“If you just allow your body and mind to rest, the healing will come by itself.”
- Thich Nhat Hanh
About Craniosacral Therapy
What is Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy?
Biodynamic craniosacral therapy (BCST) is a bit of a mouthful, but it is much simpler than it sounds. This gentle form of manual therapy involves educated, non-invasive touch in the form of a series of "holds", or contacts made by the practitioner in a variety of locations on the client's body. These holds are extremely light, gentle and still, and each one may last anywhere from a minute or two to more than ten (or more!) minutes, depending on the specific needs and comfort levels of the client. Unlike massage, BCST does not involve manipulating (rubbing or kneading) the soft tissues of the body.
What can Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy help me with?
A key focus of BCST is nervous system regulation, which plays a critical role in how well you heal from injury, illness, or any of life's challenges. A balanced, regulated nervous system can support the resolution of conditions resulting from stress and trauma and encourage tissue healing, inflammation reduction, and improved immune system function.
Many clients find that BCST can offer relief from:
-stress and anxiousness
-pain
Many clients also find that BCST supports them in:
-increasing their ability to relax
-expanding their body awareness
-changing their attitudes towards their own health and well-being
-improving their overall quality of life
How this manifests can vary from person to person. To determine what BCST does for YOU, in the next few days after your session, take time to check in with yourself and note any changes you observe. Useful questions to ask yourself can include:
What is the quality of my sleep?
How is my digestion?
How relaxed am I feeling?
How is my overall experience of life?
What is a typical session like?
Sessions can vary from practitioner to practitioner, but a typical session with me will begin by sitting and chatting about relevant goals or health concerns that you would like to work on in the session.
After our conversation, you can move to the massage table, where you will lie down, fully clothed, on your back or your side in a way that is most comfortable for you. Your feelings of comfort, ease and safety are of paramount importance in a BCST session, and so it is essential for you to know that you can ask for whatever adjustments you need (temperature, lighting, pillows/blankets, music/silence). Think of your BCST session as a collaborative process that you and I co-create together to help ensure that what unfolds in the session is about you and your comfort and enjoyment.
Following this, I begin a series of different holds that connect with different parts of your body. I may start at your head, or feet, or somewhere else, spending anywhere from one to ten (or more) minutes at this location. From there, I will move to the next area of your body that needs support, using the contact that feels the best for you, and letting you know before I make each move.
During the holds, I will quietly, gently hold parts of your body, feeling for subtle sensations and tracking changes in your system. I may ask you from time to time what you are experiencing and will help you to stay present for whatever you experience.
There will be periods of silence interspersed with periods of conversation that are relevant to the session. Your BCST session is not the time to talk about what is happening in the news, unless it is specifically relevant to you and your health. Your BCST session is a precious, rare opportunity to tune into YOU and the workings of your marvelous physical being.
I will let you know when we are nearing the end of our time together and when I am about to step away from the massage table to conclude the appointment. I always leave a few minutes at the end of the session for you to reorient to the waking world so that you can leave your appointment feeling refreshed, relaxed and revived.
Once you are up and alert once more, I will check in with you and I might offer some home care ideas for your consideration.
