By Laura Gordon
When pain and disease arises in the body the cause could be in the body’s energy field. Polarity Therapy seeks to balance that energy. The work is grounded in the therapist’s intention to assist in the each individual’s innate ability to heal using touch. It offers balance to the individual through a comprehensive healing format that includes energy-based bodywork, diet, exercise and self-awareness. 
Polarity Therapy incorporates bodywork with light, medium and deep pressure, gentle rocking and stretching; exercises combining stretching posture, sound, breath and self-massage; nutrition, and verbal guidance based on Dr. Stone’s teachings of right thinking.
Dr. Randolph Stone, DO, DC, ND developed Polarity Therapy over a 60 year medical career. Dr Stone was not only influenced by Western medicine but also Eastern medicine and philosophy. The framework of the therapy is based on ass
isting the Human Energy Field to a state of balance. This Energy Field surrounds each individual. The outward manifestation when the field around a person is open and flowing is a state of robust health on all levels of being: body, mind and spirit.
There are three distinct areas of study in Polarity Therapy based on three layers of energy anatomy: 1. The Primary Energy focuses on the Ultra Sonic core of the body (cranium, spine and sacrum), 2. Three Principles incorporates the Feminine, Masculine and Etheric Principles, and 3. The Five Elements includes the five chakras of the body: throat, chest, solar plexus, abdomen and pelvic floor.
Though Dr. Stone passed away in 1981, his work lives on and training is available to any interested person through American Polarity Therapy Association (http://www.polaritytherapy.org/).
Challenge:
The following are three exercises Dr. Stone created for the Feminine, Masculine and Etheric Principles. Do each one as seen in the images and comment on which one you liked best and why.
The Pyramid Exercise: Feminine
Balances the 5 pointed star feminine. Grounds energy down through the legs into the feet, opens the neck, shoulders and the entire pelvic basin.
Wood Chopping Exercise: Masculine
Great for releasing anger when living in an area where you cannot scream and yell. Opens the diaphragm, grounds energy, moves the bi-polar energy and also the umbilical current from the navel out. Very grounding and balancing for the body.
Squatting Exercise: Etheric
Lines up all the bodies poles into one neutral position; the lungs, the colon and the calves are all on one plane in squatting. Balances the fem, masculine, and etheric into one plane; allows you to go into your central core to be in that place of Truth, Balance, Understanding allowing you to deepen and contact that ultral sonic core. The final position is prayer hands to top of head, moving hands down, placing thumbs over ears, fore fingers (air) over the eyes, Mid (fire) under the nose; ring fingers (water) at the mouth; and the little finger (earth) on the chin. Hum to yourself to allow the sound reverberate into your ultra sonic core activating the etheric principle. Close with prayer hands.
I really enjoyed the polarity therapy and it was awesome how i felt a shock in my thumb just when ashley had a pain in her side. i would like to watch the video you talked about so i’ll be getting with you to do that next week.
I really like all three. My first experience with this was my first week in this program for Allied Modalities. Laura came and shared her information about this subject and took us through the motions. I like the pyramid stretch is the best for me and probably the easiest. The wood chopping exercise really hurts my back and especially my hamstrings. This exercise really reminds me how tight my hams are. I try to do this exercise to just stretch myself out a little better. The squatting exercise is a for sure no no for me. This really hurts my knees and I get dizzy. I do not practice this one..lol.. I really enjoyed learning polarity and the energy triangles for the men and women. I am still in the process of trying to figure out if it really works for me. Nice job Laura.
I have to say I enjoy doing all of these, but my favorite has to be Wood Chopping Exercise: Masculine. I feel like I get the most energy from that exercise then the other two. The Wood Chopping Exercise definitely calms you down and focuses your mind, just watch where you are swinging your axe.
I personally like the pyramid exercise the most. It’s goal is to ground your energy down through the legs and into the feet, open the neck, shoulders, and entire pelvic basin. I feel like it really does do these three things and it’s very soothing.
