Making Decisions Using the Wisdom of the Body with Muscle Testing

Want to catch a liar? You can do that with muscle testing.

Want to stop spinning out in your head about decisions? You can do that with muscle testing.

So much of mindfulness is being present in the body. And there’s a scientific reason why the body is a great gateway to deeper insight.

I’m not a scientist. I’m just your curious, eccentric guide to all things mindfulness, creativity, and spirituality. And some of us perhaps indecisive right-brained people need a …creative way to move through decision-making. Here’s one of mine.

What Is Muscle Testing?

Muscle testing can mean a few different things. In its original use, muscle testing was developed in the early 1900s to measure muscle weakness in polio victims. Over time, physiotherapists and chiropractors developed different uses for it.

George Goodheart, the developer of applied kinesiology, decided he wanted to find out how the nervous system controls muscle function. 

Tangent: EFT Tapping is a somewhat related therapeutic technique that helps recalibrate your nervous system. For more on that, see my YouTube channel.

So, we know your body can tell you if you’re weak or strong. 

But did you know your body can tell you if something is good or bad for you? Or if you’re congruent (telling the truth, like, the real truth) or incongruent? (Check out this research).

There are also muscle tests you can do to determine what foods you’re allergic to or your body doesn’t want.

That’s what we’re talking about today. That intelligence that’s maybe a little different from the constant clamor in your head.

My Intro to Muscle Testing

I’ve always struggled to make decisions, often resorting to Google to tell me what is the good way to live life, please. 

I don’t do that anymore. And it feels pretty awesome. 

I came upon muscle testing via David Hawkins’s Power Vs. Force. It’s a somewhat odd book (discusses quantum physics/your vibrational state) so if you’re into that kind of thing, you’ll love it. 

I used Hawkins’s muscle testing techniques, which he describes in the book, with some help from YouTube for actual demonstrations. Go here to see the technique I use (2:30).

How I Use Muscle Testing in Daily Life

Muscle testing is one of two ways I make decisions in my life. (I’ll share the second way next week.)

Once I learned how to use muscle testing to make decisions, and how not to do it, I started using it for everything.

I’m talking the decisions where you’ve done the pro and con lists, you’ve tried finding the “right” answer, you just have to choose between two great (or terrible) options. Or, just a decision you really don’t want to make. Or, silly decisions like, should I check a bag for this flight?

I’ve used muscle testing to help me choose between jobs, to decide whether or not to move, to leave or stay in environments and relationships, and, most recently, to buy the right Christmas gift for kids. 

And it works. (They loved the gift!)

And not only that, I feel good about my decisions. If I were to play “Never Have I Ever” before muscle testing, that would’ve been a good one for me… “Never have I ever felt good about a decision I’ve made.” Can you relate?

How to Muscle Test

There are probably as many ways as there are muscles. Here’s what works best for me. Important note: this technique is pretty fast. Try to move your hands apart as soon as you make the statement.

1. Form a chain with two fingers from both hands, wrapping your pointer finger and thumb around your ring finger and thumb on the opposite hand. (See photo above). You can use different fingers, this is just my preference.

2. Then, make a control/test statement. A good control statement is anything that is a basic fact about you. I always use, “My name is Ellie.”

3. As you say this, try to pull your fingers apart. You should be trying to keep your hands together but not forcing it. For the control statement, you should always have a strong (fingers stay interlocked) response. 

4. Then, make a statement you’re not sure about. For example, “I want to move.” If the chain breaks, that’s the wrong answer. If your fingers stay in the chain, it’s right. Try it again with, “I want to stay put.”

5. Try a few different controls to make sure your results are consistent. Again, the control should always yield a “strong” muscle response. The question statement will be the variable.

6. You’ll get a sense for what your body is telling you is the right answer.

Here’s a sentence you’ve never read before: Ideally, you need to be genuinely confused and uncertain about what decision to make.

But as emotionally neutral as possible.

A great way to practice is to simply ask yourself what food you’d like to order at a restaurant. You may not know what to do, but it’s a generally neutral decision. See what happens!

How NOT to Muscle Test

Muscle testing will not be accurate (meaning, aligned with what’s actually true and good for you) if…

• You need the answer to be a certain way for you to be okay, happy, etc. 

• You have an idea of what the right answer is. 

• You’re hoping you’ll get confirmation on the answer you want.

It won’t make things worse, it’ll just be a waste of time. You’ll probably get a confirmation on whatever it is you want, or you’ll get inconsistent results.

Again, this is good if you’re confused or neutral about what to do and are open to the possibilities.

The Components You Need to Muscle Test Successfully

1. Neutrality or uncertainty about what you’re asking about.

2. A statement referring to yourself. This can work out loud or in your head. Sometimes I also use statements referring to others, like, “the kids will like gift X” and it’s worked for me, but probably use with caution depending on the scenario.

3. Focus on the question at hand as you do the test.

That’s it. Tell me how it goes. Next time you’re stuck on a decision, remember this technique. You might save yourself some suffering and gain immense clarity.