Are you Aligned to Your Goals?

I use the word "aligned" a lot these days, but when I had to spend an evening explaining what I actually meant by it recently, I figured there may well be lots of other people out there who have no idea what I'm on about too.

The dictionary defines the verb to align as to bring into line or agreement.  I work with energy, so I'm referring to the act of bringing our energy into line or agreement with our goals.

Now, although this might sound a strange thing to try and do, we are actually doing it every day of our lives.  In order to wake up, we move our energy from subconscious to conscious. In order to go to sleep, we wind our energy down from active to relaxed.  When we go to work, we become the person who is an expert at our job.  When we are out with friends our energy may change to a slightly different version of ourselves.

People who reach their goals easily can align themselves to their goals.  However many of us find this difficult. The most important thing to know about this is that we can tell how aligned we are by the results we are producing in the world.  If we are aligned with what we are wanting to do, we physically produce results.

If we wish to go on holiday, we'll be aligned when we actually make the booking and go.  If we wish to set up a business,we'll be aligned when the clients come.  If we wish to change a habit, we'll be aligned when we actually make the change.

As regular readers will probably have guessed by now, the reason we are not able to align with our goals is that our blocks get in the way.  Maybe we want to go on holiday, but we're fearful that taking time off work will cause more stress.  Maybe we wish to be self-employed, but relying on such an uncertain income leaves us feeling insecure.  Maybe we wish to give up smoking but it's very ingrained in our social culture.

But what's more likely, is that we think we're aligned but the results aren't coming because these blocks are hidden from us.  What we may experience is resistance to taking action, or we may feel that our heart isn't quite in it, or we may just have no idea why the results aren't coming.

The good news is that if we remove all the blocks, we naturally come into alignment with our intentions and therefore our goals.  That's the law of attraction: we attract things that match the energy we give out.  So as long as we are giving out the energy of being in alignment with our goals, we will attract the physical results of these goals.

The even better news is that kinesiology can help even if we aren't aware of our blocks.  It has a rather uncanny and brilliant way of bringing them to awareness before clearing the stress they bring.

So, now you understand this, I ask the question again, Are you aligned to your goals?

Phobias, Addictions and Obsessions

What do these three things have in common?

The answer is fear.

Phobias are pretty self-explanatory. We fear something to such an extent that it causes us problems in our present lives.  They may have come from a past trauma.  Maybe we were bitten by a dog when we were young and still become very frightened when a dog barks or bares its teeth. They may also be inherited from another person.  Maybe your mother screamed every time she saw a spider, so you learnt very early that spiders were something to be scared of, even though you didn't know why.

Addictions are habits we have developed in our lives, that produce a negative emotional response when they are taken away.  Often they are something we take into the body - common examples are cigarettes, alcohol or drugs.  However we can be addicted to patterns of behaviour or to people.  What happens here is that we are blocking a negative emotional response by seeking so-called "pleasurable" behaviour.  However, what that does is push the negative emotion down into our body, so it isn't resolved.  Every time it re-surfaces, our bodies tell us we want the addiction.  This gives us a positive "hit" and the pain is pushed aside for a while.  The trouble with this is that the pain will keep trying to resurface in order to be healed. So often we need bigger and bigger "hits" to keep it suppressed   Alongside that, we can have a physical response to addictive substances, but this is much easier to deal with if we've dealt with the emotional residue.

Obsessions are fears projected into the future.  This time there will be an initial negative experience from our past which we worry about happening again in the future.  Like the phobias or addictions, it could be experienced by us or learned from another person.   Things like believing we'll get ill if we don't clean things several times a day or worrying we'll forget to do something.  Often we create rituals to cope with these things; checking something several times or obsessive cleaning.  Alternatively, we avoid the triggering situations altogether, for example, not being the last to leave the house so we don't have to check the door is locked several times. Superstitions also come into the category of obsessions.  These are usually learned from another person. Like addictions, if we treat the underlying fear, then the ritual becomes a simple habit which is much easier to break.

