paul chek the master of body

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The Essential C.H.E.K Philosophy 1 The Essential C.H.E.K Philosophy by Paul Chek The number of my clients, patients and students that have expressed to me a difficulty in capturing what I do and what I teach has reached critical mass. Being repeatedly stimulated by such communications, and the fact that many of my own beginning students could not effectively explain their own practice motives, I decided to rectify the situation. What follows is, in both written and graphic format, an overview of my philosophy of life and my motives for health and well- being. My philosophy of life and living energize the education system I have developed, and it is through this system that I share the fruits of my life and career. I’ll begin with a brief sketch of how my career developed. Next, I overview each of the C.H.E.K certification programs. Finally, I explain the C.H.E.K Mandala, which demonstrates graphically the living philosophy behind all the programs I’ve designed, including the P~P~S Success Mastery Program. From The Beginning My career began as a fighter on the U.S. Army Boxing Team at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. While boxing, I also trained for triathlons. Between the two events I trained six to eight hours a day on most days of the week. Not surprisingly, the coaches and fighters on the team were very curious as to how I was able to put out that much energy each day, and still perform well in the boxing ring! This curiosity cultivated respect for my methods, which included the use of massage and careful eating practices, regular consumption of water and fluids from raw fruits and vegetables, and the knowledge that I was supported in my efforts by Cosmic Consciousness. My athletic successes eventually drew the attention of my company commander who offered me support from our unit to train full time for triathlon. He was very excited to see a soldier from aviation winning athletic events and it was good motivation for other troops to exercise more, as even the army has weight management challenges. Training full time for triathlon would not allow me to continue boxing. This was fine since I knew in my heart that boxing was not to be my mission and that instead my life mission would require the use and maintenance of a fully functional brain! I approached the coaches on the boxing team and informed them of my decision to leave. They didn’t like the idea and offered me the job as team Trainer. This position allowed me to continue my triathlon training around my boxing Learn more about my Personal~ Professional~ Spiritual Success Mastery Program now. Visit us at www.ppssuccess.com

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The Essential C.H.E.K Philosophy 1

The Essential C.H.E.K Philosophy by Paul Chek

The number of my clients, patients and students that have expressed to me a difficulty in capturing what I do and what I teach has reached critical mass. Being

repeatedly stimulated by such communications, and the fact that many of my own beginning students could not effectively explain their own practice motives, I decided to rectify the situation. What follows is, in both written and graphic format, an overview of my philosophy of life and my motives for health and well-being. My philosophy of life and living energize the education system I have developed, and it is through this system that I share the fruits of my life and career. I’ll begin with a brief sketch of how my career developed. Next, I overview each of the C.H.E.K certification programs. Finally, I explain the C.H.E.K Mandala,

which demonstrates graphically the living philosophy behind all the programs I’ve designed, including the P~P~S Success Mastery Program.

From The Beginning My career began as a fighter on the U.S. Army Boxing Team at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. While boxing, I also trained for triathlons. Between the two events I trained six to eight hours a day on most days of the week. Not surprisingly, the coaches and fighters on the team were very curious as to how I was able to put out that much energy each day, and still perform well in the boxing ring! This curiosity cultivated respect for my methods, which included the use of massage and careful eating practices, regular consumption of water and fluids from raw fruits and vegetables, and the knowledge that I was supported in my efforts by Cosmic Consciousness. My athletic successes eventually drew the attention of my company commander who offered me support from our unit to train full time for triathlon. He was very excited to see a soldier from aviation winning athletic events and it was good motivation for other troops to exercise more, as even the army has weight management challenges. Training full time for triathlon would not allow me to continue boxing. This was fine since I knew in my heart that boxing was not to be my mission and that instead my life mission would require the use and maintenance of a fully functional brain! I approached the coaches on the boxing team and informed them of my decision to leave. They didn’t like the idea and offered me the job as team Trainer. This position allowed me to continue my triathlon training around my boxing

Learn more about my Personal~ Professional~ Spiritual Success Mastery

Program now. Visit us at www.ppssuccess.com

The Essential C.H.E.K Philosophy 2

duties as well as to explore my intellectual pursuits. The seed of my career would now have a place to germinate.

For two years, I studied massage therapy, sports injury care, and special applications of conditioning for fighters and other army athletes. These studies consumed me as my knowledge and skills increased rapidly, and soon enough my military tour of duty was over. I had already decided what I would do. I would move to California and start a sports massage therapy business and implement my concepts with tri-athletes there.

