Polarity Therapy

1. Polarity Therapy"Energy is the real substance behind the appearance of matter and forms."- Dr. Randolph Stone

2. Linda Diane Feldt RPP, NCTMB, NC, CPE, Herbalist and Holistic Health PractitionerMy Polarity Experience/Training Began in 1978 one on one, classes at UM adult ed and private 80-81, 2 month retreat 1981, workshops around the country 79-82, private one week internship 1981, started teaching PT 1981, grandparented RPP status 1991, APTA board 1995- 2000, APTA President 1998-2000, CPE 2003, cont. ed to present. Integrated PT into private practice 1979, full time 1982, combine primarily with Cranialsacral therapy, massage, and herbology.

3. Polarity Therapy Polarity Therapy was developed by Randolph Stone, who was an Osteopath, Chiropractor, and Naturopath. Polarity Therapy reflects his interest in synthesizing Western and Eastern approaches to healing. Polarity Therapy combines theories and techniques including Ayurveda, Oriental Medicine and Osteopathy with energetic understandings from many cultures reflecting thousands of years of knowledge. Polarity Therapy was developed in the 1940’s, although it didn’t become well known until the 1960’s.

4. Polarity Therapy • blends Western knowledge of structure and physiology with Eastern knowledge of energy and energetic principles • integrates touch, diet, exercise, communication, and each individual’s spiritual understandings and beliefs • is both one of the most simple as well as the most potentially complex CAM modalities taught today

5. Religion and Science Converge

6. The Profession The American Polarity Therapy Association has formulated standards for practice and education, a code of ethics, and continuing educational requirements for Polarity Therapists. Two levels of certification are recognized, Registered Polarity Practitioner (RPP) and Associate Polarity Practitioner (APP). The RPP level requires 615 hours of training, the APP is an entry level recognition not intended for stand alone practice, with only 155 hours.

7. The Profession cont. Polarity Therapy is taught in massage schools, universities,and in private schools. Frequently combined with other modalities, practitioners of Polarity Therapy include Social Workers, Psychologists, Medical Doctors, Nurses, Chiropractors, Osteopaths, Massage Therapists, and many others.

8. Principles of Polarity Therapy • Polarity Therapy provides a way to understand how energy moves in the body • with the understanding of how energy moves, we learn how we can affect that movement • Polarity Therapists have found that facilitating free movement of energy improves health, and well being

9. Energetic Concepts The beginning student is first introduced to the notion that all life is an expression of energy in motion, and that life emerges from and returns to a central unified source of life energy. Energy in the body is a manifestation of the cyclic journey of spirit: from its cosmic unified source, into the duality of the physical realm, and back to its source. This theme is further developed with the concept of unity and neutrality and the creation of the polarized opposite forces of attraction and repulsion. These two forces, in turn, follow the blueprint inherent within their source as they mutually interact to weave the fabric of manifest life. Consequently, all forms and processes are generated within the universal source of life energy, and are expressions of that life energy in motion.

10. Energetic Concepts cont. The theory is further delineated with the formation of the three primary principles of motion as Satva, the neutral Airy Principle; Rajas, the positive Fiery Principle; and Tamas, the negative Watery principle. These three principles set the state for energy to manifest as five discreet qualities or steps, characterized by the five elements of Ether, Air, Fire, Water and Earth. This is the very beginning of the energetic concepts that the Polarity Therapist seeks to understand, and to utilize in his or her work with clients.

11. Energy Fields

12. The Seven Chakras

13. The Elements and Pulses Element Sense Food Taste Ether Hearing (presentation) (quality) Air Touch fruit, nuts, seeds Sour Fire Sight grains, legumes Bitter Water Taste vegies, leafy greens Salty Earth Smell root vegies, tubors Sweet Pulses Air Snakelike, fast-irregular,feeble-faint, moving from place to place Fire Frog-like, jumpy irregular, high volume, like beating drum Water Full-bounding, Rolling-wavelike, slow, moderate full volume

14. Case Histories • Client with spastic colon • Pregnant client with hiatal hernia symptoms • Pain relief from radiation therapy • Kidney support for client with late stage prostate cancer

15. Bob would have appreciated this cartoon

16. Demonstration and Class Participation • Head Hold • Belly Rock • Through Body Release • Chakra Balancing • Foot Reflexes

17. credits Text on slides 8 and 9 is from “Standards for Practice and Education and Code of Ethics”, The American Polarity Therapy Association, P.O. Box 19858, Boulder CO 80308 Tel 303-545-2080 Drawings and text on slides 10,11, 12 and 13 are from “Esoteric Anatomy: The Body as Consciousness”, Bruce Burger, North Atlantic Books, used with permission of the Author.

18. Web Sites For excellent writings on Polarity Therapy and Polarity Therapy education: www.energyschool.com/writings/ The American Polarity Therapy Association: www.polaritytherapy.org My web site: www.holisticwisdom.org My e-mail: lfeldt@umich.edu feldt@holisticwisdom.org