CranioSacral Therapy

I use CranioSacral Therapy as one tool to release the physical, mental and emotional patterns which are specifically stored in the tissue memory.

In CST, I follow the inner wisdom of your body to release the experiential memory and emotional energy stored in the tissues. Once the restrictions are removed, your body is able to reorganize in a more functional physical way.

What is CranioSacral Therapy (CST)?

CranioSacral Therapy is a light-touch manual therapy which addresses restrictions in the craniosacral system - the membranes and fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord.

This vital system extends from the bones of the skull, face and mouth (which make up the cranium) down to the tailbone area (sacrum). CST works by helping the body's natural healing mechanisms dissipate the negative effects of stress on the central nervous system. The role of this system in the development and performance of the brain and spinal cord is so vital that an imbalance or dysfunction in it can cause sensory, motor and/or neurological disabilities.

Like a cardiovascular pulse, the craniosacral system has a rhythm that can be felt throughout the body. Using a touch generally no heavier than the weight of a nickel, I monitor the pulse at different points in the body to detect and evaluate obstructions in the body's systems. I then use delicate manual techniques to release those problem sites and help your body self-correct.

Conditions CranioSacralTherapy (CST) can help

The benefit of a healthy CranioSacral system is a central nervous system free of restrictions and a body that's able to return to its greatest levels of performance.

Because of its influence on the functioning of the central nervous system, CST can benefit your body in a number of ways - from bolstering overall health and resistance to disease to alleviating a wide range of specific medical conditions.

The following conditions may be resolved or improved with treatment:

• migraines and headaches
• chronic neck and back pain
• scoliosis
• motor-coordination impairments
• infantile disorders
• emotional difficulties
• stress and tension-related problems
• chronic fatigue
• TMJ syndrome
• brain & spinal cord injuries
• fibromyalgia
• orthopedic problems
• post-traumatic stress disorder

What you may experience during a session

Your experiences during a CST session will be as unique as you yourself are.

Experiences vary from session to session since each session your body is releasing different layers of the pattern. There is no right or wrong way to "feel" during the sessions and regardless of how you experience the treatments, the sessions will provide the perfect healing that you need in that specific moment. At times, you may deeply relax or fall asleep; at other times, you may talk, recalling memories or expressing emotions which are being unlocked by the treatment. You may hardly feel the evaluation and treatment or you may note sensations such as heat and/or pulsing in specific areas and movement in tissues as your body unwinds.

At various times, you might recall circumstances surrounding a past shock, trauma or injury. Releasing and re-experiencing past hurts assists your body in reversing dysfunction and returning to a more natural place of optimal healing and harmony.

Unless the session involves other massage techniques, CST is performed while you are lying on your back, supported if needed, and fully clothed. To enhance the soothing experience, you are covered with a sheet and blanket, unless otherwise requested. I often play chakra balancing music in the background to take advantage of the sound vibration. Your preferences are vital. If you need something different than what I provide, all you have to do is ask!

What you may experience following a session

During a session, your body is asked to let go of its organized, yet often dysfunctional patterns, in order to find a better way of organizing.

It is for this reason that following a session you may experience differing sensations. There may be increased energy or, instead, feelings of fatigue. Immediate reduction of pain or an increase in function after the session can occur, or there might be a more gradual improvement over several days. You may notice a change in your emotional outlook and even a return of sense of humor.

The immediate results, like what you may experience during the session, can vary for each unique individual as well as for yourself during different sessions. Since CST helps your body to resume its natural healing processes, it is common for improvement to continue days and weeks after the session. Sometimes keeping notes or a journal can assist in tracking the changes over this time period.

CranioSacral Therapy for children

An imbalance or dysfunction in the CranioSacral System can cause sensory, motor and/or neurological disabilities.

Carried out within the first few days of birth or beyond, CST can potentially reduce a wide variety of difficulties, many of which might not become apparent until the child is in school.

The following conditions may be avoided or improved by treating newborns and children:

• colic
• Klumpke's, Cerebral & Erb's Palsy
• vomiting
• hearing problems
• reflux
• motor problems
• seizures
• strabismus
• dyslexia
• autism
• sucking difficulties
• abnormal fears
• birth trauma
• torticollis or wry neck
• chronic ear infections
• hyperkinetic behavior
• Down's Syndrome
• hydrocephalus

What is an energy cyst and why is it important?

An energy cyst is made up of excess chaotic energy resulting from a trauma to the body in which the body was not able to release this excess energy.

Simple said, we have our own, natural internal energy. When we experience a trauma from the outside, it has it's own energy that is not part of our system and which the body then has to deal with and manage so that the impact of the natural flow of energy is minimized.

Traumas can come many forms:

• External physical trauma like from a fall or accident
• Pathogenic invasion like an acute virus or bacteria
• Physiological dysfunction such as a chronic disease
• Mental and/or emotional issues in the form on an ongoing dsyfunctional relationship or an isolated event which created a strong mental or emotional reaction

Three main factors determine whether the body will be able to release the excess energy from a trauma:

• Quantity of energy received
• Previous injuries and the current condition in the region of the trauma
• Emotional state of the mind when the trauma occurs

So why are energy cysts a problem for the body?

The energy cyst represents a localized area of contained energy that becomes an area of dysfunction. This dysfunctional area does not cooperate with normal tissue and fluid motion, thus it inhibits normal body function, forcing the body to expend energy to create an adaptive pattern.

For a period of time a healthy body can adapt to and work around these energy cysts. However, the long term energy drain takes a toll and over time the body becomes fatigued and the adaptive pattern begins to lose some of its effectiveness. Symptoms and problems will begin to appear which can no longer be ignored. This is why sometimes problems from an injury or accident do not fully show up until months or even years later and at that point we don't always connect them to their point of origin.

It has been shown that if strong negative emotions are dominant during the trauma, the injury forces are more likely to be retained and an energy cyst will form. Once these negative feelings are discovered and released, the bodily dysfunction and its accompanying symptoms typically resolve themselves.

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