So, if these patterns are causing you problems in your life, kinesiology can help you find and clear the root cause and take back control of your lives, even if you have no conscious idea of where they came from.

When you can't go with the flow

On Friday, I wrote about how we can all choose how we respond to any situation.  I told you all  that you have the choice about how you feel.  But I expect there are some of you out there shaking your fists at the computer and saying, " But I can't just change how I feel about things. She's talking a load of rubbish."

So, what's going on when we feel like this.  Well, what's happening is that we're triggering our past.  The sort of past we wish we hadn't had to experience.  The sort of past that leaves a negative residue in our memories.

We may have buried the memory. We may have consciously forgotten about it.  But if we didn't resolve it, it will affect our current reactions to the situations we find ourselves in.

So, for example, if we previously had to miss something very important because of the snow, we may not look too favourably when it snows again.  If we've had a bad reaction to changing our plans, we may not look favourably on having to change our plans due to snow.  And the list goes on - there are many things that could affect it and not all of them will be as obvious as those.

Luckily, with kinesology, we can get rid of the past triggers and re-empower ourselves to make the choices and have the reactions that will serve us best in our lives.  I'm always amazed how a session can bring such insight into how we can to have the pattern we are running, before clearing the stress and giving us back our choice.

Please contact me with any other questions you may have or book an appointment.

What is Kinesiology - Part 5 - History

People often ask me where kinesiology came from, so I thought I'd address this in the next part of the series.

Although, it draws on some very ancient healing knowledge, it wasn't discovered until the 1960s.  A chiropractor, called Dr George Goodheart, found that when testing the integrity of muscles, the outcome was dependent on the state of the body at that time.  In this way, he realised that this "muscle test" could be used to find out information which could then be used in the treatment.

Before that, the word kinesiology was just used to mean it's literal translation "the study of movement" (from the Greek). It was a science rather than a therapy; you could become qualified in it, but not licensed.  However after Dr Goodheart's discovery, he went on to devise a therapy which he called Applied Kinesiology.  He taught this to medical doctors and chiropractors. Owing to the vast amount of anatomical knowledge required, he didn't feel it was appropriate to teach it to non-medically trained people.

Fast forward several years, and another chap called John Thie realised that this knowledge could be simplified and still be extremely powerful as a therapeutic tool.  He devised a simpler system called Touch For Health, which links 42 muscles to the Chinese meridian system and uses this to rebalance the body.  It is a very effective therapy and forms the foundation level training for kinesiologists.

Since then, various people have taken the therapy further and many branches of kinesiology have been set up, and submitted to professional bodies for accreditation.  These form the advanced part of the practitioner training and continual professional development.  They are all slightly different, with regard to what they focus on. 3-in-1 Concepts, which I practise defuses emotional stress around an issue (see part 3).  Information about some of the other branches can be found here.  Some are more weighted towards the emotional, some more structural and others more nutritional/biochemical.  Each is very powerful, but people will often find some suit them more than others according to the way they like to work.

I will be giving a talk at the Wellbeing Centre this Saturday (22nd September) if you'd like to find out more about kinesiology and how it can help stress.

What is Kineisology - Part 4 - Corrections

"Corrections" are the name given to the parts of the treatment which actually rebalance the person's energy and defuse the stress.  Kinesiologists often don't go into great detail about these because there are a lot of different types and different ones will be used at different sessions.

Basically, they are mini treatments. I'd say, generally, they last from anywhere between a couple of minutes to maybe 10-15 minutes.  The set of corrections each kinesiologist uses will depend on the courses they've done and so will vary between practitioners.

Broadly speaking, they fall into 4 categories:

Electrical corrections - these work on restoring left/right brain connections and correct the stresses that have "blown our circuits". Some of these have been taken on by teachers in schools via the "BrainGym" exercises. Also, in this section are the acupressure corrections which work on rebalancing the meridians.

