Energy and Muscle Testing

Kinesiology and Energy

Kinesiology (Muscle Testing) uses the relationship between thoughts and the muscles of the body to access knowledge.  This type of testing is sometimes called Muscle Testing, Kinesthetic testing or Bio-Kinetic Testing, Energy Testing, etc. There are many people (and sites) that teach basic muscles testing skills.  I want to explain to you a few rules to make it both more accurate and less likely to give you skewed results.  

Subtle Energy

When discussing Kinesthetic Testing, etc. you will often hear the term subtle energy or just energy. What do these terms mean, exactly? That’s difficult to answer exactly—because it isn’t an exact thing!! Some Kinesiologists describe it as an extension of the electromagnetic energy produced by the body. Donna Eden, in her book Energy Medicine, describes it as wavelengths, rates of vibrations and patterns of pulsation.  She says that energy is the common vocabulary of the body, mind, and soul. Whatever it is and however you describe it, this energy is real.  It is as real and as definite as magnetism or gravity.  Neither magnetism or gravity have ever been explained very well, either, in my opinion.  The medical world measures some of this energy (electrical output and wavelengths) whenever they do an EKG.

A Simple and Effective Tool

There are many branches, or fields, of kinesiology.  These branches are as varied as the people who have developed and are practicing them. There is one belief, however, that is common to most of them.  This belief, borne out by experience, is that each of us possesses a complete knowledge of the basic blueprint of our own unique structure and creation. In addition, it is assumed that, at some level, we always know the status of our body, mind, and soul.  Certainly, this is not always a conscious knowing.  Sometimes we even seem to hide this knowledge from our conscious mind deliberately.   Nevertheless, it is always reflected, very accurately, in our energy field.  Muscle testing is a simple, effective tool that allows us to bring this useful information to our conscious minds.

Testing for Others

On occasion, you may find yourself wanting to test for someone else, even someone far distant from you. Can this really be done?  This sort of testing has been demonstrated to be accurate and effective by many people, many times. How can this be? There are a variety of explanations out there.  Some, or perhaps all of them, contain at least some elements of truth.

The Source of the Answers

One explanation is that because we are a part of the whole of creation, we can test from creation itself. That is an interesting concept.  Who, or what holds the keys to answers from the universe.

Some modalities and people believe that we are tapping into the realms of the Spirit.  Different modalities mention the Holy Ghost or angels of light.  Others refer to ancestors who have our best interests at heart.  If we are working in spiritual realms, perhaps prayer would be a more valuable (and more approved by Heaven) form of communication. Sometimes, when I am seeking permission to test a particular thing, this seems to be the case.  I then lay muscle testing aside and seek for spiritual direction and confirmation.

My father is a very conservative member of the LDS church. Well, except where muscle testing is concerned, I suppose.  He muscle tests very well.  My father believes that if the muscle test is not accessing the Spirit (in the Mormon sense of the word) we should all “hang up our muscle testing fingers.”  Dad always asks “permission” to test for a certain subject.  He has found that when the decision involves his relationships with others, he must pray, discuss, and work his way there – usually.  Most other times, he gets permission to test just about any time he wants to.

A Variety of Sources for Answers?

Perhaps there isn’t just one answer to the question of where does the information accessed by a muscle test come from. In some instances, the muscles test may be (as my Dad believes) a shortcut to the Spirit.  At those times it appears to be appropriate.  When used correctly, I believe that the muscle test is Heaven blessed and approved.  At other times it may be a connection to something else entirely!  One thing is certain—there is both positive and negative energy out there.  Both Christ and Satan, if you will permit me to teach from where I stand.  We must be very careful at all times about what energy we are testing into. Any healing process or procedure that does not include the Savior of the World has moved a least a little distance from that which is positive (in my opinion).

A Powerful Tool

All of this makes for fun speculation.  It is enough for me to know, however, that the muscle test reads energy.  I believe it can be a very powerful tool. There are some basic rules when reading or working with energy that will keep muscle testing a safe and positive experience and allow us to access and be sure of a great body of information.

Muscle testing, done right, should help us listen more accurately to both our own bodies and the whisperings of the Spirit.  I found, in my own life, that muscle testing made me more sensitive to intuition.  Many others have reported similar conclusions.  Eventually, it is as if you know before testing.  The test merely confirms what you already know that you know.

Doing No Harm

For many years, I was very opposed to muscle testing.  I had seen the muscle test arrive at some pretty off-track answers.  I had also seen those off-track answers produce some rather nasty results. To illustrate, I am going to tell you one short personal story.