My first task upon arriving in San Diego was to complete Sports Massage Therapy School in Encinitas, a small beach town near San Diego. This was a very rewarding experience and added valuable skills to my army training and experiences. Using all these abilities, I became very successful very quickly. I landed a job with Keith Jeffers, D.C., who specialized in running injuries. Working out of his facility for the next two years, I was able to meet and work with many of the top runners and tri-athletes in the world. Using my then unusual approach of stretching only the muscles that were tight and exercising the muscles that were lengthened and/or weak, coupled with sports/clinical massage and basic dietary recommendations, I developed a very large following.

The next stage of my career began in April 1988, when Kathy Grace, P.T., asked me to work at her physical therapy clinic (Sports & Orthopedic Physical Therapy). This clinic was arguably the largest physical therapy clinic in San Diego, with some 22 physical therapists and athletic trainers and a staff of a dozen or more surgeons linked to the venture. For the next four years, I worked with these therapists and surgeons, expanding my education and ideas and getting valuable practice with every sort of orthopedic injury one can imagine.

In 1989, I completed the St. John Neuromuscular Therapy certification. This complemented my existing clinical skills. Shortly thereafter, I completed all the seminars given by the famous Chilean Physical Therapist Dr. Mariano Rocobado. In addition, I studied the Norwegian system of medical exercise therapy through courses given by Bjorn Svenson. In 1989, I also became qualified as a licensed Holistic Health Practitioner in California. All the while, I had continued my practice of using calisthenics, resistance training, and sport-specific endurance training as part of my own regimen, while incorporating my practical experience and knowledge with my patients. My results with even the most challenging patients led to the senior physical therapist, Chris Segiel, M.S., P.T., suggesting that I give workshops on my methods. She told me that students did not learn my methods in physical therapy school, and that other physical therapists would benefit from my approach.

I began putting together seminars in clinical massage therapy, sports-specific strength development and injury prevention, posture correction, and many other topics. The seminars were successful, leading to a number of private consulting jobs with physical therapy clinics in San Diego as well as with professional sports teams that had heard of my work through therapists attending my seminars.

All this coincided with my leaving Sports & Orthopedic Physical therapy to start my own physical therapy clinic (Golden Triangle Rehabilitation) with Steve Clark, M.S., P.T. We ran the clinic successfully for three and a half years. A progressively

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worsening situation with insurance companies (they would not pay fairly for treatment rendered) led my partner and I to sell our business. So in 1995 I took what now amounted to 11 years of hard work in the sports and clinical arenas and started what is now the C.H.E.K Institute’s C.H.E.K Practitioner program. This began in La Jolla, California, where I opened an office with a gym, treatment rooms, a library and offices. From here, I developed some of my initial programs, such as Program Design, Scientific Abdominal Training (now Scientific Core Conditioning), Scientific Back Training, Controversy and Current Concepts of Pulling Exercises, Paul Chek’s Medicine Ball Workout, Dynamic Medicine Ball Training, Swiss Ball Training For Better Abs, Buns and Backs, Swiss Ball Training For Athletes, and others.

Soon I was getting requests to teach these programs in Australia and New Zealand, and that became the focal point for much of my teaching for the next few years. I grew and developed the Corrective High-performance Exercise Kinesiology (C.H.E.K) program to four levels, designed to be completed over four years. My initial batch of Level 4 C.H.E.K Practitioners came from the South Pacific, four of which (Chris Maund, Janet Alexander, Suzi Nevell, and Mark Buckley) are still instructors at the institute today.

We opened up a much nicer location in Encinitas in 1997 and stayed there for several years. While in Encinitas, I continued consulting patients, sports teams, and corporations, developing educational materials and products. I also expanded my lecture tour to include the UK, Sweden, Denmark, and elsewhere. This led to the expansion of the C.H.E.K programs into these countries. I also worked with Dr. Cliff Oliver, D.C. to develop our Nutrition and Lifestyle Coaching program because I could see that most of my practitioners were getting stuck with patients in this area. The NLC Program now has three levels and is designed to be completed over 1.5 years. Additionally, in 1998, my wife, Penny Crozier, and I published The Golf Biomechanic’s Manual, which became both a book for the serious player and the manual for our 7-day Golf Biomechanics certification course.

