Optimum Learning & Health Centre

Kinesiology

What is Kinesiology?

Kinesiology is a very versatile modality. It has its roots in the science of Acupuncture and the Chinese discovery of the meridians through which our Chi, Prahna or Life force energy flows. This flow of energy can be monitored by a technique that is unique to Kinesiology and that is referred to be many names such as muscle testing, muscle checking, bio-energy testing and muscle monitoring. When the body is under stress the flow of energy to the muscles decreases. As a consequence when pressure is applied to a muscle it will tend to yield or weaken. We know this intuitively as people often say: "You better sit down" before they deliver bad news.

This phenomenon was first used by Dr. George Goodheart (USA), a chiropractor who developed Applied Kinesiology. He discovered that a weak muscle was an indication that a vertebrae was out of alignment. He developed a series of techniques to strengthen the muscle so that the vertebrae would be pulled back into alignment without the need for "cracking". His pupil Dr. John Thie was able to simplify his approach and developed Touch for Health (TFH). TFH is a simple Kinesiology technique that was designed so that the lay-person could learn to keep her/himself healthy.

The TFH course has been taught all over the world since the early 1970s and there are many instructors now who teach his courses in almost unchanged format. Recently both Dr. George Goodheart (right) and Dr. John Thie (left) have sadly passed away. This picture was taken at the 30th International TFH conference shortly before John Thie's death.

As many people did the TFH course they soon discovered different applications of Kinesiology. Gordon Stokes and Daniel Whiteside were more interested in emotions than muscles and together they developed the Three in One Concepts sometimes also referred to as One Brain.

Dr. Paul Dennison had an educational background and he explored the possibilities of using Kinesiology to enhance learning. He became the founder of Educational Kinesiology, which is now called Edu-Kinesthetics and in Australia it is often referred to as Edu-K. He developed an excellent integration process to enhance communication between different parts of the brain which he named the Dennison Laterality Repatterning process (DLR). I usually refer to it as the integration process (for writing examples of “Before” and “After” this integration process, please see the free information booklet: How to improve learning?). Dr. Dennison also created Brain Gym®, a set of 26 exercises or activities that can help to increase access to specific areas in the brain.

In many children with developmental delay as well as children with language and learning difficulties the developmental process of integrating the senses has not been completed the way it should. As a consequence the brain has trouble processing multiple sensory input such as Visual (related to vision), Auditory (related to hearing) and Kinesthetic (related to feeling and doing). When these children are looking at something, they don’t seem to be able to hear what is said at the same time, or if they are listening, they seem to forget what they were doing or what they were looking at. To improve sensory integration I have developed a sensory integration process from this brain integration process, which has helped many children process information more easily. Sensory integration also allows one to be more flexible in his/her learning style. We all have a preferred learning style, ie Visual, Auditory or Kinesthetic, but being limited to only one learning style means the only time a child can learn well is if the teacher’s teaching style matches the child’s learning style.

Dr Karl Ferreri was a Chiropractor who was very interested in survival reflexes and ways in which the body responds to threatening situations. The body has excellent ways of compensating for stressful situations such as car accidents, but often does not realise when this trauma is past. Some people will say that they have never been well since a car accident, ie they still have a sore neck or back. Dr Ferreri developed Neuro-Organization Technique (NOT) to deal with these ongoing trauma/survival states. NOT therefore is a technique that can help to reset the injury settings so that the body can return to the before-injury-state with regards to the muscle tension (see also below under Structure and in the Modalities section).

Over the last 30 years Kinesiology has become known for its wonderful healing effects. A Kinesiology session is often referred to as a “Balance”. The person typically has a goal to move from a state of stress or unbalanced state to a calmer, more balanced state. The Kinesiologist generally identifies imbalances in four main areas or realms:

1. Structure
2. Ecology
3. Emotional
4. The electrical system

1. Structure

Neuro Organization Technique (NOT) is a great technique to restore any imbalances in the structure of the body caused by past accidents and traumas (including drugs and vaccinations). NOT helps to wipe the body’s slate clean so the body can start again, rather than acting on the basis of past traumas, which lead to compensatory patterns. Very seldom does the structure go back to a state of total balance by itself, as injuries lead to protective programmes and unless these programmes are changed back, the body will often keep these protective programmes active. For example many people complain that after a car accident their neck or back has never felt the same. Many of my clients have reported that after each NOT session they felt as if they had reached a higher level of wellness.

2. Ecology

This involves looking at diet, exercise levels, environmental influences and supplements.

The purpose of investigating the diet is to identify and eliminate foods that are stressful to the body from the diet and to add foods that are beneficial to the diet (see also the Nutrition section and the free information booklets: Nutrition and What is health?).

To support the body in the healing process or to kick-start or speed up the healing process herbs or nutritional supplements are often selected. These supplements can act by offering nutritional support to an organ or system, to tonify an organ or system, balance hormones, help the body fight infections or by assisting the body to cleanse and deal with toxins.

Often people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome are very sensitive to electrical disturbances in their environment as electricity wires, microwaves, electrical blankets, mobile phones, etc., so it is important to remove disturbing influences from their environment.

3. Emotional

The Australian Bush Flower Essences are very effective in changing the effect of negative emotions either from the past or present. There are many Emotional Stress Release techniques in Kinesiology and Homoeopathy is also an excellent tool to deal with emotions. The best technique is the technique that the body selects during the balance as the best way to deal with that particular emotion.

4. The electrical system

Kinesiology offers many techniques to balance the energetic body. The energetic body usually refers to the aura, chakras and the meridian system. Homeopathic Meridian Science, Kinergetics, Chakra Hologram and Applied Physiology are some of these successful techniques that I use to balance the energetic body. In Kinesiology the Acupuncture points are held, tapped or rubbed to affect the energy flow in the body, but no equipment or needles are used.

As many health problems are present in the energetic body long before they manifest in the physical body, it is very important to have regular energy balancing sessions to both prevent and restore health.