Biodynamic Craniosacral
Therapy
Support Your Body’s innate Healing Intelligence
“Everything you’ll ever need to know is within you; the secrets of the universe are imprinted on the cells of your body.”
- Dan Millman
Craniosacral Therapy is a gentle and yet incredibly deep and powerful form of bodywork that works with the body’s inherent ability to heal itself. Craniosacral Therapy can be of benefit with a wide range of health issues, including:
structural issues of pain and tension
head injuries
balancing the autonomic nervous system to release stress and anxiety
recovery from trauma and emotional issues
personal and spiritual growth
help a newborn or older baby release impacts from the birth process or time in the womb.
During a session I gently hold areas of your body and listen through my hands as your body tells its story. The body speaks through its rhythms, micro-movements and through patterns held from past experiences. I facilitate the release of held patterns and a return to fuller functioning. Many people experience profound relaxation and touch places deep inside themselves that they have not connected with before. Healing can take place on the physical, emotional or mental or spiritual levels.
Craniosacral Therapy is also highly effective with babies and children. (Read more below).
“Before we started working with Ines, my son was experiencing some pronounced anxiety, hyperactivity, inability to follow classroom expectations and sensory processing challenges. Through cranio sacral therapy, Ines was able to significantly help reduce my son’s challenging behaviors. He was noticeably calmer, better focused and less anxious in the days following a session with Ines. We even saw improvements in his fine motor skills and a significant decrease in his emotional meltdowns.
Our younger son, age 2 ½ never slept longer than 2 hours at a time until he was 22 months old. Since then he has slept for longer stretches, but still would wake frequently at night. We have been taking him to see Ines for the past month and are happy to finally experience a good night’s sleep! Happily he is now sleeping through the night or only waking once and quickly falling right back to sleep on his own.
Ines, thank you for all you have done for our family. The community of Boulder is lucky to have you!”
– Lisa S., LCSW
Benefits of Craniosacral Therapy
Working with the craniosacral rhythm tends to help regulate different systems within our body. That is why it has such a wide variety of applications:
Physical – addressing issues of structural imbalance, physical pain, chronic tension, injuries to bones, connective tissue, muscles or organs, recovery from surgery, head injuries
Emotional – helping to regulate and settle intense emotional states during life transitions, as well as chronic emotional patterns
Autonomic Nervous System – helping the nervous system discharge fight or flight energy and come into more balance – applicable to working with stress or trauma
Personal growth and spiritual connection
History
Craniosacral Therapy has its roots in Osteopathy. In 1899 William G. Sutherland, DO, discovered that the bones of the skull have the ability to move and through that discovery realized that there is are subtle rhythms in the body that create internal movement all the time.
Currently there are several styles of Craniosacral Therapy that have developed during the last 40 years or so. The style that I practice is called Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, which is closest to what Dr. Sutherland practiced toward the end of his life and career, after developing the work over several decades.
More about how Craniosacral Therapy works
The Craniosacral System
The Craniosacral System includes the central nervous system ( the brain and spinal chord) and the membranes, fluids ( cerebrospinal fluid) and bones ( bones of the head and spine down to the sacrum) that surround the central nervous system. That is the core of what I work with, but since the rest of the body is connected to that core, I really work with the entire body. Often, I will spend the majority of time holding the head or the sacrum, but I might make contact with other areas, as well.
Primal Intelligence and the tide
At the heart of the work is the awareness that our body-mind systems were created by and are also maintained by a primal, vast intelligence. That intelligence guided the way we formed as an embryo and a fetus, it guided us to learn how to crawl, to walk, to talk.. It us much vaster than our thinking mind ( a baby definitely is not being grown by thoughts!) What is that – the knowing that knows how to grow a baby and how to give birth?
Ultimately we don’t really know, since we cannot explain these things with our rational minds. But we can name that there are forces at work. Those forces have an order to them and they know where to go and what to do. Those forces also work to heal our bodies.
One expression of those forces and the great intelligence that operates through us is that gentle rhythm, also called the “tide”. The tide exists in everybody and can be felt by an experienced practitioner. It feels like a slight expansion and contraction that happens all over the body, like a full-body breath that is different than the air-breath– the bones move with it, as well as the tissues and the fluids and the energetic body. It has been measured scientifically that even bones of the skull move with it.
Tuning into the tide and working with it can have wide ranging health benefits. It is a very deep and primal expression of our life-force, some of the deepest levels of organization in our body. It helps our body/mind to regulate toward balance and well-being.
Imprints from life experiences
As we encounter experiences during our life we usually collect “imprints” – layers of wounding and protection. The imprinting occurs through many circumstances, i. e. injuries, trauma (physical and emotional), surgeries, our own birth experience and any reactions to pain and challenges during our life time.
During Craniosacral Therapy I hold the recognition of the tide as I contact the layers of imprinting, so that the intelligence and knowing that the tide carries can inform the layers of imprinting. As the layers of imprinting come into contact with the primal intelligence that the tide carries, there will often be profound shifts in the physical, as well as emotional and energetic bodies. As a result there can be deep re-organization in ourselves, resulting in reduction of pain and limiting patterns and a return to greater health and well-being.
