What is Biofield Tuning?

As Nikola Tesla once said, “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.”

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This quote has resonated with me for years. And I find it fascinating that it has made its way into popular culture. And while Tesla was referring to the fundamental forces of the universe, his words offer a compelling bridge to modalities that view the human (and all living creatures) through the lens of energy, frequency and vibration.

The term biofield refers to our body’s energetic system, in its entirety. The energy centers located within the central channel, the electric currents that run through our bodies and the magnetic field that surrounds us.

Biofield Tuning is a form of sound therapy that works directly with the biofield, understanding the biofield as being inextricably connected with our bodies and minds (both conscious and subconscious, including thoughts, memories and emotions). When physical, mental and/or emotional dis-ease or disorder is being experienced, the resultant "dissonance" can be perceived in the biofield. Biofield Tuning is able to locate, diminish and resolve this dissonance and in doing so, alleviate (or even eradicate) the corresponding physical, mental and/or emotional symptoms.

What is a Biofield Tuning session like?

A Biofield Tuning session can be conducted in-person and from a distance, with a single client or group of participants. It is recommended that the client/participant be in an environment that is free from distraction and contains space to comfortably sit or lie down. A session often begins with activating the Central Channel. To do this, the practitioner strikes a tuning fork and begins to scan the biofield. During the scan process, the practitioner is:

sensing for resistance and turbulence in the biofield

listening for changes in the overtones and undertones of the tuning fork.

Once the Central Channel is activated, the practitioner will work with a focused area, again sensing for resistance and changes in tone. When the practitioner encounters an area of turbulence, they will continue to activate the tuning fork and hold it in a specific biofield location. Research suggests the body's organizing intelligence uses the coherent vibrational frequency of the fork to "tune" itself. In short order, the dissonance resolves and the sense of resistance gives way, which appears to correspond to the release of tension with the body.

Clients/participants often report a sense of relaxation and begin to breathe more freely, as the body adjusts to an increased state of flow. As dissonance continues to resolve over the course of the session, individuals may begin to feel "lighter" and experience diminishment or resolution of symptoms. One might interpret this as a kind of targeted nervous system biofeedback, which provides side-door entry into the psyche – allowing the practitioner to work with what has been hidden in plain view, thereby facilitating change within the biofield that clients/participants could not otherwise achieve on their own.

What might be “hidden from view” within the client’s biofield?

Biofield Tuning is the outcome of sound therapy pioneer Eileen McKusick. Eileen discovered a pattern that, just as most people have their digestive organs in the same physical location, biofields also demonstrate consistent anatomy. This hypothesis has been tested with thousands of clients and Biofield Tuning students around the world, and found to be an accurate system for accessing, reading and modulating the biofield into greater coherence and regulation.

What does the research show?

The formal study of Biofield Tuning is still in its early phases, with a small but emerging body of madality-specific research.

In 2020, a feasibility study was initiated, to enroll 15 volunteers with clinical anxiety in a feasibility study to receive 3 distance (Zoom) Biofield Tuning sessions, one hour a week for 3 weeks. The outcomes of this study were quite dramatic - every person who completed the process (13/15) experienced a significant drop in their anxiety symptoms.

This study yielded 2 peer reviewed papers - a Quantitative one, which can be found here; and a Qualitative paper, which goes into the experiences of participants, can be found here.

Alongside this, there is a much larger body of general research on sound, vibration, frequency and energy-related phenomena that helps frame the broader context in which this work is understood.

It is important to recognize that funding for modalities like Biofield Tuning is often limited. In a system shaped by commercial incentives, what cannot be patented is often dismissed, and what cannot be made into a product is often overlooked. That reality has profound implications for what healing modalities are studied, funded and taken seriously.

Biofield Tuning does not ask us to abandon reason, but to widen the lens through which we understand healing. It invites us to listen more closely and to consider that restoration may occur not only through chemistry and intervention, but also through resonance, coherence and balance.

Perhaps not everything meaningful can be immediately (scientifically) measured. Some things are first felt, and experienced, before being fully understood.

The Energy of Spring

Each season has a unique vibrational frequency – energy encoded information that moves in waves, circulating in and around all that is.

Spring energy has a vigorous, exuberant frequency and is represented by the Wood Element. In nature, we can easily recognize the forceful manifestation of new growth – a tree bud bursting free of its husk, a dandelion splitting the sidewalk in search of the sun. Energetically, the Wood Element grants us the power of birth — new beginnings, growth, breaking through boundaries and surging forward.

