Craniosacral therapy (CST) involves light holding of the skull and sacrum and scarcely noticeable movements the action of craniosacral therapy is subtle and has profound health benefits. Practitioners believe that the tiny manipulations of CST affect the pressure and circulation of cerebrospinal fluid, the fluid that surrounds and cushions the brain and spinal cord.
The modern founder of CST, John Upledger, an osteopath, is one of the most famous personalities in complementary and alternative medicine. He says that CST “works with natural and unique rhythms of our different body systems to pinpoint and correct source problems.”
What is Craniosacral therapy?
Craniosacral therapy is a branch of Osteopathy developed in the 1970’s, it’s a hands-on treatment that can be very relaxing to receive. Through mindful touch it improves one’s self awareness and helps to release tension and improve self-regulation by connecting the receiver to deeper states of ease in themselves, harnessing their natural reserves of energy.
- Is it like a massage?
Not really. Sessions are given on a massage table but they don’t involve oil, adjustments, or pressure. The receiver is fully clothed and the therapist offers a very gentle touch or holding areas of your body. For example, cradling the back of your head, resting a hand beneath your spine or gently contacting any area that needs some attention.
- Is Biodynamic Craniosacral therapy different?
Yes. Some forms of Cranial Osteopathy offer manipulation but Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy (BCST) uses the approach of not adding any external forces to the system. Instead we focus on enabling the body to remember itself and to initiate its own priorities for healing. In this way resolution comes from within and teaches us about our innate capacity for healing. This is what makes BCST a very sustainable practice because it reduces the culture of dependency on therapists to go and get ‘fixed’.
- So, what does a Biodynamic Craniosacral therapist do?
We listen, mirror, appreciate and enhance. The touch we offer is like shining a light into a dark room to help orientate the receiver to become more comfortable in their surroundings. We work alongside the innate Intelligence of the body (referred to in the work as ‘the breath of life’ which expresses itself through the movement of cerebral spinal fluid) that continually forms and organises us, protects and heals us. The touch reminds our clients that they are inherently whole and that they are more than their pain. It’s a practice of helping people back into a sensory relationship with themselves, an art of listening that acknowledges all aspects: psychological, physical – bones, tissues and fluids – and of course historic – we all have a story and it is documented within the body.
You can think of BCST like a kind of conversation, a sensory dialogue that allows for these stories to be shared, for tensions to be released and for a return to the natural state of health.
- What can we expect in a Craniosacral session? Is the result/effect measurable?
Well before I put hands on we’ll get to know each other a little bit so we can be nice and relaxed, you’ll be invited to share your reason for receiving a session and any relevant history too, after that you’ll be invited to make yourself comfortable on the table and I guide a short exercise in tuning in to how you feel currently in your body. During the sessions, I’ll contact a few different places, staying at each one until a clearer sense of connectedness arises. Sometimes there are feelings of tingling, heat or cold, subtle movements like rocking, twitching or swirling or feelings of lengthening, widening, maybe a change in density. Experiences really differ from person to person, day to day and from therapist to therapist. This is because BCST is a relational therapy that doesn’t have a set sequence, the aim is to meet you wherever you’re at and assist in re-establishing a more wholesome feeling. Most people emerge from a session feeling a lot calmer, as if coming around from a really good sleep.
- So, it’s not just like taking a relaxing nap then, there’s much more to it?
Definitely. I like receivers to take an equal role in their process by following what they are feeling and sometimes describing it to me. By sharing what they sense and how their relationship is to that place we begin a dialogue that leads to deeper embodiment. You can imagine it like a guided meditation or Yoga Nidra that has the added somatic benefit of touch to anchor the awareness.
- How is this different from Reiki?
It’s different from Reiki because we don’t try to channel any kind of external healing force. Practitioners train over many years in detailed anatomy and physiology and learn to enhance their skills of palpation to perceive very subtle sensations. Whilst we do appreciate the energetic fields (the biosphere, the electromagnetic heart field, embryonic resonance) our practice is grounded in the body. The body contains the wisdom to heal itself, it’s just that sometimes the conditions of modern life disconnect us from our access to that wisdom. Practitioners have a therapeutic effect upon their clients because they listen, not because they ‘do’.
