How to Make Decisions with Your Body (Not Just Your Brain)
Muscle Testing: Your Inner Compass in a Chaotic World
Most of us were raised to believe the smartest person in the room is the one who can justify, rationalize, and intellectualize every decision, right?
But what if your body knows the truth before your brain does?
What if your nervous system already knows what’s best for you—and what’s not?
That’s where muscle testing comes in.
What is Muscle Testing?
I learned about muscle testing over twenty years ago, thanks to a holistic practitioner who taught me what it is, how to use it, and when. Muscle testing (also known as applied kinesiology) is a way to tap into your body’s innate wisdom—using physical resistance to detect energetic responses to people, foods, supplements, environments, and decisions.
Your body doesn’t lie. Instead, it contracts or constricts around a “no.”
It opens around a “yes.”
Muscle testing simply brings that intelligence to the surface—so you can work with your body, not against it.
Why We Muscle Test
You muscle test to bypass your overthinking mind.
To separate overanalyzing from truth.
To tune in to what you actually need… not what you “think” you need.
We muscle test when:
We feel indecisive, overwhelmed, or unclear
We want to support our health without guessing
We’re curious if something is aligned or disruptive
We’re learning to trust ourselves again
And honestly?
It’s just a really simple way to ask your body: “Is this right for me?”
How to Muscle Test: The Basics
There are many ways to muscle test, but here are two easy methods to try right now:
1. The Sway Test (aka: Let Your Body Speak)
Stand upright, feet hip-width apart, eyes closed.
Take a deep breath. Get still.
Hold an object in your hand (a supplement, food, even a name written on paper). You can also do this by simply asking a question for a decision you’re debating. Next, you can either think or say aloud: “Is this good for me?” Or, “Is this for my best and highest good?”
If your body sways forward, it’s a yes.
If you sway backward, it’s a no.
Your body moves toward what’s aligned. It retreats from what’s not.
2. The Finger Lock Test
Loop the fingers of one hand inside the fingers of the other to form two interlocking circles.
Say something you know is true (like your name). Try to break the loop.
Say something untrue. Try again.
Notice the difference in strength or resistance.
Now test: a food. a location. a creative idea.
Yes feels like strength. No feels like weakness.
How to Use Muscle Testing in Everyday Life
🌿 With Food:
Wondering if that supplement, snack, or protein powder works for you? Muscle test it. (Besides getting my labwork done, I muscle test all supplements, every single day, to see if my body wants or needs them.)
📍 With Places:
Your body will tell you if a location, event, or environment is safe or draining. (I do this a lot with plans I’ve made or big events I’m “supposed” to attend. If I muscle test it on the day, and it’s a no, I often don’t go. If I go anyway, nine times out of ten, I feel drained after.)
💡 With Creativity:
Not sure which idea to pursue? Muscle test your titles, topics, your hires, or even collaborators.
❤️ With People:
People are energetic. I think all of us can recall hanging out with someone who drains us, or someone who energizes us. This doesn’t mean you need to muscle test every relationship—but sometimes your body knows when a “yes” is really a “no.”
Trust Takes Practice
Muscle testing is subtle. You might not feel it the first few times.
But the more you slow down, quiet your system, and listen—the clearer the signals become.
As an energetic being, you have a built-in compass (whether you think you do or not).
You don’t need a guru. You don’t need an app or gadget. You don’t need a fancy quote you see on someone’s feed. You need a moment of silence to tap into your own innate intuition.
Try it. Ask a question. Test the food. Test the plan. Test the path.
Then pause.
And trust what you feel.
Tell Us:
Have you tried muscle testing before?
Leave a comment or hit reply and let us know what you'd love to learn more about.
Let’s learn to trust our bodies again.
One decision at a time.
—Rea & Alex