When I first was shown how to muscle test I, of course, decided to try it out.  I know that certain substances anti-dote some homeopathic remedies.  I decided to muscle test my way through the toothpaste aisle of the grocery store.  My goal was to come home with a toothpaste that would not anti-dote any homeopathic remedy that a family member might be using.  I tested each available toothpaste tube saying, “This toothpaste will anti-dote any homeopathic that I have in my cupboard.”  I made my choice from the ones that the muscle test said would not be a problem.

Sounds reasonable, right?  Let me tell you about the end result.  The next time I took my children and myself to the dentist, there was an outrageous number of cavities.  The toothpaste I had chosen had eaten the enamel off our teeth!  The dentist even identified what toothpaste we were using before I confessed its name to him. (Actually, he named three or four possible candidates but it was still impressive!)

What should I have done differently?  

Here are some basic follow-up questions to ask.  These questions, in my opinion, should always be asked before acting on an answer obtained by muscle testing.

1)  Any reason not to take this remedy or follow through with this action?

2)  Something different that I have not yet ask about would be a better choice?

3)  There is something in addition to what we have learned or are planning to do so far?

When I remember these follow-up questions, I make fewer, if any, mistakes.  When I get careless about this, I am usually given a reminder in the form of a less-than-wonderful experience.  It is very sad when the person I am testing for pays the price, however small, for my carelessness or over-confidence!

Energy Balance

For muscle testing to be accurate, there must be a minimum degree of balance within ourselves at the time.  This is true whether you are testing for yourself or surrogate testing for another person.  If you are testing for someone else, using their arm, they must be basically in balance.  Different healing modalities accomplish this in different ways.  We will cover a few of them here, as a starting place.

Balancing Techniques

The Thymus Gland

The thymus gland is located in the center of the chest.  It lies about midway between the sternal notch and the tip of the sternum.  The thymus gland seems to regulate the movement of energy throughout the system.   It acts as a crossroad for energy as it passes from head to foot and from left to right.  I believe that the thymus gland is essential to communication between less physical levels, as well.  The thymus seems to be the pathway of communication between the emotional, mental, physical, etc. pieces or ourselves.  The Chinese refer to these aspects as subtle bodies.   When the thymus gland is in balance, the answers received by energy testing will be clearer and more accurate.

The thymus gland is very sensitive to emotions. Negative emotions such as hate, envy, fear, anger, jealousy, greed, etc. can keep the thymus off center.   Negative emotions also throw the meridians and every aspect of the body into chaos.   Positive emotions such as love, faith, trust, courage, cheerfulness, and gratitude, on the other hand, have a balancing, stimulating, and healing effect.

Thymus Thump

There are differing recommendations as to how to do this from differing schools of thought. The following is the best way—according to me! Start with your hand on your heart, as though you were about to say The Pledge of Allegiance. Thump lightly 3 times with your fingertips in a counterclockwise direction, moving up from the heart to start and making a complete circle. Go around the circle 3—4 times. Tap lightly 3 times with your fingertips in the center of the circle, then place your hand over your navel for a second or two.

Left and Right Brain

The next two suggestions are from a modality called Brain Gym.  One of my sons has some learning disabilities.  Becoming acquainted with this modality was such a blessing!  These simple exercises aid communication across the limbic bond in the brain.  Amazingly simple.  Amazingly effective!   The purpose of these exercises is to get energy crossing the midline of the brain. This enables information to be accessed from both sides. Input will be coming from the intuitive, creative left side of the brain.  It will also be coming from the more analytical right side.  It is a wonderful thing to be able to see things from all sides.   First, with emotions such as compassion and hope.  Second, with intuition and creativity.

Sideways 8’s

Lock both hands together extending the index fingers to make a pointer for your eyes to follow.  Extend your arms so that your hands (and those pointing fingertips) are directly in front of your eyes.  With your eyes following, draw figure 8’s.  The 8’s should be drawn laying on their side.   Try drawing the figure 8’s both large and small.  Doing this will bring a wider variety of motor centers into play.

For children, it works very well to have them draw the eights on a large piece of paper taped to the wall.  A large dry-erase board, using colored markers, is even more effective!

Cross Crawls

Begin by simply walking in place, lifting your knees high.   March, touching the left knee with the right hand and then the right knee with the left hand. This is another crossing-the-mid-line of the brain exercise. Babies who never learned to crawl in this style often grow up having difficulty moving from the left side of their brain to the right.  I knew a young man who, after everyone in his dorm at college was asleep, would crawl up and down the hallway.  Then, he would do his math schoolwork.  He has been a computer programmer – recognized, admired, and well-paid in his field – for many years now.

