Craniosacral Therapy

Craniosacral “balancing” or “unwinding” was popularized by Osteopath, Dr. John E. Upledger in the 1970s. He studied the work of Dr. W. G. Sutherland who founded Cranial Osteopathy and he then went on to do further research to learn how Dr. Sutherland’s theories actually worked. Dr. Sutherland tapped into the relationship between the central nervous system and the cerebrospinal fluid. He referred to the cerebrospinal fluid as the physical manifestation of our spirit.

The central nervous system communicates with the cerebrospinal fluid and our cerebrospinal fluid in turn communicates with the tapestry of connective tissue that runs throughout our entire body. When we experience stress, trauma (emotional or physical) or injury to the body it disrupts the metabolism of the tissues ultimately causing structural and energetic imbalance. Stress can be traced back to almost all ailments and tensions that exist in our body. Craniosacral balancing allows the innate wisdom that rests within the cerebrospinal fluid to do what it needs to balance and restore health to the body. Therefore, Craniosacral sessions may affect the body and mind in a very profound way.

When you receive a Craniosacral treatment, you remain clothed and lie on a massage table. Similar to Reiki, the practitioner places their hands on the body with a very light touch. The practitioner is “listening” to the respiration and tides of the cerebrospinal fluid in the tissues. By doing so, this allows the patient to go into a very deeply relaxed state and the body will begin to adjust and naturally restore balance to the tissues. The practitioner is in essence a participant in the healing by creating a place where the body and spirit can feel safe and protected in order to do this deep work.

Whenever you pursue holistic methods of healing, you need to consider that each session you have is like taking a dose of medicine. You can’t expect to be completely healed in one session. It takes years for the body to experience the effects of stress, so it may take several sessions to reach your goals.

If you'd like more a more detailed explanation, please visit the following websites:
www.positivehealth.com
Craniosacral Therapy Educational Trust
www.learningdiscoveries.org