We outgrew our 7,500 sq. ft. space in Encinitas and, after much searching, in 2002 we purchased two buildings side by side (26,000 sq. ft.) in Vista, CA. Vista is now the home of our ever-growing institute. We have all the facilities and space necessary to run our educational programs effectively and people come from around the globe to attend our many courses. Today, there is a staff of qualified instructors that travel constantly around the world teaching the C.H.E.K programs, which are all multidisciplinary. We have practitioners from a wide range of fields including: medical doctors, nurses, physical therapists, osteopaths, chiropractors, personal trainers, strength coaches, massage therapists, teachers, dance and movement instructors and more. Our Vista location is also the home of my Personal~ Professional~ Spiritual Success Mastery Program. P~P~S is where my heart and my head have been for quite some time now. It’s a fantastic path to take, and I am confident that anyone who is ready to take the helm and create his or her own legacy will find the tools they need with P~P~S.

During the entire process of seeing patients, training athletes, consulting for clinics, teams, and corporations, I have been on an intense but exciting pursuit of knowledge about holistic health. At last count, I had read well over 1,000 books on related topics, completed some 135 home study courses, hired many consultants for private training, and attended numerous seminars and workshops around the world. With my growing abilities, it was only natural that the patients I received became

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more and more challenging. This process was noticeable very soon after leaving the army; I found that doctors and therapists were repeatedly referring to me patients who had been written off as “unfixable.” Many of these patients had suffered numerous accidents and injuries and had undergone multiple surgeries. For example, while consulting for a famous rugby team in Australia, I was asked to rehabilitate an extremely skilled player who, at the tender age of 20, had already endured nine orthopedic surgeries! I have consulted many clients with diseases, those with both orthopedic problems and diseases, and even those with diseases, orthopedic problems, as well as psychological ills. Finally, let’s not forget those with digestive, eliminative, and detoxification problems.

The condition of many of my patients are so complex that I need to use meditative skills passed on to me as a budding teenager at the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine. Thanks to my very wise mother, I was trained by Yogananda’s monks to meditate and see life for what it really is. This valuable teaching seemed at the time a bit disjointed from my teenage consciousness, but it has repeatedly been the blessing of my life for my personal growth and career development. Through this gift of meditation, in conjunction with other skills I developed through studying disciplines like metaphysics, Qi-Gong, Tai-Chi, Pranic Breathing, I have been able to offer help to those that believed there was no help to be had. Sometimes the help comes in the form of intuitional insights about the etiology of their ailments. Other times my patients feel the benefit of the energy I can share with them when I teach them to cultivate their own healing energy.

All the while, a common theme emerged repeatedly with my clients and others I worked with. That theme was the belief that God and the Church was judging them, and that they would be punished for living and experiencing the life they had chosen to live. This “Faulty God Model” is the source of ailments of all kinds. Seeing this theme repeated like a scene from Groundhog’s Day stimulated in me what is now a long study of metaphysics, comparative religion, theology, mythology, healing, psychology, and related topics. I have now studied what amounts to literally shelves full of books, videos, DVDs, CDs, cassette tapes, home study courses, and workshops so that I am better able to understand my clients and myself. I have been able to implement this information into my personal life and practice as a teacher, life coach, and Holistic Health Practitioner. As I grow, learn and experience, I share my findings with my students and they share theirs with me; we help each other grow more and more rapidly so that we can help others grow with us!

Now more than 2 decades into years into my career, I have developed a model that has proven to be rewarding both for the students using it and the clients seeing those students. The C.H.E.K Mandala is my overview of what we teach at the institute, and my philosophy of life, exercise, and healing. Much of what follows could be expanded into a number of books, but by studying the C.H.E.K Mandala below, anyone will be able to come away with a good working idea of:

• What any of the C.H.E.K Exercise Coaches, C.H.E.K Practitioners, Nutrition and Lifestyle Coaches or Golf Biomechanics do and the philosophy behind their training.

• My personal philosophical position regarding life, exercise, spirituality, and God.

• Whether or not the C.H.E.K approach is right for you as a potential student or as a client for a C.H.E.K trained practitioner/professional.