Chakras

The very word, chakras, used to break me out in a sweat.  It seemed like such a foreign concept.  Chakras as part of most Eastern healing philosophies, but not all.  So much of Chakra theory makes sense to me.  Chakras explain so much of what I see, feel and know about how health in the body appears to work.  It has been clearly demonstrated that certain thought processes and emotional reactions are associated with each chakra. Whether you understand or accept these theories, you will likely feel the power of this very simple exercise.

Chakra Zipper: Bring your hand up the mid-line (Central Meridian) 3 or 4 times. This is the Central Meridian in Chinese thought and is very effective. It is best to have the flat palm of your hand facing your body.  This can be done several times a day.  Doing so will keep your energy strong and intact.  The chakra Zipper is a marvelous stabilizing and protective technique.

Water

Sometimes, when you are getting opposite responses, a glass of water is often all that is needed.  Dehydration is very difficult for both the physical body and the energy body to handle.  If you are dehydrated, I can almost guarantee that muscles testing will not be accurate for you.  Even if it is, it will go “off-line” after only a few moments.

Prayer, Meditation, Scripture Study

When I first began to try to muscle test, I would get up early, spend quiet time in spiritual pursuits and, then, I would be able to test for a little while at a time.  Testing would go along very well until my children got up and started demanding attention and breakfast.  After all these years, it is much easier to stay balanced enough to test accurately.  This is true even in the most difficult of circumstances.  It is also easier to tell when “balance” has departed and the answers are beginning to be “muddy” and unclear.

A Few Suggestions, Energetically Speaking

Obtain Verbal Permission

Obtain verbal permission first, if that is possible.  This means that you ask the person’s permission before you access information about them using the muscle test.  If possible, means that there may be certain occasions when verbal permission is not possible.  If it is an infant, for example.  In that case, if the baby is not yours, you should get the parent’s permission.  Testing for a comatose or badly injured person might be another such exception.  Exceptions to this rule, when the person can be spoken to are actually quite rare.

Once in a great while, I have felt the need to test for someone from whom I do not have permission.  In fact, sometimes I have felt to test when I was quite sure permission would not be given if I were to ask.  This violates every principle of muscle testing that I believe in and try to follow.

On these very rare occasions, I set it up in my mind that I am creating a book.  I will label the imaginary spine of the book with the subject of the questions and any subsequent energy work – if I do any.  They are then free to take down the book and read it, or not.  If they do begin to read it, they may put it “back on the shelf” un-read any time they wish.  As I have emphasized already, these occasions are very rare.  I really hate it when someone comes up behind me and massages my shoulders without my permission.  Energy work, done unannounced and without my permission, is a hundred times more offensive. My advice is that we avoid doing this to others as much as possible.

Obtaining Energy Permission

In my opinion, energy permission should be sought before working with or for another person.  What does this even mean?  Energy permission uses the muscle test to determine two things.  First, that this is the appropriate time for the two of you to work together.  Second, that the work you are about to do, or the questions you are about to ask, are appropriate at all.  Energy permission is of vital importance!  The importance of this step cannot be over-emphasized.  Never, never continue when you don’t have it!

If energy permission is denied, it is sometimes possible to establish the cause of the refusal. This can also be done by muscle testing.  The refusal of permission can be coming from either the client or the practitioner.  It can be as simple as a need for a drink of water.  Sometimes the person is already processing something else, emotionally.  Sometimes their energy may be tied up because they are using some other energetic modality at this time.  Examples might be a homeopathic or an essential oil.  Even magnet therapy may be enough for the body to require a waiting period.

Proceeding, at this time, would be overwhelming in some way to their energy system. Please trust me on this!  Being the curious and stubborn person that I am, I sometimes require a difficult lesson to teach me.  My energy system was more than happy to provide it – more than once – I am embarrassed to report.  If you ignore energy permission, I can just about guarantee that you will have some learning experiences, just like I did!

Remain Objective

Test with an open and curious mind.  Be willing to put your own expectations and prejudices aside.  If you do this you will be far more effective and more accurate.  You will also learn some interesting things along the way.  Take a few minutes, when you have finished muscle testing, to analyze the sequence of things and what came up.  You will learn a great deal if you do this. Bear in mind, though, that there are many ways to accomplish an energy task.  Try muscle testing the phrase, “There is something else that would be easier or less time-consuming that would be of equal value.”  When I do this, I have been given several alternative choices, all equally valid.   Some of them were easier or more convenient for the client.

Always remember that your intention can impact the answer to a muscle test.  Remain objective.  Always want to know the best possible answer.  Always be willing to be taught.

