The Emotion Code Chart Explained: How It Guides a Session
The Emotion Code chart is a reference tool used by practitioners to identify trapped emotions stored in the body. Organised into two columns and six rows, it lists 60 distinct emotions grouped by their associated organ systems. Muscle testing is used alongside the chart to pinpoint which specific emotion needs to be released during a session.
What exactly is the Emotion Code chart and where did it come from?
The Emotion Code chart was developed by Dr Bradley Nelson, a chiropractor and energy healer, and published in his book The Emotion Code in 2007. It categorises 60 emotions into a structured grid, grouping them by the organ or glandular system most associated with each emotional frequency, drawing on both traditional Chinese medicine meridian theory and modern energy medicine principles.
The chart is the cornerstone of the Emotion Code method. Rather than asking a client to talk through every possible feeling they have ever experienced, the chart gives a practitioner a systematic, organised starting point. Think of it less like a list of feelings you might journal about and more like a map. It narrows a vast landscape of possible emotional experiences down into a workable, navigable grid so that the body’s own intelligence can guide the process efficiently.
The 60 emotions are divided into two columns, A and B, and six rows, each row corresponding to a particular organ pairing drawn from Chinese medicine. For example, emotions connected to the heart and small intestine sit in one row, while those connected to the kidneys and bladder sit in another. This structure reflects the long-held understanding in Eastern medicine that organs carry emotional resonance, not just physical function.
How does muscle testing work with the Emotion Code chart?
Muscle testing, also called applied kinesiology or kinesiology-based testing, is used alongside the Emotion Code chart to identify which trapped emotion is present. The practitioner asks yes-or-no questions while monitoring subtle changes in the body’s energetic response, either through direct physical testing or, in remote sessions, through a proxy method. The chart narrows the search so that testing can zero in on a specific emotion quickly.
The process works in layers. A practitioner might first test whether a trapped emotion is in column A or column B. Then they test which row, one through six. That combination points to a small cluster of emotions within the chart. From there, further testing identifies the exact emotion. Once confirmed, the practitioner uses a magnet or the palm of the hand, drawn along the governing meridian (a central energy channel running along the spine), to release the identified energy.
What makes this approach feel quite different from conventional talk therapy is the efficiency of it. A client does not need to consciously remember when or why an emotion became trapped. The chart and the body work together to surface what is ready to be released, even if the conscious mind has long since moved on from the original event. Many people find this especially helpful for experiences they struggle to articulate or memories that feel too raw to revisit in detail.
Why are emotions grouped by organ systems on the chart?
Emotions are grouped by organ systems on the Emotion Code chart because traditional Chinese medicine has for centuries mapped specific emotional frequencies to specific organs. The liver, for instance, is associated with anger and frustration. The lungs are connected to grief. The kidneys hold fear. The chart translates this ancient framework into a practical clinical tool that a modern practitioner can use methodically within a session.
This grouping does more than organise the list neatly. It provides useful context once an emotion is identified. If the muscle testing points to an emotion in the heart row, a practitioner knows to consider not just the emotional content but also whether that energetic pattern may be contributing to physical sensations or vulnerabilities in the corresponding area of the body. Dr Nelson’s model suggests that trapped emotions are literally balls of energy that can distort the body’s tissue and field, potentially contributing to physical discomfort over time.
It is worth noting that this framework is complementary in nature. Emotion Code and the chart it relies on are not diagnostic medical tools and are not a substitute for medical or psychological care. They work alongside other support, not instead of it. At Zoe Bentley Healing, sessions are offered in that spirit: a gentle, supportive addition to whatever else a client is doing for their health and wellbeing.
What happens after an emotion is identified on the chart?
Once the Emotion Code chart and muscle testing have pinpointed a specific trapped emotion, the practitioner releases it by running a magnet or their hand along the governing meridian three times. This is believed to amplify the body’s own intention to let the emotion go. After the release, the practitioner checks whether more trapped emotions are ready to be addressed in the same session, or whether the body needs time to process what has already shifted.
Processing time is real and worth understanding. After a session, some people notice a distinct lightness almost immediately. Others experience a brief period of heightened emotion, vivid dreams or fatigue as the body integrates the shift. Dr Nelson’s research and practitioner experience suggest that the body can typically process the release of up to around ten emotions comfortably before needing a break, which is why sessions are not simply marathon clearing exercises.
For clients working through longstanding patterns, such as chronic anxiety, persistent physical tension or emotional blocks that seem to resurface no matter what they try, multiple sessions build on each other. Each session uses the same chart and the same muscle-testing process, but the emotions that surface change as deeper layers become accessible. Many clients describe this as peeling back layers, with each session revealing something a little closer to the root of what has been holding them back.
How does the Emotion Code chart fit into the broader Body Code and Belief Code systems?
The Emotion Code chart sits within a larger framework. Dr Nelson went on to develop the Body Code system, which expands well beyond trapped emotions to address imbalances across six categories: energies, circuits and systems, toxins, pathogens, structural misalignments and nutrition. The Belief Code adds a further layer, addressing limiting beliefs and negative thought patterns held in the subconscious. The Emotion Code chart remains the foundation of all three systems, because trapped emotions are so frequently at the root of other imbalances.
Think of it as an expanding map. The Emotion Code chart is the starting point, the most targeted and immediate tool. The Body Code and Belief Code build outward from there, addressing the fuller picture of why someone may feel stuck, unwell or unable to move forward despite their best efforts at every other level.
At Zoe Bentley Healing, all three modalities are offered alongside yoga therapy and holistic counselling, creating a genuinely whole-person approach to wellbeing. Whether you are curious about which trapped emotions might be influencing how you feel, or you are ready to work through something specific, the chart is always where a session begins: a simple, elegant grid that gives your body a voice.
Book an Emotion Code session with Zoe Bentley Healing to experience the chart in action.