Craniosacral Therapy

In March 2014, after the Bali Spirit Festival (quite a pop, by the way, the event) and my workshop in Kuta I got to craniosacral therapy session with a remarkable Russian physician Oleg Khudziev (who resides in Bali) — got seemingly spontaneously, Oleg was interested in past life regression (I`m past life regression theraist), and I decide to try craniosacral, which occasionally heard positive feedback from friends. The session made a strong impression, which I did not expect. Prior to that, from such practices, I tried several times to recieve Reiki from different masters, but felt absolutely nothing.

Here I immediately felt that the body goes into a state of deep trance without any verbal guidance, just by «holding palms on» and begins by itself to recover from old injuries and relieving the hidden tension. I decided to learn more about this practice. Soon during Yoga Rainbow Festival in Turkey our Thai Massage teacher Leila (Metta School) told me that they invited to Moscow an English craniosacral therapy teacher Rosemary Wallace, the course is five days with a full load, Rosemary teaches only in small groups, and only one spot remained. Puzzle formed.

Rosemary looks like a merry old hippie, very attentive, feels and sees the problem and enslavement of the human body literally from the first minute. She is also tanato therapist (working with the dying, preparing their minds to move). She maybe about 70 years old, but she moves and speaks like 30 years younger. Information on her website is humble, though seems she studied all her life. She likes Acro Yoga, for which she was joking she criticized by her own children — say «undignified for the British lady in a certain age … » Schedule of her courses is made in a couple of years ahead.

So I took this course, having received from the teacher, watching how I do a session, simple but valuable words to me: «You are doing good stuff».
This has opened up new horizons in the study of working with the body and mind. How many amazing hidden mechanisms in the human being! Such knowledge gives taste and interest to live, learn the Universe and gives ability to help people. I am only at the very beginning of this journey, but the technique works great and is already giving practical results.

What is CranioSacral Therapy? (Description from Upledger Institute)

CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is a gentle, hands-on approach that releases tensions deep in the body to relieve pain and dysfunction and improve whole-body health and performance. It was pioneered and developed by Osteopathic Physician John E. Upledger after years of clinical testing and research at Michigan State University where he served as professor of biomechanics.

Using a soft touch which is generally no greater than 5 grams – about the weight of a nickel – practitioners release restrictions in the soft tissues that surround the central nervous system. CST is increasingly used as a preventive health measure for its ability to bolster resistance to disease, and it»s effective for a wide range of medical problems associated with pain and dysfunction.

How does CranioSacral Therapy Work?

Few structures have as much influence over the body’s ability to function properly as the brain and spinal cord that make up the central nervous system. And, the central nervous system is heavily influenced by the craniosacral system – the membranes and fluid that surround, protect and nourish the brain and spinal cord.

Every day your body endures stresses and strains that it must work to compensate for. Unfortunately, these changes often cause body tissues to tighten and distort the craniosacral system. These distortions can then cause tension to form around the brain and spinal cord resulting in restrictions. This can create a barrier to the healthy performance of the central nervous system, and potentially every other system it interacts with.

Fortunately, such restrictions can be detected and corrected using simple methods of touch. With a light touch, the CST practitioner uses his or her hands to evaluate the craniosacral system by gently feeling various locations of the body to test for the ease of motion and rhythm of the cerebrospinal fluid pulsing around the brain and spinal cord. Soft-touch techniques are then used to release restrictions in any tissues influencing the craniosacral system.
By normalizing the environment around the brain and spinal cord and enhancing the body’s ability to self-correct, CranioSacral Therapy is able to alleviate a wide variety of dysfunctions, from chronic pain and sports injuries to stroke and neurological impairment.

What conditions does CranioSacral Therapy address?

Migraines and Headaches
Chronic Neck and Back Pain
Autism
Stress and Tension-Related Disorders
Motor-Coordination Impairments
Infant and Childhood Disorders
Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries
Chronic Fatigue
Fibromyalgia
TMJ Syndrome
Scoliosis
Central Nervous System Disorders
Learning Disabilities
ADD/ADHD
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Orthopedic Problems
And Many Other Conditions

How many CranioSacral Therapy sessions will I need?

Response to CST varies from individual to individual and condition to condition. Your response is uniquely your own and can»t be compared to anyone else»s — even those cases that may appear to be similar to your own. The number of sessions needed varies widely — from just one up to three or more a week over the course of several weeks.

When was CranioSacral Therapy developed?

It was in 1970, during a neck surgery in which he was assisting, that osteopathic physician John E. Upledger first observed the rhythmic movement of what would soon be identified as the craniosacral system. None of his colleagues nor any of the medical texts at the time could explain this discovery, however.

His curiosity piqued, Dr. Upledger began searching for the answer. He started with the research of Dr. William Sutherland, the father of cranial osteopathy. For some 20 years beginning in the early 1900s, Sutherland had explored the concept that the bones of the skull were structured to allow for movement. For decades after, this theory remained at odds with the beliefs of the scientific and medical communities. Dr. Upledger believed, however, that if Sutherland’s theory of cranial movement was in fact true, this would help explain, and make feasible, the existence of the rhythm he had encountered in surgery.

It was at this point that Dr. Upledger set out to scientifically confirm the existence of cranial bone motion. From 1975 to 1983 he served as clinical researcher and Professor of Biomechanics at Michigan State University, where he supervised a team of anatomists, physiologists, biophysicists and bioengineers in research and testing. The results not only confirmed Sutherland’s theory, but led to clarification of the mechanisms behind this motion — the craniosacral system. Dr. Upledger’s continued work in the field ultimately resulted in his development of CranioSacral Therapy.

Rosemary Wallace has over 20 years of practicing and teaching a unique system of Integrated CranioSacral Biodynamics and her own method Gentle Touch. She began her studies at the Upledger Institute of Craniosacral therapy and Osteopathy, and accredited by the National Association of British healers.