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Your C.H.E.K Practitioner

Exercise and healthcare professionals typically begin their comprehensive training at the C.H.E.K Institute by achieving certification as an Exercise Coach, Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach (NLC) Level 1, or Golf Biomechanic. With completion of any of these courses, members of the C.H.E.K Institute may advance, becoming a Corrective and High-performance Exercise Kinesiology specialist. As students advance through the C.H.E.K certification program they may present themselves as C.H.E.K Practitioner Level-1, 2, 3, 4, or as Certified upon meeting all training requirements.

The Exercise Coach certification is designed to offer personal trainers and other health professionals a solid foundation in the prescription and execution of basic resistance training, stretching, and Chi cultivating exercises. Students learn to base their prescriptions on key postural assessment and basic orthopedic assessment techniques. Ultimately, all of this training is integrated with the study of case histories and specific program design training. This five-day course prepares students for the more advanced training in the C.H.E.K Practitioner Level 1 course.

C.H.E.K Practitioner Level 1 training consists of a five-day course focusing on general orthopedic assessment. Students learn to recognize the red flags of serious pathologies, as well as corrective exercises for common spinal pathology with an emphasis on the Lumbar spine. At this level of C.H.E.K training, students develop skills in special program design for sports and orthopedic concerns in both a theoretical and practical setting.

C.H.E.K Practitioner Level 2 is also a five-day course. The training builds upon basic orthopedic assessment and program design skills with the addition of motor skills assessment. Students learn mastery of the Primal Pattern™ system of movement analysis. This training includes infant development, basic motor skills development, as well as work and sport-specific motor skills development. Level II Practitioners are taught to implement advanced program design skills. This includes working with challenging case histories that require integration of their newly learned skills.

C.H.E.K Practitioner Level 3, a nine-day course, including one rest day, can only be entered by those achieving a passing grade on 10 case histories demonstrating mastery of all prior training in the C.H.E.K Practitioner program. C.H.E.K Practitioner Level 3 training focuses first on why people don’t heal. Next, we learn to assess the human body based on survival reflexes. This extremely effective system seeks to identify the etiology of each patient’s challenges or injury based upon sound orthopedic, neurological, hormonal, digestive, eliminative, and limbic/emotional factors. The head, jaw, neck, and upper extremity (upper ¼) are covered in this training program. The students learn comprehensive assessment, treatment, exercise and program design skills, specifically to aid those patients with challenging injuries in the upper ¼ region of the body.

C.H.E.K Practitioner Level 4 students must also gain entry to their 14-day training and testing program through submission of case histories. Once accepted, they begin intensive training, focusing on chronic pain patients, medical failures, and what are

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otherwise referred to as “challenge” cases. Students are encouraged to have completed C.H.E.K NLC Level 1 and 2 prior to arriving for C.H.E.K Practitioner Level 4 training.

During C.H.E.K Practitioner Level 4 training, students review all major facets of prior C.H.E.K training and discuss challenging case histories. Because so many ailments can be traced back to the Faulty God Model, students are given extensive training in basic metaphysics, comparative religion, and philosophy so that they may effectively understand many of the common reasons people don’t heal. They are also taught the basic principles of non-violent communication and when to refer or partner with clinical psychologists and other highly specialized professionals.

Using comprehensive reflex mapping systems developed especially for C.H.E.K Level 4 and NLC 3 practitioners, the students are taught to use the Aristotelian four-element system, Chinese five-element system, the five element-system used in polarity therapy, and the Hindu seven chakra system. By identifying which of these systems best suits the needs of an individual patient/client, C.H.E.K Practitioners are able to develop highly specific and effective physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual development programs. Having completed NLC 2, C.H.E.K Level 4 practitioners can also identify and rectify most nutrition, hormonal, organ, circadian, and lifestyle challenges. While many C.H.E.K Level 4’s hold professional licenses, those that don’t are trained to work within the scope of practice for their profession and to effectively integrate with licensed professionals for optimal patient outcomes.

Upon completion of C.H.E.K Level 4 training, students begin testing. Testing requires that they take on a new client. The clients selected for Level 4 student testing are referred to the institute from around the world and are selected because they have had a challenging time recovering from their particular combination of physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual ailments. Students are monitored through the entire process of assessment, counseling/life coaching, treatment procedures, program design, and program instruction. Students must then monitor their test subjects through a follow-up session and compile a report of their findings. Level 4 C.H.E.K Practitioners can only identify themselves as Certified after having passed testing and turning in a completed thesis. All thesis projects are aimed at practical application and are designed to further educate other C.H.E.K students.

