TOUCH FOR HEALTH GLOSSARY OF TERMS

A muscle that tests reliably during muscle monitoring and reflects changes in the body’s energy system. Accuracy is established through prechecks and supports clear biofeedback.

A technique that uses gentle pressure on specific points along the meridians to support energy flow and balance.

A balancing approach that uses a single correction point to support multiple meridian imbalances.

A key point is identified through muscle monitoring and pattern assessment, using the 24-Hour Wheel and Five Element system, allowing balance of the whole system to be supported without addressing each meridian individually.

How strongly the system is aligned with and supporting a goal.

​

Higher attractor value means the goal is more in tune with the person and their current state, making it easier to engage with the people, circumstances, and opportunities that support achieving it.

The principle that the client is the authority in their own healing process. The body provides the information, and the facilitator supports the process.

​

The facilitator does not override client authority. All choices, responses, and participation remain with the client.

A state in which energy flows in a coordinated and supportive way through the meridian system, allowing the body to respond effectively and supporting healing, stable energy, and emotional balance.

The process of using muscle monitoring and corrections to support energy flow and restore balance.

A general, non-specific balance that supports the person as they are in the moment.

​

In this approach, no specific goal or outcome is set. Awareness of current state—such as energy level, mood, or physical comfort—may inform the process, and balancing is guided by what the body indicates is present right now.

A structured balancing process that begins with a clearly stated goal.

​

Dialogue, awareness, and muscle monitoring are used to identify and address stress patterns related to that goal, helping organize attention, energy, and support toward it.

A structured balancing process that begins with a clearly stated goal.

​

Dialogue, awareness, and muscle monitoring are used to identify and address stress patterns related to that goal, helping organize attention, energy, and support toward it.

A restriction or interruption in the flow of energy through a meridian or system.

Rechecking a muscle after a correction to assess whether further support is needed.

This involves touching the point that was just worked while retesting the muscle.

A technique used to identify areas of stress or imbalance by lightly touching points along the body while monitoring a muscle response.

Techniques used to support balance in the body’s muscles, meridians, and systems.

​

In Touch For Health, corrections may include acupressure, muscle-specific techniques, holding or rubbing points, movement, or other methods used to support energy flow and restore balance.

The Five Element cycle in which each element supports and nourishes the next in a continuous flow.

Approaching the body, the client, and the process without assumption.

It supports listening, responsiveness, and accurate perception, allowing change to occur based on what is present.

The Five Element cycle in which each element controls or regulates another to maintain balance.

One of the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) used to describe patterns of energy, function, and relationship within the system.

The impact of emotional experience on the body’s energy system, which may influence muscle response and balance.

A technique that involves holding points on the forehead to support the body in releasing stress and restoring balance.

The movement and communication within the body that supports function, responsiveness, and balance.  It is the underlying force that animates life and supports all activity.

The movement of energy through the meridians. Balanced flow supports health and adaptability.

A disruption or irregularity in the flow or distribution of energy within the system.

Terms used to describe muscle response. Facilitation indicates a clear, responsive muscle. Inhibition indicates stress or reduced responsiveness.

A system from Traditional Chinese Medicine that describes five patterns of energy (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) and their relationships within the body.

A balancing process in which imbalances are addressed as they are identified during a session.

​

This procedure is introduced in Level 1 and includes balancing at least one muscle for each of the 14 meridians.

The pattern of walking and movement, which may reflect balance or imbalance in the body.

​

Gait testing is the process of observing movement patterns and testing muscle pairs in relation to movement to identify imbalances and guide balancing.

A state in which energy flow is disrupted, affecting the body’s ability to respond effectively.

The muscle used during testing to monitor changes in the related meridian.

The process of stabilizing changes so that balance is maintained over time.

The role of the facilitator as supportive and responsive, rather than directive, in the balancing process.

The vital energy that flows through the body and supports all function and activity.

An energy pathway through which life force flows, associated with specific muscles, organs, and functions.

The natural direction in which energy moves through a meridian.

