A. A muscle is considered to be frozen if it has lost its polarity. Operationally, this means that there is no difference in the muscle's energetic response to the positive and negative sides of a magnet. The muscle may have been traumatized by stress, physical shock, or a disease process, and if the resulting energy becomes stuck for a long time, energy slows down, becomes sluggish, and finally the muscle loses its polarity.

For example, even if a person seems to have completely recovered, emotionally and physically, from a highly stressful event, if the muscle associated with triple warmer continues to react in its "fight or flight" mode, yet neither fight nor flight has been implemented, the muscle can become frozen. When this triple warmer muscle is treated and becomes unfrozen, it is not uncommon to see a tremendous emotional release as the trapped energy is freed. Emotions are fueled by the body’s energies, and releasing physical energy that is frozen also releases emotional energy.

Meridians as well as muscles can become frozen, leaving the meridian clogged and depolarized. The Muscle Meridian Chart that shows how muscles and meridians are related can be found on page 286 of Energy Medicine.

Here is how I assess and treat a frozen muscle:

While holding one side of a small magnet against the muscle, energy test the muscle (I use a magnet the size of a quarter with a hole in the middle of it—these can be purchased at Radio Shack—for working with frozen acupuncture points, meridians, or smaller muscles. When working with major muscles, I use a larger, more powerful magnet). Repeat with the other side of the magnet. If the person is strong on both sides, the muscle’s energy is frozen. DO NOT USE MAGNETS IF YOU HAVE A PACEMAKER!

Working with frozen muscles and meridians is a relatively advanced technique because you need to know the specific energy test for each of the 14 meridians (see John Thie’s Touch for Health). Using alarm points or energy localizing or indicator muscles are not adequate for determining if a muscle is frozen, you must test the muscle directly.

To treat a frozen muscle, lay the magnet on the belly (center) of the muscle and repeat the energy test, this time having the client strongly resist for a good 10 seconds (this is part of the correction, it is not for the purpose of testing—where energy testing does not use full strength, this correction calls for full effort in resisting). Repeat using the other side of the magnet.

Now apply pressure against the muscle in the opposite direction (if you were pulling, now push; if you were pushing, now pull). For instance, if you're testing the indicator muscle for spleen meridian, after you have pulled the client's arm away from the body for at least 10 seconds (while holding the magnet in place on each side), now push their arm towards the body for ten seconds—again holding the magnet on the belly of the muscle. Repeat using the other side of the magnet.

Assess your results with the original energy-magnet test. You should get a normal response in which the client is strong with the south side of the magnet against the skin and weaker with the north side.

Here is how I assess and treat a frozen meridian (there are two possible treatments. Try the following one first, as it is easier and is perhaps all that is needed):

Hold one side of the magnet against the beginning or end of the affected meridian pathway and energy test for strength using the spleen test. You will find the beginning and end points for all the meridians illustrated on p. 313 of Energy Medicine. Now hold the other side of the magnet against the same meridian point and repeat the energy test. If the client is strong with both sides of the magnet, the meridian is frozen.

To treat a frozen meridian, spin the magnet both ways at one end of the meridian (thread a piece of string or dental floss through the hole and tie the ends together so the magnet will hang a few inches down and will easily spin—a rubber band will also work). Spin it in both directions several times over the meridian point. Then go to the other end of the meridian and spin the magnet.

If this approach doesn't work, it could be because one or more acupuncture points have become "lost," or sunken into the body and are, therefore, less accessible to the magnet's energy. When this happens, the point has no more electrical juice than any other non-acupuncture point on the body. This is why some people don't get all the benefits from an acupuncture or acupressure treatment. When tested, a "lost" point acts frozen. To locate these points, find an acupuncture chart that shows all of the points on the meridian, and do the following:

Use a thin stiff piece of metal that you can place through the hole of the magnet while you hold it against each point along the meridian. Hold the magnet (with the metal inserted through it) on this point for at least 10 seconds. The metal stick acts like a laser needle that concentrates the magnetic energy into the point and reactivates it. [Some people use a Tai Chin stick*, a slender metal stick used in Chinese medicine, but you could use anything metal that has a blunt end to it.]

Flip the magnet over and repeat the process.

You can also use wood instead of metal in this procedure. Wood is softer and less intrusive, metal is more dramatic and faster. Wood combines the magnet's power with its own gentle stimulation. When I work with wood, I pulse the piece of wood into the affected point by pushing on it gently as it's inserted through the magnet. Its energies do not merge with the magnet until they have moved into the body, whereas the metal element merges with the magnet before the energy enters the body.

In fact, the elements can be a guide for making these procedures more effective. If the person has reactive energies or has an autoimmune disease, I might use the gentler wood element as it allows for easier adaptability. If a person is not relaxed or in the "flow" of their life, it is very good to draw upon water element, having them first take a relaxing bath or get into other relaxing water. Sometimes fire element is useful if a person has lost his or her vitality and you can shine a small flashlight through the hole in the magnet. I have seen people be very creative with earth element—using most anything from the earth that has a degree of stiffness to it can work, such as placing through the magnet the stem of a flower or a weed or a stiff piece of wheat. But in my experience, the technique that takes the energy the deepest in the body is the metal, serving in the same way that acupuncture uses needles, and also carrying the force of the magnet.

You can always energy test your clients to determine whether metal or wood would be better for their energy. Neither will harm the person, although with the use of metal triple warmer may overreact if the body cannot adjust quickly enough. If this happens, do a hook-up (page 119) and hold the triple warmer neurovasculars until the person sighs. This will help calm triple warmer's response and will allow you to proceed using wood instead.

The feedback that practitioners give me is that when they take a chance on which element feels right to use with a particular client, they begin sharpening their intuition not only about this specific choice, but all other energy work as well.

Frozen energy doesn’t often heal itself, so if a person has a frozen energy pattern, you may find chronic symptoms such as a general fatigue, sore muscles, or even an autoimmune disease. Once treated, there can be surprise releases as symptoms the person had simply learned to live with lift. People often have no idea that this kind of problem even exists until after they have experienced successful treatment.