I have a problem with my hips popping as I walk from time to time so I like the pyramid exercise, it open my hips and I find that after doing this exercise that my hips don’t pop as much some times not at all. I don’t hurt as much at the end of the day and I do feel grounded.
I love the idea of Polarity Therapy. I am very interested in learning more about it. I really like the exercises for the feminine principle. Afterwards I do feel very balanced, and focused. That is a wonderful nice relaxed feeling that I miss very much.
i like the masculine one the most myself, but that is because i keep a lot of anger built up in my system. it feels silly to do at first but when you get past that and focus on releasing that anger energy it really helps to vent without hurting anyone or breaking anything. 🙂 just the kind of thing i need for my anger management.
I really enjoy doing all of the Three Principles exercises. I am going to start incorporating them into my daily routine. I am interested to learn more about Polarity therapy and all of the modalities from last weeks Allied Modality class. Thank you for presentation last week Laura 🙂 great article.
I really like the pyramid exercise the best. I like it the most because it gives me a good stretch in all the places I feel that I need it most, especially in my back.
We did those exercises with Laura and it was very interesting and fun at the same time. The one I got most of it was the Pyramid exercise, which makes you really exercise. Probably that’s why I liked the most. Balance is essential, not only for your body but for your mind, your spirit. Everything is connected.
I really liked both the wood chopping exercise and the pyramid exercise (feminine and masculine principles). My experience was that the exercises did exactly what was described they would do. The feminine felt very grounding in a way that was distinctly different than the masculine. While the masculine also offered a distinct feeling of release. Fantastic!!!!
I love the wood chopping one, it was the most beneficial for me using all of the muscles. It felt great when i did it.Maintaining posture and balance is finding center. The energy and excitment i got out of doing was worth me looking like a axe murderer.
the pyramid exercise is definitely a good one. a wonderful stretch.. I would try the wood chopping one but my neck would be in bad shape.. the squatting exercise (etheric) is very nice as well… it is a wonderful stretch.. I think I like this one the most.
My favorite exercise by far was the wood cutter masculine exercise. It was fun to do without putting strains on my knees and relieving of negative energy. It also didn’t feel as silly as the etheric principle,, which us deep in meaning to me nonetheless. Reminds of the three monkeys statue hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil.
I liked the wood chopping exercise the best. It helped me release a lot of anger and built up pressure. I even grunted while doing it which helped. I grew up in a family where you scream and yell, but never wanted it to be that way with my children. So I would suggest this exercise for young parents who are just starting out……relieve your stress and anger this way instead of taking it out on your children……just a suggestion! (or your husband or wife)
You know I think my favorite part about this style is the stretches and the activities you can do to help your client and yourself. It was really fun to do that.
Although I did not feel any changes or balancing during the lab, it was relaxing and calming. I did enjoy the wood chopping and the pyramid exercises.
I try to learn everything I can, but the idea of being able to control someone else’s energy by placing my hands in certain areas of the body is just really hard for me to believe… During the lab of PT my therapist placed her hand on my right shoulder, after a short while my arm began to twitch. I was told it was energy moving, but i feel it was the fact she was pressing on my nerves. Maybe I just need to learn more about the subject.
I enjoyed the polarity therapy exercises. I think my favorite would have to be the masculine exercise, the wood chopping, it really helps to get out frustration. It also makes you feel kind of silly though so it helped me to relax and not take myself so serious. My second favorite is the etheric exercise, the squatting exercise. I really enjoy the good stretch of squatting and the “centering” type feeling you get.
I personally like the wood chopping one because you have to maintain your balance and it lets out any negative energy that I might have or is feeling at that time.
I really like the exercises. The wood chopper one helps with stress and anger for me and the others help calm and center.
this is an interesting bolg to read for me. I have always had a lot of built up energy. I’m always on the go to say to the point it is hard for me to turn my mind off at night and get a good nights rest. This technique of the Pyramid Exercise: Feminie work to the point I did sleep more then just two hours.