Value Your Intuition

Intuition is an inspired hunch and can be a very valuable skill to possess.  Everyone I have ever worked with, as they became adept at energy testing, began to exhibit a high degree of intuition.  They simply know as they test, what the answer will be.  When time is short or nonexistent (an emergency situation) they will know, intuitively, what to do.  They will know what herb, etc. to reach for.  Do not mistake this for coloring the test.  Learn to trust yourself and the answers that you are getting.

Use Cross-Checks to To Validate Your Testing

Whenever possible, make a statement, test, and then make the statement in reverse (if it was positive, phrase it negatively) and test again. If an answer goes against common sense, wait a while and test again after some thought and study. You or the person you are working with have gone this long without that piece of information. Chances are you/they can make it another hour or another day until you are sure of your answers.

Be Very Clear in Your Statements

The energy system is much like a computer.  It takes you very literally, always.  You must be sure what information you are trying to obtain.  You must state it clearly.  As they say in computer jargon, “Garbage in, garbage out!” If you are testing for quantity, always say, “At least one, at least two, etc.”  You do not want the exact answer.  Especially if it 1.237598, or something equally as ridiculous.

Set Parameters for the Test

Learn to talk to yourself! Tell your energy system what information you are trying to obtain.  Let your energy know that you intend to keep testing until all the pieces are in place.

Never Violate Privacy

There are some questions you should never ask.  Some information you are not entitled to.  This forbidden information will vary from person to person, situation to situation. Your intuition and your conscience should be your guide.  There is a rule that I try very hard to follow.  That rule is, “Do not ask for any information that you are not willing to admit to having obtained.”  This is not a problem if you always test out loud. It can be a temptation, however,  when working quickly and quietly to yourself.  Please trust me on this one.  Do not violate agency or privacy in any way.  The harm you will do—to them and to you—cannot even begin to be measured.  Just don’t go there!!  The end does not justify the means.  Especially with your children!

Muscle Testing

The following information is taken from a different level of the energy class taught at Butterfly Expressions.  I know that I am repeating myself, at times.  This is done deliberately in some of my classes, as a teaching tool.  It is done this way here, quite deliberately, as well.  I hope you don’t mind too much.  

An Art and a Science

Muscle testing is both an art and a science.  Its accurate use as a communication tool develops with practice.  It is imperative that we learn to test from an open, unbiased point of view.  A strong agenda can skew the results of a muscle test. We can, and must, learn not to allow our biases to influence the testing.

Basic Balance

Before testing, a basic degree of balance should be established in the body of the person being tested. Of course, every person is “broadcasting” information about themselves all of the time. Even if a person is comatose, the muscle test can ascertain information from their energy field.  Working with an unconscious person or a baby is a little bit unique.  Under normal circumstance, however, if a response is not clear or seems to be reversed, use the techniques listed previously to balance or stabilize the person’s energy. Balance assures us that the body/mind/energy system is capable of giving reliable, accurate responses.

Statements, Rather than Questions

Communication will be clearer if statements are used rather than questions. It is important that you learn to gather information in the form of statements.  Why?  It is too easy to confuse the energy system with questions.  Kind of a, “Yes, we have no bananas” sort of confusion.  There are a couple of questions that I ask the muscle test, using the question format.  These exceptions will be explained in a moment.

Energy Sensitivity and Confirmation

Muscle testing can help us be more sensitive to the energetic responses originating within ourselves and others.  The muscle test also gives a visual confirmation that what we are thinking or feeling is accurate.  Sometimes this visual confirmation is very important.  If you test someone’s arm and see the weak response for Pepsi, it is wonderfully convincing.  It will likely be far more effective than your telling them that they should give up Pepsi.

Rules of Common Decency

When we are testing other people, there are a few basic rules of common decency that we should follow:

1. We are able to test and obtain all sorts of information about people.  Of course, we do not do so without their permission. We do not invade their privacy. Occasionally this permission will be only energy permission, but whenever possible, it is best to obtain verbal permission, in addition.
2. If there is anything that we have tested that we do not want to reveal or admit to that person, we should take a serious look at whether or not we have any right to obtain that information. With muscle testing, the end does not justify the means, ever!
3. An experienced Kinesiologist will zero in on important, relevant information.  They will do this whether or not the person is conscious of it or able to speak of it out loud.

Helping the Client Feel Safe (Talking Out of Turn)

There are fine lines here and we must always be sensitive to the people we work with.  People need to feel safe when making changes in their lives.  They must feel safe working with you.  This safety must not be only because you have a comforting manner, but because they really are safe with you. Any form of judgment must be set aside.   You must always be thoroughly reliable about not discussing them with others without their permission.

