What is Cranio Sacral?
CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is a very light touch, unobtrusive, hands on holistic therapy. It has the potential to relieve stress, tension, physical restrictions in the body, traumas (physical and emotional), and is so gentle that it can be used for people of all ages and physical conditions.
Each of us humans, and other animals, have a rhythmic motion throughout our bodies which can be felt, and which is different both to the physiological motions related to breathing and to cardiovascular activity. One of the clearest places on the body to feel this rhythm is the head (cranium), which is the main focus area for treatment, but the craniosacral system itself is is housed from the cranium to the sacrum area, hence the name of the therapy.
It is essentially about allowing the body to release any restrictions it may have and which may be known, or not, to the client. The body keeps a record of all our past experiences, good and bad, and sometimes it just needs a little external stimulus to help the body 'let go' of anything that’s no longer supporting it. CranioSacral therapy is about listening to the body's rhythm and trying to feel where it may be restricted, with the aim of freeing it again. A smoother flow of fluid, will help in attaining more clarity, energy and well-being. CranioSacral Therapy can be a very gentle yet effective way to feeling better, not only physically, but emotionally as well.
History of Cranio Sacral
Initially developed in early part of the twentieth century, by an Osteopath named William Sutherland, it is Dr. John Upledger, who took on the mantle from the 70s, who is credited with what we know today as CranioSacral Therapy. An eminent Osteopath, Surgeon and Professor of Biomechanics at the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Michigan State University, he spent several years testing the existence and influence of the craniosacral system. Encouraged by the findings of his scientific studies, he developed CranioSacral Therapy, a therapy that brought him international acclaim, has now been widely accepted and is taught worldwide through the Upledger Institute's educational programs.
Typical Conditions Treated
CranioSacral Therapy can be beneficial for a wide variety of conditions, used alone or in conjuction with other therapies. From general conditions (stress-related. post-traumatic stress, dizziness, migraine etc.) to musculoskeletal conditions (trauma or injury, sciatica, frozen shoulder, sports injuries), to digestive problems, behavioural conditions, neurological conditions, learning difficulties, the immune system — almost any in fact, and is so gentle that it is suitable even for new-born babies, or those in advanced old age.
But, one doesn't have to be ill to benefit from CranioSacral Therapy. It can help to increase vitality, strengthen the immune system, improve one's emotional state and generally promote an increased feeling of well‐being and, it is also extremely relaxing.