More Space
Another main principle in Craniosacral Therapy is to help the body find more space on the inside. More space will allow for more of the natural movement of the structure responding to the craniosacral rhythm. More space might be needed, for example :
between the bones of the baby’s head after birth
between the bones of an adult’s head, because of compression from their own birth or a head injury
between compressed vertebrae in the spine
within an injured joint anywhere in the body
within an injured or inflamed part of the body
within an organ that is inflamed or overloaded
Accessing deeper states
One of the great gifts of Craniosacral Therapy is that often clients will access layers of depth in their own being that they are not in touch with in their daily lives. I often compare the states we might experience in a session to the layers of the ocean:
On the surface we encounter the waves that are being moved by the wind.
When we sink further down in the ocean, the movement of the water gets much smoother and more coherent. We don’t feel the influence of the wind as much.
The further we sink down the slower and smoother and more coherent the movement of the water gets . We are not even aware any more of the activity on the surface. We might feel underwater streams that are flowing coherently in a certain direction.
For most of us, our daily consciousness is like the surface of the water– lots of activity, our nervous system is responding to all the things we encounter in our lives.
During our session together we start to orient toward slowing down and sinking to the next layer of experience underneath the surface. Sometimes that is experienced as an incredibly deep quieting in the body, the nervous system and the mind, a profoundly deep state of rest and recharging. The deeper we sink, the more we can get in contact with the sense of the tide, which expresses more in those deeper, slower layers of our experience. And the more we can help the whole body-mind to resonate with the healing intelligence of the tide and often there is deep healing and re-organization that takes place.
Application of Trauma Therapy
Sometimes, when we start to orient toward sinking below the surface, my client might experience more what lives in that surface layer which prevents them from sinking down. Often that is activation in the nervous system, meaning the nervous system is in a fight or flight state and therefore cannot easily settle down. That is quite a common scenario. Then, we get to work with that activation and help it to discharge, which is greatly helped by body-centered trauma therapy, so that ultimately settling down becomes possible again. So we work wherever and however each person needs to work.
What a Craniosacral session looks like
During Craniosacral Therapy you will remain fully clothed and will be lying on the massage table during the session. I will hold areas of your body, which might be the head or your sacrum at the bottom of your spine, but could also include other areas, such as your feet, shoulders or abdomen. I will be listening to subtle, internal movements in your body with my hands. Sometimes I will add Trauma Therapy to the session when needed. My intention is to provide a safe and supportive space in which healing is possible.
“I was really pleased with the results of my 5-month old daughter having six sessions with Ines. Before we came in, my daughter, Cailyn, held her head to the right side much more often than the left and seemed to have a sensitive spot at the back of her head. At times she had a hard time calming down or going to sleep. After Ines helped to release some tension, we noticed her movements were much more symmetrical, the extra sensitivity at the back of her head was gone and there was a dramatic difference in her demeanor. Cailyn has been able to fall asleep more calmly and she is overall much more content and peaceful. A number of family and friends have commented that Cailyn seems like such a happy baby and I believe that is at least partially due to her increased comfort from her time with Ines.”
– Megan M.
Craniosacral for Babies and Children
Is your little newborn having some challenges adjusting to life outside the womb?
Does he or she seem fussy and uncomfortable, or restless and does not sleep well?
Does your older baby have symptoms that just have not resolved over time, like discomfort , sleep issues, digestive problems?
Does your older child have any physical or emotional issues?
There can be many challenges at any stage of development for babies and children. Craniosacral Therapy can be an immensely valuable resource in helping your baby or child to resolve any issues from their birth and find better health and well being. When any symptoms or imbalances can be addressed and resolved at this early age, they don’t show up as major issues later in life.
Craniosacral Therapy can be of help with particular symptoms and it can also be a general support to help your baby or child access optimal health.
How Craniosacral Therapy can help your baby.
It can address:
fussiness
restlessness
molding of the cranial bones
inconsolable crying
torticollis
difficulty with sleeping
digestive problems
difficulty with nursing
colic
respiratory Problems
structural problems in baby’s body after a forceps delivery or vacuum extraction
imbalance in baby’s structure or movements
bonding and attachment issues
Cranioscral Therapy can also help with:
integrating a challenging or “normal” birth experience for mom and baby
supporting premature babies
supporting babies with developmental delay
Some of the issues that Craniosacral Therapy can address in older children:
structural issues, imbalances in his/her posture or movements
behavioral issues
emotional problems
any stress left over from his/her birth
learning disabilities and developmental delay
support him/her during difficult phases of development
help with recovery from a surgery or prepare for a surgery
sleep issues
help with autism and other disabilities
Why do Babies need Therapy?
A newborn baby has just been through one the most most intense experiences that we encounter as human beings – being born. Even if the birth went without any complications, baby encounters great intensity and the process itself can be quite overwhelming. Often imprints from the birth experience do not get resolved by themselves and are held in the little baby’s body and nervous system. As a result, adjustment to life outside of the womb might be affected. He or she might be disoriented and have a hard time settling into his or her new environment.