Predicting the Future (Prognosticating)

It is important to remember that muscle testing is not one hundred percent accurate.  It cannot be used, reliably and decently, to predict the future.  Trying to predict the future will lead to inaccurate results and a great deal of frustration.  An example might be waiting for a baby to be born.  The statement, “The baby will be born before the weekend” has rarely given me accurate results.

Avoid Extremes and “the Dark Side”

Muscle testing can be used to the extreme.  Some things are meant to be thought through.  Other things are, in my world, meant to be prayed about for confirmation.  Sometimes we should just decide for ourselves and get on with our lives.  Permissions, permissions, permissions!  Testing every little thing, instead of thinking and analyzing, is really not a good idea.  In my opinion, it is not a proper use of this skill and gift.

I believe that if your intent is not pure (or at least very good) testing can be influenced by the powers of darkness. Never let muscle testing override correct principles or common sense.  Never follow the muscles test if the response does not seem to confirm the intuition or impression that you felt within.  Take time to search using clarifying statements to uncover what is really being communicated.

Agency and Force

Never, never use muscle testing to force any belief system on another.  Once again, do not use it to obtain information that is none of your business.  Do not even use the muscle test to ask questions that someone else is, or would be, uncomfortable with you having. Certainly, never use it to tell someone else what changes to make in their life or their relationships.  This is something that I have seen do a very great deal of harm!

Inappropriate Testing

As stated and restated above, there are times when the use of muscle testing is completely inappropriate. Certainly, there are questions that should not be asked and ways of using muscle testing that is inherently wrong. Violating these principles always puts us in a place where working effectively is almost impossible. Think this issue through, find your own parameters, and ‘stick with them’ at all times.

Some Times When Muscle testing is inappropriate or just plain wrong

Privacy

We should not test if we have no right to the information or that person would not want us to know it.  The end does not justify the means.  Good intentions DO NOT change this parameter.  Most of us feel that invading our children’s (or other’s) privacy by reading their mail is wrong.  Just think how much worse it is to read their minds or access their personal stuff without permission or without their knowledge using the muscle test.

Objectivity

We should not muscle test if we are so involved in the situation that we cannot test from a clear, objective space.  This applies strongly to those issues that you have not yet found clarity for yourself on.  It is possible to work for others on stuff that you have not resolved yourself, I suppose.  Sometimes.  You will need to focus your attention on the client while holding your own emotions at bay.  Your intent must be to go where the muscle test leads you.  You must be able to remain calm and objective, no matter what.  You must be willing to learn if Heaven decides to teach you something about yourself using this opportunity.

An Uncomfortable Feeling

We should not test, ever, at any time or place that the Spirit or our intuition tells us not to go.  There are occasions when the Spirit will send us places where all the above parameters have not been met.  If this happens to you, you will have to find your own way.  My recommendation is to use prayer and seek further inspiration at these times.  Be careful here – but don’t fail to do what Heaven has called upon you to do, either.

The Client’s Pre-conceived Desires

It is difficult to test in the fact of someone’s – even our own – prejudices or desires.  High levels of stress can also interfere with or over-ride, a muscle test. Noticing, in any format, requires a non-judgmental state of mind. Pre-conceived notions must be set aside.

Some Things The Muscle Test Is Good For

We are all seeking to improve our lives.  Most of us want to assist others in reaching their goals and achieving their potential.   Muscle testing can serve us in many ways in these endeavors.  A few of them are listed below. I am sure that you can think of many others.

Possible uses for muscle testing might include:

1. Muscle testing is helpful to pinpoint circumstances that we perceive as stressful. These stressors are, of course, unique to each individual.   Similar situations impact different people differently.  Often it isn’t really that something is inherently stressful.  Rather, our perception of it is stressful to us individually.
2. The muscle test can help us find answers to issues and ailments.  Muscle testing can guide us in choosing remedies.  It can help us know when and how much to take of something.  Sometimes, testing can aid us in solving the mysteries of the cause of an ailment.   We may be able to, at least, identify important contributors to things that trouble us.
3. Testing can help us avoid substances, circumstances, and thought patterns that are harmful to us.  Testing can aid us in choosing substances and lifestyles that help us achieve our goals.  The muscle test can help us identify beliefs that are not serving us well.  It can help us identify and discard thought patterns that are out of sync with reality.
4. Body scanning is a wonderful use for muscle testing. When using the muscle test to body-scan, we set the parameter for the muscle test to hold firm until we come to the desired spot.  In other words, the response will be weak as we pass the area of the problem.
5. Something similar can be done when scanning a list or choosing an essential oil from a rack of oils.  I like to divide a list into parts.  Then I use the muscle test to ascertain which part of the list contains the answer I am seeking.  Please use a statement, not a question, to do this.  This same technique can be used to choose an essential oil from a rack of oils, for example.

