What is Zero Balancing (ZB)?

Zero Balancing (ZB) is a hands-on bodywork system designed to align energy and physical structure in the body. ZB goes beyond conventional Western bodywork therapies because it incorporates Eastern concepts of energy and healing.

Aligning energy and structure in the body is like filling the sails of a sailboat with wind. If the sails (structure) are not properly aligned with the wind (energy), the boat won’t move where you want it to go. Likewise, when energy and structure are not working together, you will be more susceptible to stress and dis-ease. By bringing energy and structure into alignment, Zero Balancing allows you to navigate the seas of life with greater ease. ZB can give you a sense of fluidity that allows you to cope with things more resiliently and enjoy life. It is excellent for relieving physical pain and emotional distress, and releasing the imprints of past trauma.

How Does ZB Work?

The energy body and the structural body work in concert with each other. The structural body is everything you can see and touch – bones, organs and soft tissue. The energy body is all of the seen and unseen movements – muscular movement, fluid and tissue movement, down to the level of cellular and molecular vibration. The condition of the energy body directly affects moods, emotions and vitality. Changes in the energy body usually precede illness and have a causal relationship to disease.

Zero Balancing works by creating a clear, strong organized field of energy that releases less well-held imprints of trauma and stress. The ZB practitioner uses touch to evaluate where the energy and structure are blocked or disturbed, and then balances it as needed. ZB pays particular attention to the skeleton and to the energy held in bone, because these are the deepest and strongest currents in the body.

Everything in the ZB session is designed to promote maximum relaxation and a sense of well-being. Clients often experience an expanded state of consciousness, where the mind quiets and the energy body is more available for healing. Gentle and non-invasive, the Zero Balancing session is a pleasure both to give and receive. A complete session takes 30 to 40 minutes.

Why do I use ZB together with Classical Five Element Acupuncture (CFEA)?

Zero Balancing can be used as a separate therapy or in combination with CFEA. ZB and CFEA work exceptionally well together and have a special relationship to each other. Fritz Smith, M.D., the originator of ZB, studied CFEA and was deeply influenced by it. He designed ZB as a bodywork system that would complement CFEA. He based it on the same principles and approach to healing: giving the body/mind/spirit what it needs to heal itself and stay well.

Clinically, ZB and CFEA work synergistically. With acupuncture clients, I decide on a case-by-case basis when ZB is needed. I find that many conditions –musculoskeletal pain, anxiety, post-traumatic stress -- respond more quickly when a few ZB sessions are included in the treatment plan.