A baby’s autonomic nervous system (ANS) can be strongly affected by the birth experience. It might be in a fight or flight state, which is part of our survival mechanism. The fight or flight state can lead to many symptoms, including fussiness, restlessness, inconsolable crying, not sleeping, trouble with nursing, digestive problems etc.
A stressed ANS can also express as the opposite: baby may sleep a lot, be very quiet and slow. They may not make contact well, have attachment issues and seem withdrawn.
Generally the more complications arise during the birth, the more the baby’s nervous system is affected, but even a smooth birth can leave effects on the ANS. Craniosacral Therapy can help baby’s nervous system to release the survival energy and find a place of more balance and settledness.
There can also be physical issues, resulting from birth, that do not get resolved by themselves.
Sometimes the baby’s head or body do not completely unfold after being compressed in the birth canal. Bones in the head might be pushed over one another or spaces between bones get compressed, leading to pressure on important nerves and blood vessels. This can lead to symptoms, like colic, respiratory problems, difficulty with nursing or sleep, fussiness etc. Craniosacral Therapy can help baby’s body on a structural level, so that patterns of compression can be resolved.
More and more research shows how important bonding and attachment to his or her caregiver are for the infant during the first months of life. Any physical symptoms or nervous system stress can interrupt the bonding process, leading to further complications.
As the child grows older, any physical issues from birth can turn into painful or limiting patterns in the body. Nervous system dis-regulation can affect how he or she responds to stress and bonding and attachment issues can have impact on later relationships.
It is far easier to resolve these issues with a young baby, than later as an older child or an adult when patterns become more solidified.
How Craniosacral Therapy can help
Craniosacral Therapy (CST) is a gentle and yet very effective way to support a baby in releasing the impact from the birth process.
CST works with subtle rhythms in the body that are part of who we are as human beings. All of our tissues and fluids move with those rhythms. The free expression of those rhythms is essential for health and wherever they are not expressing, there is usually holding or constriction in the body. Constriction can result from physical impact (like physical challenges during birth), emotional impact or shock to the nervous system. If any of those impacts were too much to process in the moment they occurred, they get held in the tissues and nervous system and often lead to a variety of symptoms.
A craniosacral practitioner uses very gentle touch on the body to determine where those rhythms are expressing freely and where there are restrictions. He or she then supports the baby’s system to release restrictions and find it’s free expression again.
The reorganization that results happens on very deep levels, including the ANS. Often the ANS will discharge imprints and come into a regulated state and physical patterns will unravel. ( Read more about Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy above).
When should a baby receive Craniosacral Therapy?
As soon after birth as possible is optimal, but any issues present can still be worked with in older babies and children.
What does a Craniosacral Therapy session for a baby look like?
Craniosacral Therapy is very gentle and involves light contact of my hands with baby’s body to listen to the subtle internal rhythms. I might hold the bottom of the spine, the neck, belly, their head or other places.
Creating safety for your baby first before we start working is very important. If your baby does not feel safe, he or she will be in a survival state and we won’t be able to help the nervous system shift out of that state.
Therefore, I will usually start a session with you holding your baby and talking for a bit, so he or she can get used to me. Then I will start lightly touching him or her while on your lap. Then we might progress to me holding your baby or working on a massage table, but only if your baby is comfortable with that.
I can work with him or her while your baby is nursing or while you are holding him/her or while he/she is asleep, as well.
Craniosacral Therapy tends to be very soothing and often a baby will fall asleep during a session.
I allow an hour as a time-frame and we might not work that entire hour. Often, I will work in intervals while your baby is cooperative and we might take some brakes and allow for diaper changes etc.
How many sessions will it take?
That will depend on the baby’s system and what symptoms are presenting. Sometimes great change is achieved in one session, but often it takes several sessions over some time.
Craniosacral Therapy with Children (older than infants)
Craniosacral Therapy can be done with children of all ages. Children are generally very sensitive and responsive to this type of work.
Some of the issues that Craniosacral Therapy can address in your child:
structural issues, imbalances in his/her posture or movements
behavioral issues
emotional problems
any stress left over from his/her birth
learning disabilities and developmental delay
support him/her during difficult phases of development
help with recovery from a surgery or prepare for a surgery
sleep issues
help with autism and other disabilities
What does a session look like for a child?
The first aspect of a session is always safety. I might start out playing for a bit with your child or talking about things that matter to him or her to establish relationship with him or her.
Then, depending on the age of your child we find what works best for them. For younger children, like toddlers and pre-school aged children, I usually have them sit on the massage table while mom or whoever is with them reads some books to them or plays with some toys. We might change locations if necessary, like move to the floor. We might also take breaks, so your child can move around for a bit.
Some older children might be okay with lying on the massage table while listening to music or while being read to.
We make it work for your child, because their comfort and cooperation is key during the session.
I will lightly put my hands on your child’s body, on the bottom of their spine, their neck, head or abdomen or other places. Then I listen through my light touch to the internal subtle rhythms in their body ( read more about Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy above).
How many sessions will it take?
That will depend on the child’s system and what symptoms are presenting. Sometimes great change is achieved in one session, but often it takes several sessions over some time.