I like the Squatting exercise the best because it stretches and opens up the hips and the Quads . Very nice stretch.. I also like the Pyramid exercise because it stretches your obliques & traps and stretches the spine as well. The wood chopping exercise would be too much on my neck and spine considering it is so vigorous, I believe I can modify it though to suit me.
I liked the pyramid exercise. I am always stretching my back and legs. This is a good way to incorporate both in one stretch. I also find that it seems to calm me down and make me feel a little less anxious.
Pyramid Exercise technique: I feel relax and more confertable….
Polarity Therapy sounds very interesting to do. The pyramid, wood chopping, and squatting exercise are very good stretches to do when exercising, I like to do them all the time. I love to learn new things everyday and every week.
I liked the pyramid exercise technique the best. I liked this one because I felt nice and stretched in my neck and back (and i needed it!). It’s so cool that just a simple stretch and help your whole body.
Polarity sounds like a very relaxing and grounding modality. I’m pretty excited to be learning about it this week, but what I’m looking forward to the most is all of us practicing these moves! I hope someone brings a camera, because this is going to look so funny! But on a serious note, I think there are so many factors that affect a person’s stress level, and with polarity, not only is it aimed at grounding/centering yourself, but it gives you exercises you can do to release that tension, such as the wood chopping exercise.
I really enjoyed the pyramid exercise the most! Because it gives me a good stretch in my back and it feels wonderful.
The Pyramid Exercise looks like a good stretch to get yourself aligned. The Wood Chopping Exercise I think would be good for getting out any built up tension and releasing it in a positive manner. The Squatting Exercise seems very calming. I will certainly try each but especially the Wood Chopping Exercise.
I found these exercises pretty fun to do. I am a big believer in exercise and staying active. It makes your quality of life go up.
Each of the exercises or stretches are techniques I use almost daily after a good run at either the gym or riverside. I never considered what it was doing to balance out my energy. I do feel a profound difference in my legs and core after doing these stretches. I had always thought that I was just stretching out the muscles I had overworked and that is why it felt so good. Now every time I do these stretches I will think about my energy balance.
Wood Chopping Exercise was amazing, really could feel the anger just melting away. I have tried different techniques in the past to help relieve my anger with no success this was an awesome blog and really helpful as always
I can not wait to learn about this modality! I am very inspired by nutrition and have always believed in individual auras. This just might be the one I try to gain more experience in.
Polarity Therapy…bring it on! Anything which gives one a chance to vent and channel one’s angst in a positive, helpful, healthy way deserves a legitimate place in preventative health care. Can’t wait to learn more.
I liked the Pyramid technique, it felt really good to stretch.
This was pretty fun. I could feel the energy from the person i was doing it to. I was breathing with her and when her breathing changed it threw my breathing.
I enjoyed the class. Lauren did a great job getting us in tuned with our aura.
My favorite one was the wood chopping. I used it alot during last night election.
While I love energy work and chakras something about this modality just didn’t sit right with me. Like the words are right but there’s no substance. Nothing like the tuning fork or thai.
Our education is an important investment in your future. The quality of are education is one of the most important factors in your future success. The different modalites that we are exposed to while being educated propel us to become great at something. Polarity therapy to me isn’t something that i would feel comfortable doing to my clients, due to my lack of education in that particular field. Although being more educated on the techniques, later on in my career i could take an interest to it.
I remember doing this all in class when we were shown polarity therapy. My favorite was Wood chopping not just because I am male, but because I have tried it when I was angry or upset and it just relaxes you and flushes all the angry out. It is much better then actually yelling or hitting something. Great blog!!
I exercise using Tai Chi in the mornings as part of my “starting the day” routine. Even if the spiritual aspects of polarity and energy practices sound goofy to you, it really does get me energized to face the day. The East has been practicing this for a long time. The only difference now, is that we can prove why it works.
I liked the wood chopping exercise the best… It’s a great way to let off steam.
I have always believed that every person has their own body energy, good vibes and bad vibes that some people can feel off another just by walking pass them. It’s good to know that there is something that can help those that have the bad energy that is in need of uplifting to say.
