Transformational Kinesiology

All It Takes is a Little Push

Nancy Hirsch takes a close look at the freeing power of Transformational Kinesiology

When a friend first told me about Transformational Kinesiology (TK), I thought it sounded bizarre. y I had heard of kinesiology—literally, the study of the movement of muscles. A controversial form known as Applied Kinesiology has been used by some U.S. chiropractors since the 1960s to monitor the flow of energy in the body. The Quackwatch Web site, run by a medical doctor, is highly critical of Applied Kinesiology in the health care setting. y But I knew nothing about TK, a type of kinesiology combined with Transpersonal Psychology, a form of psychology that affirms there is a spiritual force behind all physical form. Although it was developed in Europe in 1983 and is well known there, it is relatively unknown in the U.S. Currently, TK in the U.S. is growing in the areas served by certified TK teachers.

Before meeting with TK practitioner Jeanine Larson at the Still Point Centre in Columbus, OH, I studied her Web site. It stated, "The ultimate goal of Transformational Kinesiology is an expansion of awareness to release old patterns and decisions that prevent us from freely choosing how we live our lives."

My experience with Larson was wonderful and eye-opening. Larson shared the underlying premise of TK: When something resonates with a system, the energy strengthens, and when it doesn't, the energy decreases. In TK work, the facilitator makes various statements and accesses the muscle response to determine which statements resonate with the client.

Larson explained to me how this works. She would make a statement and gently push on my extended arm, always at the same point just above the wrist, while I resisted the pressure. If she could push it down, the statement was not true. If my arm resisted, it was true. To demonstrate, I said my name while she pressed and my arm was steady. When I said, "I am a little green frog," and she applied the same force, my arm went down. I could feel the difference. Of course, if the client wants to influence the answers by commanding muscle resistance or letting go, the technique won't work. Effective TK practice requires the "client to remain curious and the practitioner neutral," says Larson.

The focus of TK is to inspire change and facilitate personal growth, rather than to "fix" a specific problem. According to Larson, the primary issue that leads clients to TK is a sense of being overwhelmed or having lost direction in life, which often manifests as indecision around career or education.

At my TK session, Larson's statements and my body's responses drilled right to the core of my own indecisiveness. During the year before I experienced TK, two early childhood memories kept popping into my awareness. Although they did not seem to be interconnected, in the context of the TK work, I made an association between these events and grasped how important they were to my formation. I came to understand how they helped configure a core belief that leadership and self-expression are dangerous, and Larson helped me understand the beginnings of some limiting patterns that grew out of this belief.

We talked and she taught for much of our time together. In a TK session, known as "TK balance," there is no silent verbal testing. Instead, muscle testing is used to probe beliefs in a structured dialogue between facilitator and client. Larson is committed to the intention that this be a conscious, educative process that involves the client every step of the way. "After all, this is about the client, not me," she says. "I am here to simply facilitate their process. It is then up to the client to choose how they will use the information going forward."

The final element of our session was a rebalancing of the worn ruts of my life with an affirmation about a conscious, joyful path that uses self-expression to lead towards achievement of my goals. Larson teaches that "when we're inspired, we have energy for anything."

TK can be used to inspire and help shift habits in different situations. The Stillpoint Centre is developing a program combining TK with yoga and craniosacral therapy to assist young athletes in achieving holistic success, a rich life and habits of success in competition. Larson currently works with an innovative and successful business that use TK sessions to assist employees with enhancing productivity and working cooperatively. Individuals generally approach the work with a sense of wanting to move forward in some way.

One woman came to see Larson because she wanted to quit smoking. She determined that this was her goal partly because of her desire to compete in a triathlon. Using muscle testing, Larson helped her explore the benefits of quitting cigarettes and claim an empowering vision of freedom from this addiction. Together, they examined the core beliefs and the habitual thought patterns that had kept the client from quitting. She was able to identify a story from her childhood that had cemented her belief that it is impossible to quit smoking. Armed with new understanding, the client was able to release the belief and put energy into her goal of quitting. On her own, she chose to quit smoking and now has a very active physical life, including running and soccer.

The Kinesiology Connection Web site notes, "Always the answer is somewhere inside you." The TK-US Web site says that during a TK balance "it is common to access forgotten memories of pivotal events in your life. These memories surface, are brought into the light of consciousness, insight is gained, and they are transformed or released." Larson affirmed it is important not to disparage the patterns of the past and where we've come from. They are the foundation for understanding transformation, providing information as well as fuel for looking to the higher path. We just don't have to stay in those old patterns.

In my own work with Larson, I realized that I had a pattern of making decisions based on the needs of others. I also had seen decision making as something that limits me and reduces options. I left with an understanding that I could make decisions based on my own and others' best interests, and such decision-making could open up my life, rather than restrict it.

How many times do we struggle with ourselves, recognizing that we are stuck and unsure about how to go forward? TK can help us to connect the dots between seemingly unrelated memories or bring up long-forgotten incidents that help to make sense of old patterns and habits. This knowledge is power.

Nancy Hirsch is a mom, writer, and activist with a focus on transformation, both personal and public. She can be reached at njh02@earthlink.net.