What Is Kinesiology? Using Ancient and Modern Knowledge to Improve Movement

by Natalie Bohin October 18, 2019

Have you ever heard of Kinesiology before? Kinesiology is a holistic therapy that combines knowledge from ancient Eastern medicine and modern Western understanding of neuroscience and anatomy physiology. The energetic healing uses a non-invasive method of muscle testing to identify areas of the body that are blocked or stressed. You may have experienced kinesiology previously if you’ve ever gone to see a chiropractor.

The word ‘Kinesis’ means movements or activity. This type of therapy looks at the body as a whole, whether it’s physical, emotional, nutritional, spiritual, it finds stress within the body that is preventing you from enjoying optimum health and happiness. You might find that applied kinesiology may even affect the health of organs in your body as well.

An Introduction to Kinesiology

Kinesiology is the study of movement and is also commonly used to refer to a type of therapy that uses muscle monitoring, or applied kinesiology , to discover what may be causing imbalances in the body. Kinesiology originates from chiropractic, applied kinesiology and the ancient Chinese acupuncture theory of Chi energy.

This type of holistic therapy first started out in the 60s as a form of muscle testing and therapy. It was during this time that classic manual muscle testing was transformed into a precise diagnostic tool. During this time, it was discovered that disturbances anywhere in the body could lead to changes in normal muscle patterns.

The idea is that kinesiology bypasses your conscious mind to allow your body to identify and start the healing process. By looking at a person as a whole, you can identify factors that could be causing imbalances which may be disrupting the natural flow of energy in the body and could affect your overall health.

The body has an innate ability to heal itself and as long as the mind, body and soul are aligned and in perfect balance then most health problems should work to heal themselves. But, when all these elements are out of sync and unbalanced, the energy flow can be blocked and tissues, muscles, and organs can become affected. By exploring a person’s subconscious through muscle testing and applied kinesiology, you can try to find the hidden health issues and treat them more effectively by encouraging the body to heal itself by being well balanced.

An interesting approach to kinesiology comes from Dr. David R. Hawkins. He interpreted kinesiology from a heavily spiritual angle whilst still blending it with a contemporary approach.

The basis of his work was that kinesiology could be used as a tool to accelerate your journey of spiritual growth. His consciousness approach to muscle testing was innovative, however, a modern approach to kinesiology goes further than the spiritual, it encompasses the whole body and mind.

Muscle testing is a physical technique, not just part of a spiritual awakening. However, some people may experience emotional releases from applied kinesiology after the body is no longer in a stressed state and moves into homeostasis.

How Kinesiology Helps Reduce Stress

How Kinesiology Helps Reduce Stress

Kinesiology can help with many areas of life but one of its main benefits is reducing stress. As you probably know stress can create many negative effects in the body and throw you off balance. The release of cortisol and adrenaline helps you respond to stress and is great when you’re in danger. This fight or flight response or acute stress response is the physiological reaction when something terrifying happens. During this time your heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing can all increase .

However, day-to-day living is so busy now that the stress response doesn’t switch off. Over time, stress can have a huge impact on your physical and mental health. A kinesiology session aims to pinpoint your stress and offer techniques on how to correct it and regain balance in the body.

Studies Show How Kinesiology Can Improve Chronic Disease

Researchers at Michigan State University in East Lansing have demonstrated how a protein called corticotropin-releasing factor receptor subtype 1 (CRF1) responds to stress by communicating with certain immune cells. This has been found to release chemicals that can trigger several diseases like asthma, lupus, and IBS. Stress can impact all areas of your life including physical health, emotional, thoughts, and behaviors.

Combine Kinesiology and Focused Breathing For Better Results

Kinesiology also works most effectively when paired with breathwork. If you’ve ever taken a yoga class, then you’ve probably experienced some form of breathwork. Developing a practice of conscious breath can reduce stress that you feel physically, emotionally, and mentally.

But what’s the point of conscious breath since you breathe every single day? Well how you normally breathe is called unconscious breath. In contrast, by implementing conscious breath into your daily routine, you are engaging your brain more actively and can even change your emotional state – essentially lowering your stress levels.

Kinesiology when used in conjunction with conscious breath can bring more awareness, alignment, and homeostasis to your body and actually bring your body back to a point where it can actively heal itself.

Kinesiology is a holistic therapy that can help to heal the mind, body, and soul from aches, pains, and ailments such as depression, stress, and injuries. This type of therapy is based on the understanding that your wellbeing is dependent on a healthy flow of energy throughout the body. By keeping your whole energy system in balance, you can help to keep your health in check. It also looks to increase energy by feeling lighter, calmer and less stressed. Other potential benefits of kinesiology include:

  • Improved mental performance
  • Improved physical athletic performance
  • Stronger immune system
  • Increased confidence
  • Less aches and pains
  • Breaking unhelpful behavior patterns
  • Better coping abilities
  • A greater understanding of self
  • Increased functional ability in all areas of life

Kinesiology aims to restore balance in the body which, in turn, encourages optimum health for the mind, body, and soul. Imbalances in emotions, nutrition, or physique can manifest as muscle ailments, leading to health problems down the line. By pinpointing stress within a person, kinesiology looks to promote the natural flow of energy throughout the body and encourage self-healing.

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