Why I Use This Work
I've become increasingly interested in a simple question:
What if the thing keeping us stuck isn't always physical?
Nutrition matters. Minerals matter. Heavy metals matter. Sleep, hormones, movement and physiology matter. But so do our experiences.
I have seen enough connections between emotional stress and physical symptoms in myself and in clients that I don't think it's useful to pretend the two exist in separate universes. Bradley Nelson's work gives me a practical way to explore that territory.
Sometimes we find something that makes immediate sense. Sometimes what comes up is completely unexpected. And sometimes the most interesting response is:
“Well THAT'S weird.”
That's okay. We're exploring.
The Three Modalities
What emotion is still hanging around?
Dr. Bradley Nelson uses the term trapped emotion to describe emotional energy from an experience that the body may not have fully processed or released.
Using muscle testing, we identify emotions one at a time, explore when they may have originated, and release them using Nelson's method.
Sometimes the emotion makes perfect sense. Sometimes it dates back years. Sometimes it appears to have been inherited. And sometimes you have absolutely no conscious memory associated with it.
You don't have to relive an entire traumatic event or spend an hour explaining why you're angry at your mother. Sometimes the body gives us enough information to identify the emotion and let it go.
Learn More About the Emotion CodeWhat else might the body be trying to tell us?
The Body Code expands beyond trapped emotions. Nelson organizes possible imbalances into six broad categories:
- Energies
- Circuits and systems
- Toxicity
- Pathogens
- Structural imbalances
- Nutritional needs
Muscle testing helps us work through the system and narrow down where the body wants our attention. I don't use this as a medical diagnosis. I use it as another way of asking questions and looking for relationships.
Learn More About the Body CodeWhat's underneath the pattern?
This is where things can get especially interesting. Sometimes you clear an emotion and something deeper seems to remain.
The Belief Code explores subconscious belief systems that may be influencing the way we interpret ourselves, relationships and experiences.
- I'm not safe.
- I'm not enough.
- I have to do everything myself.
- People always leave.
- It's safer not to trust anyone.
Consciously, you may completely disagree. But the whole premise of subconscious work is that your conscious mind doesn't necessarily get the deciding vote. The Belief Code uses muscle testing to identify and work through those deeper patterns.
Learn More About the Belief CodeYour Conscious Mind Isn't Running the Whole Show
One of the ideas I use when explaining muscle testing is the 1% / 99% analogy. Think of your conscious awareness as the tiny piece you can see. Underneath it is an enormous amount of stored information, automatic processing, memories, learned responses and subconscious patterning.
It's an analogy, not a neuroscience statistic. The point is that asking “Why do I keep doing this?” doesn't always produce a useful answer. Your conscious mind may genuinely not know. Muscle testing is one of the tools I use to ask the question differently.
Read: Muscle TestingWhat Happens During a Session?
Sessions with me are usually pretty relaxed. We'll talk briefly about what's going on and what you'd like to work on. Then I'll use muscle testing to begin asking questions.
Depending on what comes up, we may move between the Emotion Code, Body Code and Belief Code rather than staying rigidly inside one system.
You don't need to prepare anything. You don't need to know exactly what's wrong. And you don't need to spend the entire session retelling painful experiences.
We'll follow the answers, see where they lead, and release what we're able to identify. Sessions can be done in person or remotely.
A Personal Note
Before I begin a session, I pray for guidance and ask that we identify and release only what is appropriate for that person at that time.
This is simply part of how I personally approach the work.
Yes, I Work With Animals Too
Animals obviously aren't going to sit down and explain what's bothering them. That's where proxy muscle testing can be useful.
Using a human proxy, I can work through the same Emotion Code or Body Code process on behalf of an animal.
Dogs and horses don't care whether the process sounds strange. Which, frankly, can make them some of my easiest clients.
Learn About Proxy Muscle TestingEmotion, Conflict and the Body
One reason this work interests me is that it overlaps with a question I encounter in German New Medicine:
What happened before this?
Emotion Code and German New Medicine aren't the same thing. But both encourage us to look beyond the symptom and explore whether an unresolved emotional experience may be part of the larger picture.
Dr. Jerry Tennant identifies emotional stress as one of the factors he believes may interfere with healthy body voltage. That gives us an ongoing conversation across these VIGEO guides.
Who Is Dr. Bradley Nelson?
Dr. Bradley Nelson developed the Emotion Code, later developed the Body Code, and created the Belief Code. He founded Discover Healing, whose books and trainings are the primary source for these methods.
I'm certified through the Discover Healing organization. You can learn more about the systems or find my listing through the official Discover Healing practitioner map.
A Note About Evidence
The relationship between emotional stress and physical physiology is well established. Stress can affect sleep, pain perception, digestion, immune signaling, hormones and many other physiological processes.
The specific mechanisms proposed by the Emotion Code, Body Code and Belief Code have not been established to the same degree in conventional medical research.
I use these systems as complementary tools for exploring patterns, not as medical diagnosis or as a replacement for appropriate medical care.
Emotion Code, Body Code & Belief Code
Sessions with Dawn are 25 minutes and can be done in person or remotely.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a trapped emotion?
Dr. Bradley Nelson uses the term trapped emotion for emotional energy from an experience the body may not have fully processed or released.
What is the difference between Emotion Code, Body Code and Belief Code?
Emotion Code looks primarily at trapped emotions, Body Code expands the search into multiple areas of imbalance, and Belief Code explores deeper subconscious belief systems.
How does muscle testing work?
Dawn uses muscle testing as a way of asking the subconscious body simple questions and looking for patterns that may be contributing to emotional or physical stress.
Do I have to talk about traumatic experiences?
No. You do not need to relive an entire event or spend the session retelling painful experiences. The work follows the answers that emerge through muscle testing.
Can a session be done remotely?
Yes. Emotion Code, Body Code, and Belief Code sessions with Dawn can be done in person or remotely.
Can Emotion Code be used with animals?
Yes. Dawn can use proxy muscle testing to work through an Emotion Code or Body Code process on behalf of an animal.
What is proxy muscle testing?
Proxy muscle testing uses a human proxy while asking questions on behalf of another person or an animal.
What happens during a session?
Sessions are relaxed: you talk briefly about what is going on, Dawn uses muscle testing to begin asking questions, and the work may move between the three systems depending on what comes up.
Is Emotion Code a replacement for medical or mental-health care?
No. Dawn uses these systems as complementary tools for exploring patterns, not as medical diagnosis or as a replacement for appropriate medical or mental-health care.