Emotional corrections - these work directly on the emotions. Some of these will involve gaining awareness through information which comes up.  Many kinesiologists use flower remedies - the most well known being the Bach Flower Remedies. These work very gently on resolving unwanted emotional states.

Nutritional corrections - these correct imbalances by working on the nutritional system. Many kinesiologists do allergy and intolerance testing (although this isn't something I do) and sometimes this is the first thing people think about when hearing the work kinesiology.  It might be appropriate for the client to add or remove certain foods from their diet for a while, or it might be appropriate to work directly on the effect nutrition is having on the body.

Structural corrections - these are the ones that work directly on the muscles of the body.  The kinesiology systems have aligned many of our muscles with the Chinese 5 element and meridian systems. By muscle testing the different muscles, we can correct the energy imbalances. This can make kinesiology very good for treating muscular problems and even postural problems.

Then there could well be other corrections.  3-in-1 Concepts Kinesiology covered a module on Face Reading (how our facial structure relates to our characteristics we inherited genetically).  This can provide a huge insight for people into why they tend to behave and be drawn to certain experiences.  Practitioners may be qualified in other therapies and choose to bring them into their work.

As you might expect if you've been reading the whole of this series of blog entries, the corrections are chosen according to the muscle testing.  Often different ones will come up over several sessions with the same client, although they can seem to "favour" certain ones. For that reason, every session is unique.

What is Kinesiology - Part 3 - Defusing Stress

3-in-1 Concepts is the branch of kinesiology that I practise. It's works by diffusing the emotional stress around an issue.  Any issue.

Stress often comes from situations where we feel our ability to make a choice has been removed or restricted in some way.  Maybe someone else's behaviour is affecting us negatively. Maybe we're in a situation that we don't like but feel we have to stay in.  Whatever the situation, if the stress is ongoing, look for the feeling of lack of choice involved.

So, by helping the client back to a feeling of choice, resolves the stress.  Sounds easy doesn't it. Well, with kinesiology, it is surprisingly easy because the muscle testing guides the session.  Stress which seems in surmountable can suddenly disappear.  There's obviously a bit more too it than waving a magic wand, but actually not a lot.

One of the things we work with is our belief systems.  Things we've put down in our memory banks as facts, when in fact they are just one particular way of looking at a situation.  Often these come from family or friends and we've taken them on subconsciously when they actually don't serve us.  Things like "I'm only a good person if I have a good job" or " I have to make sacrifices to be liked".  We can change these to more empowering ones, thus helping us to make the choices we really want.  So now the above belief systems may become "It's OK to follow my dreams" and "It's OK to put myself first".

The second thing is resolving the past. Our stress often comes from triggering the emotional  memory of past events. We obviously can't change events which have already happened, but we can change our perception of these events.  What impacts on our present lives is how we feel about our past. So by using muscle testing, we can identify the age at which the trigger for our present stress happened and defuse it.  In that way, that particular trigger can't press our buttons any more.  The amazing thing is that we don't have to have any idea of the cause before we defuse it as the session will bring up that information.

The actual defusing is done using "corrections".  More on that next time.

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.

Self Awareness

Self awareness is a subject I've been pursuing for a while now.  I still remember how it felt back in my past when my self-awareness was much lower, and indeed, I can look back at my journals in amazement at my rather strange perspective on the world.  But in spite of this, I have to acknowledge that I used to look at the world from a very different place from where I am now.  I used to take things personally, I used to feel the world had some problem with me and I used to feel quite hard done by. I used to jump to conclusions about situations and this often made me feel either very angry or very upset.

Having gone down my road and enriched my self-awareness, I now realise that these conclusions I reached, were often projections of my own fears or judgements onto those around me.  So, for example, if a friend had changed plans to meet up, I may have assumed they didn't care and they took me for granted, whereas, this was a projection of my fear that I wasn't deserving of friends who cared.