The use of imagery or symbolic language to support emotional or energetic balance.

The state in which a muscle responds clearly and appropriately, reflecting balanced energy.

A method of using muscle response to access biofeedback from the body about stress and balance.

A state of non-judgment and openness that supports accurate muscle monitoring and interaction.

The use of food and nutrients to support balance in the body’s systems.

The state in which a muscle responds clearly and appropriately, reflecting balanced energy.

A condition in which energy is excessive or overactive within a meridian or system.

Using muscle monitoring to replace or dismiss the client’s awareness, choice, or stated experience.

​

It includes the facilitator making decisions for the client or influencing outcomes, rather than supporting the client’s own awareness and authority.

Methods used within Touch For Health to help reduce discomfort and support balance.

A recurring way in which imbalance or stress appears in the system.

In Touch For Health, pattern may also refer to relationships between meridians identified through the 24-Hour Wheel or Five Element system, used to guide balancing.

The process of asking for and receiving consent before performing muscle monitoring or touch.

The positioning of the body in relation to gravity and structure, which reflects balance or imbalance.

​

Posture alignment is supported through balancing the muscles and structural relationships of the body.

A preliminary step used to ensure accurate muscle monitoring and readiness for balancing.

​

Muscle monitoring is not performed without prechecks, as they help ensure the body’s responses are clear and reliable.

The main emotion associated with a stress pattern, often identified through the Five Element system of TCM.

A muscle that responds to stress in another muscle or system rather than reflecting its own state.

​

In Touch For Health, this refers to a muscle that has become functionally inhibited in relation to another muscle, often during a moment of stress or strain. Resetting the relationship supports coordinated function, posture, and more stable balancing results.

A muscle that causes another muscle to test weak or inhibited due to stress in the system.

​

In Touch For Health, the reactor muscle is identified as the key muscle in the reactive relationship. When addressed, the affected muscle can return to normal function and the relationship between the muscles is restored. This is sometimes referred to as the “hero” or “bully” muscle in teaching.

A technique used to support emotional safety and relaxation during a session.

A safe place may be real or imagined and does not create a stress response when muscle tested.

A technique used to reduce excess energy in a meridian.

The ethical foundation of Touch For Health. Each person remains responsible for their own experience, responses, and choices.

​

The facilitator supports the process through observation and muscle monitoring, without directing, diagnosing, or overriding client authority.

Any factor that affects the body’s balance and ability to respond effectively.

An input or challenge introduced to the system during muscle monitoring to observe the body’s response.

​

A stimulus may be physical, emotional, energetic, or nutritional, and is used to identify stress or support balance.

The alignment and relationship of the body’s physical structures as they relate to function and movement.

A person or muscle that stands in for another during muscle monitoring or balancing.

​

In Touch For Health, a person may act as a surrogate by maintaining physical contact with the client to complete a circuit so the client’s responses can be reflected during testing. A muscle may also be used as a surrogate when another muscle cannot be tested directly.

A state in which the body’s neurological and energy systems are disorganized or reversed, affecting coordination and response.

When switching is present, muscle monitoring may be inaccurate until the system is balanced.

The underlying purpose of a system. 

​

In Touch For Health, the telos is to support awareness, balance, and the body’s natural ability to respond and maintain well-being.

A technique used to increase or support energy flow in a meridian and responsiveness in a muscle.

An educational system that uses muscle monitoring, meridian theory, and simple techniques to support balance and self-awareness.

An experience of stress that has not been fully processed or integrated by the body that may affect balance and energy flow.

A system of health and healing that describes the body in terms of energy flow, meridians, and the balance of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements.

​

Touch For Health draws on TCM concepts to understand patterns of energy, function, and balance in the body.

A condition in which energy is reduced or deficient within a meridian.

Complementary aspects of energy that describe balance between opposites, such as rest and activity, or internal and external.

​

They work together and continually adjust in response to stress and environment. Balance reflects the body’s ability to move between them.

​

The primary Yin and Yang meridians are the Central (Conception Vessel) and Governing meridians.