Within the body’s meridian system, Liver and Gallbladder are the Wood Officials. The Liver Official is considered the grand architect, who creates the vision and sets the plan. Liver’s partner, the Gallbladder Official, organizes, coordinates and provides wise judgment for carrying the plan forward and ultimately, achieving the vision. From the most miniscule adjustments and decisions (even unconscious) to our highest conscious aspirations, the Gallbladder Official is always active.

From the mental perspective, we are also continually assessing and planning – for the next hour, day, year and perhaps, lifetime. When the Wood Officials are balanced, we easily organize our lives to achieve goals, give birth to, plan and achieve new objectives and ultimately, live out our vision. The power of reason and logic are contingent on healthy Wood energy, as the Liver and Gallbladder enable us to "see" with the minds-eye ("I see what you mean"). Similarly, the Wood Officials provide the contingency plan – the ability to “see” from other points of view, to adapt according to shifting circumstances. Thus, we can deal with obstacles without losing sight of our goal (vision).

Without such flexibility, we can become close-minded, prejudiced, frustrated or outright angry. What was once "my" plan becomes "the" plan, to which everyone must abide.

From the opposing extreme, an elemental Wood imbalance can manifest as an inability to self-assert, where we cave to others’ opinions or too readily surrender our vision.

Physically, even the simple act of standing is the direct result of continuous adjustments – decisions about when and where to shift weight and which muscles to contract or relax to achieve and maintain balance. Likewise, constant decisions are happening within the deepest levels of the physical body. From digestion to respiration and circulation, intercellular exchange and all other microfunctions, all tasks are being carried out (Gallbladder) according to the master plan (Liver). And just as imbalances can materialize on the mental level, they also manifest physically – resulting in malabsorption, poor detoxification and toxic build-up (think brain-fog, fatigue, gas and bloating, weight gain, hormonal imbalances and skin rashes and blemishes).

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The Way of the Universe

The Chinese symbol for Tao translates into "path", ”method”, “principle” and "way".

When we recall the Five Element Theory emerged from Taoism, it can be helpful to review the basic premises.

Classical Taoist (Daoist) philosophy is believed to have been devised during the 5th-4th centuries BCE. Classical (philosophical) Taoism grew out of observations of the natural world and ancient shamanic practices. It was distinguished from religious Taoism – with philosophical Taoism emphasizing living life in accordance with the Tao. For the order and harmony of nature, Taoist philosophers alleged, were far more stable and enduring than the power of state or institutions constructed by humans.

The philosophy of Tao signifies the fundamental or true nature of the world —

• Tao both precedes and encompasses all of existence and is an essential, unnamable process of the universe

• Analogies occur between all of existence. The universe, cosmos, earth and humankind are analogically aligned – they are equal in detail and are equal parts of an interconnected whole

• The flow of ‘chi’ (qi) energy, is the essential energy of all living things, actions and existence, and is believed to be the influence that keeps the universal order of Tao balanced

• Nothing is fixed, static or unmoving, as everything is constantly transforming

When we return to the Tao, we return to the interconnected whole and unity within ourselves, and within the natural world.

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Acupressure + Qi Practice

Touch activates the path and intent directs the energy flow. 

As we move more deeply into Spring, we are encompassed in a surge of naturally occurring Wood energy. Given the vibrational transit is from yin to yang energy, the Spring transition is often more palpable than yang to yang or yin to yin transits — and we can leverage acupressure and Qi Gong practices to align with the incoming seasonal frequency. In doing so, we support a more easeful adjustment within the full complex of body-mind-spirit.

Angie Ellen

Meridians, and their acupressure points, have two basic functions: —circulate and distribute energy to organs, glands, the brain, limbs, bones and tissues of the body, and —send warning signals to the brain when an organ is compromised or an area of the body (over which a meridian passes) is injured.

Acupressure points uniquely support their ‘parent’ meridian and consequently, the associated organ. Meridians have a variety of points, including a single Source Point. Each Source Point is a special acupoint that is indicated when a specific meridian or organ appears under-energized, sluggish or stressed, or when we are striving to establish and hold homeostasis or balance (seasonal transitions). Source Points help us reconnect with our Original Qi, the deep reservoir of energy we are born with. Source Points are simple to work with, as they bring just the right amount of energy from deep within the Elemental Official (in this case, Liver and Gallbladder) to strengthen, harmonize and balance the associated meridian and organ.

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Taoism does not identify human will as the root problem. Rather, it asserts that we must place our intention and action on living in harmony with the natural universe. By understanding the Tao, we may gain knowledge of the ourselves, and by understanding ourselves, we may gain knowledge of the Tao.