This can lead to a rather self-absorbed state, which can often happen when we struggle in life. Our perspective narrows and, when we feel something, we project it onto the first thing that irritates us, rather then looking into our feelings for what they are - just feelings.  There's a big difference between "She's abandoned me because she doesn't care" and "I feel abandoned".  The first one is blame and projection and the  second one is a simple acknowledgement of a feeling.  Our feeling of abandonment may well have been triggered by an experience from our past which has gone unresolved.  Understanding this is where self-awareness comes in.

By looking into our feelings and asking ourselves where they come from enough times, we start to understand our patterns and where our past hurts haven't been resolved.  If we can release them then they will no longer trigger extremes of emotion.  But even if we can't, we can remember that our emotional reactions are based on something deeper and bigger than the current experience.  This can lead to a broader perspective and is what self-awareness is all about.

If you would like help with doing this in a safe, non-judgemental environment, please contact me for an appointment.

Oxford Yes Group

I've recently discovered a social group based in Oxford, called the Oxford Yes Group. It's a bunch of positive thinking people who get together, hold talks, hold socials, and generally network with each other. So far, I've been to one talk and one social - a walk around Whittenham in Oxfordshire, both of which were well worth going to.

It's great to find positive people in this world where so many people are bogged down with their woes. It can be so easy to slip into negativity if we're not careful, but negative feelings attract negative situations (from the law of attraction - see previous blog), so it is extremely counter-productive to be in this state.

Also, when we're around people, we pick up on their energy, so being around positive people uplifts us and being around negative people can drain us. The more sensitive we are, the more easily we are affected by this. If you are having to go into an environment where you know there wil be negativity, it is a good idea to protect yourself with a golden light around you (just visualise it and it will be there). This will reflect negative energies back with love and light.

If we find that we can't get ourselves out of a negative state or we regularly find ourselves falling into one, kinesiology may be the solution. Often old, outdated belief systems block us from being the person we really want to be, and 3-in-1 Concepts Kinesiology can work directly with these beliefs and the emotions that go alongside, to defuse and help us to make the choices we really want. Please see my web site for more details http://www.roskitson.co.uk/

The Effects of Past Traumas

I've had a really bad week this week (not a great start to a blog, you might think). A really irritating but fairly little problem last week sent me into a complete state of... well I can only describe it as uselessness. I spent the week completely unable to focus and just kept falling asleep. Well as a self-employed businesswoman, I realised that this was completely unacceptable to my current lifestyle, so I duly addressed the problem, like any good therapist, with a session of kinesiology. This proved extremely successful in re-connecting me with my life again, but it was also interesting where the problem had come from.

I'd thought (as I often do) that I'd dealt with this event, but the session I had yesterday made me realise that there was yet another aspect which had come from it that had been left undiscovered up till now.

Seemingly small incidents from our past can have a big effect on our present lives without us realising where the issue came from. Protection mechanisms put in place at the time of the original stressor remain even though conscious memory of the event may fade. And because we put them in place for a good reason, we often find it's difficult to let them go.

However, yet again, kinesiology has gently found a way to identify and clear the problem.

Introductions

Hi everyone, Well ... anyone actually. Seeing as this is my first blogg and I've only just created it, I've no idea whether anyone will find it that quickly.

So as a first entry, I thought I'd introduce myself. I'm a Holistic Therapist which means that I work with people to help them be rid of their emotional baggage - you know, the stuff which holds us back from being the great people we are. I mainly use a fantastic therapy called kinesiology which dialogues with the body to idenitfy and remove the root causes of the emotional problem - gently!

However, I'm not one to sit around and do the same thing my whole life so, since setting up in business practising my kinesiology, I've also diversified into Face Reading (aka Personology) and set up a natural beauty products business called Naked Beauty.

More on all this later...

I have a great interest in all natural health issues and am very opinionated (although, I admit, not always right) and am very excited about having my own blog.