Polarity therapy is an interest of mine. What I love most about polarity therapy is that it incorporates all aspects of life, such as nutrition, and exercise. When I did the pyramid exercise, I was reminded of a similar movement I do in my yoga class. All of these movements are wonderful!
Hmmm…not sure which of these was my favorite-I kinda liked them all in a row as a routine. Each one certainly seemed to have its own distinct effect.
I really enjoyed The Pyramid Exercise! I actually do that quit often while stretching or working out. I didn’t know there was a name for it until now.
I think I will really enjoy the squatting exercise the best. It seems to be very interesting and exciting to try.
Great exercises, and interesting therapeutic techniques! I was wondering when we’d reach into more of an energetic therapy. I really liked the pyramid exercise, I also do that a lot when my back is hurting. I didn’t know that it was an actual therapy. Very cool!
This was a very interesting article, I can’t wait to try the pyramid exercise later. It is very interesting on how this can work on different aspects of your life.
I have found polarity therapy to be very useful in meditation. Using the points on the body when using the 5 and 6 star techniques assists greatly in concentrating on our place in space.
I really enjoyed the excercises. Would love to use them.
I have had this done to me before and it is something I really want to do.
This was really cool to read about. I cant wait until we do this in calls so that I can try this one out formyslf
This is a very interesting technique that I would like to learn more about and practice.
Until I feel a difference from it, this seems like something I personally don’t think would work. Haha, it kind of reminds me of Avatar when they were surrounded by the tree of life trying to revive the female human using the energy of mother nature.
I did not like receiving Polarity massage but I actually found myself quit relaxed giving one.
That sounds interesting!
I honestly don’t believe in Polarity shifts of any sort, to be honest. I think it’s the “known fixation” of a persons mind. For instance, the placebo effect. If a person knows they’re going to have their polarity shifted or neutralized, i’m sure that’s how their going to feel afterwards. An energy field around a being, or person, just seems way to far fetched to me.
I liked the wood chopping one. It seemed to help to calm me down.
I think this is a substitute for something else needed in someone’s life. I think people are trying to find “balance” within, so they look to themselves. I don’t think all these stretches will help them find it.
I love the first one. It feels great on the back and hips. The second one reminds of a scene in the movie wanderlust, so therefore I like that one too.
I love love love stretching! I can’t wait to go and practice this at home!
I am fond of the pyramid exercise because it gives me the stretch that i am looking for. i also think the wood chopping exercise will be nice and i cant wait to go try that one out.
I do the last one and I will admit it does help calm and center my focus. I think I will try the wood chopping one seeming how it is good for getting rid of anger.
polarity massage sounds interesting. I have never experienced it and don’t quiete know what to think about it. I will have to make my mind up once I learn more about it.
I like the exercises the wood chopping was fun the pyramid just hurt. Energy work is interesting not sure if I feel it works or not.I like the hand feeling energy thing Laura showed us, they really do move away from each other when you bring them together.
I enjoyed the polarity exercises that Laura demonstrated for us today.
I wasn’t a fan of the Polarity Therapy. I didn’t seem to gain anything from the exercises and I didn’t feel anything from the actual therapy (as the client or the therapist)
honestly I like the idea of polarity therapy, and I would like to expand my practice a lot more in the exercise. I wasn’t able to perform the therapy the way I knew it was supposed to be performed but would like to!
I liked it!
Honestly, the whole balancing energy thing is weird to me and I don’t know if I believe all of that but I do believe the stretches can help.
I liked all three even though I could keep my whole body straight and got a head rush defiantly something I gotta do everyday
love it! I believe a lot of energy blockages are released through yogic movement as well so Im excited to apply some science to it and bring more awareness to my practice!