Silent Questioning

Silent statements by an experienced muscle tester can be just as effective as ones spoken aloud. The silent statement focuses the energy of the questioner on the information that is needed just as well as a verbal test. The body responds from whatever areas and systems are involved and the information is made available through the muscle test.  However, this is not often, in my experience, an appropriate way to test.

When we test silently, the person being tested does not know what we are asking.  This might make them uncomfortable.  It would certainly make me uncomfortable unless I trusted the tester implicitly.  Asking permission to test silently should always be done before we do so, in my opinion.

Silent testing might be appropriate if the client would misinterpret the question asked or the information obtained.  For example, the statement “this food or activity (whatever) is affecting your heart energy (or meridian)” might be interpreted by some as an indication that they are about to have a heart attack.  Note that the statement did not even indicate in any way whether the effect on the heart meridian was positive or negative!  People often hear what they want, or expect, to hear. I have had people leave my place and tell people that I said they had cancer.  I would never, ever use that word or make a diagnosis in that way.   Nevertheless, that is what they heard.  I don’t want that to ever be from the way I worded some statement or another.

You will have to make your own determinations about how to test.  You will probably have to make that determination for every person that you work with. Good luck!!

Intuition – Again

Now that you have honed your muscle testing skills, don’t forget that they are not the only skills that matter. Trust your intuition and let it serve you well. Don’t forget to keep studying everything that you can. Take a moment at the end of the day to put the pieces together in your mind.  Pondering on what connected to what and how this piece affected that piece will give you a broader base to test from.  It will make your muscles test more accurate.  You will be much better at what you do.

Surrogate Testing

Surrogate testing is testing for someone else by using your own muscles for the test.  This is the way in which I usually work.  Is this type of testing accurate?  Is it appropriate?  For me, it seems to be far more accurate than testing using the person’s own muscle.  There are several reasons for this.

1)  Understanding What is Being Communicated

First, I am familiar with the way the muscle test works for me when using my own muscle.  I know the possibilities of what a slight hesitation before my fingers break for a weak response means.  (Yes, I usually test using two fingers of one hand or the other.)

For me, this hesitation might mean that the question should have been phrased better in order to be answered properly.  For example, “No,” might be the answer for right this very minute but, in a few moments as parameters change, the answer will be “yes”.  The slight hesitation in the response indicates that I have not yet obtained all of the necessary information.  I need to continue to make statements and test until I have learned all that I need to know.

Sometimes, this hesitation simply means “maybe”.   If my statement was, “This supplement would be good for me,” I might get a hesitation in the response.  The test might be telling me, “Maybe” this substance would be good for me “but maybe” there is something that would be better.  In any case, I know from the hesitation I felt that I need to work at this test a little bit more.  I need to keep tweaking my statements until I understand the issue and the answers more completely.  Unless you work with a client’s muscle often, it is hard to feel these sorts of hesitations.

2 )  Balance

Second, I have learned to tell when my own energy is sufficiently balanced to achieve accurate results.  I know my own prejudices pretty well.  It has become easier to tell when I am struggling to set them aside.  Additionally, I know when I have been successful at doing so and am able to proceed.

3)  Stubbornness or Privacy

In my experience, there are some client’s who simply cannot let you “read” their energy (read their minds).  My own dear mother-in-law was one of those.  She would give me permission to test.  She would even want to know the answers.  However, we would never, ever get a “no” answer to any question!  I have seen this many times.  I often get permission from my children to test for them.  On occasion, it is almost impossible to test for them if I am “in their face” with it.  Testing, even while they are in a different part of the house, and then discussing it together later often works best.

Testing Using Your Own Muscles

There are many ways to test using your own muscles.  The sway test is the easiest to learn. Simply stand up.  Set your parameters for the sway to indicate either a “Yes” or a “No” answer.  Either way is acceptable, of course.  Your energy system, nonetheless, very much needs to know what is expected of it.   Another easy method is to make a circle using two fingers of one hand.  Use a finger from the other hand to pull through the circle.  Once again, be sure that you set your parameter for whether a “hold” is a “yes” or a “no”   answer.  Sliding a finger over the nail of another finger, on the same hand, is my favorite way. Pressing down on the pointer finger with the middle finger is another effective and unobtrusive way to test.

Any way that you learn to do it, using only one hand to test will give you a great deal of versatility and efficiency.  It is worth the time, effort, and practice to master muscle testing using only one hand.

