Craniosacral Therapy

Craniosacral therapy (CST) is a subtle and powerful therapy that encourages optimal function of the craniosacral system. The craniosacral system includes the brain, spinal cord and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). CSF is a fundamental fluid which both protects and delivers nutrients the brain and spinal cord, while also removing wastes and toxins. The health and flow of CSF is vital for healthy nervous system function, as it essentially provides a stable and balanced environment for the brain.

In addition to supporting the craniosacral system, CST addresses the physical symptoms of acute and chronic disease, emotional or psychological issues, or it can simply maintain wellness and vitality. The treatment method is so gentle that it is suitable for babies, children, and the elderly, as well as adults and people in fragile or acutely painful conditions. Treatment can aid almost any condition - many clients have said to me "This work just makes me feel better."

Somato-Emotional Release

SomatoEmotional Release (SER), the release of emotions held in our tissues, often accompanies a CST session. Feelings and emotions are intended to be felt and then flow right on out of the body. Let me say that again - we are meant to FEEL our feelings, but we ARE NOT our feelings.

Unexpressed feelings that are allowed to take up residence in the body create energetic blocks that can distort body structure and thus, impair bodily functions. By listening deeply we can locate these blockages and gently guide them out of the body. We can also identify and release any disempowering and limiting beliefs, replacing them with supportive truths that leave you feeling empowered in yourself.

You heal by self-correcting

Your Body is a Self-Correcting Mechanism. This is true. Just ask the Autonomic Nervous System. The ANS controls involuntary functions in the body that are critical for survival - think blood pressure, respiration, digestion, body temperature and more. Depending on the information the ANS receives from the body and external environment, it calls on either:

1) The sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight), to activate a stimulatory response such as airway dilation to make breathing easier while you run for your life from that velociraptor, or sweat your way through another day at work with the boss who is always on your back.

2) The parasympathetic nervous system (rest & restore), to activate a response beneficial in ordinary conditions, such as slowing the heart rate while you relax with a good book or by giving a green light to the digestive system after a lovely meal with your best friend.

A well regulated ANS is vital for optimal body function. But due to childhood trauma, life experiences and day to day stressful events, many of us are walking around with nervous systems that are dysregulated, where our past thoughts and memories of traumatic experiences chemically keep us in perpetual emergency mode. We actually get used to this and feel like it's a normal state of being. It isn’t! Craniosacral Therapy directly addresses nervous system regulation, effectively supporting the body’s innate ability to self-correct to homeostasis. CST practitioners understand that the body knows what it needs, as well as how to meet those needs, and that sometimes the NS operating system can glitch or get a bug and might need a re-set.