Polarity Therapy interests me quite a bit. It seems all-encompassing addressing our three part being. It also seems a bit weird/spooky like a religion? Unlike what I “thought” I would enjoy the most, when I actually did the exercises, I enjoyed the Pyramid Exercise the most because it made me feel the most safe and comfortable. The Woodchopping Exercise made me feel vulnerable. I can see how that one might be great for dealing with strong emotions. The Squatting Exercise is the one I thought I would like best because it reminded me most of a fetal position. It however made me feel topsy-turvy/unstable. Polarity Therapy seems to address different learning styles and therefore might be of more benefit to a larger number of people. I can see where gentle rocking could be very therapeutic. Looking forward to the demonstration!
I believe in this. We all need to be more aware of what’s going on in our bodies.
I am very interested in this technique. I can see the benefit that it can have in my own life. I can’t wait to do it in class. This is a subject that I would really like to get to know more about! I have always believed in some of these same principles. I think that our bodies are in trouble and out of balance most of the time. We can help our own systems by paying attention to them. Our cornerstone to our own health is right thinking. In today’s world we live in a very pessimistic society. People carry around so many trials and troubles with them. Our society is all about fast food, television, and working long hours. Polarity therapist believe that we need to clear our imbalances by bodywork, exercise, nutrition and verbal guidance! I so agree. Our bodies need to be our first priority.
I’m not really into all that energy relaxation, all seems very weird to me, I don’t know if I’ll like it!
I did this with my fiancee and he enjoyed it as well it opened up our lungs it felt like and it made me a little bit dizzy but what else would you expect when your out of shape I look forward to doing this more and being in better shape as well the poses weren’t hard which makes it even more likable.
It is interesting to see how body movement and positioning can communicate to and effect oneself.
With how sedentary many people are in their lives, it is no wonder people have trouble understanding themselves and in tern other people.
This (combined with poor diet, stress, and negativity) leads to a lot of imbalances that cause physical, energy, emotional, and mental ailments.
Polarity therapy seems to be an effort to address many of these issues in a more holistic manner and is probably a positive experience for most that try it with an open mind.
This modality seems very relaxing and energizing. I really liked the wood chopping pose. I tried the wood chopping exercise today after I had received some news that made me angry and really seemed to help stabilize my mood. I would really like to look into this modality more because it sounds very interesting to me and I feel like it is something that I could incorporate into my everyday life. It also seems like this would be great for someone who has mood swings or gets easily angered.
This has to be one of the more “different” ones I’ve heard about I guess. I’m very open minded about all these modalities but this one seems like something that I personally wouldn’t add to my repertoire. I might feel different about it once we actually see demonstrations in class. That might help change my opinion of it and make a little more sense of the balancing of energy part of it.
I can’t keep my balance on a good day let alone if I’m stretching and exercising something I probably should work on. Everyone could benefit from polarity therapy
I’m going to have to go with the Pyramid myself, the way it opens up and stretches my shoulders is awesome and feel very nice. I have done this exorcise my whole life and to know the facts behind it make me appreciate it a little more.
My favorite pose is the pyramid! Very relaxing and clearing of any imbalances.
I like the Wood Chopping Exercise because I was a little upset while reading this and then I seen this exercise and tried it and it actually helped me calm down and relax just a little. The first exercise was very helpful and stretch my back and it was helpful because I have been laying down a lot today. The squatting exercise made me realize that I was holding my breath and when I actually started to breathe while doing this exercise it mad it a lot easier. I’m happy that I learned about these three great exercises.
The body’s energy field. Yes,our body runs on energy like a cars battery. Besides diet & exercise, self awareness probably is the most neglected. That little self- speak we do in our conscious unconscious daily grind has a profound effect positive/ negative on everything around us. People automatically pick up on that vibe. Ms. Laura made me more sensitive and aware of that energy we posses within ourselves.
I don’t know if polarity therapy is something I’m interested in, I don’t know if I want to practice something like this. It seems very cool, but it’s not for everybody. Plus, whenever we did this in our lab, I could not concentrate, maybe that’s one of the reasons why I couldn’t feel the pulse or anything else. Plus in polarity therapy the therapist has to be very good with balancing and all that, I cannot balance myself when I walk, I don’t know if I’ll be able to help my client with it.