Testing the Client’s Muscle

Muscles to Test

Middle Deltoid Muscle:  Any muscle of the body can be used for a muscle test.  The middle deltoid seems to be the most common muscle to test.  The most common way to test this muscle is to have the client extend their arm straight out from their body.  The arm is held at a ninety-degree angle.  The person doing the test then applies pressure to this muscle by pressing down on the person’s arm.  Some hints for these types of testing will be given in a moment

Latissmus Dorsi:  One of my favorite muscles to test is the anterior deltoid muscle.  To test this muscle have the person hold their arm down, palm out with the back of the hand against their body.  The arm should be held quite straight but the hand should drop loosely from the wrists.  The test is done by attempting to pull the arm outward, away from the body.  I really like to test this muscle.  It is difficult for a person to “strong arm” this test by trying to hold firm no matter what, as some people do.  It is especially effective for strong men and for very determined women.

Other Muscles to Test

The arm:  Sit with the client facing you across a narrow table.  Have the client place their elbow on the table with their arm up and their fingers pointing toward the ceiling.  The test is done by pushing the client’s arm gently down and in.  This test is very nice because the client’s arm is resting on the table.  They are less likely to become tired if the session goes for a long while.  The problem with this test is finding a table which is narrow enough.  A massage table, if you happen to have used one during your work together, is the perfect width.  The padding on the massage table also protects the client’s elbow.

The leg:  Have the client sit in a comfortable, but not soft or squishy, chair.  The client lifts one leg so that the foot is a couple of inches off the floor.  Either you or the client presses down on the leg to perform the test.  The leg may become tired quite quickly.  Simple change legs, letting the first one rest while using the other leg for a while.

Hints for Working with the Client’s Muscle

Educating

It is important that you involve your client in the process as much as possible.  This is true whether you work with your muscle or the client’s muscle.  First, teach your client to ‘talk to their bodies’ by explaining to themselves what is wanted.  Have them choose what action will represent a “weak”  or “strong” response.  Coach them in paying attention to the way in which their muscle is responding.  Speak out loud, except under very specific circumstances.  Teach as you go along, the way in which proper statements are worded.

Above all, be very open to the words that the client is speaking.  They know their own body better than you do.  They are more aware of their circumstances than you can possibly ever be.  So many times, while the practitioner is stumbling around in a bit of a panic looking for the right phrase, it is already coming out of the client’s mouth!  Oh, the times I have laughed at myself over that scenario!

Once again, and most importantly, teach as you work!  It is very rarely our job to “set ourselves up as a light”.  In fact, to do so is usually very, very wrong.  Always, if possible, send your client or your family member home better able to cope with their lives.  Do not, ever, become a crutch for the people you work with.  Be part of their learning journey, yes, but help them grow every time you work together.

Amount of Pressure

Do not use your body weight to apply pressure for the middle deltoid test.  Two pounds of pressure for two minutes with two fingers is plenty of pressure.  This is about the same amount of pressure used for the middle deltoid, the arm, or the leg tests.  Adjust your test pressure according to the person you are working with, of course.

Use slow, steady, sustained pressure. Do not hang on their arm or continue to apply pressure for long periods of time.  You should not bounce the arm or the leg up and down, either.  When testing yourself, it is not helpful to pull the finger through the circle more than once.  In fact, in my experience, this seems to “annoy” the response.  It is as though the muscle says, eventually, something like, “Didn’t I answer that question already?”

Position

Your fingers should be approximately two inches above the client’s wrist.  This is true of both the middle deltoid and the anterior deltoid type of test.  For the middle deltoid test, use your free hand, usually on their shoulder, to help stabilize them. This will also alert you when their arm is not really doing the dropping.  The arm dropping represents a ‘weak’ response or a “no” answer.  They may just be tipping over.  This tipping over, rather than their arm going weak, is called tea-potting.  I love that descriptive name.  I can just see in my head a little tea-pot being tipped.

Connection

Consider maintaining touch contact between actual tests.  An energy worker should be able to feel and work with a client’s energy without touching.  It is a simple matter of reaching out with our own energy.  Even so, maintaining contact with the person is very helpful.  Simple touching can be very soothing.  Gentle contact, in addition, can be relaxing for many people.

Connection with the client should be done either energetically or by physical touch.  It is best not to look directly into the person’s eyes during the test.  Doing so seems to “mix” your two energies and create confusion.  Answers, sometimes, seem to become a mix of your opinions and answers from the client’s energy.

A Moment to Prepare

Make the statement you intend to make.  Then, say “Hold.”  This will alert the person that you are about to apply pressure to their muscle.  Allow a second or two before you actually do apply pressure.  This gives their energy system time to think about it before responding.

