We might think of our body as never changing or moving, like an image in the mirror each day, it looks the same. But inside the body there is a constant turnover of molecules and cells. For example, the cells of our stomach lining are replaced every three or four days. Our liver is renewed every 6 weeks, even our bones which seem so solid are actually fluid in the sense that they are continually renewed, completing a cycle every 3-4 years. In fact in a scant 7 years every atom in our body has been changed!
The body is constantly in motion; the heart beats over a 100,000 times a day, the diaphragm expands and contacts 24,000 times a day. We are made up of 75% water. Fluids constantly flow within and through our arteries, organs, fascia and bones in rhythmic patterns
In Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy (BCST) we are interested in keeping this internal environment moving and flowing. In health our body is constantly moving, changing and regulating itself. When the body is unable to move due to trauma, inflammation or disease.. then problems arise.. kind of like a rock in the middle of a stream that would create turbulence.
Dr Sutherland, one of the founders of Osteopathy noticed that the cranial bones were bevelled like the gills of a fish and wondered why this was so.. that it seemed like the bones of the cranium were designed to move. After experimenting on himself with a helmet he concluded that the whole cranium expanded and contracted rhythmically and he called the force behind this The Breath of Life. He felt that this movement.. this force was making the corrections in his patients not himself! Sutherland also found that this movement was an actual fluctuation of cerebral spinal fluid or CSF and noticed it was moving at particular tempos up and down the body.
This expansion and contraction can be felt throughout the entire body and is called Inhalation and Exhalation.. like breathing. This energy rises and expands through the whole body and then narrows and falls. This beautiful motion can be felt anywhere in the body due to the connectivity of fascia. Fascia is a type of connective tissue that wraps organs and muscles and is continuous from head to toe. Fascia is a wonderful communication system and it has tensile properties. Biodynamic Craniosacral therapists listen to it deeply.. often feeling structure a long way off from their palpating hands!
Sutherland realized that The Breath of Life.. this force that enlivens the whole body.. comes from a place of profound stillness and that from this stillness all the healing decisions are made. In BCST we orientate to stillness and this ever present health which arises from it. Health is seen to be all-pervasive and eternally present and is a deep organizing force.
BCST practitioners are trained to remain neutral without any intentions for change to happen. By sitting back but remaining engaged and empathetic a whole powerful response can happen. The body literally starts doing the work of healing itself in its own time and way. We call this The Inherent Treatment Plan.
The first session starts by taking an in depth case history of your present health, the family's health, and your childhood heath as well as any knowledge you have of your own birth. We also want to know what supports you and gives you a sense of well-being in your life. We may lightly place our hands at different locations on the body and head depending on what area's require attention.
During the session it is good to relax and enjoy the process. If you feel strong sensations or feelings coming up please share these if you feel to. The healing process is often a team approach. The practitioner might guide you through a meditation that can help create a sense of embodiment and calm.