Every C.H.E.K Level 4 that I have ever trained has been a beautiful person, committed to the life process and the well-being of both others and the planet. They are truly special people.

Nutrition And Lifestyle Coaching Program

C.H.E.K Nutrition and Lifestyle Coaches, represented as C.H.E.K NLC Level 1, 2, and 3, are those who have chosen to specialize in coaching people to health and well-

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being through holistic application of exercise, whole-foods eating, stress management, lifestyle factors, and spiritual development. While the C.H.E.K Practitioner program places much more emphasis on orthopedic rehabilitation, and general, work, and sport-specific conditioning, the Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach program focuses more on eating, internal health and well-being, spiritual development, and the use of exercise as a necessary component of a healthy lifestyle.

NLC Level 1 training parallels my book How To Eat, Move and Be Healthy! and my audio CD/workbook program entitled, You Are What You Eat! NLC 1 training places great emphasis on getting yourself healthy as a necessary requisite for helping others. It is a fundamental principle of the C.H.E.K philosophy that we as practitioners can’t give what we don’t have. Therefore, we must begin with the basics and master them within our own lives and, where possible, within our immediate family circle. The world is filled with unhealthy health experts and the C.H.E.K NLC program seeks to rectify that problem by producing healthy leaders! As part of NLC 1 training, each participant learns and practices a variety of Chi cultivation exercises so that they become comfortable using them. The practice of self-help is the foundation for effectively helping others as an NLC 2 or 3.

NLC 2 is a five-day course, which I co-developed with Dr. Cliff Oliver. There are other guest instructors that add technical expertise, particularly in the area of Chi cultivation exercise, metabolic typing, clinical nutrition, and clinical management. The course begins when you receive your four-kilogram manual, which springs forward from the basic principles the students have implemented from Level 1. NLC 2 focuses on how to help others, yet remains true to the foundational C.H.E.K principles of becoming healthy and staying healthy. In addition, Dr. Oliver does an outstanding job of demonstrating that the treatment model used in medicine is failing humanity at large. This course encourages a return to a coaching model. All NLC 2 foundation principles are expanded upon in detail and supported by research wherever possible. Students are given a copy of my book Lifting the Veil Of Deception, which supports their study through the lectures I give on organic food, organic farming, and the health of both humanity and the planet. Students learn to use a very detailed health appraisal questionnaire system and other key lifestyle

assessments. Students are trained to design exercise programs for people with a variety of health concerns. Typically, we conclude the program by demonstrating the use of vibrational healing methods and review how to integrate and apply all the technology learned in the course. Students from around the world have found NLC II to be a life-changing event for them, and so have their clients!

NLC 3 is consists in six days of training. The focus of this course is how to help the “challenge” patient/client that has hit a plateau with the principles taught in NLC 2. In this program, Dr. Oliver teaches many useful low-tech tests that offer valuable

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information regarding the state of a client’s autonomic nervous system and overall physiology. These tests often determine the need for more comprehensive lab tests. Guest speakers such as Dr. Kalish, or Dr. Timmons from BioHealth Diagnostics, teach the application of key lab tests. My contribution to NLC 3 focuses on advanced assessment of organ systems, understanding the metaphysical implications of common health problems, how to decipher complex information from complex patients, and how to put together an effective coaching and treatment plan of action. NLC 3 students are also given an abridged version of C.H.E.K Level 4 training on how to identify Faulty God Models and educate accordingly. Experts in a variety of other fields lecture on topics such as Emotional Self Management and how to use your mind to take action in your life. Dodie Anderson teaches a metabolic typing review and updates students on recent findings in the study of metabolic typing. The students who attend NLC 3 leave empowered by their newfound understanding of the roadblocks to their clients’ progress. Students leave with more effective means of testing their clients, a better understanding of whom to refer their clients to, as well as a clearer vision of how to better understand and counsel their clients on the meaning of their life challenge(s). Like C.H.E.K Level 4 students, NLC 3 students are by nature, very intelligent, loving and compassionate people that are truly pioneering examples of how to live fully and vitally.

The Golf Biomechanic’s Certification

The Golf Biomechanic Certification is a seven-day specialty certification designed to teach students how to assess and condition golfers. The course includes relevant information and training on swing assessment, length-tension assessment, postural correction, and exercise progression. The C.H.E.K model for progression (flexibility/stability – strength – power) is explained and practiced in detail. The exercise, golf, and medical professionals attending this powerful training program leave knowing how to assess and condition the golf athlete, contributing not only to their game but their life!

