What is Kinesiology?
By Liz Barrington, Natural Body Healing

At Natural Body Healing, we love to work with clients using Kinesiology techniques in our Integrated Healing therapy who are amazed at the fast and long-lasting results that we achieve.

Applied Kinesiology was originally developed by George Goodheart in the 1960's, and is the originating form of kinesiology which Chiropractors often learn and use.  It focused substantially on the physical aspects of the body and nervous system.

Today, Kinesiology has become a truly natural and holistic therapy that combines muscle-monitoring with principles of the Chinese meridian system, the chakra system, the neuro-lymphatic and neuro-vascular systems etc and other techniques to assess energy and body function and movement.

The ancient Chinese discovered a subtle free-flowing energy or ‘vital force’ in the body known as ‘Qi’ or ‘Chi’ that sustains all life. Qi connects our body and our consciousness (spirit) and so when it’s in balance – so too are our body, emotions and mind.

Qi runs along energy channels called ‘meridians’ which connect all the muscles, organs and systems in the body. These energy pathways run along the body in one continuous ‘one-way’ direction of unbroken energy flow, and each meridian has a ‘beginning’ and ‘end’ point. Acupuncture/Acupressure points exist along these meridian pathways which are electro-magnetic in nature and are also detectable by techniques such as ‘muscle-testing’.

In kinesiology, muscle-testing is not concerned with the strength of the muscle but with the body’s energy passing through that muscle or muscle group. Stress and anxiety, for example, can overload the body’s circuit to create energy blockages. In kinesiology, our meridians and chakras etc therefore have to be re-set or re-balanced before the energy can flow harmoniously again.

Kinesiology is a highly-effective treatment and can help to correct any physical, emotional, mental and spiritual imbalances to restore balanced free-flowing energy which enables the body to heal itself naturally.  Furthermore, it can help improve posture, increase flexibility, and reduce stress levels and pain in the body.

During a treatment, the client lies on the therapy couch and holds their arms/legs in certain positions in a process which we refer to as ‘muscle monitoring’ whereby gentle pressure is applied to the muscles for a few seconds. This method is which is used to see how well energy flows within the body. Weak muscles indicate energy blockages which would require further correction.

The client’s posture is observed before and after a treatment and the practitioner runs initial ‘pre-checks’ on the muscles to make sure that the information received from the muscle monitoring is going to be accurate. The practitioner also checks for ionisation and that the client is sufficiently hydrated as these can also affect the results.  A 'goal' is also set and agreed with the client at the beginning, so the the client's 'being' knows what physical and/or emotional issues are to be cleared throughout the session.

If the client does need any corrections during the treatment, then the practitioner may have to touch, rub or massage certain points on the body and he/she may even ask the client to assist in doing this too.  This is explained throughout the session during which the practitioner always encourages open 'two-way' communication and feedback.

In addition, the practitioner will also use Chinese Meridian therapy, Acupressure, Sound Therapy, Crystal Therapy, Reiki and Seichem, Essences, Imagery, Laser, Medical Intuitive techniques and other vibrational therapies to help rebalance and harmonise the energy flow around the body. The session is usually very relaxing and the client leaves feeling much more energised with a greater sense of inner-calm.

Usually, it is recommended that clients generally have 2-3 treatments initially, once every 1-2 weeks. The client may experience a little discomfort while holding some muscle positions used in traditional Applied Kinesiology and they may feel a slight sensation as their muscles release/re-set.

Furthermore, the client may feel a little tired afterwards – so it’s important that he or she just takes it easy following a session and that they drink plenty of water (2 litres water per day if possible). As always, it’s important for each client to try to get plenty of sleep, eat lots of natural foods, fresh fruit, wholesome pulses and vegetables to try to alkalise their diet to restore inner-balance.

In addition, they must always try to keep their thoughts and feelings positive and the client should cut down on alcohol/caffeine. Finally, they should look to incorporate more ‘relaxation’ into their busy lifestyles through simple walking, deep-breathing, swimming, meditation and pilates. Importantly, they must avoid doing anything that causes pain!

Contact Natural Body Healing today to see how Kinesiology and Integrated Healing can help you and all your family by restoring health and harmony to the body at emotional, spiritual, mental, neurological and also physical levels.