- Does it help us to harness our internal healing properties?
Absolutely.
- What are the various conditions where Biodynamic Craniosacral therapy can help?
This therapy is great for new-borns, helping them to come fully into their bodies and the world around them and assisting their cranial bones to naturally realign after birth and treating colic or feeding issues. For adults, it can help with managing pain and reducing symptoms of stress. BCST stimulates the vagus nerve and reconnects us to our parasympathetic nervous system – rest and digest mode – which subsequently helps to reduce inflammation (a chronic condition of the times – arthritis, gastrointestinal disorders, migraines, etc) and brings us back into our social nervous system instead of our fight or flight reflex. It’s also used for releasing trauma by coming back into a safe sense of being in the present moment. This therapy can also be hugely beneficial for athletes and Yoga practitioners, improving their sense of proprioception and increasing sensitivity, thereby reducing injuries. I’ve found it incredibly beneficial for my meditation practice.
- Is there any condition where this therapy should not be used?
In cases of severe head trauma, I leave it a few weeks for swelling to reduce, and there are some conditions in which people find physical contact distressing, so this is not appropriate. Otherwise it is beneficial for anyone, at any stage of life.
- How many sessions would one need before getting the expected results?
This is very personal and depends on the reason for seeking treatment. For some the effects are immediate, but in chronic cases where there has been a long period of disconnection (for example chronic fatigue, freeze states or old injuries) it can take many sessions just to begin to feel in ones’ body again. I always work with the pacing of the individual and embodiment cannot be rushed, it’s is a slow and tender process of rediscovery. I personally receive sessions every month or so because it offers me the opportunity to be witnessed as I resource. It’s a bit like if you’ve ever meditated with a friend or in a dedicated sangha – have you noticed how the capacity to focus and the shared sense of peace is more palpable? That’s what Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy offers.
My Experience -Camilla Way – Yoga Teacher and Mother:
‘I didn’t know much about Craniosacral but I’d suffered with anxiety for years and although yoga and meditation helped I went through phases where I felt healing was necessary. When my anxiety is at its peak I get tension around my sternum, it can make me feel breathless, mentally blocked and at worse completely panicked leading to bouts of depression. Being around Jade is calming, as she has an aura of non-judgement and deep compassion. For a while I felt nothing then a slight tingling and fuzzing. She seemed to be tapping into the rhythm of my body and as she did, so did I. During one session, I had a huge wave of emotion that appeared to come from nowhere….my chest pulsed and lifted, I was tearful, then it left as smoothly as it had come and I felt a deep sense of calm and release. I didn’t have to ‘do’ anything as Jade intuitively moved around my body, I became aware of my emotional blocks and their physical tension and with this awareness I could simply release and let go. When I became pregnant with Charlie I went to see Jade as I felt it would be good for us to feel as calm and connected as possible and then at 6 months we both went to see her again as I was feeling exhausted and disconnected. This helped him to have the most peaceful start possible in his life. It’s hard be precise about what Craniosacral does, it’s so gentle and intrinsically pure, it definitely aided with a feeling of ease, calm and helped me find deeper sleep.’
By: Jade Wood
Yin Yoga Teacher Trainer
Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapist
www.jadewoodyoga.com
Jade is a Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapist and Yin Yoga teacher from England. She specialises in offering practices that honour each individual’s soulful connection with their body. She trained with Franklyn Sills, Paul Grilley, the School of Sacred Arts and Body Intelligence. As a child she was inspired by her Grandmother’s healing touch and is qualified in Thai massage, Shiatsu and abdominal massage. She leads teacher trainings globally, integrating embodied anatomy with Yoga to promote profound experiences of healing. She will be offering BCST sessions at Naya Yoga and Pilates in Motor City during October and her Yin teacher training from Sept 29th-Oct 7th. She will also be teaching and speaking at Yogafest Middle East.