Please do continue to make non-religious recordings available.

If you do feel the need to supply separate recordings specifically for certain belief systems - that's okay with me, of course - although I hope you might label the religious recordings carefully so that the purchaser will be aware of the content.

I'll continue to seek the non-religious recordings myself. I'm content with the references to light, beings, power, and similar - but I am not at all comfortable with other more specifically religiously oriented references.

I understand that people who are strongly religious feel the opposite - but I hope that in their desire to seek more religious wording that they won't suggest you take away the non-religious recordings which resonate for others. Thanks for your wonderful recordings! A psychologist recommended them very highly.

...
written by Leah, October 24, 2012

To each his/her own. I completely empathize with those who are not fond of more Christian-based imagery as a practicing non-Christian myself, but I do think that there's something of quality, it should be made available to those who want it, clearly labeled as having a religious orientation. Do you think that Tranquilities is a program that an observant Jew such as myself would be comfortable using?

...
written by Belleruth, October 25, 2012

Since the passages selected are from Psalms, they are pretty familiar to everyone in the Judeo-Christian, Bible-based world, and would work as well for observant Jews as for Christians.

The hymns that serve as background music have a distinctly Christian flavor, however, and that may or may not matter to you - it's an issue of individual taste, more than anything.

Hope this helps.

...
written by chani, October 29, 2012

I find Belleruth's CD's and Steve Kohn's music very helpful. They help me relax, connect, and feel more deeply. My kids know if I'm stressed or frustrated, they put on the music and say "now do you feel better?" As an observant Jew, I would very much appreciate if CD's with Christian imagery or music would be labeled as such. Inasmuch as I recognize how helpful it would be for Christians, I do believe the CD's you currently have are all-inclusive. Anything that is focused on a specific tradition, should be labeled as such so there are no "surprises". Thank you. And G-d bless everyone.

...
written by Kathy, October 31, 2012

Your work is a true mitzvah (righteous deed) for the world. As an observant Jew, however, I respectfully question why you set meditations based on the Psalms to a background of Christian hymns. The Psalms originated in the Hebrew Bible (Christians call it the Old Testament.)
It seems out of synch to take what is Judeo-Christian in use and narrow it to an only Christian audience.

...
written by Sally, October 31, 2012

Yes, I agree with so many that your work is such a blessing to alleviate needless suffering.

I would appreciate resources that mention God. Not as a religion issue but one reflecting a relationship of comfort and healing.

Perhaps a Spiritual category would be more fitting with a sub-category Judeo-Christian for those who find comfort in hearing the Psalms.

...
written by Belleruth, October 31, 2012

In response to Kathy who asks why we scored passages from psalms to hymns: we didn't. The beautiful Tranquilities series was created by a Christian pastor (Donna Shenk) and a Naturopathic doc (Robert Miller). They were responding to a need for Christian-based materials. And although the Psalms are certainly part of the Old Testament, they are also included in Christian and Muslim teachings as well. I take your point, but see it as the other side of the coin: they were thinking to make their Christian resource more inclusive by using passages from Psalms, rather than from the New Testament! :)

...
written by Daniel, October 31, 2012

Hi,Belleruth, I would just like to say that I would not want Christian symbolism or scripture in anything I buy from your site. I enjoy the spirituality inherent in your work but even the mention of God can be jarring. You end one of your CD's after using imagery of the wind, a wave and light by saying "I am wind, the wave and the light." I find it so empowering.On other CD's you say that " you are in the hands of God and you are totally, utterly safe and so you are." While it is consoling, I could also be consoled by having you say "you feel, totally and utterly safe and so you are. Just as reassuring but without the need for some other entity to verify that feeling. Thanks for reading my comment. Daniel

...
written by chani, November 10, 2012

Most, if not all, of my Rabbi's or teachers would say it is actually forbidden according to the Halacha (Jewish law) from the Torah to listen to Christian hymns. While they may be stirring, spiritually satisfying and comforting, the ramifications of the Trinity implies belief in more than one deity. Even Psalms, which is all inclusive, scored to Christian hymns are very problematic.