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Confidence: The Key to Success in Kinesiology
by Arlene Green
Using kinesiology with ease and sharing it with others involves both an external and internal process. This paper will focus on some of the fundamentals in helping students and teachers to develop an inner sense of confidence in both the system and themselves.
Think back to the very first kinesiology class that you took. You probably found this work fascinating and even magical. Most students leave class excited and enthusiastic to use or share their new found knowledge with others. In my experience, most students end up using the simple skills on themselves, at first, but when it comes to working with others their follow-through does not match their initial intention. What is it then that challenges or sabotages one's enthusiasm to share this wonderful healing work with lots of people? In my experience, one of the key underlying factors is confidence.
Students taking kinesiology classes for the first time often find the modality to be a completely new kind of experience. Even experienced body workers are challenged by the subtle art of muscle testing. Along with the finesse of muscle testing comes a wealth of new information. Just trying to get it all in class puts some students into overwhelm. When the student gets outside of the classroom environment and finds that they need to communicate this 'new language' to others who have no frame of reference to this work, then they are really challenged. So how can we prepare students to have the confidence to use kinesiology with others as they progress through their learning process?
The first step in building confidence is knowledge. Mastery of the material is one of the surest ways to confidence. Take steps to make sure that the material is understood. Read carefully the materials and ask questions in class to make sure that the information is clear. Also, as important in this kind of work is the need for lots of practice. There is no substitute for experiential knowledge with this kind of hands-on work. Supervised practice with an experienced teacher is best in order to get quality feedback on technique in the early stages of learning. Over the years, it has become quite clear that those students who make a commitment to practice this work regularly and take follow up classes are the ones who end up using kinesiology. Taking classes close together seems the most supportive in the initial stages of learning. Taking classes with different instructors is also beneficial and provides a wider range of information and also a greater diversity of teaching styles.
One of the best ways to make sure students take in the new information easily is to make learning fun. As teachers become more confident they often become more playful, creative, spontaneous and everyone has more fun. Presenting the material in a variety of different teaching styles (i.e. visual, auditory, kinesthetic, left/right brain approaches, etc.) will help address the learning needs of most students. It is also important to encourage students to ask questions, not only to clarify their questions, but to provide a learning environment in which the students feel safe and secure.
In addition to laying a solid foundation by teaching the physical techniques, students need to have some competency in being able to communicate to others what they are doing. One of the biggest stumbling blocks for new students comes outside the classroom when they realize that they are on their own in articulating this work to someone new. Students need to be adequately prepared for this before they leave the classroom.
The languaging of how to do this process needs to be taught with emphasis like we would teach techniques. Keep the explanations simple, direct and positive. Encourage students to take notes on how to communicate this work, and even write down sentences verbatim as resources for the future. In using the 'self responsibility model,' students need to be taught how to
coach another to balance them. One of the most important things in coaching another is to always give positive feedback. Instead of "don't push so hard," say " push more gently." Reframe, what they're not doing right into what or how they could do it better. Keeping the feedback supportive will help engender confidence and a desire to participate more.
Once the students have the knowledge of the techniques and are prepared with communication skills, the next step in fostering confidence is encouraging them to use their skills. It could be suggested that students get together with fellow students outside of class to practice. One could ask for volunteers to set up a group practice and set the date before ending class on the last day. For students who continue on with classes, I require 3 to 5 case studies be done in between classes in order to receive
their certificates. This reinforces the need for them to make a commitment to use and practice this work. I start each follow up class with an opportunity for each student to share any exciting balancing stories they have with the class. Having the students share their "wins" or success stories helps to enhance their confidence and increases everyone's enthusiasm. As students realize that they and their classmates can have positive results with this work, not just the teacher, it also helps to build confidence in the system of kinesiology too.
Some students, who after using kinesiology and developing confidence with it, may choose to go on to be a practitioner, while others may choose to be an instructor. The motivation to teach this work to others comes initially from one's belief in the value and efficacy of this process. Students realize how much of a difference kinesiology had made in their own lives and the lives of their friends and family that they want to be able to empower others with these same skills too. One question that the prospective instructor might ask themself is, "am I willing to take the time and energy to make it happen?" Being a teacher involves a commitment to doing the work and putting oneself out in the public. Another question to ask would be "am I willing to take a chance that it won't be financially profitable?" Making the time and investment, of both energy and money, doesn't guarantee a class will happen. The passion to teach comes from the confidence of knowing that this is the right thing to
do. If ones desire to teach Kinesiology is aligned with one's vision, life path or Truth then there may be a greater willingness to take a risk at doing this pioneering kind of work.
Once the new teacher has gotten clear on their intention to do the work, then knowing the material and believing in themselves will help to fortify their confidence in actually following through with teaching. Mastery of the information for the teacher involves many of the same elements as for the basic student. Take lots of classes and even consider refreshing on both basic and instructor level classes more than once. Familiarity and practice will promote confidence. Taking classes from different
instructors enables prospective teachers to view different role models and a greater variety of communication and teaching styles.
Teachers should assess their understanding, knowledge and skill of the material and determine whether their assessment is real or perceived. Real knowledge is to know what you know and what you don't know. Perception of your knowledge or your abilities, on the other hand, may be clouded by your subconscious belief system. If we are carrying sabotage programs about our ability to perform in the teaching role (i.e. public speaking, assertiveness, making mistakes, etc.) it will affect our confidence level and our ability to be the best we can possibly be. Ask yourself if you believe in yourself and your ability to be successful with this work. If you can't respond with a resounding "yes!", then explore which beliefs about yourself may be limiting your potential. Once you identify the issues that may be creating stumbling blocks for you, then take some action to choose a more true and productive reality; a good time for a goal balance!
Making an action plan is the next step for instructors to take to achieve success. Instructors should ask themselves "who do I want to reach," how do I want to go about sharing this with others," and "when do I want to do it by?" Once their directions is decided on then a game plan and strategies can be developed. It may be easier for new instructors to have assistance with initial classes. Find a good networker who would like to sponsor a class or another instructor to team teach with. Sharing responsibility with another may help make doing their first class not feel so overwhelming. One of the biggest boosts to confidence and self esteem for a teacher is following through on their plans to teach a class.
One's confidence in kinesiology and in one's abilities is also important for the practitioner in kinesiology. We are working with subtle energies and if the practitioner has difficulty maintaining their 'center' due to uncertainty or lack of confidence this can sometimes show up in the accuracy of their test results. This is particularly true with new students who often will miss the subtle imbalances as they're learning the art of muscle testing.
Confidence in the process for both the practitioner and the client play a very important part in the healing process. It has been shown that confidence in the treatment regime or modality on the part of the practitioner can have an effect on its effectiveness. This 'belief' in a particular approach has even been shown to penetrate double blind studies. The confidence in the healing approach can also play a very powerful role in how well the client responds. We are all aware of the placebo effect and how a fake pill can enhance the recouperative abilities of someone, just because they believe it will help. The confidence that a client has in his/her therapist and the approach that they are using can be as much the key to healing as the actual approach.
Achieving confidence in this work for students, practitioners and
teachers, all seem to involve three basic elements. The first is
knowledge; one must feel comfortable in knowing the material, both on the mental and kinesthetic levels. The second ingredient in having confidence is the clarity of desire to do the work. Without the motivation to do the work and assurance that one can do it successfully the third essential element might not be reached. The third aspect in achieving success is to actually do it. There is no substitute for doing the work. Practice may
not make perfect but it will lead to confidence.
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