Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy
Deep Presence and Listening
If you've ever talked to someone who's a really great listener, you might know the feeling of finding yourself saying more and more, saying things out loud that you've never even said or known were inside you before? And then you start working things out for yourself, just with their attention?
As Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy (BCST) practitioners, we train our hands and our bodies to be this kind of listener to the language of your body. Just like a good therapist, I won't tell you what to do but I will listen to and reflect what your body wants to do, and is doing.
This kind of stillness, presence and attention gives your body permission to express its own health and potency, and make the changes it is ready to make.
. . we make ourselves this kind of listener, to the language of your body
Let “the Tide” Decide
. . profound change for clients by observing, following and attending to inertia in the movement of craniosacral fluid
. . the less we do, the more happens, and the more profound change we see
Craniosacral Therapy (CST) is founded in Osteopathy, which is itself heavily informed by Native American "bone-setting" healing systems - its origins are tens of thousands of years old.
In early 1900s, Osteopaths like William Sutherland recognised deeper rhythms and movements in the body, and noticed the profound change in their clients when they observed, followed and attended to inertia in the these movements.
You know that you breathe and have a heartbeat, and clearly understand that these can be felt by yourself and someone with their hands on you. The core (re-)discovery here was that craniosacral fluid flows up and down around the spinal cord and through the brain AND that this movement can be palpated (felt through touch) as movements in the bones in the skull and spine. Working with this movement is the essence of 'craniosacral' therapy, and 'cranial osteopathy'.
It has since become apparent that these movements (known as "the tides") can be felt much more broadly throughout the body and even (for some) without touching it. And that these movements are themselves a layer of a deeper life force expressing itself - the Breath of Life.
While early practitioners would detect blockages and manually intervene, biodynamic craniosacral therapy emerged with the recognition that following the Tides - and not intervening - enables the most profound healing. The less we do, the more happens, and the more profound change we see. This is the lineage that I am trained in and primarily practice.
Full-spectrum awareness - nervous system regulation and embodiment
Biodynamic craniosacral therapy includes a broader spectrum of awarenesses to support activation of deep inner healing processes. This work is effective well beyond musculoskeletal issues, including mental health challenges; trauma; nervous system regulation; digestive and sleep problems; inflammation; chronic pain and so on. How so?
If you are living with high levels of stress and tension and many expectations on you, our work begins with regulating and supporting your nervous system. Key processes like respiration, digestion, immunity and deep rest cannot and do not operate well when we are primarily in stress or "fight / flight" mode. If your body never really comes out of this state it accumulates cortisol and other stress hormones that build up and cause all sorts of other problems. Our work together will support increased range and flexibility in your nervous system, so that you can more easily access the deep rest states that allows real healing to occur - both within and beyond the sessions themselves. So the first thing many people experience with this kind of work is "I don't really know what she did but I just feel so relaxed - a little more like I can cope with it all and it's going to be ok."
“allowing me to notice and pay attention to sensations I've never felt before - have they really been there all along?”
“I don’t really know what she did, but I just feel so relaxed”
A core pillar of the work is empowered embodiment - increasing your own awareness and understanding of what is actually happening inside you. Some people starting this work may not feel much more than 'relaxed', while others move directly into exploring and following their inner world of sensation.
From wherever you start, you will encounter deeper changes as you become aware of and pay attention to the subtle and nuanced language of your own body. Clients say ". . the most curious experience, Kirsten's gentle questions allowing me to notice and pay attention to sensations I've never felt before - have they really been there all along?"
In our work together you will learn to feel more and more of what is happening in your anatomy, nervous system and inner world, and how to consciously interact with it.
Is this for you?
You are Curious
there is so much to learn, understand and experience in our bodies and lives - you are open and interested
You are Courageous
getting in touch with what’s really there can be challenging at first, but you’re ready for the journey
You are Purposeful
you know that this can move and heal, and you’re committed to supporting that to happen
You know that deep healing can sometimes be uncomfortable . .
Many sessions are pure delight. But as we go deeper healing, things can sometimes emerge that are hard.
Our modern western culture tends to train and reward us for being 'in our heads', overriding and downplaying physical, emotional, intuitive and spiritual sensations and knowing. This starts when we are very very young. Coming out of our heads and into our bodies can be challenging - there can be a lot there that has not been listened to for a long time and sometimes we've blocked it out precisely because it really hurts. You might feel pain and discomfort, tiredness, the re-emergence of things long buried.
This is part of the healing - your body is revealing and moving things that are ready to change. Just because you had blocked them out didn't mean they weren't there and impacting your life and health in unseen ways. Keeping them hidden and outside of your conscious awareness actually takes a lot of energy - held in your body as 'energy cysts'.
Part of the power of BCST is its gently solidity in approaching and 'titrating' strong sensations and trauma, so that it can be lightened, and that energy freed up for living.
. . just because you blocked them out didn't mean they weren't there . . and impacting your health in unseen ways.
Working with a BCST practitioner means that you are not doing this alone. It is a gentle emergence with the safety and presence of another who is right there with you, providing the powerful support of secure co-regulation through touch.
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