Foundations in Craniosacral Biodynamics

 

Foundations in Craniosacral Biodynamics Volumes 1 & 2 by Franklyn Sills are gold-standard text books that outline the biodynamic model of Craniosacral practice. These volumes are recommended to all students and practitioners of Craniosacral Therapy, and are included in the essential reading list for students on the Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy (BCST) training at the Craniosacral Therapy Educational Trust. Franklyn is a pioneering teacher of a biodynamic understanding and has developed an in-depth curriculum that orients students to its principles and practice. He was also co-founder of the Craniosacral Therapy Educational Trust

According to Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapist, Naturopath and teacher Michael Kern, BCST emphasises working with the underlying forces that govern how we function, and it takes a whole body, whole person approach that deeply acknowledges the interconnections between spirit, body and mind. Foundations in Craniosacral Biodynamics offers this holistic and spiritual understanding, differentiating it from other more mechanistic and purely materialistic approaches. The books outline how practitioners can build their perceptual and clinical skills to become adept at identifying and working with subtle respiratory motions (primary respiration) that become expressed through the body. The books also orient students to the essential ordering principle of the Breath of Life and its role in healing processes. Sills provides a range of exercises and explorations that build an experiential understanding of the biodynamic approach, which can become embodied and put into practice with the support and mentoring by experienced teachers.

A Short History of Craniosacral Biodynamics

The early development of craniosacral practice was initiated by Dr. William Sutherland, an osteopath who realised that subtle rhythmic motion is a necessary pre-requisite for good health and integration of body and mind. The roots of biodynamics also lie with developments that Dr. Sutherland made during the latter stages of his career, after he had a direct experience of the presence of the Breath of Life that prompted him to shift gears from a mechanistic orientation and to a more non-invasive approach. He realised that the ‘unerring potency’ of the Breath of Life can be employed to make corrections in the body, rather than the introduction of any external forces. As such, the focus changed from analysis and the application of techniques to an appreciation of presence and stillness, and the recognition of primary respiration in initiating the healing process and maintaining equilibrium in the human body.

The principles outlined by Dr. Sutherland have been developed and extended by later practitioners, such as Dr. Rollin Becker, Dr. James Jealous and Franklyn Sills, who together with Michael Kern established the Craniosacral Therapy Educational Trust (CTET) in 1989.

Plant-Based Food Orders Spike in Veganuary

Plant-based food orders in the UK spiked in January 2021, according to takeaway and delivery platform Deliveroo. Searches within the app for vegan food increased by 153% and orders by 117%, which is thought to be due to the large number of people participating in Veganuary. Last year more than half a million Brits joined in with Veganuary, pledging to eat a vegan diet for the first month of the year.  

According to reports from Deliveroo, more than 15,000 restaurants across the UK have added plant-based vegan dishes to their regular menu in response to this demand. Michael Kern, Craniosacral Therapy teacher and former Osteopath, has been vegetarian for nearly 50 years and advocates the benefits of a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle for animal welfare, for health reasons, and for the wider benefit of the planet. 

 

Taking on Veganuary 

 

Veganuary has proven a popular project to raise awareness in the UK. In 2021 there were an estimated 582,000 participants. An official survey found that 85% of them planned to make permanent changes to their diet following the month. Approximately 40% intended to remain vegan, while the rest planned to reduce their overall meat and dairy intake to varying degrees – at least halving their prior intake. Almost two-thirds of people surveyed maintained a completely vegan diet throughout January, while the remaining third drastically reduced their meat and animal product consumption.  

 

Reasons to Try Vegan 

 

Around 35% of vegans cite concerns about climate change as one of their main reasons for changing to a plant-based diet. According to the Veganuary survey, almost half (46%) of the 2021 participants cited animal welfare as their primary reason for switching their diet, while 21% of respondents wanted to help protect the environment, and a further 22% experimented with Veganuary for personal health reasons. Improved health metrics experienced by participants included higher levels of energy, improved mood, better skin condition and weight loss. 

 

Longevity of Results 

 

An estimated 40% of people who participated in Veganuary plan to stay vegan, while only 10% state they will not be making any lasting changes to their diet. Veganuary has been running in the UK since 2014 and was launched in the US in 2019. Increasing numbers of restaurants and other food outlets and brands are now improving their plant-based offerings as a result of the growing demand.  

How Babies Can Benefit from Cranio

Craniosacral Therapy is a gentle way to trigger the body’s natural self-healing capabilities: it helps to resolve traumatic imprints, allows us to process stresses, and supports the nervous system to down-regulate. The gentleness of this approach makes cranio perfect for babies.  

Helps with Head Bruising 

Craniosacral Therapy can be beneficial for babies who have experienced difficulty during birth and who may, as a result, have bruising to the head, forceps marks, chignon caused by vacuum extraction, cephalohematoma or an abnormality of head shape. 

It can also help resolve any underlying physical or emotional tensions that can be left behind in the baby’s system, even after these marks have disappeared.  

