SECTION II
The energetic structures of Man
In order to understand Energetic Kinesiology, it is necessary to have an overview of the major energy systems
of the body and how these interface to produce our physiology, feelings, thinking and higher states of spiritual
awareness. Indeed, every aspect of our experience is expressed in each of these different levels. For instance,
when you have a thought it automatically generates a feeling state that is expressed as an emotion, which at
the same time creates a physiological state that may then alter your muscle tone and even your posture.
In the modern western perspective, human beings are considered to be purely physical beings possessing a
physiology, emotions and thoughts that are generated by our complex nervous system. While it is recognized
that people have spiritual beliefs, these are considered to be outside the realm of scientific investigation. In
contrast, older western traditions and all eastern traditions continuing to the present day perceive Man to be a
multidimensional being consisting not only of the physical body but also of energetic bodies that
interpenetrate and extend beyond the physical body. This multidimensional being is considered to be Man.
Traditionally, this multidimensional body is composed of a very dense energetic body called the etheric body,
which is then fully integrated with our physical body. Interpenetrating this physical−etheric body and
extending beyond it is the astral body, the body that is most affected by emotions and emotional states.
Interpenetrating and extending even further beyond the physical body is the mental body, the body most
affected by our thoughts. In the eastern and older western traditions, there is even a more expansive energetic
body called the causal or spiritual body, which while penetrating the physical body extends well beyond our
physical being. Depending on the specific tradition, the layers of our multidimensional body are subdivided
and grouped in various ways. What we are presenting in this section is a simplified but cohesive model of the
multidimensional bodies of Man, which collectively are called the aura.
Many traditions recognize that these various bodies have a coherent structure that is supported by various
energy systems of the body. In the ayurvedic tradition developed on the Indian subcontinent, the primary
energy system recognized was the chakra−nadi system, which interpenetrates all the auric bodies. In contrast, in
China the focus was predominantly on the energetic system of the etheric body, called the acupuncture
meridian system. The Tibetans recognized the acupuncture system of the Chinese and practiced their own
unique form of acupuncture; they also recognized another traditional energetic system called the figure 8
energy flows. Figure 8 flows are an interface between the etheric and the higher energy bodies of Man. Each of
these energetic structures and systems will be discussed in greater detail in this section.
The first of these energy systems introduced to kinesiology was the Chinese acupuncture meridian system.
In Applied Kinesiology, Dr Goodheart introduced the meridian alarm points as a mechanism for locating
which organ system and its related muscles may be involved in a particular imbalance by using muscle
monitoring. In Applied Kinesiology, kinesiologists also introduced a way of applying the Law of Five
Elements, the primary rules for energy flow within the meridian system, by using muscle biofeedback rather
than the use of pulse points, as in traditional Chinese acupuncture. Over time, those developing various
kinesiology modalities focused more and more on the interface of muscle monitoring with these various
energy systems, and they established mechanisms of detecting stressors affecting these energy systems by using
muscle monitoring.
Indeed, what makes Energetic Kinesiology kinesiology and energetic is the combination of muscle
monitoring and various techniques for accessing these traditional energy systems of the body. Therefore in
this section we provide a concise overview of these traditional energy systems and the rules and principles by
which they work. This background is necessary to understand the techniques and the mechanisms underlying
their use in future sections of the book.
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