The Essential C.H.E.K Philosophy 9

The C.H.E.K Mandala

Before delving into the specifics of my personal philosophy on life, let me preface my remarks with an important statement. I do NOT require my students to share my spiritual views, nor do I require that they subscribe to any of my teachings. I merely require that they have an open mind and be willing to test my teachings in the clinical environment, or any environment in which they work. I encourage both my P~P~S Success Mastery Practitioners as well as my C.H.E.K Professionals to take other courses, to study as much as they can so that we can grow and learn together.

Frequently, I have insights and inspirations as I quest for knowledge and understanding. With the growth of my programs, including the P~P~S Success Mastery Program, and the perpetual need of C.H.E.K Practitioners to explain the philosophy behind their approach, I felt the need to develop an explanation that suited both the left brain/logical and right brain/creative types. I sought to develop a mandala that spoke to the subconscious so that those who are experiential types could simply look at the mandala and feel the essence of the C.H.E.K way. Because

Figure 1

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the C.H.E.K Mandala (Figure 1) captures the essence of my philosophy, I want to discuss it in some detail now.

Holy Trinity

God’s potential (Ø) and the forces of Yin & Yang create the Holy Trinity that expresses all creation. All of God’s creation is seen as the Big Idea or The One. The Two is symbolized as the forces of Yin (Eve, – ) and Yang (Adam, + ). God, as unlimited potential in the Absolute, projects spirit into matter creating consciousness. Consequently, everything in God’s created universe, whether inanimate or animate, expresses a level of consciousness symbiotic to its construction. For humans, this means that our Higher Self (HS) or Spiritual Self exists behind the relative as an expression of the Godhead. Man’s Lower Self is projected into the relative as a bridge between what is cosmic (heaven) and what is earthly.

As described by Rowena Kryder, the spirit energy expressed by the Godhead may be seen as codes or information, while matter may be seen as condensed energy. All matter expresses the codes suited to it. Plants express plant codes, animals express animal codes, humans express human codes. Typically, as the complexity of material construction (atom, molecule, cell, multi-cellular, multi-membrane) increases, so to does the complexity of the codes processed or expressed by each entity (organic or inorganic).

Element/Ether Forces Aristotle is credited with explaining that all creation can be broken down into four elements, while Rudolph Steiner took this philosophy further with his explanation of the ethers. The four-element/ether combinations are the essence of creation. Elements provide materials to build creation while ethers are the forces that move creation or life. I like to think of the elements as vehicles of expression for the information/codes carried by the ethers/forces that guide and direct creation. While science is still grappling with the concept of the ether, quantum mechanics now sees the ether as a possible Zero Point Field; the field of energy and influence that enlivens and provides the structural matrix of the Universe.

The Zodiac The zodiac symbology is the written expression of spiritual or formative forces emanating from constellations known through antiquity to express themselves in man and nature. Everything created within our solar system is subject to the energy and influence from the constellations of the zodiac in cycles.

The Essential C.H.E.K Philosophy 11

Being very far away, these galactic forces are ever-present, but much less intense than the forces of our own sun and planets. The constellations of the zodiac all influence us, yet there is a cycle of dominance in which each constellation expresses a majority influence for approximately 2,000 years in much the same way the sun affects our planet through seasonal cycles. We are now leaving the influence of Pisces and entering the field of influence of Aquarius. Just as the song said, “This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius.”

The Serpent

The serpent consuming his own tail is an ancient symbol for gnosis, or knowledge, of spirit and matter. It is also used to symbolize the fact that life eats life. All C.H.E.K Professionals are aware of the symbiotic process of give-and-take in nature and seek to facilitate knowledge of your unique needs so that you may most effectively contribute to the life process, moving humanity forward in physical and spiritual evolution. As the founder of the C.H.E.K Institute, it is my philosophy that faith begins where knowledge ends. Therefore, we should all actively seek to educate ourselves. To be healthy means to take

responsibility for one’s self, and that requires that we make choices that can only be made effectively through knowledge.

Information must be differentiated from knowledge in that information alone will not help anyone. The world is swimming with information yet we are more unhealthy than ever. Clearly those that are healthy have applied health information and, therefore, exhibit knowledge of how to be healthy.