Polarity was a fairly interesting thing to study and u can pick up on somethings some people pick up on more things then usual u may say no feelings can be felt but i think differently
I like the pyramid stretch this is a great stretch and Lara the healing power is pretty awesome.
I certainly believe that what we do is based on energy. I hope we get to practice some of these techniques in class:)
Polarity is an interesting topic to learn about, and one which I have had no exposure too. My favorite of the 3 exercises was the Pyramid:Feminine. I enjoyed the stretch I felt it gave me. I am interested to learn more about this, as overall well-being is important to me.
I found this quite interesting. I didn’t think I would like energy work but I would like to definitely learn more.
I like the pyramid one because it felt like it really opened up the chest, stretched the back, hip, and shoulder area and just felt really good afterward.
For me personally I like the pyramid exercise the most. It’s a good stretch of the back for me. The wood chopping exercise wasn’t bad either and I can definitely tell how it releases anger.
I liked the prayer position. I found it relaxing and really felt better and anew after.
I had never heard of energy work until I started massage therapy classes. I find it very interesting and am excited to try it in class. I liked the exercises, except for the squatting one. I can’t do it, it hurts my knees!
I liked the etheric. It was the most comfortable one for me. I tried all three and that was the only one I could do correctly. I will try again later this week.
Energy work is the direction I want to take my massage therapy in. I’m looking forward to hearing more about this.
The one that I liked the best was the etheric exercise because it seemed like it wasn’t as hard to focus on that one
This sounds interesting and I’m looking forward to trying this.
Dr. Stone had a very diverse education that led to his understanding of the human body. He was a very interesting man.
I’m very interested in energy work. I find it very strange and want to learn more about it and the different chakras.
The moves depending on what is happening at that time could be helpful in many situations but depending on your mood would help determine which one could be helpful at that moment. Great information will love to do try the moves when I am at home and able to focus my energy better.
This seems interesting. I like the idea of such a comprehensive approach, adding stretching, exercise, and nutritional aspects to massage techniques. I look forward to trying out the exercises and experiencing the effects of them.
Polarity Therapy makes so much sense because you are focusing on the whole body through other avenues such as nutrition. I tried all three exercises, and of them I enjoyed The Pyramid the best. It provided a really nice stretch for my back.
We practiced this modality today in class and I felt the energy in my fingertips. That was really exciting. I like the wood chopping excercise the best.
You would have to have a lot of energy to do all three of them. Because I tired all three and I was out of breath on the two one. I enjoyed the wood chopping the best. Because it clam me down and focuses on my breathing.
Polarity was interesting working with ones energy field, the excercises were fun, and the stars feminine n male is easy ways tomclear the body of unwanted emotions or bring relief.
I liked the stretching one the most. It gave a great stretch every where. I know that everyone has energy in their bodies, I believe God made us that way. I believe in the power of touch, you are never the same when someone touches you.
I tried all the exercises and I think the squatting is my favorite. I understand the the passing of energy. Every life form on this planet has energy within in. I can see some peoples energy and some I don’t. I am learning. I believe in God and he wants us to be able to pass energy from one to the other. We as humans need to do this. Sometimes you can release bad energy on your own so we need help with it.
I have always like the wood chopping. i do this quite a bit. a lot of times just to stretch myself.
This sounds interesting, even though I’m not hugely into this sort of thing.
Polarity therapy is truly fascinating. The wood chopping exercise does help in releasing any negative or built up energy. It gives a great stretch and helps to bring you back to your center.
Because we are made of energy,it make sense that we need to balance the entire person and not only the physical part of the person.
I am a firm believer in the transfer of energy to heal.
Not a big believer in something like this but am definitely interested in learning about it.
Love the stretches!
I would love to dig into this modality especially you could incorporate this into your practice as well as into your personal exercise routine to keep you balanced and grounded. I will use this often!!!
I find it very relaxing for client & therapist
Energy work is something that interests me and i cant wait to learn more about it.
It was fun to do in class but i want to look more in to it