Hope you've all been having a great week. Things are pretty good here in Phoenix. It's a little on the warm side, but that's summer time in the desert.
One of the holistic therapy modalities I practice is CranioSacral Therapy (CST). It's an energetic body work modality that can help provide dramatic results. There are many aspects to it, but the main ones are working with the client's cranium, spinal column, cerebrospinal fluid, and connective tissue.
The cerebrospinal fluid is always pulsing up and down the spinal column, in and around the brain. This fluid pulsing or pumping creates subtle waves which we call the cranial wave. I work with the bones, plates of the cranium, and spine while I'm tuned in to the cranial wave. It's very slow and gentle energy work. This work helps the body to unwind. Everything in the body is wrapped in connective tissue; fascia. Holding patterns develop and when released, they unwind and help to bring the body back to a place of balance and helps the body to heal.
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| Illustration of an occipital hold |
There have been many reports of CST being helpful relieving symptoms from PTSD, Traumatic brain injury and and other issues, including autism. A friend, fellow veteran and CST practitioner recently told me of the tremendous healing he's had when he received CST himself. He had been discharged from the Marine Corps with a traumatic brain injury that he received while in Afghanistan. He described his head feeling "tight" and like his "skull was locked up," and a lot of pressure in his head as a result. The therapy loosened things up and released that pressure. He felt lighter and the pressure in his head had released. It was nothing short of amazing.
I've been doing this work for a couple years now and am continually amazed at the resulting pain relief and healing that clients experience. I've had the privilege to work with some Vets at a couple of retreats over the past year. It's rewarding to be able to help these heroic people who have experienced so much pain and trauma find relief from pain. The little feedback I received was good and that the treatments were helpful and appreciated. Unfortunately, I wasn't afforded the opportunity for follow up.
Recently I was able to work with a young veteran who had been retired from the Army because he'd sustained a traumatic brain injury from an improvised explosive devise that hit the vehicle he was in, driving in Iraq. He also had some back pain.
When he came in for the first session I asked him if he still had symptoms from his injuries or time in Iraq. He said "well, I'm feeling ok, not bad." So we set out to work. The session lasted about an hour and a half.
When finished we sat down to talk. The discussion afterwards was much different than the intake. He reported an amazing release of pressure in the front part of his head. He said that he'd gotten so used to the pressure in that he just figured it was normal for him. After the therapy he felt light and felt very good.
We met two weeks later for another session. We talked for a bit beforehand and he reported that his head had continued to feel good; without the pressure in it that he had for so long. He also noticed that before the first session, he felt like he was a little bit clumsy and just off a little bit with physical coordination. After the first session that coordination issue was gone. He said he felt like he, "was at the top of his game." He was happy to report his head felt great and coordination issue resolved.
We did the second session yesterday and all went well. I was so excited I wanted to share this on my blog. Hopefully there will be more good news like this to come as Vets and other people with traumatic brain injuries find relief with CranioSacral Therapy.
Veterans - if you're in Phoenix and would like to try this therapy, I offer a 50% discount to all Veterans ($25 per session). The beauty of this therapy is that I've never experienced anyone having ill effects from it.
Have a great weekend everyone. Remember - when you help others, you help yourself.
Peace,
Tom
Thank you for posting
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