Given all things (including humankind) are microcosms of the Universe (analogies) — to which all natural laws such as the Five Element Theory, Feng Shui and Yin/Yang philosophy apply — when we support balance and transform blocked energy within our individual systems, we support balance and transformation within the collective, and vice versa.

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“Humans model themselves on earth,

Earth on heaven,

Heaven on the Way,

And the way on that which is naturally so.”

— Laozi (Lao Tzu)

Year of the Fire Horse

The phases, of the Five Element Theory, describe movement, not moments. Last year was Wood + Snake = introspection, discernment, shedding. This year is Fire + Horse = expression, momentum, embodiment.

As I write this post, in the midst of the transition — with Eclipse season amplifying the threshold — the energetic shift is both palpable and undeniable.

2025 carried the quiet intelligence of the Wood Snake. Even if we did not track it consciously, its influence was running in the background. Wood Snake energy was strategic. It was observant. Economical in movement, as snakes do not expend extra effort on meaningless tasks. Instead they refine, recalibrate direction before advancing, and above all else — they shed. Snakes shed not because they are restless, but because they have outgrown their skin.

Last year was one of discernment, of asking ourselves what is essential. And, on the flip side, ascertaining what is misaligned, what must be released before the next expansion can occur. But shedding is not the end of the story. There was also the energy of Wood. Wood grows, and it also matures. Over time, it strengthens its grain. It condenses and solidifies into structure. What was once green and pliable, becomes ringed, rooted and resilient. Wood is not only structure, it is refinement through time.

When Wood transforms into Fire, the refinement does not disappear, it ignites; for seasoned wood burns differently than green wood. It does not struggle or smoke, it catches cleanly. What has been strengthened through time, becomes luminous. And when Snake transforms into Horse, Snake sheds what no longer fits and Horse advances with what remains. Where Wood matured its inner architecture, Fire expresses it. Where Snake turned inward to discern, Horse moves outward to embody. This is not impulsivity, it is integration in motion.

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“It is a ritual of resurrection. As the flames kiss the wood the silent slab breathes again, transforming into a masterpiece of light.”

-Author Unknown

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For many in the West, Chinese astrology and Five Elements Theory surface as symbolic headlines, often distilled into personality traits or predictions. But these cycles are more than mere entertainment. They describe the energetic climate we are living within. And even if we do not personally subscribe to this cosmology, it is worth recognizing that millions of people, across the world, do. For millennia, entire cultures have oriented ritual, agriculture, medicine, governance and daily life around these cycles. And as we’ve all experienced at least once in our life, belief shapes behavior, behavior shapes culture, culture influences the collective. And what is held in the collective does not remain abstract, it weaves in and through all that is.

So what do we do with this?

For those who were consciously working with the energy of the Wood Snake, who discerned, released, recalibrated, this is the year to move! Trust what endured and advance with what remains. The Fire Horse rewards those who have done the quiet, albeit difficult and even painful shedding. Actions will require less exertion. Decisions will arrive clearer. Momentum will feel unhindered.

For those who were less (or not) consciously engaging with the Wood Snake energy, the starting point may look a bit different — and fortunately Fire reveals. Consider it an invitation to notice. Notice where there is drag. Notice where momentum feels forced. Notice where/when the nervous system feels overheated. These are cues, and the invitation to pause, stabilize and strengthen — before getting back in the saddle.

2026 Year of the Fire Horse is not about speed alone. it is about sustainable momentum.

It is an invitation to tune in. To regulate. To stabilize. To move forward.

The Fire Horse is not reckless, it is primed. And when tuned, it runs surefooted, far and free.

Winter’s Essential Essence

Within the Five Elements theory of Chinese Medicine and Qigong, winter is the time of year in which the Water element is most available — and with it, access to our essential vitality, essence and self-identity.

The heart of Winter holds the power of emphasis: it emphasizes the essence of life. Without the external ornamentation of leaves, flowers and fruits, trees and plants are bare essence — seeds with potential hidden deep within; trees unadorned and stripped to their core.

“Winter is a time of self-recollection, when we can go inside to that place where we are unadorned essence. Water, the element that corresponds to winter, points us to that dark, quiet pool within ourselves where our essential self-identity resides. We can use the energy of this season to more deeply discover the essence of our self.”

~Neil Gumenick, The Institute of Classical Five Element Acupuncture

Aside from leveraging lifestyle habits — eating whole foods, moving (especially outside), getting adequate hydration and rest and maintaining meaningful relationships — building resilience within our inner life force, energy, Qi, is deeply grounding and stabilizing; especially during the darkest days of the year.

