Energy Healing

Spiral

What is the Spiral and why should you implement it in your life:

The Spiral is a structured emotional clearing process that blends kinesiology muscle testing with Spiral Dynamics, Chinese meridian theory, neuro linguistic programming and the chakra system. Developed in Australia, it takes a client through seven distinct stages, one for each chakra, over a series of weekly sessions designed to surface and release old emotional patterns that practitioners describe as stuck in the body.

The Spiral tends to suit people who have already done a fair amount of inner work through talk therapy, coaching or other personal development, but who still sense something holding them back. Supporters describe sessions as fast moving and intense, helping clients build self-worth, confidence and a clearer sense of direction. As with any approach that draws on several complementary therapies at once, it's worth understanding what The Spiral actually involves and where the evidence currently sits before you book a session, and this guide walks through both.

What Is The Spiral?

At its core, The Spiral is an eight-week process built around the body's seven main energy centres, more commonly known as chakras. Each week, a practitioner uses muscle testing, the central tool of kinesiology, to identify which emotions are sitting unresolved within a particular chakra, then works with the client to clear them. Over the full program, the process aims to work through 22 emotions said to be common to the human experience, things like shame, guilt, anger and low self-esteem.

The method describes itself as a hybrid. It pulls together kinesiology, Spiral Dynamics (a model of human development), the Scale of Consciousness popularised by psychiatrist David Hawkins, the chakra system, Chinese meridian points and neuro linguistic programming (NLP). Practitioners often describe the combined effect as a kind of emotional and energetic boot camp, a short, concentrated period of work that some clients compare to years of more gradual personal development. That's a big claim, and it's the practitioners' own framing rather than something that's been measured in controlled research, so it's best treated as a description of the experience rather than a guaranteed outcome.

Where The Spiral Came From

The Spiral was created in 2012 by Australian coach Dane Tomas, after a period spent developing and refining the method. Tomas built the process by combining ideas he'd trained in, including kinesiology, Spiral Dynamics and Hawkins' Scale of Consciousness, into a single structured program. He has since written a book on the underlying philosophy, Clear Your Shit, and the work is now taught through The Spiral School of Awakening, led by Master Coaches Mei Ouw and Kylie Ryan, who train practitioners across Australia and internationally. Since its creation, several hundred practitioners have completed the training, and the method is now offered both in person and online.

How the Spiral Works

The Spiral's central idea is that a great deal of what shapes our behaviour sits below conscious awareness. Practitioners often describe the subconscious mind as responsible for the vast majority of our mental activity, sometimes citing figures as high as 95 to 97 per cent. There's no single agreed number in neuroscience for this split, but the broader point holds up reasonably well: a lot of what drives the way we think, feel and react happens outside our conscious notice.

To work with this hidden layer, a Spiral practitioner uses muscle testing alongside an emotions chart. The idea is that gently testing the resistance in a muscle, usually in the arm, gives the practitioner a way to communicate with the body that bypasses conscious thought. Through this process, the practitioner aims to identify specific emotions, and the rough age at which a significant event first anchored that emotion in the body. The theory is that we don't always consciously remember these anchoring moments, but the body holds onto them anyway, and that they go on to shape our stories and conditioning well into adulthood.

Each week, the practitioner guides the client through clearing three key emotions linked to that week's chakra. In level one, for example, which sits at the base chakra, shame, guilt and a sense of obligation to old rules (referred to in the framework as "dogma") are addressed together. By bringing these patterns into conscious awareness, the process aims to loosen their grip and change the client's relationship with the emotion itself, rather than leaving it buried and running quietly in the background.

The Seven Levels of The Spiral

The program moves up through the body's energy centres, and each level has its own focus.

Level one works with the base chakra and centres on self-worth and a sense of deserving.
Level two moves to the sacral chakra and focuses on creativity and proactivity.
Level three sits at the solar plexus and deals with personal power and self-confidence.
Level four works with the heart chakra, focusing on love and the ability to receive.
Level five is based at the throat chakra and centres on self-esteem and honest expression.
Level six works with the third eye chakra and is concerned with vision and clarity.
Level seven, sits at the crown chakra and is framed around purpose and a broader sense of meaning. Most programs finish with an additional integration session, where the practitioner checks in on how the previous weeks have settled and offers support for the week ahead.

What The Spiral May Help With

People come to The Spiral for a range of reasons, and practitioners describe it as useful for working through low self-worth, persistent self-doubt and patterns of self-sabotage. It's also commonly used to build confidence, support clearer self-expression and help clients reconnect with a sense of purpose or direction. Some clients use it to work through the emotional weight of past experiences, including earlier trauma, though The Spiral is best thought of as a complementary support for this kind of work rather than a substitute for trauma-informed therapy or psychological care.

It's worth being clear that The Spiral doesn't diagnose or treat any medical or mental health condition, and no reputable practitioner should claim it does. It sits in the same broad category as other energy-based and somatic approaches: a tool some people find genuinely supportive alongside, not instead of, whatever other care they're receiving.

What to Expect in a Spiral Session

Most Spiral programs run across seven to eight weekly sessions, each lasting roughly 60 to 90 minutes, though this varies by practitioner. Sessions can be done in person or online over video call, and many practitioners offer both. A typical session involves some conversation about how the week has gone, followed by muscle testing to identify which emotions and events are ready to be worked with that week. The practitioner then guides the client through the clearing process for that level's chakra.

Between sessions, practitioners often send through integration exercises or journaling prompts to help the changes settle before the next level begins. Because the process can stir up a fair amount of emotion in a short space of time, most practitioners recommend giving yourself some quiet space after each session rather than rushing straight back into a busy day.