Adjustment After a Long, Difficult or Fast Birth 

The birth experience, particularly if it was prolonged, very fast, with medical interventions, or was by C-section, can result in the baby experiencing ongoing physical and emotional distress. According to Craniosacral Therapy teacher Michael Kern, these birth imprints can effectively be processed and resolved by helping to restore natural rhythmic movements within the body and supporting the body’s natural tendencies to find health, This leads to happier and more well-adjusted babies. 

Can Make Breastfeeding Easier 

Craniosacral Therapy is often used to support breast feeding. If a newborn is struggling to latch onto the breast, it could be due to unresolved stress, pain or discomfort, or as a result of the after effects of medication administered during the experience of birth. Tightness in the jaw or throat regions, or compression of cranial bones resulting from a difficult birth can impact on tongue sensation and the ability to easily feed. 

Soothes Crying 

Babies who inconsolably cry, or cry with a high pitch may also be supported with Craniosacral Therapy, which can resolve the imprints of birth trauma. It can also allow the baby to move through ‘memory crying’, in which their birth story can be revisited and resolved. A deep listening to the intelligence in the body is key to this practice.  

Babies Diagnosed with Tongue Tie 

Tongue tie may be another cause of feeding difficulties, but there are some issues that can mimic the symptoms of tongue tie, such as fascial restrictions, cranial nerve dysfunction and nervous system activation. All these may be amenable to treatment.  

Can Resolve Torticollis/Head Preference 

Some babies present with torticollis, which can be an uncomfortable condition that can also create difficulties with latching onto the breast. Tortocollis may result from unresolved compressions experienced during the birth process, or by patterns that develop in the uterus before birth. It is sometimes indicated by a baby’s habitual preference to lie on one side, and not on the other. Craniosacral Therapy sessions can be of great benefit!

Craniosacral Therapy: An Introduction

 

Craniosacral Therapy is a therapy using a light touch that essentially supports the expressions of our intrinsic health and wholeness. The hands-on skills used by Craniosacral practitioners are designed to restore natural rhythmic motions in the body, which has the effect of bringing the body and mind back into balance. As a result, Craniosacral Therapy can be used to treat a variety of conditions.

The Craniosacral Therapy Educational Trust provides training courses with a ‘biodynamic’ approach of Craniosacral Therapy, which orients practitioners to the underlying forces that govern our health. A whole-person approach to treatment is taken, appreciating the interconnections of body, mind and spirit. The Trust was co-founded in 1989 by Michael Kern, Craniosacral Therapy teacher and author.

The Primary Respiratory Mechanism

Craniosacral Therapists use touch to sense the subtle rhythmic motions expressed through the body, and learn how to feel any places of restriction or dysregulation. The subtle rhythms carry an essential ordering principle for body and mind, but can become compromised by unresolved stresses and strains that are held in the body. In this way, places of inertia affecting the expression of natural rhythmic motion can compromise the expression of our intrinsic health and be a primary factor in the development of disease and pathology. Areas of inertia may result from factors such as physical injury, emotional stress, trauma, or an unsuitable diet.

The ‘primary respiratory mechanism’, sometimes referred to as the ‘craniosacral system’, refers to a system of anatomical and physiological relationships found in and around the core of the body. It comprises the brain and spinal cord, cerebrospinal fluid, cranial bones, membranes that surround the central nervous system, and the sacrum. The subtle rhythmic motion of these tissues and fluids plays a significant role in our health, so craniosacral practitioners frequently work with these areas. However, Craniosacral Therapy is actually a whole body, whole person approach to treatment, that also includes all the organs, fascia, muscles, bones, fluids and tissues throughout the body.

Conditions for Health

The body retains deep-seated and powerful capacities to heal, which can become supported by the skilful touch and presence of Craniosacral Therapy practitioners. In this process, practitioners can support the conditions in which the body’s natural capacities to restore health are facilitated. These conditions include states of safety and physiological settling that allow for the processing and resolution of any unresolved stressful or traumatic experiences and states of dysregulation in the body. Through creating the right conditions, our natural corrective wisdom can begin to promote healing from the inside out; the benefits of which can be long lasting and life-changing.

The ‘Tides’

Within the biodynamic approach taught at the Craniosacral Therapy Educational Trust, students are instructed how to perceive and support the expression of at least three subtle rhythms, as well as the basic ground of stillness that underlies the function of these rhythms. Each of these rhythms, often referred to as ‘tides’, has its own rate and physiological significance.

By resolving any retained patterns of stress and strain in the functioning of these rhythms, the expression of the basic ordering principle that’s carried in these subtle motions can be facilitated at a physiological level. This re-establishes the expression of health in the body, and restores a balanced integration of body and mind.

Integrating Mind and Body

Craniosacral Therapy can be very helpful for dealing with trauma, anxiety or strong unresolved emotions, as these experiences are fundamentally retained in the body. By working with the physiological roots of these experiences, they can often be processed and dissipated without the need for medication or other interventions.