Polarity Therapy

History

Polarity Therapy was developed by Randolph Stone, an Austrian who emigrated to America at the beginning of the twentieth century. Stone studied chiropractic, osteopathy and naturopathy and after learning the healing methods of China and India he realised that illness was caused by an imbalance of the life energy also called "chi" in Chinese medicine and "prana" in ayurvedic medicine.

How does it work?

Polarity Therapy works with the human energy field. Therapists believe that the state of their patients’ health is a reflection of the state of the energy field that surrounds them. Drawing on traditional Chinese medicine, ayurveda and western therapies, well-being is seen as a result of an unobstructed flow of "life energy".

The energy field consists of:

- Tow poles:	The positive pole: the head and right side of the body. The negative pole: the feet and left side of the body.
- The neutral field:	At the centre of the body, along the line of the spinal cord.
- Five energy centres:	In the neutral field. The centres correspond to the charkas in ayurvedic medicine, and the five elements in Chinese medicine. Each centre controls a body function or part of the body: Ether: the throat and hearing Air: respiration, the lungs, circulation, and the heart Fire: digestion Water: glands and emotions Earth: excretion

The energy flows in and around the body, clockwise from the positive to the negative poles which act like magnets, and through the neutral field.

Treatment

A session starts with the assessment of the energy levels of the client. Practitioners use touch, exercise, counselling and nutritional therapy to restore or rebalance the energy flow. Sessions usually take 60 to 90 minutes

Bodywork
The patient is fully clothed. The therapist may use different levels of pressure such as sattvic (very light), rajasic (stimulating), and tamasic (deep). The hands of the therapist are conductors of energy, they are placed on specific energetic pathways to redirect the flow of energy. He/she may also use craniosacral techniques (see fact sheet on craniosacral therapy). The client can experience a release of emotions.

Nutrition
In polarity therapy food is used for its energetic and detoxifying properties. Therapists recommend a diet rich in fresh vegetables, fruits and sprouted seeds as well as plenty of fluids. Food combining is also advised, for instance proteins should not be eaten together with starches. Food is classified according to the five elements (see above).

Yoga
Practitioners may suggest gentle exercises based on Hatha yoga. They are designed to strengthen the spine, release toxins, and increase muscle tone. These exercises are accompanied by gentle rocking, stretching and vocal expressions, said to open up the flow of energy.

Self-awareness/counselling
If it is felt that that the energy flow is being blocked by negative thoughts, counselling may be recommended. The mind has a direct effect on the way the body works. The aim of counselling is to encourage a positive attitude, increase self-awareness and enhance self-esteem. Practitioners encourage their clients to be responsible and to find their own solutions to their problems.

Conditions which respond to polarity therapy, include:

Allergies
Arthritis
Asthma
Back pain
Diabetes
Digestive disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome
Fatigue, lethargy, chronic fatigue syndrome
Hypertension
Insomnia
Joint problems
Migraine
Menopausal problems
Pre-menstrual syndrome
Respiratory problems
Stress

Doctors do not generally follow the belief in "energy flows", however polarity therapy treatments are considered harmless, although some caution might need to be shown when embarking on a detoxification diet.

For Further Information

Organisations

The UK Polarity Therapy Association
Monomark House
27 Old Gloucester Street
London WC1N 3XX
Tel: 0700 7052748
http://www.ukpta.org.uk/

The Federation of Polarity Training
7 Nunnery Close
Golden Valley
Cheltenham
Gloucestershire GL51 0TU
Tel: 01242 522 352.

American Polarity Therapy Association
PO Box 19858
Boulder, CO 80308
Tel: (001) 303 5452080
http://www.polaritytherapy.org/polarity/

Books
These are some of the references that have been passed to us; the list is not exhaustive. We have not necessarily read the books and cannot say how easy it will be to get them.

- Dr Randolph Stone. Polarity Therapy: Volume 1. ISBN: 157067079X
- Dr Randolph Stone. Polarity Therapy: The Complete Collected Works, Vol. 2, Randolph Stone. ISBN: 0916360253
- Dr Randolph Stone. Health Building: The Conscious Art of Living Well ISBN: 1570670811
- Richard Gordon Your Healing Hands: The Polarity Experience. ISBN: 0914728490
- Maruti Seidman. Guide to Polarity Therapy: The Gentle Art of Hands-on-Healing. ISBN: 1556433298
- Kathy Mengle. Tools for Healing: Working towards Harmony and Balance. ISBN: 0875165486
- Phil Young. The Art of Polarity Therapy: A Practitioner's Perspective. ISBN: 1853270571
- Alan Siegel. Polarity Therapy The Power That Heals. ISBN 907061850.

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