CranioSacral Therapy, CST for short, is a development of osteopathy and cranial osteopathy focused primarily on releasing restrictions in the dural membrane system and the vital cerebrospinal fluid it contains. CST practitioners find that working with this primary focus helps to release restriction at many other levels as well, either directly or indirectly, especially in the nervous system and digestive system. CST can give the body a wide ranging health boost and is also an excellent way, through monitoring the craniosacral rhythm and fascial tension, of locating key restrictions which may be the deeper root of a health concern.
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A diagram of the dural membrane system
showing how intimately it is linked with
the nervous system.
"What is softer than water? Yet nothing
can resist it." Lao Tzu
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SOME OF THE KEY FEATURES OF CST
- It's truly holistic, an opportunity to all aspects of life, health and happiness at all physical and energetic levels.
- It's gentle yet powerful, using light touch and focused intention
- It uses no medication or specialised equipment
- It's empowering for patient and therapist, "the patient is doing the healing"
- It makes efficient use of treatment time
- It's easily processed by the body
- It's both technical and creative, a left and right brain approach
- It can incorporate all of the practitioner's and patient's other therapeutic and life experience
- It's a gentle, listening way of giving treatment, as much as a range of skills
I combine the very gentle craniosacral techniques of focused intention with energy work to give treatment over a distance. Remotely given treatment is quite different to hands-on work but it can still be very helpful. More about remote treatment.
UPLEDGER CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY
There are several different schools of CranioSacral Therapy, the one I trained with and went on to work with is the Upledger Institute. As far as I'm aware, Dr John Upledger was the originator of CranioSacral Therapy and also of the excellent SomatoEmotional release work, SER. No doubt similar ideas occur to different people around the world when the time is right for them. I don't know much about the other schools but I can certainly recommend the Upledger training and whole philosophy very highly indeed for any fellow practitioner.
I've also practised with friends who have trained in Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, a whole different world. The main thing I've learned through working with them so far is to look for deeper levels within the still point, fascinating stuff.
LINKS
Upledger UK. The UK training establishment for Upledger CranioSacral Therapy
"Your Inner Physician and You" by Dr John Upledger, a fascinating read, telling the story of how Upledger observed the craniosacral rhythm while assisting in a spinal operation and went on to develop CranioSacral Therapy.