Breathing

Make sure both you and your partner are breathing during the test.  Either one of you holding your breath can make the test inaccurate.  This is very important.

Adjusting to Each Client

Find the most comfortable and effective way (or ways) to test for that person.  Be versatile.  Use a variety of muscles for testing, if necessary.  A muscle, tested for too long, can become tired.  Tired muscles, sometimes, give garbled responses.  If the client’s muscle tires, rest for a while or use a different muscle to continue testing.  Be careful not to use a muscle that has been injured previously.  Besides the possibility of damaging the muscle further, it may tire more easily.

Troubleshooting Review

1. Are you applying enough pressure for a long enough time?
2. Did the client talk to themselves, explaining what is needed?
3. Is the hand (if you are testing an arm) loose and floppy?
4. Has the muscle been injured previously?
5. Are you both breathing normally?
6. Are you saying ‘hold’ and then waiting a consistent length of time?
7. Does the person need a drink of water or a bathroom break?

Working without an Agenda
or
“Staying Out of Outcome”

NEVER allow yourself to work with the end result in mind!  That is a difficult thing to NEVER do, but it is so very important!

WHY is this important?  What does it mean to be “working with an agenda?”

Saying to yourself, even unconsciously, “This problem is going to go away or this person is going to feel this way emotionally when we are done if I have anything to say about it!” is working with an agenda.  This is a violation of the client’s agency.  This is true even if they have verbally agreed to the agenda.  To accomplish good we must “Let go and let God.”  If God is not a part of your belief system, then you will need to find your own wording and explanation for this fact.  Either way, letting go and letting the energy, or whatever it is, work in its own way is essential.

Working with a pre-set agenda also locks us into expectations for the future.  This sets the client up for disappointment and feelings of failure if the energy takes a different path to healing.

Sometimes, working with an agenda in mind adds fear of loss or failure to what we are doing.   “What if ” causes faith to flee and healing to slow.  Perhaps healing is halted altogether.   A much more effective way to work is to “let go and let God” direct the paths to come and the outcome of our work.

Neal A. Maxwell said in referring to 2 Nephi 9:20  “All we really need to know is that God knows all.”

Examples

One example of an agenda might be either of you holding the belief that the problem is going to go away in a certain amount of time.  Another example might be holding a picture in your mind of how they will respond emotionally or physically to your work together today or in the future.

A Control Issue?

Plans for the future can be and often are, wiped out in an instant. We know this, on a rational level.  We know that there can be no permanency to “fixes” in this life.  Working with an agenda can be an attempt at unrighteous control of either that person or the future.  Doing this can become a way for us to direct their path or affect their choices in what I think of as unrighteous dominion.  This does not have to be a conscious effort at control.  The agenda that we hold in our minds can set this up without our conscious effort.

Of course, keeping a positive picture in our minds can bring a great deal of healing to a session.  We must guard against discouragement as rigorously as we guard against agendas.  This is a fine, but important, line.

Fear and Reality

It is virtually impossible for the body, energetically, to differentiate fear from reality.   Unless a person is very careful, the emotional state and the physical tissues of the body will manifest what a person fears most.  It takes faith to manifest the things that we hope for.  Faith is so much more than just positive thinking!

The ability of our energy systems to create is very powerful.  It can be so much more powerful than the influence of our pasts.  It can be even more powerful than the effects of what is happening to us right now. The past is only important because it has had an influence on today’s fears about tomorrow.  Introducing an outcome that may not be what God intended introduces doubt, discontentment, and fear.  This is true even if you, somehow, manage to reach the goal.  It is especially devastating, emotionally, if the goal is not reached.

Doing Our Own Part

Do your part. Walk whatever is your walk in this person’s life to the best that you can manage. Let God (and other people) do their parts.  I promise you, God appreciates your help but he can handle His part!! The saying that, “God has no hands but your hands” is not only untrue, it is offensive.  It is not an impotent and weak being that we worship!  Not only is He in charge, but He is in charge because he is capable of being in charge.  He is capable of bringing to pass whatever is best to be done!

Body awareness techniques, such as are taught and practiced in the Chrysalis series and in the Cranio Sacral class, can help us stay out of outcome and limit our fear. As we look inside, describing what we see (it has this texture, it is this color) without judgment we are able to realize that things simply “are.” We allow the body (if it chooses) to find a better, more suitable, way to be.  Growth and healing occur, naturally and in the proper order.

The light of love shines brightest when we work by correct principles.  Please, learn to “stay out of outcome!” It has taken me years to learn what that statement really means. It is still so easy to forget to do it!

 

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