biodynamic craniosacral therapy

Craniosacral therapy has its roots in the work of the pioneering osteopath Dr William Garner Sutherland. He discovered that the fluid that bathes the brain and spine moves with a slow rhythmic tide that breathes all the tissues of the body with a slow respiratory motion which he named primary respiration. The free flow of this tide like motion is the sign and source of health in the body.

Conversely, within this motion there will be restrictions, like boulders in a river. They are the response of the body to the conditions of life - accidents, traumas of all kinds (not only physical) and stresses.

Craniosacral therapists are trained to palpate these motions - to feel them through touch. The role of the therapist is to offer a space in which the body may, if it wishes, choose to let go of some of these stuck places.

Craniosacral therapy is one of the few therapies in which the body gets to tell its story.

Craniosacral therapy and birth

For most people, birth is one the most traumatic experiences of their whole life! Craniosacral therapy has developed a reputation as a therapy that can address and treat common infant problems such as colic, sleep problems and sucking difficulties, often quite rapidly. Like many craniosacral therapists, I love working with babies.

Learn more

Try the website of the CSTA (the Craniosacral therapy association), with whom I am registered.

Press cuttings

View some press articles on craniosacral therapy

FAQ

• What happens in a session?

  You lie fully clothed on a treatment table (or sit if more comfortable). The practitioner makes light contact over your clothes, and then 'tunes in' to you. The treatment is normally carried out in quiet, but there may be some talking too as the body tells its story.

• How many treatments will it take to...?

  I don't know. Your body knows why it is there. Often, the first thing that changes isn't what we came in for; but it is always the right thing for us.

• Isn't this the same as cranial osteopathy?

  It depends upon the practitioner...
  The emphasis in cranial osteopathy is more mechanical, whilst craniosacral therapists are often more attuned to the emotional and mental layers of the work. Having said that, Dr Sutherland was himself a deeply spiritual man who felt his work to be at one with his beliefs.

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© Michael Lavocah 2007 - 2009