“This thing we call craniosacral therapy is a dance, a dance between the contraction of membrane and the expansion of fluid. It is our birthright, that place where life as mystery first emerges and then expands to fill this web of lines and structure that we call a body. There are many different craniosacral techniques and they all do something similar: support the body to find its balance within any given moment. On its own terms. At a speed that makes sense for its desire to change. Some forms of cranio are more directive in that change, still operating from consent but bringing in, what one of my first teacher’s named, the force of a tugboat on a very very large ocean liner. Small, direct and steady over time. Other forms carry no direction at all, just the physicality of witness and the deep trust that, when supported, the body knows its own way.
We who live in 2020 are not smarter or wiser about the body than any of our people have been across thousands of years of time. If anything, we are probably more awkward and cut off than many of our people have been across thousands of years of time. Whatever body technologies we stumble across or dream awake during this later industrial age, it is guaranteed that those technologies have been understood and deepened during other less-distracted less-earth numbed times. Being humble about this makes us better healing folk.”
Craniosacral Therapy - 90 minutes | $95
What is Craniosacral Therapy?
A gentle, hands-on approach to releasing tensions deep in the body to relieve pain and dysfunction and improve whole-body health and performance.
How does it 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 few systems have as much impact on the central nervous system as 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, and your structures work to compensate for them. These changes often cause body tissues to tighten and distort the craniosacral system, which can then cause tension to form around the brain and spinal cord. The result is 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. Generally using about 5 grams of pressure (roughly the weight of a nickel) the CST practitioner uses their 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 can you expect from a Craniosacral Therapy session?
Remaining fully clothed, you get to lay on your back on a comfortable, padded massage table. I will stand or sit positioned at various points of your head, torso or feet, gently placing my hands on these areas to feel the rhythm of your body while applying subtle pressure, which allows your body to relax, recalibrate and unwind what is ready to be released.
What you experience during a CST session is highly individual. Some people say they feel deeply relaxed, while others describe feeling unwinding sensations as the body releases tension. You may even recall circumstances surrounding a past trauma or injury that caused your body stress. While it doesn't occur in every session, this aspect of the process called SomatoEmotional Release is perfectly normal and helps the body reverse dysfunction and restore optimal levels of mobility.
Because each individual response to CST is unique, the number of sessions needed to resolve any particular condition varies widely. While one session may give you the relief you need, your situation may require more therapy before it's completely alleviated.
What will you experience after the session?
Just as each individual experiences CST sessions differently, the results can be diverse as well. You may leave in such a relaxed state that you feel like sleeping for hours. Or you may leave full of boundless energy. You may feel a decrease in pain or an increase in function immediately after the session, or the effects may develop gradually over the next few days.
Since CST helps the body resume its natural healing processes, it's common for your improvements to continue weeks after the session. You may also experience a reorganization phase as your body releases previously held patterns and adapts to a new state of wellness.