Craniosacral therapy and regaining a sense of ‘lightness of being’!
People often ask me how craniosacral therapy works and what exactly it does. I primarily use it for realignment of the body and for the release of long standing patterns of physical and emotional tension (which often go together).
Chronic stress:
Over the years I have worked with many clients who have come through a particularly stressful time in their lives for one reason or another. Long after this time has passed, they are still holding the tension in their body. This can be a feeling of a knot in the solar plexus or a jaw that grinds at night or a tendency towards a stiff neck or a frozen shoulder or unexplained aches and pains. They may also respond to a small stressor with a large stress response as the nervous system may have habituated to a higher level of stress during the difficult time. This ‘over response’ may have served a purpose during the time of heightened stress but is no longer needed. It is very important to help the body switch off this over response and get back to normal as over arousal of the nervous system directly affects immune health and cardiac health. I have found that Craniosacral therapy does this very well.
Shock:
I have also worked with clients who have experienced ‘shock’ in their lives. This can be from an accident, injury, birth trauma, a difficult operation, a financial loss, a sudden bereavement, or an emotional shock. Shock can be a fundamental element for a great many people – The earlier the shock is experienced the more deeply ingrained it becomes and the more deeply it influences patterns of tissue holding and behavioural patterns going forward. If shock is not released from the system then it can stay in the system; and the longer it is there, the more ingrained it becomes, setting our habit patterns for the rest of our lives – habit patterns that become increasingly difficult to change as each year goes by and can lead towards illness.
The effects will of course vary from person to person, depending on many other factors.
Some people may become more active, some may freeze with shock.
Some may be perpetually overstimulated, busy, hyperactive, restless, unable to keep still.
Others may feel agitated, nervy, over-reactive, irritable, angry.
Others may feel over-sensitive – to noise, to light, to other people, to ordinary everyday life, to foods.
Some may respond to their over-sensitivity by becoming shy, withdrawn, tearful, delicate, fragile.
Fortunately, in Craniosacral Therapy we have what is probably one of the most effective means of treating chronic stress and shock and releasing it from the system, and thereby helping the person to regain their sense of wellbeing, both physical and psychological, and regain a ‘lightness of being’ and sense of enthusiasm and energy about the future.
As we often use acupuncture with the cranial techniques, some treatment may be covered by your health insurer.
Avril Ivory (M.Psych.Sc.Dip.Nat.Dip.Ac)