Neural Organisation Technique (N.O.T.) Workshop Report - 2010

Earlier in the year (Feb 2010) we hosted Peter Morningstar teaching a 2 day Foot Joint Mobilisation workshop, which was great, and Marion Miller wrote a short article on her experience of the 2 days for KANZ.  So here goes at my 1st attempt at a post workshop report for KANZ!

The N.O.T. Workshop was actually 2 separate visits by master Kinesiologist Bernard Carson from Sydney.  I still remember being somewhat baffled at the 2009 AKA Conference in Sydney when this then 77 years young fellow stood up for his presentation and announced “I’ve studied many different types of Kinesiology in my life, and these days pretty much all I use in my 6 days a week practise is N.O.T.!”  I was baffled because my experience of studying N.O.T. was that it was quite a heavy handed, often painful system to receive; and it seemed to be a very structural approach, with perhaps limited application to Biochemical based imbalances.  But when Bernard asked for a volunteer from the floor who had a “frozen ankle” (go figure?) – where the ankle/foot could not even dorsiflex anywhere near 900, and then after maybe 1 minute of “N.O.T. work” – upon retesting, that foot/ankle went easily into around 120-1300 dorsiflexion, there were 180 mandibles (approx. number of Conference attendees) that dropped noticeably in the direction of the floor!  And heads turned to look at each other as if to confirm they’d not just had an hallucination!  And all this with NO forceful manipulation or even the suggestion of discomfort by the recipient!

Bernard’s assertion and experience is that “if you get the feet right, then all the other work you do will hold; and much of the other work you might have done – pelvic/TMJ – often becomes redundant.”

So far, not much of a report of Bernard’s recent visits to NZ – but it does set the scene.

Bernard eventually expressed a desire to come to NZ (with some urging by me!), firstly to help change the perception of those who have previously done N.O.T. training in NZ (who may also have thought it was somewhat heavy-handed);  and secondly, to introduce this mind-blowingly gentle and sophisticated version of N.O.T. to anyone else who wanted to learn (with Touch for Health 1 – 4 as a pre-requisite).

Well, come to NZ Bernard did, teaching his first 4 day Basic N.O.T. in Wellington (at The Wellington School of Massage Therapy) on 17 – 20 August … and it was fabulous!  Taught and demonstrated with the same gentleness and finesse we saw in Sydney, Bernard’s teaching style is uniquely patient, tolerant, and incredible generous.  And as he explained, the teaching/demo is sometimes complicated by people on the table not always indicating for the particular procedure he is supposed to be demonstrating, but indicating for a different or more advanced N.O.T. programme first, before the basic one shows up.  Bernard always completes what needs to be done on whomever is on the table, quickly explaining, with a minimum of fuss; and then proceeds with the intended demo.

It was perhaps surprising to witness in the workshop (with 9 participants) some of the strong emotional learning stresses and resultant behaviours that manifested (even with experienced Kinesiologists) … Bernard simply took it in his stride, and actually did many extra corrections and balances to help facilitate an easier and more relaxed learning environment.

The Basic 4 day programme seemed to be over too fast, yet leaving everyone satisfied as to the effectiveness and healing power of N.O.T.  It’s not just the basic programmes we learn how to “install” into people’s nervous systems – but the connections between and within programmes that gives the work so much power in its clinical effectiveness!  And this is the “Bernard version” of N.O.T. – again I say gentle, and fast, and limited only by your own ability to make connections with peoples’ issues – tap the issue (pain, swelling, joint restriction, sensitivity etc) into circuit – and then see which N.O.T. programme opens up – and then correcting with 2 – 3 moves of the eye fascia (No – you don’t have to repeat each programme for each issue – if the programme “opens” you just put the new information into that programme with the eye fascia, and the body sorts the rest out.  Just incredible!

On his 2nd visit, Bernard had more time, and we booked him in an entire day of clinical sessions, and that evening (17 Nov) we had an Information/Demonstration evening at our School where over 40 people turned up – including several parents with autistic children (Bernard specialises and loves working with kids with learning challenges including dyslexia, ADD/ADHD, Autism.  And once again, people “ooohed and aaahed” and jaws dropped!  At least 20 people came up at the end of the evening to ask where they could start training in Kinesiology.  It’s amazing how such an event – from such a master – can stir and stimulate such interest.

The next 4 days of the Advanced N.O.T. (18 – 21 Nov) actually seemed more of a consolidation of the Basic work, with new “advanced” programmes appearing to be completed and practised with very little stress (probably as a result of Bernard taking extra time to do more balancing around people’s learning stresses; as well as participants balancing each other around “letters of the alphabet!” – yes you did read correctly.  I didn’t know that “letters” could cause so much emotional stress.  And then balancing commonly stressful “words” (such as money/man/woman/being honest/school/work).  Fascinating.  I witnessed and experienced so many shifts – energetically, emotionally, and intellectually!

By the end of this 2nd 4 day block, I think everyone felt unequivocally that they’d gotten more than value for money, with many committing to come back next year to repeat (at 50% discount for repeating the course with Bernard).

Bernard then took a train to Auckland to present to a group, organised by Shanguntala, of around 40 – 50.  Thanks to Marion for being such a gracious host in providing Bernard’s Auckland accommodation.  Feedback just received from Shaguntala included “it was an absolutely stunning demo.  It could have gone on all night” and “how come info about N.O.T. has never been available”.

In summary, it was an honour and a privilege to have been, and continue to be, a host, student, client and friend of this remarkable man whose sole mission in life is to help others, and teach as many as he can the remarkable connections and insights he has developed into what he has found as the most effective system of helping others. Both of which he does with extraordinary generosity, inspiration, patience, passion, speed, and love.    Quoting Bernard “being realistic, I may not have that much time left – so what’s important is that the work gets out to as many as possible”  

If you ever have the chance I’d thoroughly recommend taking a quantum leap in your Kinesiology work, and do some training with Bernard Carson.

Thanks Bernard!

Richard P Rust
November 2010.