Craniosacral Therapy developed out of Cranial Osteopathy, a specialization of the Osteopathic profession introduced to the world in the 1930s by American Osteopath and Visionary, William Garner Sutherland.
The Craniosacral System includes the cerebrospinal fluid, the brain, the system of membranes surrounding the brain and the spinal cord, all 22 cranial bones of the skull, the spine and the sacrum. Craniosacral Therapies use subtle and gentle hands-on techniques to help optimize the position, fluid movement (wave), and energy (piezoelectric charge and chi) of the craniosacral system, guiding us back to a state of balance around a midline, and allowing us to open to a deeper state of stillness and calm.
A typical Craniosacral session is performed with the client fully clothed. The practitioner places their hands lightly on the client, tuning in by listening with their hands or, in Sutherland's words, "with thinking fingers". A practitioner's sense of being in tune with the client is described as "entrainment". Clients often report a sense of deep relaxation during and after a treatment session.
Working with the Craniosacral System can have a profound effect in balancing the Nervous System. It can be part of a treatment plan for autoimmune and stress related illnesses, headaches, neck pain, traumatic brain injury, temporal mandibular joint syndrome, and other types of conditions caused by physical, emotional, and spiritual tensions.
Craniosacral Therapy encourages and facilitates the body’s natural healing mechanisms to engage more fully, enhancing overall health and strengthening resistance to disease.