There are many ways to strengthen energetic vitality, and one of the most highly regarded techniques in ancient Chinese wisdom is activating Mingmen. Mingmen, a region so important to health and martial ability it has been aptly named the Gate of Power, Center of Vitality, Gate of Destiny, and Gate of Life. Mingmen is a source for physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual vitalization; a remarkable energy that helps us connect with our original nature.

Mingman is an important area of focus in Qi Gong and martial arts and is known as one of the places where it is difficult to move energy – one of the three “tricky gates” (others are the coccyx and occiput). When this region is functioning well, it resembles Crosstown on a sunny day – with traffic flowing freely and efficiently in all directions. When it is not functioning optimally, it becomes clogged with toxic congestion and stagnant energy, to the point of a full traffic jam.

Mingman is an energy center located in the lower torso, centered between the kidneys. It is regarded as one of the strongest energy centers and is used to support and strengthen the overall constitution. 

Situated near the Kidney shu points (Bladder 23) and GV 4, Mingmen isn’t an exact place but more a region of the body. Mingmen encompasses a collective area including the body’s filtration system, the blood vessels that provide a constant flow of fresh fuel, the surrounding tissue that warms and tonifies the organs and Qi, and the inner spine that stabilizes the mid-back. Mingmen also touches the lower dantian, or “lower energy center”, that rests just behind the navel and in front of Mingmen.

Mingmen Region: Additional Points & Channels

Bladder 23 – Sea of Vitality

The inner shu point of the kidneys (atop of the Bladder meridian). It directly infuses the kidneys with energy and supports recovery from chronic depletion and exhaustion. 

Bladder 52 – Residence of the Will 

The outer shu point of the kidneys (on Bladder). Physically it treats lumbar pain, incontinence, impotence and infertility. Emotionally and spiritually it strengthens willpower, allowing access to courage, determination and perseverance. 

Extraordinary Channel - Penetrating Flow

Penetrating Flow is one of the eight extraordinary channels of ancient Chinese wisdom; it unites the Central and Governing channels and aligns with the microcosmic orbit.

Mingmen is most often associated with the Water Rhythm, yet is also associated with Fire — as it addresses the crucial Fire/Water balance in the body. Given its primary connection with the Water Rhythm and Kidneys, the powerful names — Gate of Power, Center of Vitality, Gate of Destiny, Gate of Life — highlight the potent energy housed within. 

If there is timidity, Mingmen offers courage; if there is forgetfulness and disorientation, it clears the consciousness; if there is depression or emotional withdrawal, Mingmen coaxes an individual to re-engage with the world. 

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Acupressure + Qi Practice

Touch activates the path and intent directs the energy flow. 

Support and activate Mingmen.

Start by using the fingertips or knuckles of both hands to: 

1.   stretch the fascia around GV 4 (up, down, side-to-side), 

2.   press and rub BL 23 and BL 52 (see above image)

Through the lifting, spiraling, stretching, contracting, and relaxing of soft tissue, energy blockages are released.

Connect Mingmen to Penetrating Flow and infuse energy.

Sart by gently pressing the top of the tongue to the roof of the mouth. Using the fingers of both hands: 

1.    trace from Mingmen (Starred), and move up the spine 3 inches

2.    move back down the spine, through Mingmen, to the tailbone

3.    trace from the tailbone, over the back of the hips to the pubic bone

4.    trace from the pubic bone, up the midline over the breasts/pecs

5.    trace under the neck and up to the mouth

6.    encircle the mouth with hands, take a deep inhale through the nose and exhale through “horse lips”.

Repeat the steps of activating Mingmen and tracing Penetrating Flow two more times, for a total of three.

Energy exercises are similar to physical exercise in that, the more you practice, the more you benefit. And the easiest way to integrate a new practice or exercise, is to partner it with something you already do — like before each meal or after brushing your teeth.

When you practice this exercise, focus lightly. As your hands glide across your body, allow them to move as gently as if they were holding an ancient parchment. As you work with Mingmen and Penetrating Flow, pay attention to your thoughts, emotions, sensations, and even dreams. These are the body’s messengers — always communicating.

It is my sincere hope you find greater connection and resilience by working with Mingmen, the Center of Vitality. So much so, that you reach into the darkness — when the filaments are most visible — to sense, spin, weave and make your magic. For this is the season of inner fulfillment, peace, strength and wisdom; a time from which the process of healing can begin.

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