What is kinesiology - Part 2 - Muscle Testing

Muscle testing is the main thing which differentiates kinesiology from other therapies.  It is a tool by which we get a biofeedback response from the body as to its current state.

Very simply, the client sticks out an arm or leg and the kinesiologist presses down on it. The client resists with a gentle pressure.  According to what is being tested, the muscle may or may not hold the limb in place. This is not to do with strength, in fact the pressure used is very light.  It is to do with the integrity of the muscle in relation to the question being asked.

Any stress will cause the muscle integrity to reduce.  Stress is something that affects the whole body, and extreme stress can produce a noticeable muscle weakness.  It's one of the reasons why we often ask people to sit down before imparting bad news. By asking various questions or getting the client to say statements, we can see which ones cause stress and which ones cause strength.

You may wonder why we don't just ask, and this is to get a truer response than either the client or therapist could get by just guessing.  We often think we know everything about ourselves, but often we are only tapping into our conscious mind.  Underneath that is the subconscious which can hold a whole different story, and holds our unresolved past. The muscle test taps into both and I always find it amazing what insights come up.

Muscle testing is a gentle and safe way to guide a kinesiology session.  As it is tapping into the client's own knowledge, so they are in charge of the session.  Therefore it will only go as deep as the client is prepared to go and so the treatment will progress at a pace which the client is comfortable with.  It also means that the therapist can't project their own values and beliefs onto the client.

If you are interested in finding out more about this, I am doing a free talk at the Wellbeing Centre on Saturday 22nd September at 12pm, where there will be a demonstration of muscle testing.  Please feel free to drop by, no need to book.

What is Kinesiology - Part 1 - Introduction

The question I get asked every time  I say what I do for a living, is "What is kinesiology?".  So I thought I'd do a series of blog posts to try and address this question.

I say "try" because kinesiology isn't like any other therapy. I can't say "it's like massage" or "it's like reiki" because it isn't.  It's totally unique.  It works on the principle of muscle testing (more on that later) to guide the treatment session.  It then uses a series of corrections (read: mini treatments) to rebalance the energy of the client, which removes the initial stress.

The whole session is done with the client seated across from the therapist or on a massage couch (fully clothed).  I tend to work seated, although some corrections require the client to stand.

The first session includes the initial consultation, where I question the client about their current and previous health and their lifestyle choices.  This gives me an overall picture of the person I'm working with and helps me to understand them and see how things improve as the treatment progresses.  For this reason, we do less kinesiology on the first session.

All sessions include some talking and some kinesiology. The amounts vary according to the client's needs and  also vary between sessions.  

It's usual for clients to come for 3 sessions initially. Unless you are very used to holistic treatments or healings, it can take a while for the body to understand and respond deeply to a new therapy.  However clients usually notice a difference after the first session.

Sessions last one hour.

Hidden Resistance

I'm referring to the hidden type. The times when we set ourselves a goal and then struggle to implement it. All the good intentions that we never carry out.  The new year resolutions we break in week 1.  It all seems so simple when we're in the planning stage but somehow the plans don't translate into action.

The reason is often resistance. But obviously it would be too easy if we just sat there and had an argument with ourselves, so instead our subconscious comes up with very plausible reasons why we can't take action.

What is underneath this is often a fear - of failure, of success, or something else - but it's often not obvious.  And the reason often wants to be kept hidden.  Unless we're being very honest with ourselves, we often don't admit to being frightened of success, for example, but anything that provokes a change can scare us.

My personal favourite is tiredness (but you could also have busyness, mental confusion, mild headaches, nausea or many others). As soon as I come up against something that challenges me in some way and tries to take me out of my comfort zone, I suddenly feel the need to sleep for a week.  I've often wondered whether there is something wrong with me, but having sorted out my diet and my sleeping patterns, I know it's just plain resistance.  If I'm "tired" then I can't possibly even attempt the task.

But the downside of this is that things just seem to go round and round in circles and I feel like I'm up against a brick wall.  It can get very frustrating at times.

Recently I was fortunate enough to have some life coaching sessions with Angie Taher of AT Coaching.  She describes these resistance patterns as "gremlins" and suggests we directly take back control by distracting ourselves.  Clicking our fingers, making a noise, or some kind of movement when the gremlin rears its head  reminds us that we're in charge, rather than the gremlin.

It might take some time, but by doing this, you're retraining yourself and letting the gremlin know it no longer has any power over you.  It might be hard work initially, but you'll come through it stronger and more empowered.