My First Class: Touch for Health or NK Principles of Kinesiology?

Many people have asked us for help in understanding the differences between Touch for Health 1-4 and Neuroenergetic Kinesiology’s Principles of Kinesiology 1-4 and which is “better” for them to start with.  The simple answer is – both are good courses and either will get you moving on the path.  We have taken both.  There are differences between them, and longer-term effects from taking one over the other.  Hopefully the below will help you figure out what is best for you.

 

Class Structure and The Big Picture

Both classes consist of (4) 2-day classes, and must be taken sequentially.  Class structure is up to the individual instructor offering it.  Sometimes classes are offered with gaps between them, other times they are back-to-back.  This is usually driven by class and geography logistics, student finances, or ability to learn information quickly.  In TFH, a student gains additional material per module taken, and does not need to complete all four classes.  In NK, theory and technique is woven throughout the four-class sequence in order to make the quantity and depth of the material easier to absorb, and therefore a student must complete all four classes as they are required for the full balance procedure. Both classes provide the ability to balance an individual’s fourteen-meridian system to any issue.  The goal, or context, of the balance defines this – not the individual technique.  NK does provide additional steps during goal definition that add greater specificity and depth from the body’s perspective.

 

Touch For Health Focus

The TFH 1-4 classes provide coverage over a wider range of topics.  Most TFH students have appreciated the broad presentation of simple techniques and procedures that can benefit different issues a person may be facing.  By necessity, because there are many, they are not as comprehensive.  Within that modality, emphasis in on the ability to monitor and balance many muscles in the body, and thus more emphasis is put on the body mechanic aspect of energy work.  Comparatively speaking, TFH does not provide a lot of additional training beyond the 1-4 courses.  Its development was intended to provide an easily consumable body of work that could benefit a wide audience.

 

Neuroenergetic Kinesiology Focus

The NK Principles of Kinesiology 1-4 classes, rather than focusing on providing a wide range of simple techniques useful for everyday life, provide an in-depth understanding of core topics important to more advanced work.  Additionally, they place more focus on procedural work outside the typical organ-based meridians. These classes are intended to be the entry point for much more advanced work, with many of the wide range of procedures found in TFH 1-4 being addressed in more depth and detail in more advanced NK coursework.  Also, the nature of the work becomes more focused on the energy movement within, and the ability to address physical/body work without having to muscle monitor individual muscles as extensively.  Eventually, the practitioner is usually using only one or two muscles (brachioradialis or supraspinatus) as an Indicator Muscle for the entire body – often for physical body work itself.

 

Student Feedback

Student feedback after attending either series of classes is usually positive.  As expected, most TFH students like the broad coverage and easier learning pace.  Most NK students appreciate the greater depth of information, theory, anatomy, physiology, focus on energetic structures and procedures.

 

Differences In Content

There is much overlap in the material that is presented in each series of classes.  That information has not been listed here as it can be found elsewhere.  The lists below focus on the differences in class content between the two programs.

Neuroenergetic Kinesiology Principles of Kinesiology 1- 4
  • 3 stages of stress, powers of stress, and their applicability to accurate muscle monitoring
  • Contraction and extension monitoring, what the differences are, why it is important, how to address both under-facilitation, over- facilitation, under- inhibition, and over-inhibition muscle states.
  • Energetic anatomy, and the interaction between physical anatomy and physiology and energetic structures
    • Meridians (organ-based meridians, Divergent Channels, Extraordinary Meridians, Muscle Meridians, Superficial Channels, Connecting Channels, Deep Connecting Channels)
    • Auras
    • Chakras
    • Nadis
    • Acupoints
  • Anatomy, neurology, and physiology of muscle monitoring down to the sub-cellular level
  • Finger Modes
  • Pause Locking (complex circuit building, with procedure, neurological theory, and essential reasons)
  • Complex circuits taught via jaw and hip stacking
  • Chakra corrections
  • Sound as a correction, using tuning forks and chimes
  • Colored light as a correction
  • Focus on the organ-meridian association and the anatomical and physiological impact of the energetic work.
  • Proper way to monitor the 20 muscles involved in the 20-muscle meridian procedure
  • Chinese Vital Substance
  • Formation of Chi, Essence, Pre and Post Heaven Essence, Kidney Essence / Jing
  • Chi (Nutritive, Original, Food, Air, Gathering, True, Defensive)
  • Law of 5 Elements, Ko, Shen, Insulting flows
  • 12 Divergent Channels (mode, pictures, descriptions, formats, procedure, unique corrections)
  • 8 Extraordinary Meridians (mode, pictures, descriptions, formats, attributes and characteristics, procedure, unique corrections)
  • 12 Muscle Meridians (mode, pictures, descriptions, muscle interaction, formats, procedure, unique corrections)
  • 12 Superficial Channels (mode, pictures, descriptions, formats, emotions, procedure)
  • 16 Connecting Channels (mode, pictures, descriptions, formats, common physical issues for over\under energy, procedure)
  • 12 Deep Connecting Channels (mode, pictures, descriptions, formats, common feelings for imbalances, procedure, unique corrections)
  • System flowchart that allows the body to direct which level of meridian work (organ-based, extraordinary, connection, deep connecting, superficial connecting, muscle, divergent) needs to be addressed
Touch For Health 1-4
  • Contraction muscle monitoring only. Extension monitoring is not addressed.
  • Foods that support muscles (be mindful of your legal ability to tell clients to eat a particular food)
  • Cross-crawl as a self-support technique
  • Auricular energy to decrease neck and shoulder tension, and visual inhibition to address visual issues
  • Surrogate testing
  • Wheel balances to address larger patterns of energy movement throughout the meridian system
  • Law of 5 Elements Balancing with body sound, color, emotions, and food
  • Time of Day Balancing to recalibrate the body’s clock to clock time
  • Meridian Massage to balance meridian system
  • Meridian Walking to address acute discomfort
  • Cerebrospinal Technique to support abdominal muscles
  • Pain Tapping to assist with chronic pain
  • Pulse Checking
  • Food testing (be mindful of legal ability to tell people what to eat)
  • Excellent information on Gaits
  • 14 muscle balance to balance meridian flow of energy, 1 muscle per meridian
  • 24 muscle balance to balance meridian flow, multiple muscles per meridian
  • 42 muscle balance to balance meridian flow, multiple muscles per meridian
  • Figure 8 energies
  • Postural analysis with excellent information on how to visually evaluate the body for structural issues
  • Identification of muscles used in different sports or exercises
  • Balance records and note sheet for performing a balance

 

Examining the Materials

If you are interested in obtaining more information about what is in the classes, you can also get a copy of the Touch for Health Book directly from their website.  Most libraries also have a copy, or you can use their interlibrary loan service to get one.  This book is not the “official” manual used during the 1-4 classes, but contains almost all of the same information in a different binding.  This will allow you to fully understand what is in the class.

The materials for the NK PoK 1-4 classes are not publicly purchasable and can only be obtained by attending a class.

 

Additional Help?

We hope this helps you in your decision making process.  If you want more details, please contact an instructor for either modality, or preferably someone who has taken both so they can share first-hand knowledge of both.

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