How to Muscle Test on Yourself

By Val Silver

When you know how to muscle test on yourself, you have an ever handy tool to access information from your subconscious mind and your body.

Muscle response testing, sometimes mistakenly called kinesiology, uses feedback from your muscles and body awareness to gain information that you may not be able to tap into otherwise.

Why and How Muscle Testing Works

The idea behind muscle testing is simple. Your subconscious mind, which is in intimate and continuous contact with your body, knows your true beliefs, opinions and operating programs. It is aware of and communicates with your cells and it knows your physiology.

When you do muscle testing, you are accessing this information. What is true or good for you strengthens your energy system and gives a strong or positive response. What is a lie or harmful will slow the energy flow and give a weak response.

When you apply pressure to a muscle and it tests strong, energy flow is balanced. A muscle that tests weak may have impeded energy flow. Likewise, for a 'yes' answer, the muscle will test strong. For a 'no' answer, it will test weak.

One common way to illustrate this is to say, "My name is (say your name) and test the muscle. The muscle will test strong. Then say, "My name is (say a name that isn't yours) and the muscle will test weak.

Learning how to muscle test yourself takes a little practice. Learning how to muscle test accurately and well takes a lot of practice. It takes the ability to ask specific questions with yes and no answers. It takes the ability to detach completely from the answer and to recognize when you are not getting an accurate response.

Muscle Testing for a Variety of Purposes

Practitioners, energy healers, and individuals may use muscle response testing in conjunction with health and energy healing techniques or to gain information from the body and subconscious mind.

Some chiropractors, including my dog's veterinarian chiropractor, test to locate structural imbalances.
Wellness practitioners may use it to identify organ, chemical or emotional imbalances and food sensitivities.
They may use it to suggest supplements or choose the most appropriate healing modality.
Energy healers may use it to gauge your vibrational frequency or whether your chakras are spinning properly.
Muscle testing can identify core beliefs you may not be aware of.
Some people use muscle response testing to ask questions about goals and decisions.
Muscle testing does not work for future predicting or fortune telling but it can help you realize how you feel about future options.

Techniques for Muscle Testing Yourself

There are a variety of muscle testing techniques you can use to gain information from your subconscious mind and body.

Some people prefer a sway test. This is easy, but not always quick.

The first time, ask your body if it is going to sway forward or back for a yes answer. Then check the no answer. Forward is usually yes. Say yes and feel your sway. Repeat for no.
Ask your question. Or hold an object or food or supplement in your hand to see if it is good for you at this moment. Detach from the answer.
Observe the sway.

Another option for muscle testing yourself is to use a pendulum which has a crystal or other item attached to a string or chain. The end of the chain is held between two fingers. The pendulum moves in a given direction to indicate yes, no or no answer. The subconscious mind causes tiny impulses in the muscles of the hand to initiate movement.

Another way to do muscle testing is to push on a muscle. You can use any muscle in your body that works best, often an arm or thigh muscle.

Using your fingers is probably the easiest way to self test. To use just one hand press two fingers together firmly as if to snap them. If you can hold them together that is strong. If they snap or slide that is weak.

Here is a muscle response test using two hands. This is the one I use most of the time to get yes or no answers. It is fast and easy once you get the hang of it.

Step 1:

Make a ring with the thumb and middle finger of each hand. I use the thumb and pinky on the non-dominant hand and the thumb and middle finger on the dominant hand.

Step 2:

Insert the ring of fingers on your dominant hand into the ring of fingers on the other hand. Ask your question, take a deep relaxing breath, and detach from the results.

Step 3:

Separate your inside fingers and push firmly on the outer ring with some pressure.

Try to hold strong and resist having the ring opened. If the fingers stay closed, that is a strong test or a 'yes' answer. If the fingers open, that is a weak or 'no' response.

Tips for How to Muscle Test

Please keep the following tips and caveats in mind if you what to know how to muscle test on yourself with confidence and accuracy. The following tips will help you get the best results.

I strongly suggest that you do not rely on muscle testing as a sole source of answers even if you feel skilled at it. Consider it an indicator and a way to tune into your inner wisdom. For a variety of reasons, muscle testing is not always accurate. It does not and cannot predict the future.

Make sure you are hydrated, calm and rested. Before testing, take a deep breath, relax your other muscles, and breathe out. Prepare your energy system by firmly tapping around your thymus area and on your K-27 meridian points. K-27 is located in the indent right under your collarbones near the U-shaped notch of your throat.

Your first question should always be, "Can I muscle test for ____? Sometimes you cannot. Sometimes your current energy state is not conducive to testing. When I am at all ill or have a fever, I always get a weak response. It was a month after back surgery before I got a 'yes'.

How you formulate the question is a most important part of learning how to muscle test. Make sure your questions are very clear and not open for interpretation. It is better to ask a series of simple questions than a big general question. Your subconscious mind is very literal. If you get 'muddy' answers, examine your questions and ask if you can continue to test.

An alternative to asking questions is to make a statement that is either true or false. For example: this bread is healthy for my body. Or, doing this one action ___ is in the best interest of all involved, including me.

Your intention must be clear and you must ask without an agenda.

Sometimes a weak test doesn't mean 'no'. It may mean "unclear" or "'no answer or "I don't know". It may mean that there are multiple possibilities given the way you phrased the question. If you are not sure, ask.

Play with a variety of muscle testing techniques and choose your favorites.

Practice, practice, practice. Play with asking a variety of questions and testing a variety of foods and other substances. Get confident. Approach it as a game instead of something to be all serious about. Learn how to muscle test well and how yes and no feel in your muscles. Eventually, you may find that as you tune in, you feel yourself strengthening and weakening when you ask a question without having to use any technique at all.

If you let someone else test you, make sure they know how to muscle test properly. Someone else can skew your results. Their energy and intention will affect you as it links with your energy and vice versa.

Knowing how to muscle test on yourself is one way to tap into your intuition and gain wisdom from your energy system, your mind and your body. Like all tools, muscle response testing is best used with other tools and used wisely.

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How to Muscle Test page updated 12/2020

For Educational Purposes Only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or medical condition. Please consult with your health provider before using natural remedies and/or complementary therapies if you are pregnant, nursing, or you are being treated for a medical condition. Be aware that certain herbs and supplements interact with medications.