Access Bars: experts reveal how a new stress-relieving technique works

The Access Bars technique has a beneficial effect on a person’s physical and emotional well-being. It was developed in the 1990s by Gary Douglas and involves an approach of working with the body to achieve deep relaxation, relieve stress and tension, and improve overall health.

What we will talk about

Basic principles of Access bars

Tatiana Chugai

manager of ASIA BEAUTY SPA

“Access Bars is a special type of manual technique, which is rightfully called energy therapy.”

During the session the master gently influences 32 points on the head, each of which is responsible for certain areas of life. For example, for relationships with the opposite sex, money, health. These points are called “bars”. Energy flows through them.

Proper touching of the “bars” allows to free the consciousness from blocks and get rid of those patterns of behavior that prevent a person from being healthy, happy and successful.

Access Bars is based on the idea that life is the sum of our thoughts, emotions and experiences that are stored in the body. The technique helps to remove blocks, release energy and reach a higher level of consciousness.

According to the principle of this massage technique, the energy points on the head are connected to different aspects of a person’s life and contain great potential for transformation. A gentle touch on the “bars” activates the processes of self-healing and energetic cleansing of the body.

How Access bars work

The effect of Access bars can be divided into two parts: physical improvements and spiritual changes.

In the first case, during the session, the whole body relaxes deeply and the tension goes away. With regular Access bars sessions, the quality of sleep improves and more energy is gained.

Spiritual changes are manifested by improved relationships with loved ones, getting rid of excessive anxiety, resentment, a burst of creativity. It is as if this technique helps to clear the internal energy flows from the debris of everyday life: stresses, negative emotions and unexpressed feelings.

The process of conducting an Access bars session

An Access bars session is akin to meditation. Therefore, it should take place in a soft, relaxing atmosphere: in a room with dimmed light and relaxing music. It is best if the person attending the session lies on his back.

The session lasts 45-60 minutes. The master touches all 32 energy points in a certain sequence. Each point takes 2-3 minutes to work with. The whole practice of touching “bars” is very soft – no sharp, painful movements on the part of the master. The body may respond with different sensations: a warm wave, tingling, emotional outburst, tears. All these manifestations are absolutely normal.

After the session, it is recommended to rest for 10-15 minutes. And also not to load yourself on this day excessive physical activity and drink more water.

Does Access Bars really work?

Tatiana Fedorova

certified facilitator of Access consciousness, licensed facilitator of Access bars

“Access bars works through the brain unconsciously and relaxes similar to a full vacation, spa, and sleep.”

Scientific studies have proven that the technique really works. Terri Hope, PhD, published her research findings in the journal Energy Psychology in 2017. It turned out that after one session of Access Bars, volunteers experienced a reduction in anxiety (by 84.7% on average) and depression (by 82.7%). Participants’ brainwaves were measured before and after the session.

Two years earlier, neuroscientist Jeffrey Fannin found that after an Access Bars session, volunteers’ brain waves were similar to those of a person who had been meditating regularly for years. Moreover, previously hyperactive areas of the brain became noticeably calmer when viewing brain maps using EEG (a diagnostic study of the state of the nervous system). Greater consistency between the brain and heart was observed. Sixty people participated in this study.

A neurologist at the Hadassah Clinic branch of the Skolkovo International Medical Cluster

“The Access Bars technique from a neurological point of view has a basis in neuroscience and is justified enough to be used in the treatment of anxiety disorder at the very least.”

According to the expert, the Access Bars technique was studied in England on police officers who had previously been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It was shown that the technique clearly reduces the level of anxiety, depression in these patients and thus leads to an improvement in their general well-being and condition.

Since Access Bars is somewhat similar to meditation – a practice that has been studied in neurology and rehabilitative medicine before and has indeed shown improvement in patients – we can assume that Access Bars will also be effective in relieving stress, anxiety and improving mood.

The neurologist notes that any technique in isolation works worse than their combination. Everything about relaxation techniques (be it meditation, yoga, breathing techniques), they are a kind of supplement or are included in combination with other types of therapy – both drug and non-drug.

The Access Bars technique itself has some validity. However, there is a need for larger studies involving different groups of patients, perhaps not only with PTSD, but also with generalized anxiety disorder, which we often see in the outpatient practice of a neurologist. It would be interesting to see how this would work.

Additional aspects of Access bars

In order to use the technique, it is necessary to know the correct location of all 32 “bars” and the order in which to apply them, as each point is associated with a specific area of life.

It is important to learn the exact technique of working with the “bars”. Incorrect or rough movements can lead to undesirable consequences for a person: painful sensations, depressed state or, on the contrary, to excessive emotionality and rash actions.

Without proper training, the future master will not get the opportunity to practice his skills under the guidance of experienced mentors, as it happens at training programs. Therefore, learning and applying Access bars techniques on one’s own is a dangerous decision.