Man (I AM) The Microcosm Ancient mystics tell us that everything that exists out there in the cosmos can be found within each of us. C.H.E.K Practitioners seek to find the truth and beauty in all that is through studying the macrocosm outside and the microcosm within. These studies are revealing in a number of ways. We learn that the Yin/Yang polarity of the Holy Trinity is expressed through all solids, liquids, and gases, including those that make up man. These cosmic dialectics create both sexed relationships and rhythm(s) in man and nature. Students discover that “I AM” is one of the many names attributed to God, yet we human beings possess many godlike powers: the power to create, the power to love, the power to hate, and the power to destroy. Confucius said man was the bridge between heaven and earth, the caretaker left to guide all earthly life forms to evolution. As we become progressively more aware of our potential as gods, we emulate and radiate more and more of the Truth that God is. We seek to attain Cosmic Consciousness; “I AM that.” As we evolve toward Cosmic Consciousness, we are able to experience and understand more and more of the codes that create and run the Universe. Through this process we begin to understand and accept that we do life, life does not do us!

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The Chakras

Divine and cosmic energies above create levity, drawing man up from Mother Earth. Earth is the negative pole relative to the sun. Earth energy, or Kundalini, rises up in man, enlivening his spiritual centers or chakras (wheels of light). This facilitates communication and creation with all that is. God and His Angels (Forces) permeate the heart from above and greet the animal (earth being) from below in the human heart, which injects the blood with Soul. C.H.E.K Professionals always seek to guide the animal or Lower Self with the angelic or Higher Self, leading man to full expression of Love. Buddha refers to earth and her grounding experiences as the cage of the five senses. Buddha, like Christ and other avatars, served to show us that by attaining Cosmic (Christ) Consciousness, we can free ourselves from the bondage of the cage of the five senses.

The chakras are not only energy centers, they are information centers that decipher God’s Universal codes. As we evolve as beings, we meet the life challenges necessary to evolve. Eventually, we have optimal energy/information transmission through the chakra system and we reach nirvana or Cosmic Consciousness. This process takes most of us untold numbers of lifetimes, yet along the way, we are always an example for someone to follow, and there are always examples for us to follow (see Figure 2).

Sense Man

The mind of man expresses itself through the nervous system. The C.H.E.K Professional recognizes that the mind is the builder. Just as the physical body feeds on good food, for effective building the mind must be fed good thoughts! Through optimal nutrition and hormonal balance, we are able to feed our emotional being optimal emotions, our mental being optimal thoughts, and therefore act optimally in accordance with our Higher Self.

Metabolism Man Metabolism man generates the fire that creates warmth and moves the life force in man. The warmth ether, linked with fire, produces thought. The C.H.E.K Professional knows that a healthy metabolism is the foundation of optimal thought, word, and deed creation. Just how metabolism, consciousness, and creation are linked can be appreciated in the fact that

Figure 2. Jacob’s Ladder.

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hormones are molecules of emotion. Each hormone has a corresponding mental/emotional component. For example, testosterone is heavily polarized, producing progressively increased awareness of and/or affinity towards both sexual behavior and destructive behavior. Serotonin in optimal amounts elevates our mood whereas a deficiency of serotonin often produces depression. Food, being the resource from which all our hormones are derived, therefore becomes essential as a bridge linking the purely physical with consciousness.

Rhythm Man

Man the microcosm contains, and is expressive of, numerous cosmic and earthly rhythms. Examples of rhythms concerning the C.H.E.K Professional are solar, planetary, lunar, respiratory, craniosacral and hormonal.

Limb Man An outgrowth of the core of man, the limbs stimulate Sense Man, supporting Metabolism Man and Rhythm Man. Man’s limbs are

God’s limbs. How we use our limbs to create determines how we contribute to nature. We can create or destroy, we can love or we can fight, we can work or we can resist, we can catalyze evolution or bring about our devolution! What are you creating with your limbs?

