CranioSacral Therapy

What is CranioSacral Therapy?

• Cranio - involving or related to the cranium, skull bones, facial muscles and bones, brain, related microcirculatory system and fluid rhythms of the cerebral spinal fluid.
  
• Sacral - involving and completing the connection between the head and lower body, related to the sacrum, spinal cord and column, the entire nervous system and its influence on all organs and systems of the body as regulated by the brain.
  
• Therapy - the attempt to address balance, restore alignment and maximize potential in the human energy field by freeing up any restrictions due to tension, accident, injury, habitual misalignments and trauma in the physical, emotional, mental or spiritual field of the human psyche.

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How does CranioSacral Therapy work? 

CranioSacral Therapy is a comprehensive, holistic approach to healing.  It is designed to effectively treat many physical, emotional and spiritual conditions.  Gentle contacts are used to track and restore healthy rhythm and function to areas of restriction, compression or tension.   Areas of stress or trauma are stored in the tissues of the body as cellular memories.  These blocks inform the body  by sending electromagnetic signals to the nervous system.  This causes the body to have to spend even MORE energy to negotiate with the blockages in a desperate attempt to return to normal functioning. 

CranioSacral practitioners use very light and intuitive touch to sense and release areas of restriction.  Force is never used and it is a principle of this therapy that by honoring the innate wisdom of your body, going slowly and softly yields results that are far more profound and lasting.  By abiding by this natural intelligence, YOU are allowing healing to occur.   The practitioner simply holds the sacred space for you to unwind in.   The practitioner will do this by sensing a Fluid Tide which is created by the flow of the cerebral spinal fluid through the brain and spinal cord.

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A metaphorical way of explaining the fluid tide:

Imagine how the moon regulates the rhythms of the ocean’s tides. 

As the tide moves in, there is a force that moves and expands the water outwards and then reabsorbs the motion and water inwards again.  This is like an exhalation and inhalation.   Also, notice as you sit on the shore that wherever there are rocks or changes in depth, the water crashes and looses its deeper tidal flow.  This principle is the SAME in your body… wherever there is restriction or injury, your body gets stressed and dispersed and the deeper sense of depth and stillness is temporarily lost.  Also, your inner tide is regulated by the force of your higher consciousness like the moon influences the ocean!  When you are in alignment with that higher force, your awareness will be ordered around balance, homeostasis, health, vitality and coherence. If not, then we get imbalance, disease, loss of function, inertia, patterns of resistance, stress, trauma.

An attuned practitioner can feel the “rocks” and changes in the body’s rhythms and inform the practitioner of what contacts are needed in a session.  Then, since the body naturally wants to be in a normal state, the client’s  system begins to spontaneously readjust itself .  This self-correction takes place as physical movements, breathing changes, tissue and emotional release.  As the restrictions and limitations get dropped, these changes actually become a realignment to your innate wholeness, health and vitality.  In other words, CranioSacral Therapy is a way to cultivate inner development and say “YES” to co-evolution with the universal laws of life!

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What symptoms have been treated with CranioSacral therapy?

We never restrict the miracle of the power of touch and healing which goes to say, anything is possible!   However, thanks to remarkable research and documentation (esp. by Dr. John Upledger and the Upledger Institute),  CranioSacral Therapy is recognized as a means to improve and even alleviate a wide range of symptoms in adults and children associated with the following conditions and injuries:  pain, numbness, stiffness, stress, headaches, migraines, poor circulation, ADHD, arthritis, asthma, autism, back pain, cancer, chronic fatigue and depression, digestive problems, exhaustion, frozen shoulder, hormonal imbalance, immune system disorders, insomnia, organ problems, menstrual pain, premenstrual syndrome, sciatica, sinusitis, spinal tension, injury, tinnitus, TMJ , hearing and visual disturbances, whiplash , respiratory and allergy problems, physical/emotional abuse injuries, post-traumatic stress syndromes, nervous system imbalances, beneficial for proper balance of the brain, facial bones, spinal cord, nervous system, connecting tissues and organs. 

Special note on babies: 

Babies often suffer shock and trauma during the birth process.  CranioSacral treatment can correct skull deformation, temper, poor feeding and sleeping patterns, colic, etc.

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What is a session like?

Clients will remain fully dressed in loose, comfortable clothing and relax on a massage table.  The average duration of a session is 20-30 minutes for children and 45-60 minutes for adults.  Results vary according to each individual.  Most clients experience a sense of quieting and renewal.  The client may fall asleep due to dropping-in to the relaxation state.  This is normal and does not interfere with changes occurring in the treatment.  At other times in a session, deeply held memories will surface and a more active energy may be required from the client in order to support a release. This is called a Somatic Release. Somatic tools for facilitating release often include dialogue and breathing techniques. 

Many individuals feel changes and relief from symptomatic conditions immediately after a session and others notice it more gradually up to three weeks later. Most of us have conditioned ourselves to function in a stressed state. This causes tension to accumulate in our nervous system. This stress eventually misaligns your thoughts and actions. Receiving CranioSacral work is giving yourself permission to push the reset button and allow your system to clear the sympathetic system of overload from sensory "fight and flight" stimuli from your environment and activate the repair and restorative functions of the parasympathetic system. 

Changes continue to take place in your body after a session as your body naturally adjusts to be in alignment with its center.  Generally, it is advised that you not plan anything too taxing for at least a day after a session.  You will want to have time to  integrate any new awareness you may have received during the session and enjoy taking a walk, running a bath, or being with yourself in a gentle way.   

For general maintenance, it is recommended to receive at least one CranioSacral session per month.  However, several sessions may be recommended depending on your personal goal or the complexity of the condition being addressed in a session.  Think of it like this:  How long did it take for you to create all those physical and mental paradigms that put stress in the body?  It’ll take at least a few times to let it all go and create new patterns!

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Pricing and appointments:

• Each session is $110. 
• For a session in your home, an additional $25.00 is added for traveling.
• Sessions tend to get booked quickly, so please call in advance to schedule an appointment.
• If you would like additional information, please feel free to contact us via phone or email.

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Associated links:

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