The Spiral and Spiral Dynamics: What's the Difference?

The names are easy to confuse, but they're different things. Spiral Dynamics is a genuine academic model of human and societal development, built on the work of psychologist Clare Graves and later expanded by Don Beck and Christopher Cowan. It describes a series of stages that individuals and societies tend to move through, each with its own values, beliefs and behaviours. The Spiral borrows this framework, along with the chakra system and Hawkins' Scale of Consciousness, as a structure for exploring and releasing old conditioning. In other words, Spiral Dynamics is one of several models The Spiral draws on, rather than the same thing under a different name.

Combining The Spiral With Other Therapies

Many Spiral practitioners suggest pausing other intensive energy or emotional clearing work while going through the program, simply because it's a concentrated process and the nervous system can only absorb so much change at once. That said, this isn't a reason to pause established mental health care. If you're seeing a GP, psychologist or counsellor, most practitioners would encourage you to keep that support running alongside The Spiral rather than stepping away from it, and a good practitioner will ask about your current care during an initial conversation.

Who Should Be Cautious

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly is The Spiral?
The Spiral is an eight-week emotional clearing program that combines kinesiology muscle testing, the chakra system, Spiral Dynamics and consciousness frameworks to help clients identify and release old emotional patterns, working through one chakra and three related emotions each week.

Who created The Spiral?
The Spiral was created by Australian coach Dane Tomas in 2012. It's now taught through The Spiral School of Awakening, led by Master Coaches Mei Ouw and Kylie Ryan, who train and certify practitioners around the world.

How many sessions does The Spiral involve?
Most programs run for seven to eight weekly sessions, each around 60 to 90 minutes, working progressively from the base chakra up to the crown chakra.

Is The Spiral safe?
For most people, yes, though it's an intense process that can bring up strong emotion. It isn't recommended for people in an unstable period of life or currently managing serious mental health conditions without first checking in with a GP or mental health professional.

Can The Spiral be done online?
Yes. Many practitioners offer sessions over video call as well as in person, and the process works the same way in both formats.

Is there scientific evidence for The Spiral?
Not directly. The Spiral itself hasn't been independently studied, and the broader research on the muscle-testing technique it relies on is mixed, with Australia's 2024 Natural Therapies Review finding insufficient evidence to support kinesiology's clinical effectiveness. It's best approached as complementary, experience-based work rather than a clinically proven treatment.

How is The Spiral different from talk therapy or counselling?
Talk therapy works primarily through conversation and is grounded in established psychological frameworks with a strong evidence base. The Spiral works more through muscle testing and energy-based technique, with far less conscious discussion of the issue itself. The two aren't interchangeable, and The Spiral is generally better suited as a complement to professional mental health care than a replacement for it.

How do I find a qualified Spiral practitioner?
Look for someone who has completed formal Spiral Practitioner Training, asks about your current mental health support during an initial chat, and is upfront about what the process can and can't do. Bodhi Holistic Hub lists Spiral practitioners who have been vetted for quality and care, which makes it a straightforward place to start if you're not sure where to look.

References and Further Reading

Professional Organisations

The Spiral itself doesn't yet have an independent regulatory body, and practitioners are typically certified directly through The Spiral School of Awakening's own training program rather than through a separate professional association. Because kinesiology and muscle testing form the technical backbone of the method, the Australian Kinesiology Association is the relevant peak body for that component of the work. Founded in 1986, it sets training standards, a code of ethics and continuing education requirements for kinesiology practitioners across Australia.

Research and Scientific Foundation

Natural Therapies Review 2024 – Kinesiology Evidence Evaluation — Australian Government, NHMRC (2024). The official review of kinesiology's clinical evidence, which found it insufficient to confirm the therapy works.
Reliability of Manual Muscle Testing in Applied Kinesiology: A Systematic Review — Soares et al., Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (2025). Found muscle-testing reliability ranges from non-existent to very strong, with the weakest results for emotional or energetic uses, the kind The Spiral relies on most.
Disentangling Manual Muscle Testing and Applied Kinesiology — Haas, Cooperstein & Peterson, Chiropractic & Osteopathy (2007, open access). Concludes the evidence doesn't support muscle testing as a way to diagnose underlying emotional or organic conditions.
On the Reliability and Validity of Manual Muscle Testing — Cuthbert & Goodheart, Chiropractic & Osteopathy(2007, open access). A more favourable review, but limited to muscle testing for physical strength and movement issues, not emotional diagnosis.

Related Modalities

Clients drawn to The Spiral often also explore kinesiology on its own, since muscle testing sits at the centre of both practices and a standalone kinesiology session can be a gentler introduction to the technique.
Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) shares The Spiral's interest in working with the subconscious mind to shift unhelpful patterns, using language and mental rehearsal rather than muscle testing as its main tool.
The Emotion Code offers a related but more targeted approach, using muscle testing to identify and release single "trapped emotions" one at a time rather than working through a structured multi-week program.
ThetaHealing also works with the subconscious and belief change, though it draws more heavily on meditative brainwave states than on the chakra-based structure central to The Spiral.

This guide was written by the Bodhi Holistic Hub team according to their editorial policy.

Last Updated : June 2026

Back to main category

"There's no question that the mind-body connection is real, even if we can't quantify it. Hope is one of the greatest weapons we have to fight disease."

David Agus

Discover our vetted practitioners

See all practitioners

Claire Firth
View Profile

Item 1 of 1