Dr. Quiet Dr. Quiet (as the C.H.E.K Professional) works with Rhythm Man to assure adequate time for introspection, relaxation, rest, and recovery. Dr. Quiet, exerting himself

through Rhythm Man, protects Sense Man, Metabolism Man and Limb Man from overuse, abuse, or disuse. Whenever Dr. Quiet is suppressed, there is inadequate time for introspection and we can easily become excessively externalized. Being externalized is exactly what many corporate entities want because in an externalized state, human beings perceive that they achieve what they want through material means, be it cars, clothes, jewelry, money, drugs, etc. Given adequate time to work, Dr. Quiet finds the glory, joy, and knowledge of all that is within the individual. This is why gurus like Paramahansa Yogananda say we don’t come

here to learn, we come here to remember (re-member; to put back together, to realize what we are). Dr. Quiet says, if you don’t go within, you go without! Clear evidence of this truth is seen all around us in famous movie personalities, rock stars, athletes, and business moguls that seemingly have it all, yet often commit suicide after failing to find fulfillment or meaning in life.

Dr. Diet C.H.E.K Professionals know how to individualize your diet to meet your unique racial,

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genetic, and spiritual needs. Failure of Dr. Diet to demonstrate practical application leads to dysfunction within the physical body. Failure to educate Dr. Diet results in grounding our consciousness only to physical reality as our body goes first into the protective mode governed by animal instinct, and finally into vegetative mode governed by the vegetative ancestry we all carry within us. C.H.E.K Nutrition and Lifestyle Coaches can specifically address your needs for health and vitality, educating the Dr. Diet within you.

Dr. Movement

Life is movement! C.H.E.K Professionals know that too much or too little movement is detrimental to your entire physical, emotional, mental and spiritual being. Dr. Movement works with Rhythm Man, Metabolism Man and Limb Man to stimulate health and vitality. Everything in the created universe is moving, and everything has an optimal pace or rate of movement. Too much or too little movement proves detrimental and, therefore, requires education of Dr. Movement. Dr. Movement is expressed by the C.H.E.K Professionals through maintenance of their own exercise program and active lifestyle, and in their clients by the ability

to write and subsequently teach optimal exercise programs.

Dr. Happiness The Soul wants to create and to remember its Divine origins. When Dr. Happiness is on the job, Dr. Quiet, Dr. Diet, and Dr. Movement are never over or under worked on the whole. Dr. Happiness directs man in his spiritual quest as the bridge between heaven and earth. All C.H.E.K Professionals are leaders in the quest to remember our Higher Self and encourage Love and Compassion as the driving force behind all our actions. As we understand the Universe more and more, happiness is an inevitable byproduct of expanded consciousness. This is why all true avatars were/are happy beings!

The Journey of a C.H.E.K Practitioner Completing the journey I have laid out for C.H.E.K practitioners to become a fully qualified C.H.E.K Practitioner and an NLC 3 is no small task. It necessitates on average 5.5 years of commitment, as it requires mastering a great deal of information and techniques. As you can see in the C.H.E.K Mandala, C.H.E.K Exercise Coaches, Level 1, 2, and 3, and Golf Biomechanics are trained to improve function primarily through Sense Man, Dr. Happiness, Limb Man, Dr. Movement, and Rhythm Man (indicated by orange/yellow). NLC Practitioners and C.H.E.K Level 4 Practitioners both overlap into the left side of the diagram (orange/yellow) but NLCs also develop the ability to assist themselves and their clients through mastery of Dr. Happiness, Sense Man, Dr. Quiet, Metabolism Man, Dr. Diet, and Rhythm Man.

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Like my P~P~S Success Mastery Practitioners, all C.H.E.K Instructors, graduates and students are encouraged to take other courses, to study as much as they can while respecting Dr. Quiet, Rhythm Man, and Dr. Happiness so that we can grow and learn together. I have NOT built the C.H.E.K or the P~P~S programs on an academic model. The programs borrow from academia where academia has made respectable progress. We borrow from successful doctors and practitioners in the field wherever they have demonstrated progress, regardless of whether science has caught on or validated what we see as clinically relevant and productive. To be an effective C.H.E.K Practitioner (of any type) is first to learn to learn, and learn to love ourselves. Second, we share our knowledge and ourselves with others. And finally, we naturally branch out to share our successes with humanity, both through our accomplishments and as teachers who live by example. In sum,

All P~P~S Success Mastery Practitioners and C.H.E.K Professionals are taught and encouraged to lead by example. They are typically fit, healthy, intelligent, compassionate people that happily engage in the life process. Practitioners of all types are taught that information only becomes knowledge when that information is used to change the lives of others for the better!

May we evolve together!

Paul Chek, Holistic Health Practitioner Founder, C.H.E.K Institute and P~P~S Success Mastery Program