The CHEK Totem Pole: The Psyche

After a decade of clinical practice as a Holistic Health Practitioner, I started designing the CHEK Totem Pole almost a quarter century ago back in 1994.

To help my clients with the kinds of challenges they were facing on a daily basis, I had to look harder and deeper than my peers did.

It took a lot of research, clinical practice and work with experts to begin correlating my studies of developmental man with anatomy and physiology (which began with examining the hierarchical nature of the hormonal and nervous systems).

What emerged from all of this work was an acute awareness of the essentials it takes to sustain life in any living form. The CHEK Totem Pole was the product of my studies and practice that gave me the confidence and reassurance I was on the right path.

This week, I’d like to share a short excerpt from a workshop I taught during last month’s canfitpro World Fitness Expo in Toronto. The topic of the presentation was Surrounding the Dragon of Back Pain, in which I go through the hierarchies of control centers illustrated by the CHEK Totem Pole.

About five years ago I modified the CHEK Totem Pole to add the top image, the psyche, above the image representing the control center of respiration, so I thought I’d share a little about that this week.

The lecture

Just so you know what that means, as you’re reading this (or listening to me on this video) right now, you’re receiving the information with about 5 percent of the consciousness that’s working through you at any given time.

Imagine an iceberg on the ego is only 5 percent while the rest is underwater in the unconscious. And, the unconscious is what’s regulating your breathing, your heartbeat, your digestion, your elimination and the 30 billion other biochemical reactions in your body every second.

That would be really what’s often referred to as the subconscious, the wisdom of the cells, the unconscious as the parts of yourself that you’re not aware of.

Sometimes it’s referred to the shadow, but there’s more to it than that. There’s a personal unconscious that encompasses all of the things that you’re not aware of, like your sixth birthday…

I also talk briefly about the wisdom of the cells of your body, the collective unconscious, the sacred unconscious, the human soul, your emotions, chakras and even sex.

For such a short video, I go into some very deep stuff that I believe is beneficial, especially considering where the state of the world is at right now (not a very good one!) and what we need to do to make it a healthier, happier place for everyone.

Because it took me A VERY LONG TIME to create the CHEK Totem Pole, don’t be surprised if you need to watch this week’s video more than once. It’s a lot to absorb, and elegantly simple but very complex.

Resources

If you like what you see in this week’s video and want to learn more, you may want to consider my CHEK Exercise Coach program or Holistic Lifestyle Coach (HLC) training that builds from my book, How to Eat Move and Be Healthy.

And if you want to take your dream of working with clients to the highest next level, there are still spots available to join the CHEK Academy that enables you to LEARN IT ALL — from HLC 1 all the way to C.H.E.K Practitioner Level 4 — over the course of five years.

The CHEK Academy is a golden opportunity to study at your own pace, learn from the experts who have experienced the very same frustrations and obstacles you have as a health professional and to get all of the help, guidance and support you’ll need to be successful no matter where you live in the world.

The CHEK Academy starts Oct. 1 and we are still accepting applications so I hope you’ll spend a few minutes looking at what this opportunity could do to transform your life and career as a health professional.

I hope you have a great week, and look forward to sharing more with you next time!

Love and chi,

Paul