June 13, 2017

Craniosacral – What to Expect

When the session begins, you will lie down, face up on the massage table. We will dialog to make sure you are comfortable and have what you need such as a blanket for warmth. Then I will sit near the table for a few moments before making physical contact with you. Sometimes it takes some time and dialogue to get your comfort just right so you can relax. You will be guided through this process. Establishing comfort is an important first step that ensures that what unfolds in the session is about you and not occurring in reaction to a feeling of lack of safety with me or comfort on the table.

When contact is made I will check in again to make sure the touch is right for you. Session work involves a very light, gentle touch. I may begin at your feet, at your head (cranium) or on your sacrum (the triangular bone at the bottom of the spine). During your session, depending on your areas of concern, I may go to any area of the body that needs to be worked with, using the contact that feels best for you.

Sessions can last anywhere from a half hour to an hour or an hour and a half depending on the arrangement pre-determined and your needs. During the session, I will quietly, gently hold parts of your body, listening to the subtle rhythms and tracking changes in your system.

It is important to note that while a single session can have noticeable effects, it often takes multiple sessions to achieve the results you are seeking.

During the session, you may:

  • Relax so deeply that you fall asleep
  • Enter a quiet meditation-like state
  • Feel as if you are dreaming while awake
  • Experience memories or insights
  • Enjoy a pleasant sense of warmth, softening, widening or floating
  • At times, you may experience other kinds of sensations as energy that has been held in the body is released. If this occurs, just stay present with your breath and bodily sensations and allow this energy to discharge. The session quite often involves a process of letting go of patterns that inhibit your health and vitality. Once these patterns begin to shift, the therapist may notice changes in your fluids, tissues, bones and potency. You may experience a sense of integration in your body, mind and spirit.

At the end of the session, you may:

  • Feel relaxed, but also energized
  • Find yourself breathing more fully and deeply
  • Stand straighter and taller
  • Feel more comfortable in your body
  • Be surprised to feel a new sense of peace and ease as you leave the office to return, renewed, to your life.
  • Notice an improvement in your sleep patterns

No matter what your experience, I will take some time with you after you are off the table to check in about how you are doing. This is a great opportunity to find words for your experience and reflect on how differently you feel after your session. The effects can also be felt even after you leave your session.

Take time in the next 2-3 days just to notice how you are in the world:

  • What is the quality of your sleep that night? Did you dream?
  • How is your digestion?
  • How is your overall experience of life?

By paying attention to the lasting effects of this work you will be able to gauge what the ongoing use of this work might offer you.

Call or email me with any questions you might have or to discuss how BCST may be of value to your well being and self care practice.