What is craniosacral therapy?
Craniosacral therapy is a very gentle type of bodywork, safe for all ages, including infants, children, and the elderly, as well as during pregnancy.
Craniosacral therapy supports the healing process, no matter what the condition, whether acute or chronic. It promotes emotional, mental, and physical well-being.
How does craniosacral therapy work?
The goal of craniosacral therapy is to help rebalance the primary respiratory rhythm in all tissues of the body, by assisting the body to release tension and restrictions in the connective tissue (fascia, ligaments, tendons, meninges, etc).
By very gently touching the patient’s fully clothed body in various places, the therapist listens to, follows, and supports the patient’s inherent healing force. A disturbed rhythm in any part of the body tells the therapist where work needs to be done.
Craniosacral therapy supports the body’s own healing process.
The therapist needs to set aside all ego, biases, and desires for certain outcomes. The patient’s inherent healing force knows exactly what needs to be done, when, to what degree, how much, for how long, and very importantly, in what order.
Thus, it may surprise the patient, and sometimes the therapist, when the healing process focuses on areas of the body that the patient is totally unconcerned about, instead of those areas that are causing distress to the patient. If the therapist listens and follows without reservation, it invariably turns out that other things had to be cleared up before the main complaints of the patient could be addressed.
Patients feel very relaxed during the session, as they slip into a deep parasympathetic state. It is in this state, which predominates when we sleep, that the body does its repair and maintenance work. That is why sleep is so necessary and restorative.
The effects of craniosacral therapy continue beyond the session.
Craniosacral therapy continues to do its magic for a few days following the session. Patients may experience little aches in various parts of their bodies, which are of a transient nature. They may also notice that they hold themselves differently, move with more ease, and become calmer, not allowing stress to affect them in the usual way.
There’s so much more to craniosacral therapy than meets the eye. For more information, please read my blogs on the history, philosophical underpinnings, and applications of craniosacral therapy…